I'm pretty big on colour too. Russet, mauve, black, colour changing, green, purple. I love them. I've got a few new additions to my yard in bloom right now. Well. New since I last posted on this thread a few years ago. Please excuse the weird lighting. It's cloudy and the light keeps shifting. Stainless Steel. A very light mauve with a rich heady fragrance. Distant Drums. A lovely rose with red buds that open a lovely tan russet colour. As it ages the outer petals turn pink, until the bloom is all pink by the end of its life. Also a lovely fragrance. Like spiced wildflower honey. This one wasn't chosen for colour. I stuck a few reliable bloomers around for constant blooms. This one is Pillow Fight. It's a about 3 feet and throws out a profusion of white blooms with a hint of cream. Usually lightly scented of violets the fragrance is surprisingly wafting and heady today with it being so humid and warm. Twilight zone. Not new lol. Not as purple now that it's warmer.

Some of the fragrant crApe myrtles: 'Apalachee' - widely reported as fragrant 'Biloxi' - at least one source reports this one as fragrant 'Muskogee' - at least one source reports this one as fragrant 'Natchez' - at least one source reports this one as fragrant 'Near East' - a few sources list this one as fragrant 'Whit I' (Raspberry Sundae) - widely reported as fragrant I think quite a few crApe myrtles have a light scent if you stick your nose up in a flower cluster, but few have a strong scent that you would smell when just walking by.

Thanks John. No sir, no sprays anywhere. The gentleman closest to it is retired and a ham radio operator. Twice a month he gets his lawn mown, otherwise there is no one out in his back yard, which is "lawn" with some euonymous bushes. Behind him is a small condo complex with an oak tree and xeriscaping with no "gardening". Behind me is a large open area buffer for the condos on the next block over. To their west is an enormous English Walnut tree belonging to that neighbor. The other side of me doesn't spray anything, either. She is also chemical-phobic and has a pack of elderly dogs. I tease her that when I die, I want to come back as one of HER dogs. What you see if the rose's reaction to the UV, humidity, pH, etc. combined with any fungal strains in the area. Nasty looking stuff. Congratulations on Porcelain Rose! Thanks.

OH, my! What a thread! I would have to agree with the comments on Abracadabra. Actually, Dave Bang’s roses in general, while amazing triumphs in breeding, are rather dreadful to my eyes. I don’t really care for bicolors unless they are soft and low-contrast, and stripes/mottled are even worse. Double Delight makes me cringe. Many of the mauve roses are incredibly unappealing to me. Some Lavenders are beginning to grow on me, but Barbara Streisand (among others) consistently looks bleached by the sun, yet tacky and trying to pretend she is still young and beautiful, like an old woman who has been to the tanning booth too many times. Yeah, I hate that one. I don’t care for most brightly colored hybrid teas, but I will do reds, as long as they are not orange. Coral is iffy. Roses whose center looks dirty as soon as it opens ring a bell here. ’Gilded Sun’ is one such in my garden. It is also much brighter than the rest of my garden, so I have it placed near the pool and children’s area where all my other “bright, garish, tropical” plants go. In fact, I think the only reason that I let it stay is that it performs beautifully in the heat, and resists Japanese beetles. It is a nice, bright splash of color during the long hot summer months. During springtime I question, “why did I plant that again?” I also am on the “no-quilling” bandwagon, or at least for the most part. I have a few roses that quill, but they are by no means my favorite, and most are allowed for the overall effect of the bush, rather than the flowers themselves. Carefree Beauty is one more that I have not been able to warm up to! With her saturated pink and ever imperfect petals, she is too bright for her simplistic form. Reminds me of a farm girl dressed up like a hussy. Contrary to others, I love my Austen’s. Teasing Georgia performs very well in heat and drought, making her a favorite of mine. Tremendous growth and generous blooms with minimal pampering, granted, she is mulched well. Pretty Jessica doesn’t seem to require a pampering, either. Windermere is one that I’ve had a bit of trouble with, mainly because I didn’t water it well it’s establishing heat and because it gets torn apart by the rotten Jap. beetles, but it tries to do well despite the odds and abuse I heap on it. It’s responding well to a little more TLC. I also love my Icebergs. They are so graceful and light, with their white flowers on arching, delicate stems that dance in the breeze. They provide surefire, easy whites to balance out the garden and, to my eye, look older than they actually are. They blend in well with Noisettes and teas. Burgundy Iceberg is loved, too, for the richness of its blooms. Sometimes I feel like all the world is praising a rose that makes me turn my head when it pops up on the screen. Nice to know I’m not alone! It’s rather fun to hear everybody’s quirks and opinions. Hope no one takes offense at mine! :)