Our rose friends in California and the South will have more relevant info for you. For me in Indiana both are not optimal. Both get horrible BS. GC , without spraying, ends up completely defoliated for me, while GT retains at least 50% of leaves. Both bloom well, at least for me, no noticeable slowdown even during the hottest part of summer. With all that said, I always liked GC better. It's hard to define, but at least for me, GC had more appeal, maybe because of the slightly different color, maybe the shape of the blossom, or maybe the fragrance.

I'm afraid this won't help you much, but bottom line for me is GC over GT, though you won't go wrong with either choice. I guess that didn't really help you... sorry Sara-Ann. :-)

Well...I have them both and performance wise they're about the same, both are spotty. GC is definitely a more golden yellow and GT is a true lemon yellow color with none of the gold hues. GC has more petals and may last a little longer and to my nose it has the better fragrance. It also gets bigger for me but that could be relative to their locations. GT is more of a water hog too. Of the two I think I prefer Golden Celebration.

I agree you need more input from the hotter regions, but in the meantime, here is my two cents worth, based on what I've read since I've never grown either, although I have long drooled over both and read lots of material on both.

An awful lot of the comments on this forum seem to have come from California. They do not point out BS as a significant problem, but remember that BS is not a problem in much of California. So listen carefully to what someone from Indiana says on that score--it's more likely relevant to you. And since you and I aren't that far apart, I will point out that the suscesptibility of both to BS is the main reason I have always ended up not buying either one. I refuse to spray something that needs that much help.

I'm not sure how much it applies to your region, but Californians often complain about GT's proclivity for growing into a tall, climbing monster.

I'm not exactly sure, but think GT is probably more yellow than GC is.

That said, they are both simply gorgeous roses, so if you are willing to spray a lot, go for it--and have a tall arbor available just in case GT starts to do his Jolly Green Giant thing. : )

Kate

Tried a grafted Graham Thomas years ago but he never really settled in the garden & succumbed to a harsh Winter before reaching maturity (before I planted grafts below soil level for insurance). Sorry, don't remember him well, and never tried again with another specimen.

Golden Celebration bought grafted as a 3 gallon & planted out 7-8 years ago has been a delight. Healthy with no spray & no black spot in hot & humid central Virginia, it blooms lavishly from early to late since its second year & bloomed well the first year it concentrated on growing tall. Blooms open in clustered sprays while buds swell & new buds begin at the same time, giving a continuous display. It's corralled within a 2' square copper pipe obelisk & reaches 8' to arch against & spill over the crosspieces. In an ESE location, it receives sun till 3 or 4 in the afternoon without fading or crisping in the heat. I've never pruned it, nor needed to as it's suffered no Winter dieback, and simply snap the blown blooms. It's been a happy rose here with solid sweet perfume of damask & fruit. Highly recommend in similar conditions.

Golden Celebration is top-notch here in my part of SoCal -- which is irrelevant for you -- but it might be important to know that it can be troubled by blackspot.

That's not a big deal, here, and the worst that's ever happened is loss of lower leaves. But in your situation, it might be an issue?

Jeri

Thanks everyone. Seil - That's a beautiful picture. I think I'm going to give Golden Celebration a try, hopefully with success.

My GC in the Dallas area is good in the spring and the blooms are beautiful. However, it seems like the minute the spring flush is over it gets absolutely covered with blackspot. This year I got disgusted and whacked him back to the ground, after which he responded by vigorously growing back with healthy foliage. He does have BS this fall, but not as bad. I guess if I could get by with doing this every year it would work, as the blooms are so lovely!

I actually prefer Julia Child over the two of them. That's mostly due to size though, GT was a monster here!

Sara-Ann I planted GC this past spring and growing it as a climber. In my hot and humid SE Tx climate it has had some BS but not enough to make me want to SP. So far I am really pleased with GC and can't wait for it to mature into the monster I hear it can become.

I have GC for many years now and it is very reliable in my climate. Once it blooms, it usually attract attention from passerby. My GC is quite shrubby but not a monster. I prune it like a bush rose and it does not get very tall but it takes space.

I've just planted Graham Thomas this spring. I had originally bought GT two years ago and it died within a month therefore I am keeping my fingers crossed. I like the flower shape of GT but since it is only the first year, I did not see many blooms. One thing I do notice is that GT fades very quickly for me to an almost pure beige.

For growth habit, remontancy (repeat bloom) and fragrance GOLDEN CELEBRATION is hard to beat. There is a gracefulness to the shrub that works wonderfully in cottage gardens and the very strong fruity fragrance is the best that I've smelled on any yellow rose to date. All that being said to be grown successfully here in black spot hell it must be sprayed with a fungicide - and not just once in a while but consistently every week or else.

Which is why I settled for GRAHAM THOMAS. I not only like the color better (GC's golden yellow color is very deep and lacks the luminescent quality that you get with GT) but the foliage can get by with my erratic spraying. I'm growing him own root as a short climber and have been very pleased with his performance. Decent repeat bloom too, not as prolific as GC, Julia Child or Molineux but there is usually at least one or two blooms on the plant at all times after the profuse spring flush. I can see why this rose is considered a classic.

Neither rose is particularly thorny, which is something that I appreciate.

I don't have Graham Thomas but I do have two Golden Celebration - one is grafted, the other own root. The grafted rose was planted in May 2012 and the own root 12 months later, so they're both relatively young.

The first year I had no black spot whatsoever, however this past Summer was very humid (normally our Summers are very hot and dry) and both plants suffered terribly with BS. So did every other rose in my garden apart from one rugosa. That said, GC continued to bloom prolifically and the perfume is really wonderful.

I don't know that my experience in Zone 9 (b) equiv. will be of much use, but I just thought I'd let you know my experience.

Cheers
Tricia

I live in Central Virginia also. I had admired the GT in pictures over the years and when I moved back to Central Virginia 10 years ago, my new house had what I thought was a GT. I was thrilled. Had to move it last year because of changes in my backyard and it came back like a champion. Was just spreading some rose food and discovered the tag that apparently had been on it when it was purchased and discovered that in fact it is not a GT but a GC. It is a beautiful rose and the blooms vary in size and shape, but my favorite thing is the damask smell.

Katharine - Hi, neighbor! Welcome to the Roses Forum! Prior to re-roofing last Autumn, dug up & potted the entire front porch garden, including the centerpiece GC, to protect the plants from the roofers. (Lots of work, but when the ladders & scaffolding went up, was very glad to have taken that route.) Concerned that GC might not make it, and loathe to be without it, hedged my bet by ordering an own root gallon that Spring. Both are doing very well in their temporary pots, waiting for the garden to dry out so they can be grounded. A delightful personality & a very special rose to me. Glad to hear you enjoy Golden Celebration, too! High anticipation to breathe in that enchanting perfume again...

Sara-Ann, did you give Golden Celebration or Graham Thomas a try?

Vasue, I haven't got either one yet, but plan to concentrate on Austin roses for the 2017 season. Since blackspot is becoming much more of a concern for me, I am keeping in mind which roses. including which Austins are the most disease resistant. I love Austins and admire everyone else's and regret that I haven't already added more. I've been too stuck on HT's, I think that is beginning to change, I will always love my hybrid teas, but there are so many more other beautiful roses to enjoy!

I have few GTs planted against a wall. Prone to BS and due to high humid weather here in Mlaysia I have to spray once a week. They have grown to 9 to 10 feet tall.

Here a both grown in a z5 garden in NH. Not mine, I don't know if they have been sprayed. Pics were taken early in July after a heavy rain.

I've grew GT for a few years and liked it well enough to keep but it was damaged in a move and didn't recover. It bloomed 2-3 times per year, never in great quantity, flowering only at the end of the long somewhat flexible canes that needed support. But the blooms were so gorgeous it was worth growing. It was not unusual to have canes grow very tall, very quickly. Once I measured one at 12', no exaggeration :) It grew against a wall and I find that seems to encourage tall growth. I learned to cut the long canes before they took off, usually this would cause bloom producing canes to emerge lower on the plant. Pegging caused the canes to die back at the point of the bend.

Graham Thomas

Golden Celebration