Don't know if CRM is a consistent winter bloomer everywhere but at Huntington it generally had big flushes of bloom in late December [late June in southern hemisphere], as most roses do in spring. I understand that understock can sometimes affect seasonal changes in roses, don't know if the Huntington plant is own-root or Dr. Huey.

The parent-sport Winchester Cathedral (Mary Rose, the parent of CRM, sported to WC, the plant I have) is not as winter-active for me but has a smattering of blooms in winter. I haven't grown CRM because I heard it was prone to mildew.

I like the rose arches at the Huntington, I think they're really creative. I also liked the hedge of Tamora but I believe that was taken out :-(. The Desert Garden really has excellent plant combinations, and good use of layering--large specimen plants rising out of a sea of groundcover next to a rock garden with mid size plants...that kind of thing. I don't really like cactus but it's designed so well I still like walking through it.

But my absolute favorite plants at the Huntington are the Tea roses. These don't bloom as much in the summer as the adjacent modern shrubs, until late in the year when a little forest of buds and flowers form on the branches.

Nate