Thanks Seil :-) I wonder though if Julia Child has a more consistent size across climates, it's small to medium down here. Whereas Buck roses change--according to the Buck rose website Carefree Beauty is a small shrub and ARE in TX says medium to large?? I should post to the general forum I think.

IMO, leans such as either tree shown in this thread are ultimately insignificant. There will be so much growth in various directions as to make it completely non-issue. OP, while it is admirable that you bothered to follow directions with the planting, those cards are just as often wrong as right. The usual "plant at same depth as in the pot" or whatever completely misses the point that the root flare, that zone of buttressed growth where roots diverge from trunk, is to be left visible upon completion. Since trees are dug in nursery rows after various cultivation practices have thrown soil up over what will be the root ball, that can be completely obscured. Also in potted stock, the plant may well have been placed too deeply into the pot at some point. So directions of that sort are virtually of no value. I always advise that when in doubt about the truth of this concept, people take a walk in the woods and perhaps for the first time in their lives, see how trees actually grow. They kind of sit on top of the ground. And yes, a too-deep planting surely can start a tree down the road to bark/stem abnormalities although as Ark also points out, we can't know for certain what caused this with yours. +oM

Hey @User they have quite a few of yours--and evidently, they say Marianne is the best. :) Here's the page. If it is all above board, I'd be happy to order these from them. Two of the three I ordered from RVR last year were completely wrong (if you remember that thread last summer) which was VERY frustrating. Thankfully Jeri Jennings turned out to be correct and is growing beautifully. Since you are here, may I ask about Mel's Heritage? Simple question--best in full sun? Or is this shade tolerant? Morning sun only situation here in Portland, Oregon.

I get bathrooms to bedrooms to an extent. But excess is just money. Kitchens and bathrooms are always reliably more expensive than other rooms. Kitchens have been doubling for a while too. Couple sinks, couple ovens, couple fidges, coolers, freezing drawers. Couple islands worth stuck into one. Cooking vs show kitchens. There are of course some more mundane reasons to have doubling, but a lot of it is just design to spend more money. Excessive bathrooms are design doubling to spend more money. Show bathrooms like there are now show kitchens in some homes. It's smart business from a sales standpoint. It can be difficult to start a trend of excessive wants are actually desirable needs- but if that ball can get rolling it can generate a lot in sales.