We are not quite as hot here, and it is dry heat, so conditions not the same. I have 3 MACs, and I love them. All of them grow with their lowest parts in full shade, and then climb up walls or trees and bloom prolifically - they have just started their Spring bloom, and last year's blooming lasted through Feb! They are not too double, so might be OK in humidity. I give them no care except some handfulls of osmocote once a year, and some water during our hot 6 month drought in the summer, but you should not even have to do that.

Jackie

Not to disrespect the Madame in any way, but from experience she is a MONSTER! She wants to be a large, tall plant, no matter how horizontally you train her. She will express her long canes even more vigorously in an indirect, filtered light, partial shade situation, attempting to throw herself into the good sunlight. Your stated height for the railing of 3.5' is no where near sufficient for a plant of her vigor and demanded size. She's sometimes described as having a "lower prickle count", which perhaps could be said depending upon your definition of "lower", but from experience, her smaller prickles are SHARP and mean. I've lost MUCH blood to too-close, intimate contact with her. I realize your zone could be anything from 6b to 8a in Arkansas, and where I grew her was zone 9b, but relative vigor compared to relative vigor holds true. I definitely feel the Madame is going to be too vigorous, too large and too prickly for that short a support, and her mean prickles are going to be the type you really don't want on a balcony railing. You'll probably have to keep too much of her pruned off to get much bloom and what you do receive is very likely to be thrown out toward the sun. I couldn't keep her contained to a 5' block wall. She continually took to the neighbors' trees and threw herself over the wall into the neighbor's back yard where the sun was more direct. Most of the flowering was in their back yard, too, even though she received a whole lot more direct sun where she was than you describe as available where you wish to grow her.

Renae, on the other hand, has NO prickles. She is MUCH more limber, more easily manipulated and trained to smaller spaces. She flowers in clusters rather than many one to three flowers per long flowering stems, and often flowers on very short laterals along the canes. She is much less prone to mildew in difficult situations. Not that she won't mildew, she resists it much better than the Madame. Her smaller, less double flowers, occur in many clusters along the canes in much lower light, which should permit you more color and scent along your railing. Renae should be every bit as hardy (perhaps slightly more hardy) than the Madame.

Trying to manipulate stiffer, more brittle, sharply prickled canes to a short railing as you describe is not a task I would desire. Manipulating Renae's much more limber, flexible and totally smooth canes will be heaven on earth in comparison. The potential for you to actually enjoy flowers ON the railing is significantly higher because of her habit, too.

The Madame is significantly more vigorous a plant than Renae, particularly initially, but that extreme vigor is what will make her quickly unsuitable for such a short support. Renae is going to take her time building into the size plant you desire there, but in the long run she will be one you enjoy and not dread dealing with, nor will she require as much "dealing with" to contain her where you want her.

Renae's repeat and explosion of bloom can be remarkable. Again, in a different zone than yours, so perhaps a bit faster development, but in zone 9b, in Visalia, CA at the Ralph Moore Memorial Garden on April 7 of this year, this is what Renae looked like. Imagine that on your balcony railing! These plants are ten years old, own root plants which have been trained by the Master Gardeners there to cover the pergola. Compare the shots to those available for the Madame and consider which you'd rather shove your hands and arms into! Kim

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Hmm. Yes. I remember MAC had these wicked under-leaf thorns that I hated, but the bloom was very nice.

Jackie: thanks! I loved her blooming spirit. I don't remember if my last one was ownroot or grafted.. it may have come from Pickering or Antique Rose Emporium... or who knows where else. I think it was Pickering though. First season it really took off and was lovely!

Roseseek: Thanks! I do like that thornless aspect a LOT. It's the slow to take off that makes me a tad worried. We probably have another 3 seasons with this balcony. Normal people would say "Oh, just avoid getting a rose, your time is limited!" but I was hoping that rose people would understand! I will just take her with when we go. :)

I'm also open to other suggestions, these two just caught my eye as doing well in the basic shade conditions which is the biggest factor I have followed by heat/container.

I found Renae for sale as an OR from Angel Gardens which is a place I am not familiar with. They also have different sizes, but I think I would get a gallon size.

Scent is also important to me because I use rose petals in jam.

Beautiful pics!

You're welcome! Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the pics. Budding Renae would solve the slow to start issues, but if your time is limited with that balcony, why would you want to plant any climbing rose there in the first place? Climbers won't really get into their push until their third year, just about the time you're planning on moving it to take it with you. That will force you to start all over again, unless you're going to keep it potted, which isn't likely to suit either rose in the long run. I do understand the desire for a rose, but seriously, with only just about the time required for a climbing rose to really strut its stuff before being set back, why not plant an evergreen, fragrant, shade tolerant vine of some other type on the railing until you move? No prickles, no fungal issues, no dead heading and a plant which you can take hedge trimmers to without having to "prune" and very likely one you won't mind leaving behind.

If you have the room and if you're considering potting whatever rose you are going to plant there anyway, consider putting two potted Renaes there so they don't have to get as large as quickly. It's going to require half the time to develop six feet of growth per plant than twelve feet of growth from one, no matter what plant you select. Renae is versatile enough to be used on a picket fence, an arch or arbor or another railing so she'd be easy to place in another setting and the complete lack of prickles makes her an excellent choice for anywhere people are going to pass (sidewalks, balconies, entries, childrens play areas, etc.). Her shade tolerance enhances that ease of placement. She is very fragrant, particularly with the mass of flowers she spasms and with any heat at all, she will flower fairly continuously, especially once she's matured. She'll get as large as you and her resources permit, but she's easily kept in bounds and won't require blood or stitches to accomplish it.

You might contact Burlington Roses to inquire if she also has Renae availble. Another (which she may have) you can consider is Pink Gate. Thornless, hardy, fragrant, repeat flowering, and healthy.. A less double either sport or seedling of Mlle. Cecile Brunner. Also very shade tolerant and easily kept within bounds. You don't want Cl. Cecile Brunner as most aren't repeat flowering; it's very sharply prickled and it is most often a "cathedral eater", as opposed to a house eater. Pink Gate is bushier, flexible, piable and easily trained to cover an arch or gate. That's how it got its name. The Rose Ranch used to grow it over their entry gate to beautiful effect. Same heavenly scent as Cecile Brunner, too. Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Pink Gate

Thank you, Kim!

Well, I had considered a jasmine, but then I was also considering a rose. The rose I have more uses for compared to a jasmine! Strawberry rose jam is quiet addictive!

Thanks for the Burlington Rose tip. I just sent an e-mail just to ask about availability and whatnot, so we'll see.

I know no rose is the more practical solution, and I may end up swinging that direction-- I just want to check out my options and see how I feel once I begin making a list. I'm trying to give my balcony a nice re-vamp while my husband is gone as a surprise.

You've been so helpful.

Julianna

Renae is the best climbing rose I have, hands down. It climbs like a climber should, and most roses don't. They are all stiff caned. Plus it repeats, and most climbers that SAY they repeat, just don't really do it. My MAC didn't repeat that well, and then one spring she up and died on me like so many of the tea/noisette climbers have done for me over the years.

you people are enabling me on renae, and I DON'T have room for any more climbers...unless...

AGH! does this obsession ever end?? I just added her to my growing 2013 list!! Along with GRANDMOTHER'S HAT, OTHELLO, WPIRDM, HERMOSA, MYSTIC BEAUTY, DEVONEISIS, ANNIE LAURIE MACDOWELL, CHARLES DARWIN, WINDERMERE, HARLOW CARR, LADY EMMA HAMILTON, ALEXANDRA OF KENT, CROCUS ROSE, AIMEE VIBERT, CARDING MILL, GRACE, PERDITA, MR. LINCOLN...