I received these and they were very healthy and packaged very well. I planted them about a month ago in zone 5b and they have already doubled in size and look very healthy. I am so excited and can't wait for them to grow up my trellis and bloom.

Very vigorous and healthy growth in my zone 5 Denver garden. No winter dieback, giant climber canes. A real winner for cold climates; I'm collecting more of the Explorer series roses!

Our 7,000' Grand Mesa garden had this rose in it. It was beautiful and hardy bloomer, climbing up a trellis in a colder corner that caught the wind, but did not seem to mind at all.

This rose is hands down the toughest I have ever encountered. It grows in my garden in just one hour of direct sun. Rest of the day it is in shade. I routinely neglect it. I have forgotten to feed it for several years, yet it blooms every June, and puts out healthy canes. It is winter hardy. It doesn't die back here in zone 6a. One year, an animal chomped it down to the ground, but it grew right back! Really amazing, strong rose. The only drawbacks for me are that it only blooms once for me, with sporadic blooms here and there afterwards, and it has no scent.

I bought four own-root plants years ago. I put the little things in my yard thinking, 'This can't work.' Today they are vigorous, tall and healthy in my metro Denver garden. They need no winter protection and are first roses to bloom, usually by mid-May. The largest one is huge, at least 12' tall and rather wide (6'?). And I always get lots of compliments.