While I cannot speak as to how Polka will do in northern California, I can say that mine is on the southeast corner of my house. It gets sun most of the day. It is a large shrub to medium-large climber. I do have to spray it for disease regularly just like I do for all my other roses. The flowers are medium to large sized, fairly colorfast apricot, and have old garden rose form. It seems to bloom better if I hard prune it in spring, but that is usually not a problem because with the late freezes we have, it usually has quite a bit of wood that dies back that made it through the regular winter without too much damage. The flowers last reasonably well when cut, and they are produced fairly regularly through the season. This is a nice climber, but it is on the tender side for this climate.

Here in zone 5, this climbing Romantica does very wellãwithout much disease (no spray)ï¼ It has huge peach-colored multi-petal flowersãof ruffled nature. It repeats fairly well during an entire growing season. I don't think the fragrance is a strong asset. I strongly recommend it if you like David Austin or Romatica in general.

As a climber and because it has a huge bloom, it needs some support. Here in zone 5, it dies back every winter but grows 6 or 7 feet every spring. The more sun you have, the better are the blooms as all the other roses are.

I have a friend in Southern California who grows it successfully. So, between there and my zone5, I would say your zone should be good as well.

Mine was stingy as could be, one or two flowers per year. That was the only bad thing. Maybe I had a lousy clone.

Mine made beautiful flowers but the plant never reached its full potential as the stems cankered horribly every winter.
Dry and warm for 12 months of the year? I'd definitely grow it again.

Big gorgeous flowers with great color but too stingy for a good sized plant.

I've had the same good experience with Polka as Sage above. I never spray Polka and she remains disease free all season. I do have to cut her way back each spring, but she puts on 6-7 feet of new cane each summer. I get about 4 flushes of bloom from her. I always loved Just Joey, but lost 3 and finally gave up because it was just too tender for my Northern Michigan garden, even with lots of winterizing. I bought Polka because it has the same big ruffly apricot blooms and is has been a wonderful substitution. I grow it on a split rail fence.

Here's a picture I took last summer - it's growing on a split rail fence with honeysuckle

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Beautiful!

polka will only be stingy for me if I don't prune a bit every year. it also blooms on the new wood. I have 2 and I would not trade them for any other rose. I am anxiously awaiting them this year as they were a big disturbed by landscaping around them. Cut them way back, and they are coming along better than ever. I am in puget sound area and they should, I would think, even do better for you. Try the pruning and watch the blooms roll!

Charlene, that must explain why mine does well. Thanks to Old Man Winter here in Northern Michigan, I have to prune Polka way back - he must love it!

charleney - I also have two polkas. They are new just this year and are already blooming like crazy. I noticed that they have a pleasantly mild fragrance. Can you please tell me when it is best to prune back and how much should I remove? Thank you.

I had to prune one of them down to about 10" this early spring because of backhoe work. It is just now starting good buds. The one that is 10' tall is blooming okay, but it is just starting. I pruned back all the old wood to about !/2 because I was in a hurry. The foliage is beautiful right now. Only has about 10 blooms, but sometimes will bloom until almost Christmas. I will dead head and cut back here and there. That rose is gorgeous, stays on the bush forever and smells wonderful. Good Luck.