My Linda Campbell is about 4' tall and 6' wide, and it's been growing in poor soil for 3 years now. It was one of the few who had very little dieback this past winter. I would say it thrives in our extreme climate.
I have grown Oklahoma in every garden I've had, just for the scent. I planted Olympiad next to it here, and Olympiad is far and away the better rose. On the other side of that bed, I have Mr. Lincoln, Chrysler Imperial and Christian Dior. Those three have not earned their space here, in my mind. I have 3 new ones in pots ready to take their places. Oh My, Always and Forever, and Lavaglut have already impressed me with their sunfastness. If I needed long-stemmed, perfumed roses, I would work harder at keeping Lincoln, Chrysler and Dior. They are classics that deserve to be cared for. My emphasis has changed to having healthy roses that grow and bloom easily.
In past gardens, I would plant Mr. Lincoln next to my JFK rose, just because I was a history teacher and it seemed right. This house, I have JFK with Marilyn Monroe, Maria Shriver and Camelot. I think St.Patrick is in there too, but it has never bloomed. None of the roses in that bed do well. Bad karma, I think. Even Pope John Paul II died in that bed.
I have to admit that one of my best and favorite red roses is Scarlet Carpet. It gets about 45" tall and 3' wide, unlike the other smaller carpet roses. It is always clean and blooms all summer.
Today, Monte Carlo Country Club opened several first blooms. I am very impressed with this rose. Zuzu or Sue had suggested it a year or two ago when we were ordering from Palatine. I'll get some photos of it tomorrow, assuming we don't get the deluge tonight that is predicted.
One last note....Pink Home Run is a cheerful, easy rose. I just love it. I need to move it out of my formal rose bed and into a wild area where it can add color to grasses and wildflowers. I don't know if it is just this rose or what, but the Pink Home Run does not get as large as the 3 or 4 Red Home Run roses I grow.
Hope that helps!
