ilovemyroses, I just purchased Alberic Barbier rambler rose, have heard conflicting reports as to thorns, some say none, some say a few.

My Golden Celebration definitely has thorns, but gorgeous flowers!

ogrose, hmmm, just read about alberic barbier in ARE's book. sounds like a nice one. and scented as well! just checked chamblee's (where i am headed this week) and they don't stock him but could order from ARE. did you buy locally? as i see you are in my area? (pm if more discreet).

about the only color that would not work, is apricot/peachy, or i would consider crepuscule...despite the name! i read good things about this one.

have a bit of an itch to try climbing cramoisi sup., as i love the bush. and the thorn issue, i can't do mermaid!! but cecile had thorns and we managed pretty well. just no thorns are always a bonus!

oh, i hate paying shipping costs!! but an ARE order, if i can't find it in the millions of roses offered at chamblee's could be a thought.

thanks for the reply!

I didn't see your pm listed, but purchased mine from Hartwood Roses, it was not as expensive, smaller but in excellent shape. I'm with you on the shipping charges, but will pay it if I have to (but I'm not addicted...).

I'm definitely going to check out Chamblee's one of these days, looks like they have great roses!

so you did ship? yes, try chamblees, the thing i like is they sell one gallons, for around $10, so you can double your selections, and they grow so fast!! occasionally i'll buy a 2 gallon if i need size immediately. it is a treasure, as is antique rose emporium, just a longer drive.

I have Cramoisi Superieur in both climbing and bush forms and both are tough survivors that are as remontant as we're likely to get in our brutal Dallas summers. All I ask is a good show spring and fall and they certainly deliver that. The climber will easily cover your fifteen feet, but it is thorny.

Two found noisettes which can grow and thrive in difficult situations are Pleasant Hill Cemetary Climber and Manchester Guardian Angel ( it has a few other names as well). You might have a chance of finding the latter in the south. If you are willing to go beyond Texas, Roses Unlimited and Angel Gardens might be possibilities. So far as I know, Pleasant Hill is only available on the west coast. Both are excellent, rapidly reblooming cultivars.

You night also like to consider Aime Vibert, Scandens and Alistair Stella Grey. The Scandens version of Aime Vibert makes a huge, green shrub, pretty in bloom or not, and mostly free from disease.

Then, there is always Mermaid. Can you coexist with thorns? Very thorny, huge bush with some of the most beautiful flowers in rosedom. I would worry about it being good snake habitat.

ilovemyroses - have you been to North Haven Gardens in Dallas? I went for the first time this past weekend and was shocked at the their inventory. They have several of the Shoup Pioneer roses and I bought several of them, including Pioneer Spirit. Pioneer Spirit might work for the space you describe. They have several different climbers, many antiques, just row upon row of roses! Their roses are beautiful - they looked better than any roses I have purchased anywhere. It looked like they purchased a lot of stock from ARE (everything I bought had an ARE tag) but they are doing something special 'cause their ARE roses looked much much better than the ones I buy from ARE. They sell an organic rose food - maybe that was the something special...

random, thorny, as in terrible?? back hooks and all, or just the moderate rose bush. is she pliable?? cooperative with training?? or a mind of her own?

nastarana, i already have two mermaids, and i think that is enough. i don't get great rebloom there either. but i still love her. i do hate to order, when chamblees has so many, but i'll check into those. getting the right rose for the situation is more important than shipping fees.

i have always admired aime vibert. i'll check into that, too, and i know alister stella gray is readily available.

thanks for the suggestions. i'll keep you posted.

michele, yes, i frequent north haven. a very fine nursery. and was there a few weeks ago. i picked up the rose list too, so i'll check that. and yes, very healthy plants. and appropriate selections for the area. in fact, the david austins i bought there were the strongest survivors of the heat last year. selections i knew little about, but NH really proved something to me in having the RIGHT roses for dallas. i don't know much about the pioneers...i have been spoiled so much with david austins beautiful roses (for cutting) that i must have excluded them with out enough looking....i'll investigate. i DO love a rose you can cut and it lasts a few days....and yes, i bought that same rose food. they better enjoy it, as we eat once a year around here!!

Manchester Guardian Angel, FWIW, is very, very prickly. (And I generally don't even notice prickles). It was so bad that it drove DH nuts. Reached out and grabbed you.

Jeri

jerijen, then that's a 'no'...DH is constantly hacking poor mermaid to death. with a chain saw, no less!! i think i'd try to get rid of her if i weren't so afraid of her...

HAHAHAHA .... I understand what you mean!

Honestly, when even EYE swear at prickles, you gotta know it's bad.

Listen, I grow Secret Garden Musk Climber in just the situation you describe, but I'm afraid it would blackspot for you.
Have you considered 'Lamarque'?? I like it very much here -- I think it's supposed to be good in TX, too.

I'd suggest 'Dr. Rouges,' which is a vigorous grower and monster bloomer at the Sacramento Cemetery -- and is in the cherry/cerise range, but I see it's only available at Vintage Gardens in the U.S., and Roseraie du Desert in France.

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Dr. Rouges' at HelpMeFind

I have Lamarque here in the Dallas area, and it does very well; it took it awhile to get established, but is very disease resistant, and starting to look great!

I think my very favorite rose of all for here in the Dallas area is Cl. Pinkie, it doesn't have too many thorns and goes absolutely crazy here!

Gosh! Thanks for all the ideas!

I am thinking of Alister Stella grey. Madame Alfred carriere. Crepuscule. Climbing cramoisi superior. Alberic barbier. I think all the Austin's would fry!

I've got to be careful of a west exposure in Texas. And the idea of nearly thornless is appealing, for being around a garage entry. Train easy canes are good too! As I get behind easily!

Still thinking and searching.

And lamarque!

I have about 60' of 6 foot chain link fence on the South side of my yard I'm trying to cover (we used to raise German Shepherds); Lamarque is very nice, I have two right next to the Climbing Pinkie, then a Zepherine Drouhin, which I love for her color; Climbing Pinkie, in my book, is the absolute best!!

I'll send you pics...

I got Madame Alfred carriere. Flexible canes. Lower thorn count. Own root. (my dead Cecil brunner is returning as dr. Huey). And, the yellow and apricot colors of some of the others isn't great with my house color. White/pale pink is much nicer.

And I got two lamarque to train on the south side of my home, (as I couldn't decide but knew the thorns would be a problem around the garage.). So, I'm set. On the climbers, anyway!

Thx alll! I've grown lamarque, but any word on MAC I'd appreciate! Yum yum. Can't wait to see it all!

Last year I planted Madame Alfred Carriere on a fence along the driveway which has sun all day. She didn't do so well the first year and didn't produce many blooms, but has suddenly taken off this year. Not many thorns and nice bendy canes. Grows like crazy, from what I can see this year.

There are tons of flower buds right now and I like that she starts flowering from close to the base. The blooms are beautifully romantic - a soft white blush pink which goes with most things and the fragrance is really lovely. They don't last that long indoors, but from my experience so far MAC seems like a healthy, vigorous, sweet smelling rose.

I did grow her awhile back, but pruned too hard to keep her in control in too small a space. And she never could reallly do what she wanted to do. Rabbit, I appreciate the report. Yes I expect year one to be slow. But first yr on most climbers is. So whatcha Gunna do? Wait! ;).

I agree, love the romantic shape.