I've grown CPM for years and love it! Mine is grafted though..so it makes alittle difference. Mine is also in partial shade, it does sprawl alittle, as others will probably tell you..I'm not an expert, so you can wait on their opinions, but I love mine :)

I am also incredibly antsy for winter to be over. The only rose I can speak on, so far, is Fragrant Cloud. I am in zone 7 & this was one of my favorites last year. It has a beautiful bloom, even in its first year. The only problem I had was a bit of black spot, though it never stopped blooming. That being said, last year was my first year of my obsession for roses and I am quite a newbie, therefore knew not of preventative measures against bs. Congratulations on your new babies, I hope they all thrive beautifully for you!
~Rene

Thank you, I've had good luck controlling disease/pests on previous roses and other plants with fish emulsion and neem application (if you think one is smelly, try them combined... hoooo it's smelly stuff). That's where the heavy fragrance of plantings becomes important. Anything to cover up that odor although I can say the pungent garlic smell of neem and the fishy fishyness of emulsion has oddly grown on me? Maybe it has to do with applying it weekly... or maybe I just have a propensity for things that smell odd?

It's just important to do it at the end of the day or first thing in the morning to prevent damage/burn and follow application rates to the t. Oh, and close the windows on the house. Ha.

Anyways, yes let's hope indeed they come in alright, that really seems to be the challenge anymore.

Oh, I wanted to clarify - The young lycidas is own root, not grafted, but is coming from DA and not heirloom.

I love my Jude the Obscure, but he grows very large, and is grafted on Dr Huey. This rose has lovely blooms, a little more apricot in cool weather and more creamy colored in hot weather. Diane

I was on the fence about Jude the Obscure until I started doing some digging. I came across your photo on one of the other forums and it was what sent me over the fence (so to speak, ha) for it. That, and the lore of its fragrance.

I think being own root and being in my more chilly 5 climate will no doubt tame it back. I'm supposed to be getting some rootstock to grow to tinker with my own grafts as well.

(ugly rootstocks are going to be grown in the backyard, hidden behind the shed... perhaps an unfortunate view for the neighbors, but considering they only grow weeds, I'm feeling unapologetic about the whole thing).

My Young Lycidas, obtained grafted from David Austin one year ago, is so far not setting my heart aflame. Because of the heat this winter many of my pruned roses are already leafing out, but YL, which was actually pruned earlier than the others, just sits there, naked and glum. I'll withhold further judgment until spring is over, but I feel that as a grafted rose in a warm climate it should have shown a little enthusiasm by now.

Charles Darwin started out well and then deteriorated, although I know others who have had success with it. I'm not a poster child for wondrous results with English roses; they seem to do better in other people's gardens.

Ingrid