Amity Heritage Roses - A large selection of own-root roses, and a user-friendly website. They send the largest, healthiest band-sized roses you can get anywhere. They notified me a few days before my order was scheduled to ship, and I received another notification from FedEx on the day it was shipped. The packaging is smartly, thoughtfully done. Roses ship spring and summer.

The Antique Rose Emporium - Mature, well-caned, 2-gallon own-root roses. Nifty packaging keeps the roses safe and secure in transit. The catalog is a great selection of old garden roses. They seem to cater slightly to warmer climates, but I still found the selection to be enticing. Their website is best overall for design. It has a powerful search/browsing engine and multiple ways to find your roses -- organized by class, use, color, height, etc. Intelligent, useful descriptions and beautiful photos as well. I've been really impressed by their customer service. Rapid turnaround between the time I placed my order and when it was processed and shipped. Roses ship for spring and fall planting.

Roses Unlimited - A large selection of roses, old and new. Probably also the best source for Buck roses. The own-root roses that they ship are HUGE, and I would say the best overall. Their one-gallon roses just take off after being planted. I'd even prefer them to any potted roses that are available locally. The roses are fresh from the greenhouse, very sturdy specimens, very clean and well-foliaged, with good root systems. The owner of RU is Pat Henry, whose garden is featured in the book, Beautiful American Rose Gardens. I highly recommend buying from them. You can't do better. Customer service and communication are first-rate. Roses ship throughout the season.

the Uncommon Rose - Another of my favorite websites, with beautiful photos and descriptions of roses. Their dynamic catalog is an inspired selection of unique or hard-to-find roses. The website is easy to browse, and also functions as a great reference. I like to browse and see what new and unusual roses they're offering. They exclusively carry new introductions by the contemporary hybridizer, Paul Barden. Roses ship in bands or 4" pots. The health and size of the plants are consistently good. Customer service is impeccable. They sent an order confirmation by email and again the day my roses shipped. Highly recommend for great selection, price, quality, and service. They ship roses for spring and fall planting.

Vintage Gardens - One of my favorite websites for buying roses. Very organized, with thousands of varieties to browse/search. It may be the largest inventory of antique roses in the US. Despite the name, they also carry some modern types. Lots of useful rose information on the site. It's a virtual online reference book. Charming old-fashioned look, but very modern, user-friendly design. Beautiful, helpful illustrations. Own-root roses shipped as bands are big and healthy, well-foliaged, and ready to be planted. Their 1-gallon potted roses are outstanding. Good packaging as well. Ships all season.

Ashdown Roses - An impressive collection of rare, antique, and modern roses. An upstart nursery. Among several orders I've placed, a few roses were mislabeled and one order was DOA as a result of poor packaging. Their customer service and quality control seem to be improving. With time, I expect they will become the Vintage Gardens of the East Coast.

Bramble & Rose Nursery - I haven't ordered from this nursery yet -- I only discovered them this year -- but I'm listing them here, because I greatly admire their gardening philosophy. Their garden stock is tested rigorously for health and hardiness; no pesticides or routine maintenance. They specialize in antique, own-root roses.

Chamblee's Rose Nursery - Good quality, 1-gallon own-root roses at unbeatable prices. I find their selection to be rather insipid, maybe because the catalog seems to cater to southern climates.

Heirloom Roses - Large selection of own-root roses. Very sturdy roses ship as bands. I always plant them right into the ground and most of them thrive. They have a huge, beautiful catalog with articles, photos of every variety, and somewhat whimsical descriptions. *Safest bet for virus-free roses. Ships all year.

High Country Roses - Catalog is a good variety of old garden roses, with some rarities. Own-root roses shipped in quart-sized pots are healthy. Ships all season.

Northland Rosarium - Choice selection of modern and old garden roses, including Romantica and Buck roses.

Sequoia Nursery - Offers both antique and modern varieties on own roots (see their Supplemental List), including Moore's shrub and miniature roses. They have some unique and rare gems. Their roses should be grown on in larger pots for a few weeks before planting in the ground. Ships all season.

This page was last updated on 04.18.06