From Vintage:

Chaucer (English Roses) stays small, gorgeous, fragrant flowers, very good rebloom

Souvenir de la Malmaison, Bourbon, beautiful and fragrant pink flowers, great rebloom

Rosette Delizy, Tea, gorgeous blended colors, no scent, but well worth having, very good rebloom

Well, harmonyp, there's now a revived thread from last year called "Your top ten roses - anything goes". I think I would go through that and look for the 'repeaters' in your zone. Teas are great, and if your climate is on the dry side, I would think HP's like Grandmother's Hat would do well. Everyone out there seems to adore that rose. Make a spread sheet and tick off how many times a rose is chosen. I think that's the easiest way to find the best. Being in California, I'm sure the sky's the limit for you, excluding roses that need cold temps.

Have fun!

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

harmonyp - I live in your zone in No Cal. One thing I would recommend is that you only take suggestions from people who garden in this general area. Even the same zone (9) in the South for instance, has a completely different climate because of the humidity.

I can tell you that in my garden the happiest classes of old rose are: teas, chinas, hybrid musks, noisettes, tea noisettes, and polyanthas. I would not plant any Damasks - they need way more winter chill than we get to bloom well.

As to particular roses, your idea about visiting the Sacramento Historic Cemetery rose garden is perfect. Your personal taste will determine which roses you like. It is open all day Fridays through Tuesdays. The best time to visit is RIGHT NOW - maybe for the next 3-4 weeks, as peak bloom is late this year due to the weather. The roses are well tended, well marked, and gorgeous - 3 acres of them.

Jackie

I second the idea that you should visit the Sacramento Historic Rose Garden. It would really be worth your time, because there can be a big difference between seeing a picture and standing in front of the actual bush. Right now you can see many of the roses at their peak - and the rebloomers, like the Teas, will go on and on (although when the weather gets really, really hot, they may shut down for a bit). You'll also be able to see if a particular rose has nice foliage and a nice habit. AND you can smell it, which is very important to some gardeners (for myself, I like a nice fragrance, but the flower is the real issue for me). If you come on a Tuesday or Saturday morning, there are always at least a few volunteers around, working on whatever needs doing, and any of them would be happy to help you with questions.
Laura

I still consider myself a newbie, and in a different zone, but for what its worth:
Lady Hillingdon (look for Olga's photos and you will see why)
Mrs. B. R. Cant
La Reine

I have others, but most still to early to tell...

I second the suggestions that you visit the Sacramento City Cemetery, but let me also suggest the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden. And, plan to attend two events:

A Celebration Of Old Roses
Sunday, May 15
El Cerrito Community Center
7007 Moeser Ln., El Cerrito

For more information, start by visiting the website of the Heritage Roses Group (see below)where there is already a flyer up.
If you come to Celebration, be sure to come by the Local Groups table, and introduce yourself. :-)

Also plan to visit:

Saturday, September 24
"Autumn In The Heritage Rose Garden"

An Open Garden and sale of wonderful and rare roses.

Jeri Jennings,

Resident of Coastal Ventura Co., SoCal
Frequent Visitor to NoCal

Here is a link that might be useful: The Heritage Roses Group

Hi harmonyp,

I also love very fragrant roses which are packed with petals. One of the best for me has been the hybrid perpetual Baronne Prevost. Simply gorgeous and reblooms a lot throughout the year (stops in the cold of winter). But keep in mind I am in Southern California. Mine has been planted next to a stream which is across from a horse pasture. I planted it in about 2004, and it has never been pruned. You can see pics on Help Me Find. It's a bit taller than you wanted, but I think it can easily be kept in bounds if trimmed a little. I don't like pruning, so it doesn't happen.;)

Another one you might want to try someone else has already suggested, La Reine, also a hybrid perpetual. A lovely rose, bright rose pink with silvery reverse to the petals. Stayed in the smaller range for me, about 4 feet tall and richly foliaged all the way to the ground (no bare legs on this rose).

Both of these plants are in stock at the Antique Rose Emporium in Texas. Along with Vintage one of my favorite sources for roses. ARE's plants are BIG (in 2-gallon containers). I bought 2 from them this year and both have really taken off. One is Marchesa Boccella, another you could try. It has been a very easy rose for me (I had it in the past and just loved it).

Here is a link that might be useful: Baronne Prevost

Thanks, vettin. We have similar climates and I am always looking for suggestions.

Thank you so much for your responses. Don't know what the odds are that I'll make it to Sacramento in the next few weeks, but I'll absolutely make it eventually. Company coming on 5/15 knocks out El Cerrito. But these threads help so much (and yes, I looked up every rose on the top 10 anything goes). I think so far the following are on the need to have list:

Baronne Prevost
Souvenir de la Malmaison
Chaucer
Reine des Violettes
Francies Dubreuil
Hermosa
La Reine

It's a great start, and I look forward to adding to my garden...

Let me add another, easy to grow, from Livermore. Rose du Roi ("of commerce", from Vintage) blooms and reblooms well here, has wonderful color and scent, and is a perfectly healthy bush. One of my favorites.

Harmony -- Be aware that Souvenir de la Malmaison, while among the loveliest of roses, may not always offer the loveliest of foliage.

Jeri

Jeri, I never dared hope that I could grow Bourbons but have found to my delight that in a warm, dry climate the small ones at least are stellar. SdlM, Leveson-Gower, Kronprinzessin Viktoria, Mme. Cornelissen, Romaggi Plot Bourbon and Appoline don't have a spot of mildew and all have beautiful foliage, whereas Mme. Joseph Schwartz, Duchesse de Brabant, Mrs. Woods Lavender Pink Noisette and especially Bishop's Palace have considerable mildew. I water these roses in the evening, which of course is a big no-no, but the Bourbons don't mind in the least. As you often say, location, location, location. It's so true.

Ingrid

Yes, Ingrid. I do understand that. But the O.P. is NOT in your inland semi-desert environment. And SdlM CAN have significant foliage problems in NoCal.
This may not trouble her, but she should be aware of it.

Jeri

Hi harmonyp,

If you possibly can make it to the Eurodesert open garden this weekend I highly recommend it. This is the last Mother's Day that Eurodesert will be open. I went this past Sunday and it is FANTASTIC! A great learning experience being able to see so many famous (and also lesser known) roses in their mature states.

I noted that Cliff Orent (owner of Eurodesert) had a nice large plant of Baronne Prevost, but I don't know if it is already sold or not. As I already have it myself, I didn't ask.