This rose is an exceptionally gorgeous rose. The blooms are very large and plentiful with multiple shades of pink. I was amazed when a pretty small bush put out every bit of a 5 inch blossom. This year they're even bigger. The sun does make the color fade a little faster than when it's cooler. It's a vigorous bush, and I highly recommend it. One of 3 favorites in a garden of 30+ roses. My other two favorites are arborose Tangerine Skies and arborose Quicksilver.

First Prize does have a light rose fragrance, but more than fragrance, this rose is stunning. I have a new bush and the first bloom slowly opened a little more each day for a week, then it went through a torrential downpour. The next day I cut it and brought her inside. It's now been inside for 5 days in a bud vase and she continues to open more and more each day slowly exposing her pistil with the edges of the petals browning a little, but not one petal has fallen. Just amazing. Such a beauty. I love this rose. I live in the California desert and in the right location roses will grow here.

I see someone wrote this has no fragrance. My First Prize rose had fragrance. Gophers killed it overnight, so it needs protection from gophers. I've recently read that planting garlic cloves around a rose protects it. I plan to do this. when it is available again.

Zone9+...Scottsdale Afizona.
My plant is over 20 years old. Every year I say, "Im cutting this baby back to humility range this year! Never works.The bush is a ten footer any way you lay your ruler, and some blooms are 8" . Right now in mid April there are over a hundred blooms on this beauty! This growth will continue through May into June until the temps hit 115. Then everything stops metabolizing, including people...and roses.