Roses!!!!

I went to Select Roses  today. It is out in Langley and a 45 minute drive with no traffic. It was worth every single second on the road.
Brad Jalbert is the rose expert. He hybridizes his own roses. Select Roses is a family business. I spent a fair amount of time chatting with his mum and met his father. His mother told me all about the roses that I bought. When and how to water, fertilize, prune and pinch off heads. She was charming, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. How wonderful.
I actually researched the roses on Brad's site before going out to the farm. I kept phoning until they were open and then it still took me a few weeks. If you have the opportunity, go for a visit. It is just incredible.
This is what I bought. The mossed rose is so so special. I am thrilled to bits. The other two are healthy and I am looking forward to them blooming.

I am pasting Brad's descriptions from his website Select Roses. The pictures are all mine.

• Coral Reef

  Miniature Moss • Light fragrance • 12-14" tall • Created by B. Jalbert

  Coral Reef is the most heavily mossed miniature rose in the world. Moss minis were first created by Ralph Moore, USA's father of the modern miniature rose. I met him years ago, and he encouraged me to breed unique and interesting best-in-class roses. I did some work with his moss mini roseses and came up with this baby. It is very heavily mossed, and in fact, has more moss than most of its old-rose ancesetors in the moss rose family. It has a frilly old-fashioned style flower in rich coral pink. The flower is 100% rain proof. Wonderful collector's rose, growing to about 12 to 14 inches with one inch flowers.

David Austin's "Princess Alexandra of Kent"

• Poseidon

  Floribunda • Moderate rose scent • 2.5' wide x 3-4' tall • Created by Kordes

  Finally, a truly healthy, easy to grow and highly disease resistant rose in that beautiful lavender blue colour that gardeners love. It took the master rose breeders, Kordes of Germany, to bring us this new wonder rose. Another step forward in the quest for easy care yet beautiful roses.  Our test plants were disease free with no spraying and produced the most beautiful bouquets of roses! This is a must have new rose. Strong and upright growing to around 3 feet.