Kate,
If Star of the Nile or Rouge Royale is available, I'd get one of them immediately! Both of them have exquisite blooms, although I have to say that for us, Star of the Nile bloomed ALOT more, though it may be that it is getting more sun.
Both smell incredible. We also got Polka, Touch of Class, Paris D'Yves St. Laurent and Yves Piaget from RU...oh, I can't decide which one is my favorite!!
:0) Phyl

If you don't have Peter Mayle, grab it quick! Gorgeous bright/darker pink--really showy, but I never quite know how to describe it. Some people describe it as "hot pink" but that isn't classy enough for this classy rose. Big fat blooms. Very fragrant, if I'm remembering correctly. Although it gets around 4 ft tall, it is not very wide--more vertical growing. Oh, and pretty good on disease-resistance. And it might have some shade tolerance, if you are running out of full-sun spots. Mine is in full-sun for most of day--does fine there.

I bought one last year and liked it so much that I've ordered another one for this year.

Kate

I second peter mayle. There is also The Macartney rose (as in paul) and lemon spice. All great roses I got from her this year that are doing wonderfully. They are 4 ft high in the first year and were blooming when they arrived.

I actually ordered a second Peter Mayle for spring. I just love the big blooms and fragrance!
Kate, I would hate to make that decision!
Here's a few for you to consider:
Sweet Surrender
Papi Delbard
Faith Whittlesey
Lemon Spice, smells incredible, I ordered a second one
Frances Dubrueil (sp)
Barni roses are gorgeous looking
it goes on and on and on

Carla

Wow, many good choices. Thank you all very much.

Phyl: Both of those first two you mentioned are really pretty. Thanks for the ideas. I'm going to check them all out over on HMF this afternoon. Star of the Nile sounds really outstanding with its re bloom.

Hey Kate:

Thank you for the information on Peter Mayle. I seem to remember it being mentioned as having gigantic blooms. I like that, we don't have any roses in the yard that can make that boast yet. Another vote for this one is that it grows up since real estate has become such a commodity in the garden. I'm just a little worried about the color. If it is more red than pink we're okay. Need to check it again on HMF. As to your observation about the shade you hit the mark there. I do have several possible spots for roses that can handle just about six hours of sun. I'll do more reading on that one.

Sunnishine: Thanks for chiming in about Peter Mayle and your other two suggestions. I have a major weakness for yellow roses. Last year Julia Child and Sunsprite really stole my heart. Maybe Lemon Spice would be a good companion for them:)

By the by I already have ordered from Roses Unlimited Halloween and Francis Dubreuil. I can't wait.

Appreciate all of you.

Kate

Thanks Carla! Good to see you also.

I am not at all familiar with the first three on your list. Must go read. So you like Lemon Spice also? You don't have a picture by chance?

I feel exactly like a child in a candy store who has exactly one quarter to spend:) Thank you Carla for your suggestions.

Kate

Kate, sorry, no I don't have a picture. There should be some good ones on HMF.

Carla

No problem, thank you again Carla.

Kate

You've essentially been given an opportunity to acquire a free rose. Why not go outside your comfort zone and get a rose that you've always been captivated by, but were afraid to try? We all have at least one of those . . .

Mystic Beauty!

Monarda, shame on you. I think Mystic Beauty is one I wanted and still want. Just kidding about shame on you.

Carla

I just placed an order before the holidays. I had been perusing the site for a few weeks, but nothing hit me. I only order from RU roses that I can't get anywhere else, because the cost of shipping to CA is so high. But I was looking thru the lists one evening and about fell off my chair when I saw the rose listed under the HTs called ENGLISH PERFUME. OMG! I had seen some pics of it last yr and found out it was a short-term J&P one that came out in like 2000 or 2001, and I don't even remember seeing it at all. That was shortly after we moved into our house and I was preoccupied with stuff inside the house. I didn't do a whole lot of stuff with the roses in that period. So, I was thrilled to see it available. Of course had to order two more.... so I did WHITE TIMELESS and SOFT MORNING.

Other good ones are: PINK FRENCH LACE. LA JOLLA, HOT PRINCESS, GINGER HILL, GEISHA, KOPPIES, LEGEND, PAW MAW, MELVIN, TALLY HO.....

Jaxondel: I like your perspective and really that is true. What's been fun about everyone's responses is that a lot of them are roses I'm totally unfamiliar with so I've been exposed to some new ones already. I'll tell you I saw today that RU has Fortune's Double Yellow and that tempted me greatly. I just don't want a once bloomer but I will try to keep an open mind.

Monarda and Carla: The form and color of Mystic Beauty is really outstanding. I love it. Does it have much/any scent?

Beth: Thank you for all of that. As usual I learn about new roses from reading your posts. Pink French Lace sounds interesting and that's great you found English Perfume. I hope those all do great for you next year.

Thanks all! I'm getting no where in making a decision but hearing about everyone's favorites is a blast.

Kate

Kate,

RU has too many fabulous roses to choose one, but if you love ultra-fragrant HTs, you absolutely must get Lemon Spice. It's simply one of the greatest roses ever, and one of the five I would take to my desert island. I promise if you get it, you will love it :-D

Susan

Without a doubt, the star rose from my Roses Unlimited order last summer is Chief Seattle. Huge blooms, heavenly fragrance unlike any HT I've ever smelled before, lovely foliage. I can't wait to see what this rose will do in its second year.

Connie

Susan: Another vote for Lemon Spice. I like that rose and can see why so many people grow it. Very pretty. I like that it would be on the short list for your desert island rose garden:) That's a strong endorsement.

Hey Connie: I have to check out Chief Seattle. HMF calls it yellow but it looks more pinkish-apricot. Very pretty indeed.

I also noticed last night that RU has Lime Sublime which I saw a plant of last summer and thought was gorgeous. Good thing I have two months to decide which rose I want. This is hard:)

Kate

One I fell in love with last year, and ordered another this year, is Will Henry, a sport of Playboy. It has a subtle apricot pink like color that is hard to describe but really beautiful. I just love the color [am an apricot addict] and am surprised I have not heard more about this one. Now am enabled about Lemon Spice - my RU order is already way too large [ask me if I care?] The photos of Will Henry do not do it justice. Its a healthy shrub and I cant wait to plant another.
Judith

Judith: Will Henry sounds very nice. I was amazed to find so little information on it at HMF. I'll have to do a little digging to learn more about it I think. Appreciate your input.

Kate

This last year I got 'Pretty Jessica' from Roses Unlimited.
It was not listed at the time with all their other David Austin offerings, but when I called them, they did have it available.
I was glad to find they offered it, because David Austin apparently doesn't think this rose is worthy & it's hard to find.
It may not perform well in the UK, but in the US it thrives! It's found a welcomed home here.
It arrived in PERFECT condition, a beautiful looking one-gallon plant. BTW, their customer service was great.

Randy

Are you still looking, Kate? If so, and you want a non-pink rose, check RU and see if they have Elina--another one of my favorites--kinda creamy white with a hint of yellow in the center. Makes my heart melt every time I look at those exquisite blooms. Very disease-resistant also.

Isn't it fun browsing over all the possibilities!

Kate

Hey Kate. Yep, still looking. Mostly because I just haven't had time to sit down and really make a decision yet. I remember you talking about Elina sometime back and it is just gorgeous. I'll check RU for that one. I like it.

Thanks Randy. I recall you talking last year about your fondness for Pretty Jessica. It does seem like a great rose. I'll think on that one also:) I'm starting to have this feeling I might end up breaking my promise to add only one more rose to my spring order.

Kate

Kate:

You know I've been thinking about Elina. I of course checked it out on HMF. I really like it. Assuming I go in a non-pink direction although after this thread I now want all of these roses, I'm curious about the yellow and yellow-ish roses I have my eye on.

Namely wondering how Lime Sublime, Elina and Lemon Sprite compare in disease resistance and re bloom? This is probably a situation in which I just have to pick one and see how it goes. They all seem wonderful in their own respect however.

Kate

Kate,
I don't know the other two--found Lime Sublime (pretty rose!) at HMF, but could not find Lemon Sprite there.

From what HMF says (and doesn't say), I would guess the main difference is between Elina being a hybrid tea that grows more vertically and has big fat blooms 5-6 in. across, and Lime Sublime being a floribunda that is wider/rounder, has blooms about half the size of Elina but has lots of blooms, and reblooms very well.

Can't say how well Elina re-blooms since I got mine less than a year ago. Even as a young plant, I don't remember it blooming more or less than other roses. I think on the score of re-blooming that Lime Sublime probably does better since HMF kinda brags on it.

As for disease-resistance, I would guess Elina is better. It is fairly well known for good disease-resistance, and if really good disease-resistance were a trait of Lime Sublime, I would think they would be mentioning that as one of its strong points. HMF doesn't mention it--so I take that to mean it is just average at best.

So, what does your garden need? Big fat blooms or much smaller but more plentiful blooms? I went for big fat blooms last year because I suddenly realized that was something decidedly lacking in my garden.

Check and see if Lemon Sprite is a hybrid tea or floribunda. That at least will tell you something about its overall shape.

If fragrance is important to you, you might check that on all three.

If nothing else helps you decide, you might post another thread asking which one of the three is best and then watch posters duke it out for their favorite. LOL

Kate

Hey Kate:

Thank you so much for pondering my situation for me:) Unfortunately I gave you some bad information hence the inability to find Lemon Spice not Lemon Sprite. I'm sorry about that. I must have been thirsty when making that post:)

You ask a great question. What does my garden need now? I like both of those options of one having reasonable re bloom but being nice big, fat flowers and the other being more average in size (blooms) but more vigorous.

Thanks for that perspective. Let me ponder that a little and once I get that resolved I'll come back and ask about the roses I have left in the running.

Kate

Here is a link that might be useful: Lemon Spice