Brandy is part of a very non-hardy lineage (In order of parentage: First Prize -> Brandy -> St. Patrick -> Marilyn Monroe -> Falling In Love) in which all roses are incredibly tender and very prone to cold damage and winter kill. But WOW what a beautiful rose. The blooms are some of the biggest you can find, and the color is unreal. Some people don't get any fragrance off of it but every nose is different - I get a LOT of fragrance off of Brandy and all of those in its lineage. Many are listed as a "Mild Tea" fragrance which is a complete understatement to my nose, perhaps my nose is more sensitive to whatever chemicals make up the fragrance in these roses.

It would make a great cut flower IF the flowers didn't pop open quicker than popcorn. You can walk by it twice a day and notice a big difference in the position of the petals. The funny thing about that is its child plant St. Patrick is one of the longest lasting - it obviously didn't get that from "mom" (seed parent). That quality makes Brandy a better garden plant, as it can be prolific if well-fed and in a sunny location. Just be sure to mulch over it VERY well in the winter and be ready to order one from your regular supplier if the winter is a particularly harsh one (almost everyone with one lost one thanks to the end of last winter 2013-2014).