Chicago Peace is one of my favorites. It's always changing with the weather.

Nice roses there, and there's nothing wrong with cheating in the lower zoned gardens. Two new additions for me this year(chihuly and pearly gates) both where potted and had bud's on them will have to satisfy me, until my established roses which I had to prune to the ground get going. But I'm starting to see bud's forming on them so a little more waiting.

lol, hey, we love seeing roses anyway! Yeah, what would we do without buying California roses in zone 5 weather- gotta have some color right? hehe! It's pretty hard getting things to bloom here in our zone unless you have non-fussy types of roses. I love the fussy fragrant HTs so they are usually slower. But hey in my zone 5, Lincolns are consistently the first HTs to bloom and the last rose to bloom in winter, period! HT or non-HT it is the last winter rose. I've had Lincoln blooms in late November. So I'd suggest Lincolns, whoo-hoo for several reasons-it's still my favorite rose because you can smell just one lone bloom 10 ft. away! Mine are about to open so in mid-May that's pretty decent for an HT! In past years, Lincoln opens May 10th...This year for a few reasons I was really worried, but he is ready aaaalmost to the dot! Tomorrow he should bloom - May 12th-13th. Several buds have already unpeeled exposing that deep red fully. Like you I was so excited when I received my new rose too at my doorstep with the open bloom, Ferdinand Pichard. That rose I can tell is going to be one of my favorites if! it reblooms decently. MikeDorset from England showed me his rose and I fell in love instantly with it. The fragrance is divine, but doesn't waft the 10 feet away yet, maybe because it is just a baby band. There are some real strong smelling roses that I do have or have previously had, but none waft like a single Lincoln.

Have fun with your lively Chicago Peace. I hear that Chicago Peace has consistently good fragrance too. :)

I meant open, he should open May 12th (evening) to morning May 13th. Some people consider blooming starting when the bud is fully exposed.

I love red velvet roses, they are the most beautiful roses in the world for me! Chicage peace is so lovely too but I think I am in love with the first rose though, because the red is dark dark and seems to have no damage or fading from the sun.