Pope John Paul II

I recently bought this rose and I am really glad I now have her in my garden. The bloom is pure white with strong fragrance. It is very healthy so far.

Thanks so much, epis!

Love my Pope John Paul II from Palatine Nursery in Canada!

If your sister is new to roses, you might want to break her in gradually with a shrub rose rather than a Hybrid Tea or HT (Pope John Paul II is indeed a great example of a white HT), since HTs usually require some attention to the canes and leaves for signs of disease. PJPII is pretty hardy in my zone and has traditionally "rose shaped" blooms, but isn't quite as frequent a bloomer or trouble and disease free as shrub roses like the Easy Elegance series. Macy's Pride is a white rose in this series, and a lot of local garden center will carry these types of roses. They're more open than HTs so they don't look as "rosey" but they tend to look bushier and be more forgiving of conditions and care than HTs.

It depends on how enthusiastic your sister is (or will become) about gardening and what she would expect to see from what you call a "rose". This is a wonderful gift and I'm sure she'll appreciate it whatever you choose.

Cynthia

Let's clarify a point here. Do you want to get your sister a rose already growing in a pot and maybe even blooming--all it needs is to be plopped in the ground? Or will a bareroot rose work--it would be sent to her pulled out of the soil and its bare roots cleaned off (and maybe even trimmed back somewhat)--looking half dormant (which it is) and not at all like a thriving rose?

I ask, because most of us order bareroot roses, but newcomers to roses are often thinking only of potted roses that are already growing/blooming. It will make a difference which place you order from. Some send only bareroots; other places send only potted roses.

Kate

Let's clarify a point here. Do you want to get your sister a rose already growing in a pot and maybe even blooming--all it needs is to be plopped in the ground? Or will a bareroot rose work--it would be sent to her pulled out of the soil and its bare roots cleaned off (and maybe even trimmed back somewhat)--looking half dormant (which it is) and not at all like a thriving rose?

I ask, because most of us order bareroot roses, but newcomers to roses are often thinking only of potted roses that are already growing/blooming. It will make a difference which place you order from. Some send only bareroots; other places send only potted roses.

Kate

Wow, thanks everyone! My sister is new to roses. What I had hoped to do, because she is getting married in a month, is to get four white rose bushes (as opposed to bareroot) that could be plopped in the ground. This is partly because I understand from at least with one retailer that bareroots don't get sent out until January 2014, which is months after her wedding. But, if bareroots are relatively easy to manage and there is a real benefit to choosing them over potted, e.g., better product, more options to choose from for her zone, etc., I can let her know that part of her gift will be arriving at a later date. I want white because the bouquet she will be carrying will be made up of a mixture of flowers, including roses, that are "snowy" in color. I want four because she is marrying a man that has two children so, together, they will officially become a unit of four. She is rather nontraditional and is a first-time bride at 44. Really appreciate your help!

Call Roses Unlimited (or Chamblees) and ask them if potted plants can be sent at that time and will they have blooms. They are nice people to talk to. RU would be closer to you.

I'm thinking you may have to tell your sister that she has 4 potted white roses arriving next May.

Bare root are not necessarily better or worse--just planted at different times, as you noted. But bare roots are somewhat intimidating to many newbies--which is why I recommend getting a potted plant from Roses Unlimited (my favorite online nursery, by the way).

RU can also tell you what would be the best white rose to get also. Trust their advice--good people!

Kate

A lot of roses will not grow well in Rochester as own-root plants. Those that will, like Seafoam or Henry Hudson, can become monstrous. Does your sister have room for four 6 ft roses?

While Easy Elegance roses seem to be quite common in the midwest, they are not common in the east, and have not proved their disease resistance in eastern conditions.

What about Bolero? It stays small and fairly disease resistant here. mad_gallica do you know how that one does up there? Or maybe some antique roses...a couple of polyanthas for the children and a couple of chinas or something for the adults? Those might be easier to find right now and more disease resistant than most of the white moderns.

You would be better off giving your sister a gift certificate for roses to be delivered in the spring. Planting any variety of rose in October in zone 6 is not a good idea. Those roses will not have time to settle in before winter sets in and are likely to die over the winter. But if planted next spring they should have plenty of time to thrive before their first winter and will do much better.

Find a supplier for the roses you've chosen and order them for delivery to your sister in the spring. Give your sister the card with the invoice and a picture of the rose you've selected in October. Your sister and the roses will be much happier.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and comments. All very helpful. I am going to plan to send four bushes next spring, but will let my sister know now that they are in development.