I guess Ambridge rose is another possibility although it's a bit peachier--they do grow Buff Beauty already, so that wouldn't be a stretch for their color scheme.

Sharifa, Sharifa, Sharifa is the pick of that litter. She ain't huge, but isn't that small, either. Hope it's a big pot, 20"+

What about 'Pink Gruss an Aachen' or 'Gruss an Aachen'. Good size for a pot and a very good rose.

How about a band of Pretty Jessica from Vintage Gardens in Northern CA? The bush size is small with good sized blooms.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vintage Gardens

Today, my Scepter d'Isle is in full bloom. Beautiful healthy bush full of clear pink blooms that smell good. I love it! Also like Sharifa Asma -

Thanks for the suggestions--Sounds like either Sharifa or Scepter would work well in his area and the look and scent of Sharifa sound wonderful. I was a little worried about the disease resistance or heat tolerance of Sharifa Asma in his central valley/Orinda location, but if it does well for you in Texas and So Cal it should be okay. The book says Sharifa's growth is upright and comparatively short, so it should go well in his beds that have other perennials if that is true in warm climates.

I'm eyeing a couple of under-performers in my own garden at the moment for an SP (Mayflower-boring and Grace-sulking/wilts in heat) and considering adding these here in St. Louis, although I already grow about 3 dozen Austin varieties...so many pretty kinds to choose from...

It has to be an Austin for sentimental reasons and I've had good success using DA in Tx to send gifts--comes like a beautiful flowering plant in a pot like you got it from a florist to enjoy immediately but can still be put in the garden later, so he'll have time if he's too busy to deal with it immediately.

So I'm leaning toward Sharifa, unless anyone thinks it won't perform there...

I bought Sharifa Asma this past Spring, together with three other roses, and she is the one that put on the most growth and gave me the most flowers. Not to mention the fragrance!!! Seeing that she behaved so well in South Africa, I suspect she will do the same for you in CA.

Definitely has the best fragrance.

Scepter d'Isle gets BIG. Mine is in bloom right now and is over 5' tall. 100's of blooms that smell great but she gets even taller in the fall after I prune it to get it back to 4'. I'm thinking about putting a Pat Austin in front of it.

Okay, another reason to go with Sharifa--think I can go for it! Thanks again!

My Pat Austin has been pretty well behaved as a 3-4 foot shrub in its second year, while a couple that I have next to her (Brother Cadfael and Teasing Georgia) are already 6 feet and going to need a summer pruning after this first big bloom finishes--they are in danger of crowding poor Pat out! Other than the blooms not lasting long, I like Pat--interesting/different look and nice Tea scent!

Another vote for Sharifa Asma. I had Scepter d'Isle and it threw out a series of long shoots (3-4 feet) that did not branch. The plant was rather awkward. Sharifa branches more and makes a more attractive, compact plant. I did not prune 5+ year old own-root SA one year and it got around 6 feet tall the next summer, but it was well-branched and more mannerly. Also, the petal count of ScI seems to be more affected by temperature. The flowers have more petals in cool weather, but there a fewer petals in hot weather.

Thanks, again--I sent him Sharifa. I hope he does well with it in the garden. And now of course, I'd love to add one to my garden this season too! I already planted 5 other Austins as bare root, so have to hope a garden center here has a potted one at this late date. Or maybe wait until next season...always more Austins I want to try than room in the garden it seems...

Pretty Jessica is a really good small potted rose and doesn't have many thorns. I had Sharifa in a pot as well, but the foilage isn't as elegant and it is thornier. With that said, Sharifa pumps out larger blooms that have a tinge of pink in them in more of a typical Austin bush shape. Pretty Jessica is more upright and tends to only flower at the top of canes.

Winchester Cathedral was an awkward one. It's thorny and so far the blooms aren't that big. The first year it was very small and I wasn't sure it wasn't going to make it, but then it caught a 2nd wind and exploded and I transplanted it into the ground and it pulled through the winter great. The foilage has been succeptible to mildew for me, but the one thing Winchester has is that it has the most bizarre and different scent compared to any other rose. It smells nothing like a rose and smells like a mixing almonds with a vanilla scented candle. It's quite strong as well. You typically don't get browning on the white petals as they drop before they brown. It's worth it for just being "different" in scent and it does have an elegant bloom when it's going good.

Hearing so many great things about Sharifa, I had to find a spot for her in my garden and get one from Heirloom to try this year too--can't wait. So I'll be able to see how she does here as well. The spot I have should be a little shielded from the full glare of hot midafternoon sun, which she appears to have problems with.

That's interesting about Winchester--as it is a sport of Mary Rose, I'd have expected it to share the fragrance but it sounds quite different. Mary Rose is often described as having a floral-fruity scent with a hint of fresh apple and that's certainly what mine smell like. And it is medium-light fragrance versus many of the others like Evelyn, Jude the Obscure or Abraham Darby.

First rose out of the gate in my garden this spring is Mary Rose--just starting to bloom today, although appears hundreds of buds are getting ready to open out there! Can't wait...

I might have to check out Pretty Jessica too, given that's the second mention here...though I am now out of room in the gardens unless I SP something.