Always the new ones.

Fields of the Wood just opened up a week or so ago and I am taken with how pretty of a red it is.

Archduke Joseph is busy making new canes, I think that is going to be a big rose.

Yellow Sweetheart has a bud and I am looking forward to it too.

Most of my roses came last year as bands, and not all of them bloomed their first season. Most of the once-bloomers threw a couple before they went into grow-only mode, and I got to see most of the repeat-bloomers at least once. So for this year, I'd have to say that the blooms I "most anxiously wait(ed) to see" would be on those roses I didn't get to "meet" in bloom last year. Thus far, the following have been satisfied:

'Blanc de Vibert'
'DLFED 3'
'Duchesse d'Angouleme (aka 'Wax Rose')
"Grandmother's Hat"
'Mme de Sevigne'
'Paul Neyron'
'Reine des Violettes'
'Rose du Roi -- original'
"Sombreuil" (the climber)
'Tuscany Superb'
'Yolande d'Aragon'

But there are still a few more from last year I have yet to "meet" -- but it should happen soon:

'Baltimore Belle'
'Bleu Magenta'
'Ferdinand Pichard'
'Indigo'
'Orfeo'
'R. fedtschenkoana'

And then a few came this year as well. Of those, I got to "meet" 'Crimson Glory' because it had an open flower (and an unopened bud) right in the box. Its reputation for fragrance is certainly well-founded. The others I'm still waiting to "meet" are:

'Big Ben'
'Carolyn Supinger'
'Happy Child'
'Heart's Desire'
'Mister Lincoln'
'Red Masterpiece'
'Velvet Fragrance'
'Vineyard Song'

All this aside, thinking back to Winter, I'd have to say the short list of those I was most looking forward to seeing was:

'Nouveau Monde' -- I imagined it full of small, fragrant, pink blooms all across the railing of the back deck, and that's what it's doing now

'Souvenir de Victor Landeau' -- the full flush on all its self-pegged canes was awesome

'Orfeo' -- I can't wait to see red roses going up the hacked Callery pear, and while I don't think it will have a "flush" this year, I do see a few buds on it now

'Georg Arends' -- it's about to bloom now, and the blooms are such a beautiful, clear, solid pink, the scent so distinctive and strong, and the form like a big cabbage HP with rolled-back corners on the petals like a Tea

And any of my pot-pet red HTs. Though to be fair, being a new gardener who endured a horrible Winter, I was elated at the first green leaves of Spring.

:-)

~Christopher

I have already seen the first blooms out of bands of Boule de Neige, Lady Hillingdon, Sophie's Perpetual, Cornelia, and most of my recent orders. I saw a picture of Pam's Choice's first bloom for my mom. It arrived in bud, but I never saw the bloom in person after I gave it to her. Everything she ordered from RU recently arrived with a bloom. Charlotte, The Alnwick Rose, and Paul Bocuse were all lovely when I stopped by.

I planted a Rubens for her last year that has grown well and hasn't shown any disease, but it still has yet to bloom. I'm anxious to see that.

I'm anxious to see her band of Buff Beauty bloom. That is a gorgeous rose. Her band of Belle Epoque has yet to bloom also. I'll be interested to see that as well.

After a plant that was supposed to be Gilbert Nabonnand has very likely turned out to be General Gallieni, I am anxious to see the first blooms out of every new rose that comes. I forgot that she ordered Queen of Sweden recently as a band. I'm very excited to see that. It was a stunner the few times I've seen it in person.

Jay

Mine Kronprincessin Viktoria at the Botanical Gardens Paul Ricault!

Lady Hillingdon, climbing, and she turned out to be some ugly modern-looking red climber. I waited two years for that. What a disappointment.

Lady Hillingdon, climbing, and she turned out to be some ugly modern-looking red climber. I waited two years for that. What a disappointment.

Marianne. I got her as a band this spring and I let her single bud bloom. Unfortunately, I had to go out of town and missed most of the show. I made my husband take pictures of her every few days and text them to me!

Heirloom, which I got as a band even though practically every nursery carries it.

Mlle de Sombreuil, a band I received last October which is already in its second flush of bloom this year and which I'm beginning to be very fond of.

Madam A. Carriere. Just opened two days ago. Always a beautiful pale pink this time of year before turning white. So fragrant and yummy!