More than 10 years ago I bought several Bourbon roses. All succumbed to Chicago conditions except Mme. Calvat. She rose to the occasion and is a tall, multi-caned shrub that blooms all season long, Spring through early Fall. Her canes are stout, apple green and more than an inch in diameter. The canes shrug off attempts by rabbits to strip their bark in winter. Her leaves are apple green and healthy. She bears fat silvery pink cabbage roses all along the canes, making a major display. Even when I cannot deadhead, the rose keeps blooming. I save the petals for potpourri.

I planted this one in a pot when I should have planted it in the ground. It survived and bloomed for a few years, but I think eventually the drainage was just not good enough. I would get it again and plant it in the ground, like I did with 'Mme. Isaac Pereire,' the rose that this one sported from. It's just that 'Mme. Ernest Calvat' is a lighter color, but it still has that great fragrance. Highly recommended.