A persnickety fact is that some roses won't open any more in the house unless they're almost full-blown already while others can be cut much earlier and open well inside. I thought it would be nice to gather your experiences in that respect and have you tell us at which stage you cut certain roses so they will open to full bloom inside, or stay stubbornly closed and wilt without ever opening. Here are a few that I can mention:

Miss Atwood - cut when in tight bud
Sophy's Rose - likewise, when in tight bud
Mrs. B.R. Cant - cut when almost half open
Souvenir de la Malmaison - half open
Rosette Delizy - half open
Bishop's Castle - half open
Mutabilis - tight bud
Belinda's Dream - more than half open
Mrs. Dudley Cross - half open
Souvenir du President Carnot - at least half open

My list is short since quite a few don't last well inside or they''re too young to have produced flowers. I'm really looking forward to your contributions.

Ingrid

I don't cut very many roses to bring in, but I did notice that with 'Little Butterfly', which is one of Kim Rupert's polyanthas, that in my humidity, the roses never open well outside. If I cut the roses in tight bud and bring them in, they open beautifully.

seil, I've often had that experience of roses not opening properly which is why I began this thread. I hate it when a beautiful partially open bud just sits there until it turns brown rather than doing what it's supposed to do. They have minds of their own!

Ingrid

Thanks for your observations also. Of all of those you listed, I only have 'Mutabilis' which is not yet planted. I'll remember to cut it in tight bud this summer. I wonder if it will open well outside or whether it will be like 'Little Butterfly'. I think 'Mutabilis' petals are thin also, if I remember right. It's been a long time since I grew it.