So far, I think it's the best all-purpose yellow HT out at this time. Good general resistances, medium-size plant, large blooms, fragrance, and a nice butter yellow color. The only downside is that it could use 1 more row of petals, but the form and substance is nice. The blooms are 6" in an Oregon spring, but typical HT size in the summer months.
I have grown Anne Birnhak, Sunset Celebration, Raven, For You With Love, Claret, Velvet Fragrance, Top Marks (strongly suggest not growing this one), Keep Smiling, Daybreaker, Pensioner's Voice (aesthetically bleh), Liverpool Remembers, Ann Henderson, Inner Wheel, Marijke Koopman (meh color), Halle, Let's Celebrate, and Rotary Sunrise.
I have seen many others (10-15 others) at the old Heirlooms garden.
In comparison, Secret, Neptune, Blueberry Hill and many others were mowed to the ground by freeze during the freeze (to 0 -10F, which is considered very rare) we had a few winters ago.
Top Marks was probably the worst of the bunch. Completely blackspot defoliation. Liverpool Remembers is a bit awkward of a grower. Many Fryer's roses have good track records.
They're all still modern bush roses, so I wouldn't try my luck in, for example, Calgary, lol.
Well, Utica is comparable to Calgary so I might have to give this one a miss. Some of the Tantau floribundas do grow back for me, but I generally only buy body bagged HTs for cheap and grow them as annuals.
