Danae, Buff Beauty and Felicia are definitely climbers. I haven't grown Clymnestra, Francesca or Thisbe, yet.

Clytemnestra is more upright, a bit stiffer than Robin Hood. My Thisbe and Francesca are still small and my Danae doesn't like where she is because she has done nothing.

I am going nuts for HMs. I have sixteen coming from VG next week and that will give me over 50. But I don't have enough old enough by any one breeder to draw conclusions, tho I am starting to think the Lamberts are a bit tougher than the Pembertons. As a class, they all do well for me and the deer leave them alone.

'Francesca' will make a big shrub, but can probably can be grown as a climber--she's a bit stiffer than 'Cornelia' and 'Moonlight' but puts out long canes.
In my conditions 'Felicia' is strictly shrubby (ask two gardeners, get two conflicting opinions). Oh, but she wasn't on your list, was she?
'Thisbe' is shrubby in my garden, though she's growing in adverse conditions which might limit her growth.
I can't give you any help with the other two.
Like catsrose and, evidently, you, I'm nuts for the Hybrid Musks. They don't like the more open parts of the garden, which is mostly what I have, but I hope that as I get my space more protected with the trees and shrubs we're planting, I'll have more appropriate habitat to offer these wonderful roses.
Melissa

I am truly appreciating the comments on this thread. There is something very special about the hybrid musks, and, I would definitely like to add many more to my collection.

Cat, which of the Lamberts do you especially recommend?

Robert

Excellence von Schubert, tho it doesn't bloom as much as I would like, is my favorite. It's fragrance is amazing. Heideroslein is very sturdy and I love the blousy blooms. There is something a bit disheveled, even naughty about them.

I would not be without Buff Beauty. Pretty flower, big for an HM, and fantastic scent. Very easy to grow and quite tolerant of shade.

'Mozart' is popular here in Italy. It's extremely easy to root and grow, but that's all I know at this point because my plants are just entering their first season in the garden.

Clytemnestra here is not at all upright but arching and spreading very wide. I'm sure you could train it on a wall. I'm growing Excellence Von Shubert and Thisbe together. They are also spreading. I think they could climb. Lavender Lassie has amazed me by throwing herself up into an overhanging oak branch and has climbed 20feet into the oak blooming wonderfully. I agree with Melissa about Mozart. I have four that were trained into standards. It is very attractive like that. I do find that some HMs are a bit slow to establish.

re Excellenz von Schubert -

catsrose, you mentioned it is fragrant. I think I read that there are two clones around, one fragrant, one not. I just planted one from Antique Rose Emporium, which mentions fragrance as light musk.

Is that how you'd describe the scent? Where is yours from, if you don't mind my asking?

There was a looooooonnng thread on the fragrance of EVS several years back I believe. The consensus seemed to be that Excellenz von Schubert is fragrant and the non fragrant EVS was actually Gardendirector Otto von Linne (sp?) which apparently looks similar and was mistakenly sold for EVS. Personally I only have EVS which is fragrant so can't give a first hand comparison.
Jim

Harborrose, you probably have Otto. I was responsible for that long thread on EVS. I got mine from Randy at Sherando and it is knock-your-socks off fragrant and purple. When I looked it up on HMF, however, it gave the scent as light, the color as pink, and the class as Poly, but a Lambertiana. It threw me into a tizzy. HMF is wrong (except for the Lambert) and their description is for Otto. I ordered several from different vendors and, as I recall, it was ARE who sold Otto as EVS. The shape of the bloom is about the only similarity--puffy buttons in clusters. Otto is definitely a Poly, pink and not fragrant; EVS is HM, purple, fragrant. I need to make comment on HMF about this as I see they have not updated it.

Help! HMF lists Lavender Lassie as 5-12'. If she gets to 20' I will have to move her or buy another arbor or something...

Catsrose, don't worry about Lavender lassie. Some roses climb if they are trained in that way. It just got that oportunity. Otherwise it will probably grow the way HMF described.

Eastern no-spray gardeners ought to consider 'Belinda' and 'Mozart,' which thrive with essentially no care in our difficult climate. (I don't grow them but I've observed them for years.) 'Belinda' is really vigorous but can be pruned to stand up. 'Mozart' makes a fairly large, very dense fountainy mound. They aren't fragrant but make a terrific show.

I like 'Kathleen' for the wafting fragrance, oversize foliage, and massive first flush with decent repeat. Mine was disease free for ten years but then became moderately susceptible to a new strain of blackspot. It makes stiffish 7-foot shoots that often come out at a low angle--wants to be a wide, low-arching shrub but can climb. Mine, grafted and virused, declined after twenty years and croaked.

'Penelope' bears beautiful clusters with a strong, sweet fragrance. It is susceptible to mildew but can be no-spray in the East as it tolerates blackspot. Habit is vigorous and naturally arching. Jon showed one that had been pruned up into a wide, rather flat-topped shape, very attractive.

I have Lav. Lassie but don't care much for it. First flush is beautiful but it doesn't repeat under its laissez-faire regime and shady location. Growth habit without support is disorderly. Susceptible to blackspot.

Oh no! I just ordered EVS from are as I've always read it's fragrant, but if it's still Garden Director Otto Linne I have to rethink it. Oh drats. Does anyone else have EVS from ARE?