My experiences may not be applicable to your conditions.
We have Irish Fireflame and Mrs. Oakley Fisher, and they're lovely -- here.
Mme. Caroline Testout is a gem.
Dainty Bess mildewed here to a remarkable degree, as did Ellen Wilmott.
(I really wanted Dainty Bess. My grandmother loved it. No dice.)
I would love to try Innocence and Vesuvius, but they may be out of the question here.
I LOVE the whole Radiance clan, and they're considered good over a wide range of conditions.

I have a Found Pernetiana, a yellow, which is disease-free here and a good bloomer.
{{gwi:237169}}

Jeri

I love 'Mme. Jules Bouché'; don't know how it would do in your area either. It shows a lot of Tea character. I believe 'Tiffany' is good in Florida but have never grown it myself. That old standard 'Mr. Lincoln' is a real toughie. I don't like the form of the fully open flower, and the plant is supposed to be awkward, but the color and fragrance are totally satisfactory, and so is the form of the flower until it's completely open.

That's all I can suggest. Not many Hybrid Teas can handle conditions in my garden, but I agree there are many intriguing varieties.

Melissa

I've begun adding a few Pedro Dot HTs from Vintage. I received my first three early last spring and am wait-listed for several more from Vintage and one from Ashdown. Mine haven't yet had time to show me much, so the jury's still out. Thus far,'Condesa de Sastago' looks especially promising. The other 2 are 'Ibiza' & 'Duquesa de Penaranda'. Like Jeri's beautiful found yellow, 'DdP' is a Pernetiana. One feature that all 3 have in common (like many of the old HTs) is STRONG fragrance.

The Dot rose that I'm particularly anxious to add is 'Lila Vidri'. Ashdown is propagating that one now, so perhaps sometime this year I may finally get my hands on that elusive rose.

Another older HT that I'm exceedingly fond of is Bob Linquist's 1961 introduction, 'Champagne'. I purchased that one several years ago from Roses Unlimited. (I think Vintage also offers it.) Coincidentally, Dot's 'DdP' was the pollen parent of 'Champagne'.

Sandy,

If I lived in Florida, I would visit or join a local rose society to learn about whether I could grow roses own-root instead of on rootstock such as Fort., if there are nematodes in the local soil, and which classes and cultivars are healthiest in my zipcode.
I usually first reccomend China, Old Garden Tea roses, and Noisette roses to those who live in warm climates, because they bloom more often than H.T.s (at least 25% more often in our Mediterranean climate, near San Francisco.
For beauty alone these are H.T.s that I've enjoyed, especially in bouquets (thank you Luanne and Vito).
Four H.T.s that are closer to a having a typical Tea roses' "exquisite delicacy' style of blossom.
'Mrs. Jules Bouche' deep green leaves are a splendid background to its' white roses.
'Mrs. Herbert Stevens'
'Snowbird' very fragrant of lemon and roses, and has a romantic style of bloom.

Older Pink H.T.s
'La France' from the first year that H.T.s are known to have been bred, 1867. Almond shaped rosebuds open to a lovely hue of pink. quite fragrant.
Pernetiana H.T.'s
'Condesa des Sastago' a Pernetiana with a Polyantha ancestor. slightly smaller blossoms than most H.T.s from a Polyantha ancestor, one of the first and loveliest bi-colored H.T.s.
'Gruss an Coberg' one of the best blooming of all H.T.s
(can fade to buff-tan in hot weather)

I believe you'd get more information from the modern rose page at Gardenweb, about H.T.s bred after 1930.
Red early H.T.s
'Francis Dubreuil' some say it is a Tea, some are convinced it is the H.T. cultivar named 'Barcelona' .
I think it could be a Tea for its floriferousness, but it has the rich Damask scent that some red H.T.s inherited.

May your garden be blessed with healthy roses you love best,
Luxrosa

Post scriptum:

F.Y.I. if you're interested in what seperates modern roses from Old Garden Roses.
All the Hybrid Teas from the 1800's are considered to be modern roses, for several reasons, a rather stiff and upright growth habit, ( inherited from the H.P. class) plain foliage and not a lot of it, bare lower canes.
O.G.R.s were and are bred to have beauty from bud, to blossom and bush, and their leaves are often as beautiful as the best plants sold as "foliage plants".
H.T. is the most modern of all rose classes, because of breeding, it is the most hybridized (meaning the most generations between a H.T. and a a wild rose species. Although first generation H.T.s, have two Old Garden Rose parents, were bred from 1867-1920's, after 1920 the great majority were bred from H.T.s crossbred with other H.T.s
In the 1960's, some H.T.s bred were a hundred or more generations from a Tea or H.P. parent, and greatly distant from a wild rose species.

I am trying quite a few old HTs from Vintage. They are still small, in one gallon pots, except for one. Mme. Ravary. She quickly outgrew her one gallon and went to the next size. She now has thick canes and is all leafed out - as soon as we get warmer weather, I bet she will have a bunch of buds. She is actually ready to plant in the ground, while the others are lagging behind in their one gallon pots. I havent seen any of them bloom, but am having a great time watching them grow and it will be interesting to see how they turn out.
Judith

Sandy, I have Mme Abel Chatenay, a pre-1895 HT. She's a #3 on Vintage's site, but so far looks more like a #1. Beautiful coral pink flowers but not real leafy so far. I had ordered the climbing version from Ashdown before Christmas but then decided against it pending proof of the bush's contentment here. It's pushing new growth now on her mostly bare canes so we'll see.

I also have Mme Caroline Testout, CL who is also showing swolen leafbuds. She was mostly leafless all winter, but considering she's a first year climber who didn't get appropriate mulch last summer, I'm not ready to give up on her. She's about 10+ ft tall with 3 or 4 canes, own-root but surrounded by concrete so I don't fear nematodes.

I have Tiffany (1954) on fort. I actually pruned her a few weeks ago. She's very tiny at this point. Slow to establish is what I've read about fort rootstock, plus a location where she's competing with a giant oak tree for everything but sun. She smells wonderful, and what can I say about BS? She didn't defoliate but was messy. Since I don't spray, I don't expect anything else anymore.

I have 2 Chrysler Imperials (1952) in big pots (from KMart.) Glorious damask smell that wafts on the patio. Pruned them, too. Same BS situation as Tiffany but a year younger. They bloomed a lot considering how small they were last year. I have no experience yet with 6' tall HTs. Mine are very diminutive.

Sherry

Sandy - Like some of the other responders, I live in California, and my early HTs are still too young for me to know much about how they do. But here's how it is at this moment:
1. "Betty" - a light pink small HT from 1905. Also known as "Vanucci Bicolor". I got it late last summer.
2. "Angels Mateu" - a Pedro Dot Pernetiana, small HT from 1934. Salmon-gold. I got it last Fall.
3. "Nigrette" - a very dark red, small HT from 1934. Parents: Chateau de Clos Vougeot X Lord Castlereagh. I got this one early last Spring.
All are in pots. Also, they are all leafing out like mad, as are my other roses. "Betty" and "Angels Mateu" both just sat in their pots since I planted them, apparently building roots. They are both now busting out with leaves, etc., and Betty has a flower bud. "Nigrette" is a little slower and does not look as healthy as the other two, but she went through a rough time last summer - I was involved in a long, protracted move from one town to another, and the three roses that I had at that time, of which "Nigrette" was one, had to spend part of the summer with relatives (who took good care of them) and then came to my new place, where I almost killed her with too much sun and heat. She recovered, but she seems delicate, maybe a bit sensitive. She has just never seemed as robust as the other two that were my first OGRs. Still, she did bloom last summer, and has the loveliest dark red blooms, with a strong purply cast. The color is supposed to be a "black" red, and maybe that will happen this year, but I don't really care, it's such a lovely little rose, and the fragrance is wonderful. "Betty" arrived here with a bloom, a large pale pink bud ready to open. It became clear that the bud was not going to be able to open, so after admiring it for a day or two, I cut it off (as the instructions tell you to do, but I never have the self-discipliine to do it). It was obviously going to be a LOVELY bloom, so I'm looking forward to the Spring.

I've got another HT, "Oklahoma", which I don't think of as in the "early" category, as it is from 1964 (Parents: Chrysler Imperial x Charles Mallerin), but I can tell you that is a gorgeous color and has a fragrance that I fear is going to be too much for me, it's so strong! Reading what the other responders to your query say about the Pernetianas and their fragrance, I may have another strong one in "Angels Mateu", but time will tell.
If you are interested, all these roses can be seen on the Vintage Gardens website (that's where I bought them).
Laura

Thanks for all the helpful responses...it gives me a great deal to ponder about! I do have a virus free Tiffany and Queen Elizabeth, on fortuniana, and I have been growning them no-spray since I got them a year and a half ago. They do fine, but do get "messy" at times like Sherry says. It's not enough to bother me though. I just pick the bad leaves off. I am going to try the organic spray that Ashdown uses from Peter Beales and see how it works.

Malcolm Manners grows Oklahoma and says it is a wonderful rose, though at times it will ball. Most of the time it is beautiful. This is one I must have for sure. Also Mr. Lincoln. I had a virus free one, but lost it last fall. I had chili thrips take out several of my roses while I was away on vacation for 3 weeks. Had I been home, I would have broken from my organic ways and sprayed everything at that time.

I think I am going to take advantage of the Vintage sale (I'd better hurry up!), and try some of the old hybrid teas. I will see how they do through the summer, and the promising ones I will graft on fortuniana. I am determined to root some fortuniana and learn how to graft this year. I am sure that hybrid teas do best grafted in Florida, if they are to be grown in the ground. I have pretty decent soil and would still want them on fortuniana. Even without a nematode issue, I think that hybrid teas need the boost of a strong rootstock in order to deal with the environmental stresses we have here.

My heart will always belong to the teas (my very favorite), chinas, and noisettes, and so far, most of mine have done fine own root. That said, I have tried two own root Mrs. Dudley Cross and she did not do all that red hot. I have one on fortuniana, and she is turning out to be absolutely magnificent. However, I know for positive that my grafted MDC is virus free. Don't know about the true health of the other two I tried.

I'm thinking that if some of us don't at least try a few of the older, earlier hybrid teas, they may eventually be lost forever, which would be a shame. There must be SOME that can be grown relatively easily. Most of the local rose society people are growing the more modern hybrid teas, and enjoy exhibiting, with some of the members growing OGRs. There are also the sprayers and the non-sprayers. Maybe it's up to me to experiment with some of the older ones and pass that info on to others.

Just the same, any feedback anyone has to offer is most welcome!

Sandy

Sandy, last year I went through the whole Vintage list of HTs, looking for "old" and #1, 2 & 3 habit. I looked at lineage, trying to determine health as well as I could. Unfortunately for us, when Vintage says healthy it doesn't really relate to our world. So as much as Pernetianas are loved in other places, I crossed them off my list because of their R. Foetida bloodlines. I also eliminated oranges and yellows. It got so if I saw Pernet as the breeder, I would move on. That may not be a good basis for rejection but with my limited knowledge and Florida's very limited success ratio, I thought it was prudent. I eliminated those with a lot of HP blood which I guess is a hodge podge but still not the healthiest class of roses at least for Florida. There are some early HTs whose parents are both Teas. Don't know how that works unless it was just a marketing gimmick to catch the popularity wave. It takes some time skipping back & forth between Vintage and HMF (oh, and now the lineage feature is only accessible if you subscribe), but you can definitely make some intelligent choices to experiment with. I was frustrated by the size issue due to lack of space. That one criteria really narrowed the selection. But I also found that the smaller ones were often the oldest ones, and I liked their more rounded growth habit. As time passed, HTs got bigger and bigger and more upright, though there are exceptions.

It seems in my garden every rose is demanding time and patience from me. No quick garden here - and nowhere else, I guess. So I wait and watch and hope for the best, figuring that it will be years before I can make a real assessment of these roses. Re-post this again, OK? And we'll all have another go at it!

Sherry

I have the yellow Mrs. Pierre S. Du Pont. I wish it had more petals (it it almost a single) but it seems to be spot free and I do not spray. My hubby says it has a nice fragrance but I cannnot detect any scent at all (but he can't smell Clementina Carbonieri so go figure!).

Sherry, what is it that happens to Pernetianas (also, orange and yellow) in Florida? Is it blackspot, due to humidity? I don't know much of anything about the Pernetianas, except that they are apparently difficult to propagate. Blackspot shouldn't matter where I live, but have you run into other disease problems?

You and I have the same problem with the size/space issue, and that's the main reason I added a few early HTs to my "garden", as most of the roses that I fall for are big-to-enormous, and so out of the question. I think little "Betty" is going to be really lovely, by the way, and it's PINK, so you might consider it.
Laura

I love older and rare ht's. I have ordered quite a few from Vintage for this year. Many of them can't be purchased anywhere else which scares me. It cost quite a bit to ship them to my side of the country but it will be worth it.

I just placed my Vintage order, and have ordered about 16 of the older hybrid teas to try. I suppose, even though many say they are disease resistant, they may blackspot to some degree. Blackspot is the main issue in Florida. Small amounts of it do not bother me. Totally sick plants do. Mildew is only a minor problem once in awhile.

I decided I wanted to try them enough to part with the money for them. Believe me, I thought long and hard about this, as money is tight for me like most people these days! But....I know myself well enough to know it will always nag at me if I don't try. I think that's half the fun of gardening. I am also going to try some organic techniques that may or may not work. The business that I purchased my vermicomposting system from has sprayed worm tea on her roses, and it took care of the blackspot for her. She said she also removed any of the damaged leaves, as the tea did something to prevent new blackspot, but naturally will not cure the damaged portions. I always try to remove yuckky leaves anyway if I see them. I'm willing to try different methods.

I will report back, but naturally it will take some time for the bands to arrive and start growing. If any look promising, when they become mature enough in the pots, I'll graft a few of them onto fortuniana. Whew! This should keep me out of trouble for awhile!

Sandy

Laura, yes, it's blackspot that's the problem. I've never seen rust, and PM has happened in my garden only in spring just a little. Don't exactly know the whys of it. Humidity is a huge part of it because my understanding is that any moisture that stays on the leaves for 8 hours gives the fungus time to grow and take hold. We have dew practically every night of the year, so...

All the bold colors - yellows, oranges - of the HTs are from R. Foetida (someone will correct me if I'm wrong) and so is the blackspot. I would imagine trying to segregate it out of the mix since its introduction would be pretty tough, so my thought was to choose HTs earlier than the Pernetianas or at least prior to their increased influence in hybridization. But then I'm no expert at all. Just my grasping at straws.

Sherry

There are also several that aren't actually "antiques" (from the 60's and 70's) that both Vintage and Roses Unlimited sell, that are very fragrant.

I will recommend two.

It's not to everyone's color taste, for the color is very strong and likely to be something you either immediately love or loathe, but I adore Fragrant Cloud (which is a vividly scarlet orange rose, with petals that are a dark coral on the undersides; I have it at the edge of a shady area and it just pops out from the shady background). I bought that from Roses Unlimited and at the same time I purchased a short apricot/peach hybrid tea named Paul Shirville. That is lovely, too! I live in zone 6, and they both died down all the way to the roots two winters ago when we had a freaky warm December & January followed suddenly by a brutally cold snap in early February. (My York rose, hardy in zone 3, died from winter damage that year!) However, both have since put forth new growth. They are both in fairly shady spots so they have only put forth single canes so far. I have my fingers crossed for this year.

Both are lovely, stinky roses! :-)

Laura, yes, it's blackspot that's the problem. I've never seen rust

From what I've read the rose rusts (there are several species, and not all are present in the USA, yet) grow best in arid environments. Black spot definitely grows best in warm, humid environments. Even where I live north of Boston black spot appears every summer.

All the bold colors - yellows, oranges - of the HTs are from R. Foetida (someone will correct me if I'm wrong) and so is the blackspot.

I've also read before that even the silvery grays of roses like Sterling Silver are owed to R. foetida. Black spot preys even on roses with little or no R. foetida heritage (try growing the Bourbon Mme. Pierre Oger!)

I Have La France, Duchess of Albany, Old Korbel Gold and JP Soupet all older HT all worth it.
Mirandy is a very fragrant 1940s red Emily is a beautiful 1940s pink.

Sandy, you didn't say which 16 you ordered. You know that's a no-no.

Sherry

I ordered Grace Darling from Vintage last year. The bloom is really exquisite - a wonderful pink with glowing yellow peeking from the base. It was potted most of the summer, and planted in the Fall when it was still rather small, but now looks to be waking up vigorously.

Yes Sandy, I'm wondering which ones you ordered also.

Carla

Well, I'll tell you all what happened. I tried to order all these roses directly from the Vintage site. However, the site was VERY slow and when I was almost finished, the shoping cart crashed and I got a message that said there was a technical problem and to send Gita an e-mail with the list of roses, and they would hand process the order and call for credit card number. I did that.

On Sunday evening, the last day of the sale, I tried to order again from the site just for the heck of it. I though maybe it had gotten fixed. This time the site was satisfactory in speed, and just as I was finishing up the shopping cart, it crashed again. Technical problem message again. I sent another e-mail, with the message that I would like to modify the original order a bit. I also left a couple of phone messages, in which I said I would give them the credit card info over the phone directly to them "in person".

I have not heard back from Vintage.

Do you suppose I am getting a message from my guardian angel about these roses?

Sandy

Sounds like it, doesn't it? ;-)

At the very least it would appear Vintage is getting overwhelmed, no?

Yes, I'm sure with their sale they have been very overwhelmed. I did get a phone call from Gita today, so we are consulting with Greg on what he feels might be the best selections for my area.

I hope I didn't give the impression that I was disatisfied with Vintage. They are a great place to buy roses, and I have always been very pleased with the roses I have purchased from them in the past.

Sandy

Sandy I got that Mrs. Du Pont (from 1929 so this is real oldie!) from ARE and even tho I wish it had more petals it is yellow and completely spot free for me - I do not spray. They sell it own root so I have it in a pot.

Thanks! I was thinking of trying her. maybe if I can learn to graft I can put some of my favorites on fortuniana. I really feel the hybrid teas need that in order to do well down here.

Sandy