I am inclined to agree with Zuzu and your DH, although I can think of other possibilities. Each time I put roses in the ground I do something a little different. So one order is planted at one time using a certain technique, while the next may get a subtly different treatment - for reasons good or bad.
It will be interesting to find out what happens when you prune them to within 3" of the ground and feed them well.
Wouldn't we all love to know if it's the fault of the pots Tagawa uses, or the soil, the fertilizer, or what?
BTW, it is my own (somewhat speculative) observation that roses and other plants that are growing quickly tend to be much more inclined to be devastated by severe environmental setbacks than plants that are behaving in a more guarded way, especially when we are talking about yo-yo weather. Do you remember how each of these roses was behaving just prior to the first hard frost?
