My Edmunds roses are waaaay larger and better than the ones we got from Brushwood. The Brushwood babies are still babies. Two have died.
The Austin order I received a few weeks ago is catching up to the Edmunds order in growth, and I planted the Edmunds roses in late Feb. the Palatine order is the biggest roots ever---even bigger than Wayside at their very best. They have not leafed out yet, but it's just been a week. The canes are narrow but green. I was impressed by how big the canes on Red Intuition are--I bid on that rose at a district rose show and it had long, spindly, wild-looking canes. These are much nicer. It has to be that those were maiden roses and these are grafted on multiflora.
So here's my ranking for this year:
Best:
1. Palatine
2. Kniffings in El Cajon
3. Arnolds nursery in Leroy Ks
3. (tie) Austin
4. Edmunds
5. bag roses from Lowes
6. potted roses from Walmart
7. grocery store parking lot nursery clearance rack after tornado
8. Brushwood
Still to come: Parks (because I never learn), and 17!! from Chamblees.
So, Toni, you see, it could be worse! How are your Palatine roses doing? You got them at least a month before I asked for mine, but then who knew we wouldn't have a winter here? I held off the order until April because march is usually a game of freeze and thaw, and a warm march is often a killer to roses.
