Additional information about BCRV with pictures. "A survey of several isolates collected from blackberry and rose across the United States revealed minimal diversity between isolates, although the New World population of the virus is very different from the only European isolate sequenced (87). The virus is widespread in the eastern part of the United States, especially among wild roses where the vast majority of the samples tested were infected with the virus. Given that there are several reports of thrips and bees transmitting ilarviruses as a function of moving pollen from infected to healthy plants (11,105), the wild rose population may be a significant reservoir of the virus. As seed is another means of transmission of ilarviruses, several hundred seeds from rose, blackberry, and herbaceous plants were tested, and the virus was found to be transmitted at high rates (87). The virus was found to be the second most widespread virus in BYVD-affected plants and has been identified in Arkansas, Florida, North and South Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Oregon (I. E. Tzanetakis, S.W. Scott, B. Poudel, unpublished). Title: "Viruses and Virus Diseases of Rubus" Authors: "Robert R. Martin (1), Stuart MacFarlane (2), Sead Sabanadzovic(3), Diego Quito(4), Bindu Poudel(5), and Ioannis E. Tzanetakis(5)" Authors affiliation: (1) USDA-ARS Norticultural Crops Research Laboratory, Corvallis, OR. (2) The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, Scotland. (3) Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State. (4) Centro de Investgaciones Biotecnologicas del Ecuador, Guayaquil. (5) Department of Plant Pathology, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Published in: Plant Disease, volumn 97, pages 168-182, ( 2013). Here is a link that might be useful: link to full paper with above quote

cleangeek, thanks for the link to the video. florist roses do have thorns. There tend to be less thorns right underneath the flower before you get to the first set of leaves . in the video that you linked to, there were actually red thorns lower down on the stem when they were picking the roses . Admittedly they're not super thorny varieties. But they're not actually thornless . One of the handling techniques discussed in a California grown video was to pick the longest roses first, lay them on your arm, then pick ever shorter roses to put on top. that way the flowers on shorter stems don't get punctured by the thorns of taller stems surrounding them . Florists and rose arrangers use a gadget called a stem stripper to remove thorns: This stem stripper is stainless steel. It will instantly remove the leaves and thorns from fresh roses. This tool is very commonly used in the floral industry and is a necessity for anyone working with roses. Length is approximately 4.5 inches. the description was for a professional one being sold by a wholesale florist supply website, but you can buy plastic and metal stem strippers from Amazon. I have used thorn strippers; I don't think they're worth the bother. That may be because I had to handle rose and I was the end-user as well . If someone else handled the rose to strip off the thorns for me, I might feel differently. the video from Holland also mentioned part of what makes their roses a premium product is they allow the flowers to open a bit further on the plant . It reminds me of the premium tomatoes which are closer to ripe when they're packed . I remember people being astonished at seeing the cut garden roses my husband brought to work actually open up until you could see stamens . Apparently florist roses tend not to open to that extent before they wither. as home rose gardeners, we're probably baffled at how much the price of roses is determined by the length of stems, all the way to superexpensive 5 foot stemmed roses.

One thing to keep in mind about 'Edgar Degas' not being available until 2018 is that if its patent began when it was introduced in 1997 -- and it lasts 20 years -- that may be why Linda won't be making it available until then, since she can't begin to propagate it without paying royalties until 2017. I don't have much to add, since all the nurseries I've used have been mentioned. I will say that I do have them ranked in terms of whom I ask first when seeking particular roses: Long Ago Roses and Burlington Roses get asked first, because of high quality and very reasonable prices. If they don't have what I want, then I check Rose Petals Nursery or Angel Gardens. These two are also top-notch, but cost including shipping is a bit higher, though not much. These two also tend to specialize in what grows well for them in Florida, so don't expect much in the way of once-blooming old Europeans, though there are a few tucked in. For those cold-hardy oldies, I check High Country Roses. They also have a few hard-to-find species. If there's still something I can't find, I check Rogue Valley Roses or Roses Unlimited. RVR has an amazing selection, but their bands are at the higher end of the spectrum. Also expect about 10% or so to come mislabeled, but my experience is that 1) it's usually nearby alphabetically, so you sometimes end up with something you didn't know you wanted, and 2) if you do need a replacement, emailing some pics and calling the office will get the mistake corrected. RU also has a great selection, but they lean more toward the moderns than does RVR. But they also send hefty 1gal plants. This also means shipping is a bit more if you're not on the east coast, but it's not that bad since I'm in NJ. If I need something with faster impact, I go with RU. If I don't mind nursing something along, I go with RVR. I haven't mentioned Heirloom because I haven't ordered from them since the company changed hands. I will say that they're going more in the direction of modern roses, and the few remaining oldies I can easily find elsewhere. So it's not that I ever had a problem with their roses -- it's just that there isn't as much that they have which catches my eye. But I wouldn't hesitate to order from them should that change. :-) ~Christopher

Starflower, I'm Organic too. I think we all used the Bayer at some point. There is a chemical fungicide from China in there,(like every thing from Walmart is made in China.) It's banned in NY and Europe and Canada. It's what you do after the Bayer that counts. ( To get the proper life back in the soil.) Plants have mutually beneficial relationship with fungi in the soil. It's symbiotic. The fungi in the soil trade nutrients from the rock for the sugars ,proteins and carbohydrates the plant gives them. Life in the soil. Dr Elaine Ingham. (From Oregon ,Corvallis). I learned this from Jeff Lowenfels. Radio talk show host (From Anchorage). I read the new Jeff Lowenfels book last winter. The good fungi build Castle walls around the roots of the plant to protect them from the diseases. This way the plants can grow big. Here's a quick video about the natural process nutrient cycling from Bob Cannard. (From Petaluma) https://youtu.be/-AJL0P0OMrE