Absolutely - but I only use the info if the person raving about the roses lives near where I do! (Not hard to come by in the SF Bay area). Otherwise, the information is interesting, but useless for rose selection purposes.

Jackie

I've purchased quite a few from recommendations I've received on here. I've been lucky to have quite a few people from my zone and geographic area on here, plus others who don't live near me, but are very knowledgeable. here's a couple of recent additions due to recommendations on these forums (some are on order for spring)

The Faun
Alberic Barbier
Buff Beauty
Caroline Testout
Easy Going
Jacques Cartier
M Cornelissen
Soupert et Notting

Because of comments on this forum, I decided that St. Cecilia must be a sleeper among the Austin stable. I bought one last year from Longagoroses, planted in Aug. I will see how she does next summer.

The entire narrow bed between my neighbor's (ugly) garage and my driveway was planned by this forum. Here is a picture of the results:

{{gwi:220212}}

All I knew for sure was that I wanted big fat blooms on taller and more vertical plants than my selections elsewhere in the yard. Ah, yes, disease-resistance also. After long discussions and deliberations on this forum, we decided on the hybrid teas Peter Mayle (hot pink) and Elina (white/pale yellow blend), and the hybrid perpetual Mrs. John Laing (light pink). I think the results are wonderful, especially when I added the blue pansies at their feet.

Another rose selected by group discussion on this forum was Easter Basket, a frilly white/pink/pale yellowish blend of a floribunda--supposed to be disease-resistant. Loved the bloom, but didn't get much chance to appreciate its other virtues because it promptly came down with RRD. I was so disappointed and had to spade it. However, I liked the bloom enough that I decided to order another one for this spring. Hope it goes better.

I know I'm had many choices influenced by this forum. The above ones were probably the most direct and extensive involvement of the forum in my selections, and I thank everyone who participated. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Kate

Beautiful roses and beautiful color combinations!

In the mid to late 90's, there were some very knowledgeable posters/growers/nursery folks on here and they had a lot of awesome ideas, info and suggestions. They also tended to be rather emphatic and most of them got banished from this forum for one reason or another. Based on several of their recommendations, I got interested in OGR's, Austins and minis that weren't widely grown in our area. Some of the roses were dogs in our climate but others have been awesome. The biggest change the GW has had on my rose garden is in pest and disease control. About 4 years ago, I switched to no-spray/limited chemical application, took out disease magnets and invested in some Earth-Kind varieties.

I always check here before considering a new rose to try to determine how badly it can Rust. It has helped give me a better garden.

I got Disneyland Rose because of pictures I'd seen on here. Unfortunately they were in CA and I'm in MI and Disney didn't like the cold.

Recently though I was very influenced by the good reports here from all over the country about Julia Child and so far she been very happy!

Two roses from when I lived in central FL. Gemini & Gold Medal. Grew them for a couple of years and got rid of them. The weather was to hot and humid for them. Small blooms with very few petals all the time. Moved up here to NE GA and put them back in my garden. They love it up here. Big beautiful blooms with perfect form and outstanding color. It all depends where you live.

I keep a list of roses recommended here by knowledgeable growers in the East. I rarely buy a rose without that recommendation.

Just to mention one example, I have the wonderful 'Mother of Pearl' because of Celeste's recommendation.

Ginger Hill. I had never heard of this rose until here on this forum. Love it - one of my favorite fragrant roses - love having at least one in a bouquet.

Evelyn. Thanks to garden web member, 'molineux' who started the thread titled, "The Most Beautiful rose - Evelyn," back in 2006. And thanks to Hoovb for posting her mature sized rose bush of Evelyn here in 2010(?). From there, Evelyn is still my favorite rose. Reading back old threads tend to put a smile on my face; I can't believe how time flies! Another thanks to Cupshaped_rose (Neils, where are you??) who introduced me to Gertrude Jekyll's amazing scent.

I can only think of a few at the moment but I'm sure there are others that I've forgotten. Among those I remember are Belinda's Dream (I have two!), Mrs. B.R. Cant (three), Souvenir de la Malmaison (two), Baptiste Lafaye (two), Bishop's Castle, Pretty Jessica, Duchess of Albany, La France, William R. Smith and Sophie's Perpetual. Actually, that's quite a few. One that didn't make it was Le Pactole, but I just received a very wimpy plant, and also Grandmother's Hat, whose beautiful flowers crisped in my heat. I also paid attention to climate and to roses that people in almost every area were happy with. I have the forum to thank for a lot of beautiful roses!

Ingrid

Absolutely, I ALWAYS check here before buying, trust this and Antique Rose Forum implicity!!

Most of my roses were bought because of pictures I have seen on here. Regardless of the zone . Most have worked out and one or two haven't. I like the different ones, Wedding cake, Dahlia rose, memphis music to name a few. I probably would have never known about these if it hadn't been for this forum. I love to read it and catch up.

Julia Child, Climbing Pinkie. Bouquet Parfait, Munstead Wood, Symphony, and Bishop's Castle confirmed as good choices Thanks, all.
Renee

"They also tended to be rather emphatic and most of them got banished from this forum for one reason or another."

Just curious, how does one get banned from any forum?

Mantis, Gardenweb used to be owned by an individual who went by the name of Spike. He ruled the forums with an iron hand. If he didn't something you posted, he sent you to Disney. Literally. If you continued posting things he didn't like, you were banned for good. Some very well known rosarians were banned from the forums here in the days before he sold GW to the current owners.

Rosefolly

Of my own roots that are just coming of age this year (3 years), my heart stealer is Molineux. My favorite rose when I gardened in zone 5 was the Alchymist because although it was a oncer its color changes (all pleasant) made it feel like I had three roses instead of one. Molineux provides something of that same effect from open to fading close. I am very pleased. Thank you to all you wonderful folks that endorsed/praised/recommended Molineux!

Big question~

MANY! probably the biggest thing, is my inclusion of modern roses. i started out with all the EK roses, ventured a bit further into antiques...

from recommendations here: Rosette Delizy, Wm. R. Smith, Le Vesuve, Peace and kin, Mrs. B.R. Cant,Double Delight, Firefighter, etc. My MOST recent GW influenced purchase was Sally Holmes, shipped from ARE last week!

probably everything I have ordered (shipped) was because of you guys, and not being able to find locally...(which everything I can find locally eventually winds its way to my garden!)

The Tea book on warm climates enabled a dozen, I am sure!

For 14 years, across two continents and through three houses, the Rose Forum has been my encyclopedia and go-to-guide for every rose from 1998 to 2012, beginning with the first what-am-I-doing Edmunds purchase of New Zealand, Just Joey, Fragrant Cloud and Secret in Seattle, to Parole, Valencia, Jardins de Bagatelle and now Firefighter in Sydney.

So many others along the way - the exquisite Secret and Ginger Hill, and beloved Sweet Chariot never to be forgotten roses that are no longer available where I live.

Inspirations: hoovb, mendocino, kathyNorCal, missy, and so many others.

More than roses: Rosalindas and the beloved lab Jack and Kim, and birthday/Christmas/Halloween rose gallery photo-poems and story creations that went on for pages. Then there was the irrepressible Cindi from TX, the serene and knowledgeable prose of Ann from Tennessee, the elegant repose and breathtaking Bronte-esque English landscape gardens of a UK correspondent whose name eludes me, and at the top of the heap the Forum's de facto head of state, Rosebud (aka Steve)from Atlanta, with his Knock Outs and Angel Faces, and alarming supply of fungicidal spray for the latter, which set my mind against that alluring rose for eternity.

I tell ya, this place is not only a sphere of influence, it's a Small World unto itself.

Oh, I remember those names! Are Cindi and Rosebud on here still? Thank you!

Just about every rose I grow is the result of the efforts of those who post here. Some were recommendations while others were blatant enabling.

A few years back there lurked evil here spawned by the devil himself. It played to our weaknesses, wore us down until we bought more and more roses that we had no space to plant and no resources to pay for. We lost our homes and families. This damned enabling ended just a few years ago when religious leaders worldwide cooperated to exorcise these demons to hell for eternity.

Ah, come on, harry--that's a bit hard on Molineux. I personally miss him--but maybe that is because I am part of the devil's party myself? LOL

(As though harry never tempted anyone with those photos of his--well, except his infamous JB one!)

: )

Kate

Betsy...ditto ditto ditto to everything you said. :) I was enabled by all you mentioned. And I will forever want Swans like Cindi had, roses like Rosebud and Kim, humor like Patrick (molineaux), crazy knowledge like Ann, etc. I have/had roses inspired by all of them. This forum is the best for learning about roses and expanding your rose garden...although dangerously costly. lol

Kristi

Jude the Obscure because people said it had an amazing, complex fragrance. That's so true and many thanks to everyone. Also I bought many of my Kordes roses because of the one man Kordes fan club here. I just wanted to say, add me to the club. Kordes roses are outstanding plants in my garden.

Oh My Goodness! I have an Excel spreadsheet at home with at least 50 roses on it for my fantasy rose garden acre! All of them came from suggestions from the Roses Forums. I just ordered Liebeszaubr, Pope John Paul II, Felicite Parmentier, The McCartney Rose and Mystic Beauty - the last recommended by Roses Unlimited.

add Yves Piaget to my list!!

Exorcisms rarely work on the truly diabolical. During my prime Captain Howdy had nothing on me. He-he-he-he-he...

I just wish I had gotten here sooner. Someone used the word pop chart. I have some of those pop chart moderns that came out in the last few years. Who knew? I ripped out two completely ridiculous reds this year. Better now than later though. Mary

Of the nine roses I've planted, three are from reading the posts in this forum. They're Lamarque, Ebb Tide and Sweet Chariot. (Betsyw, you can order Sweet Chariot from Ross Roses, SA.) A fourth rose from reading everyone's recommendations is on order: Souvenir de la Malmaison. The 3 I already have are great roses for Sydney. Fingers crossed for SDLM.

Fingers crossed for SDLM for me too. Wouldn't have thought about her if not for this (and the Antique) forum. She's in a pot in my front yard growing up enough to be put out with the big girls and guys. VERY high hopes on this one.

Course I have.
Being jaded and cynical, I have some immunity from catalogue pics and growers promises....but have been helpless against the rose reviewers here....Jeri and Kim had a joint effort with Dawn Crest....and pointed me in the direction of Bierkreek nursery. Then there were many ecstatic mentions of Darlow's Enigma and a request for good foliage led me to Ghislaine De Feligonde. Mr.Bluebird (think that is one of Ingrid's). I could go on (Jacqueline Humery, Aimee Vibert, R.soulieana.........even an Iceberg revival)
Conversely, I have been warned about miffs and duffers (although I have been more reticent to act on the suggestions, probably because the orders were already in and hope rules eternal) - For sure, I was warned about Jacqueline Du Pre (ignored).