I planted this rose own root from Roses Unlimited this spring. I can't comment much on the size of the plant, but I have had some issues with blackspot. Blue River does have some very striking flowers, and they smell nice. Even on such an immature plant it has bloomed many times and has been quite vigorous compared to the others I planted from Roses Unlimited of similar size and age. The size of the flower does shrink pretty heavily in the heat and they do get a little crispy in the Texas summer. I get the feeling (it's early still) that BR does better in cooler climates that aren't so susceptible to blackspot.