New Roses

Last weekend I found myself in a flea market in Hocking County, Ohio, where I found container grown roses marked down to $10 each. At such I price I had to investigate. To my delight, the selection included some David Austins. Although none of them were my longed-for names, Belle Story or The Herbalist, for example--both roses I had in my garden 7 years ago and did not transplant when we tore down our old house to build a new one (I lament them still)--there was The Cottage Rose, which I purchased. It's pictured above. The plant is tall and the blooms are clear, strong pink, and deliciously fragrant with a perfume of rose and lilac. I also bought Rosa de Rescht for her heady damask fragrance and Burgundy Iceberg for her unbelievable color. I could have bought more quite easily but we had only our 2-door Ford Focus and had to return home to northwest Ohio, a three-hour drive, with 3 adults and two dogs in tow. We were packed tight as sardines in the car, but we made it.
Now I am trying to decide whether to plant the roses now or leave them in their containers until spring. Decisions, decisions. "The Cottage Rose" photo by JulenaJo.