I'm so excited by my two Ascot roses which I got bareroot from Palatine last year. They've been in the ground since March of 2011, and they are just unbelievable. At about four plus feet already, Ascot is covered with breathtaking deep burgundy blooms. Its first crown is the bush itself, featuring a nice growth habit, thickly filled in with shiny healthy leaves. The second crown is for the petal packed blooms of deep burgundy. Most have a delicate outer ruffly edge of purple and feature the form of an English rose. I couldn't believe how closely an Ascot bloom matched my new Twilight Zones's first bloom. TZ may be a little darker, but they both have the purple edge. Ascot blooms are bigger than TZs. For the third crown, Ascot blooms don't shrivel in the heat, ball (so far), and last a long time on the bush and in the vase. The blooms have a nice scent, too. Tantau has a real winner with this rose. Diane