I’ve only had mine about 7 months. It is slow to grow, however I’ve been watching it bloom almost immediately after planted. I’d been in search for the petite, compact true red rose bush (flowers aged to dark red) that my grandma grew on the side of our house. She said she rooted it from her mother’s plant. As a child, I fertilized it monthly for her. Once I saw the lovely red blooms, I was sure I’ve finally found grandma’s rose. I have it out front to enjoy.

This is an update after two years. Francis is now well established. It's quite compact, but blooms in flushes from early summer to mid fall. I've had up to 12, gorgeous red blooms at a time. It rests for a few weeks, then buds out again. This is on rose that really needs regular feeding, or it goes dormant. The beauty of the blooms and the fabulous scent make the wait worthwhile.

I've had this for a few years now; it's also known as Barcelona. It was a slow starter, and had to be replanted after a squirrel dog it up to bury his winter stash. When it finally bloomed, the fragrance was enough to knock your socks off. It's compact, and not a very prolific bloomer, which is why I gave it four instead of 5 stars. I'm hoping to get more bloom when it gets better established.