If you are east of the midline of the continental US, Iceberg is highly susceptible to blackspot disease and will need frequent sprays of fungicide. Better choices might be Clair Matin, Renae, or (for 20' width) New Dawn. All are light pink. See HelpMeFind for info and suppliers.

White Dawn is readily available and superior in every way to Climbing Iceberg in the NE.

Could someone address how easy/hard it is to grow and maintain a climber in that zone for her?

Clay soil can be amended, that's not a real problem and that amount of sun sounds fine, growing climbers is not hard, at least in the west, this said for your nervous part:) Could someone give the rest of the advice if she can find a climber she likes what a typical climber might do through a winter and the following spring, what to expect?

Roses like clay, and climbers have vigorous roots. I'd just dig in some manure over a square yard and plant it. Maintain an organic mulch 2" deep. Give several gallons of water once a week in drouth.

To produce a lot of bloom, canes should be tied in a shallow arc or between horizontally and 45 degrees. You don't "train them up" the support. You try to restrain them from growing "up."

It's not at all hard, so long as you have appropriate gloves :-) The biggest problem is that a lot of the roses that are described as 'hardy climbers' aren't. It's really more of a terminology problem than anything else.

The most important thing when you choose a climber is make sure it is hardy enough to get through the winter in your zone. You don't want a climber that will die back in the winter so in Z6 there are many you can't use. For example, roses like Joseph's Coat or America will do well for several years and the die back in a cold winter. All your work is lost. So pick a good one like those in the Dawn series and specifically White Dawn if you want the best white for Z6. You need to plant it well like any rose and it needs sun and you need to feed it. After a year it should take off with minimal care. From what you said it sounds like a SW or SE exposure which should be fine. Good luck.

Thanks, everyone, for your helpful responses. This is only my second year gardening, so I'm very nervous about attempting anything that seems challenging. I'd hate to go to the expense of a rose bush only to kill it because I don't know any better.

I'm on the fence whether I'll attempt the roses this year. Is Spring the right time to plant them? White Dawn looks beautiful, but it also looks sold out the places I've looked. :)

Heather, don't be discouraged. It sounds worse then it really is.
Some nurseries finished selling bare root roses for this season. (Palantine, one of my favorite nurseries, actually stopped selling in mid march, which sounds crazy.....lol). However, many sell excellent roses in containers and in bands (own roots) throughout the year. You still have enough time to plant them.
Since roses in general take a long time to grow, the sooner you start, the better. There is such a huge variety of roses on the market, don't limit yourself to only two. Since you have none yet, any rose, almost any color (suitable for your zone) will work. Pick a couple and you will enjoy them.
Just my 2 cent.

Heather, one important piece of advice:
DO NOT WEAVE YOUR CANES IN AND OUT OF A TRELLIS. Just tie them to the outside.

Beyond that, To tie canes, you can use that green plastic stuff made for the purpose -- it lasts forever (it is a ghastly color);
or use strips of old panty hose (virtually invisible in the garden, and last for a surprisingly long time;
Or hemp cord.
Avoid things that will cut into the canes.

After a while, you may fall into serious love with climbers.
You can use them in so many ways, and they add so much to the garden. They add a whole different dimension to your garden.

I hope you find the right climber or climbers and come to love them.

Jeri

If the lattice is very large and you are open to using a white rose that only blooms in June I can recommend an antique rose named City of York, but only if the lattice is large (long), because City of York is a very vigorous, and a very thorny rose. It's lovely in bloom, but it has its downsides.

(I agree! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T WEAVE THE CANES INTO THE TRELLIS!!!)

I agree with michaelg that roses like clay. I've dug out a few old ones and the roots are surprisingly deep and robust even in heavy clay. I'd still amend the soil with peat or some type of organic material. You only get to dig the hole once, may as well make it count. I recommend choosing for hardiness first and disease resistance second. I had an old climber which had to be sprayed constantly, bloomed only once in spring, and had to be taken down and covered with leaves and burlap to get it through winter. What a pain! I always start with Google. Your local nurseries may have their garden catalog online. Mine do. Shouldn't be much expense. If you have to mail order for what you choose, there's the shipping, of course. It may actually be cheaper to buy a rose potted and growing, locally. You'll get years of enjoyment for a few bucks. Best of luck! .......Dave

Check out the ashdownroses videos on training climbers. They're awesome!

I am pulling this thread out of the depths, maybe it will be found by the OP once again.

In my opinion, and speaking from experience, climbers are a very difficult way to get introduced to roses. There is extra work and care involved, a different set of guidelines for pruning, and like others have said, dieback could destroy your endeavors anyway. if a shrub dies to the gorund you will get a shrub again a few weeks after dormancy breaks, if the rose is a good, vigorous rose. With some climbers all you ever get is lanky shrubs because of dieback.

My advice to newbies, and i am still pretty wet behind the ears myself, is begin with a nice, smell-y shrub that comes recommended as hardy and disease-resistant. Then, as you gain confidence in your gardening skills, move into the more demanding vartieties.

Happy gardening! What a fantastic journey you are beginning...