If Red Eden (Eric Tabarly ®) isn't too tall, I love him. He's very shrubby, so keeping him a shrub is easy, at least where I am. But watch out if you are in one of those areas where balling is a big problem, because his petals are already slow to open. He's got a very globular, very double bloom form (that I love).

Cultivation of the 'Muntead Wood' Rose. This will be his third season in my garden. Both have significantly improved color. This spring the roses are much darker. However, the flowers that are opening now, already with very high temperatures (about 95 / 96,8 degrees) again are less dark. Last year they gave darker roses in autumn than in spring. So that the roses that produce this fall again will be more dark than those of now. I am very happy with my two RMW. This season has not even had any mildew. The previous two years it was desperate to see the white dust on its leaves as soon as the buds began to open. My climate is very very hot in summer. Surely even in spring here in Central Spain there are higher temperatures than many of its gardens. But the worst thing about growing roses is how dry the air is. There is no atmospheric humidity. And that's terrible for roses !! I show you some pictures of my Munstead Wood. Maria.

Oh wow - I had no idea this thread had come back to life! Philipatx - I found Della Reese locally at an Armstrong Garden Center. Amanda - Stainless Steel is a champ. Has no mildew, and no disease at all. Thank you to all for the kind words. Right now I look into my garden and sigh. We're getting bombarded with rain - more than usual for us, everything is soggy and mucky, grass is now about 10" high and in this wet there isn't much I can do about it, I keep wanting to spray my pruned rose nubbins but can't get a break in the weather to do it, and it's just kind of downright depressing. And then I feel bad for complaining knowing how mild even our more extreme winters are here compared with the rest of the country. Seeing this thread revived reminds me that wonderful things are ahead (and a LOT of work). Hopefully this will be another good rose year, and I'm hoping after having the worst cane borer year last year I can get somewhat a handle on them with some dormant oil spray - at some point! Thank you for the encouragement!

Corrina - I think noseometer is right that most DA roses will grow well where you are. But in thinking about the Oakland microclimate I remembered going to Orchard Nursery in Lafayette when I was first interested in growing fragrant roses eight years ago. The salesperson asked me "which side of the Caldecott (Tunnel) do you live?" She advised that fragrant roses were more susceptible to disease (thinner petals) and would be more vulnerable on the Oakland side of hill because the higher humidity from the Bay influence. I'm in 9b just outside Napa so my climate is warmer - mid 80s with just a touch of morning fog sometimes in the summer. I live in a windy pocket so it's extra dry. Here are my thoughts on your list. The Alnwick Rose did not grow for me for two years but it suddenly started growing and blooming last month in its second flush. I'm not getting much fragrance now but I hope for more after the winds stop after Labor Day and we get the that lovely Indian Summer climate. I've had Pat Austin for a couple of years and love the fragrance. I think she blows a bit more quickly than I like. The middle photo is from Celebration of Old Roses a couple of years ago and is what I hope mine will look like one day! I would recommend Lady Emma Hamilton which I had to baby for a couple of years because it did get some black spot initially even my dry climate when it was very small. I have two because it's compact and I have it as focal point so I needed to be sure there was enough there to fill the space. It has great fragrance, form, color, and the leaves can be purple as well as green with brownish stems. It's probably the most unique DA rose I have. I think it may be a challenge to grow in other areas of the country because of the black spot problem which is minimal here and goes away completely by end of May. Ancient Mariner - I don't have this rose but I've seen many great photos would get it if I had more room. I really enjoyed the description and pics from Rose Lai. Rose - you have a fabulous collection of roses and I enjoyed hearing about your very unusual micro climate in San Ramon. I never would have guessed something like that would exist given former co-worker descriptions of SR and Danville. I also have a Charlotte tree standard which is my largest standard and a really prolific bloomer. Geoff Hamilton - I just planted him this year so I can't say yet. Jude the Obscure - this rose needs to be purchased grafted because own-root takes too long. But here's my OR after five years or so, my largest DA rose. I've seen some lovely photos of newer DA roses like Emily Bronte and Eustacia Vye which I hope is offered this coming year. So I'm looking forward to some new roses. Good luck with your choices! Ann