I still have a few dozen bands on the way, so I won't have the thrill of the hunt this year, I'm afraid. Just the thrill of digging lots and lots of holes.
Sorry to hear about your experience with Edmunds, Toni. I had mixed experience with them last year. I thought the roses they sent were large and well developed, but maybe they were not very vigorous. Most took root and look this year like they might actually grow a little. Maybe I'll get actual flowers out of them next year.
I must say that I have been very pleased with Palatine. Dozens of vigorous roses, no failures. Unprecedented.
I'm not so pleased with a lot of other rose suppliers. The roses I got from David Austin this year were a lot smaller than those I got three years ago, and smaller than those a year back. If the trend continues apace, in five years they will be selling boxes of air for $23 apiece.
My potted roses from Lowe's at $5 apiece last year surprised me. Admittedly, MAAB is probably dead, but Pristine and Camelot are big and happy.
I'll have to try some roses from Brushwood if only to see if they can be worse than the not-so-very-rooted-cuttings I once bought from Heirloom Roses decades ago.
