Honeysweet has nice big blooms that look like an explosion in a lipstick factory. Not much fragrance.
Earthsong takes a while to bounce back in the spring although I am in the much colder zone 5a. Not much fragrance.

I give a mixed review on Earthsong. Mine bounced back fine this spring, so that has not been a problem. It is a very bloomiferous bush, good reblooming. It is quite good on disease resistance. Those are its good points.

However, I can never decide if I like its bloom shape or not, and there is something about its blooms that seem a little too assertive to me--maybe it is too close to a couple of my David Austins which are more delicate and refined, by contrast. It's not that I don't like the Earthsong shape and vigor, but it just seems a bit excessive. Maybe I should have moved it to a different spot.

I have no intention of getting rid of my Earthsong, but I find it hard to actually "love" it. Love the name though.

To be fair, it really is a very nice rose.

Kate

I grew lots of Bucks back in Ohio zone 6. Both of these can easily grow to 5 or 6 feet and Earth Song grows much wider than a HT. Honeysweet's a little more upright.

I got very little winterkill on mine and it was 20 years ago, Ohio was MUCH colder then. No need to prune these back severely like you would an HT. Just let them grow into the nice big shrubs they want to be and you'll be rewarded with dozens and dozens of blooms.

I'm sorry of the roses you mentioned that most of us have jumped on EarthSong, but, frankly, I have to agree; easy to grow and a little assertive on color. In your area, it should grow very well, as would many of the Griffith Buck roses. I'd also suggest you Googlesearch "EarthKind roses"...it's a Texas A&M program that evaluates roses for ease of care. There are a number that are beautiful and worthwhile.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings blog on EarthSong.

Hey everyone! Thanks for the feedback on the roses. I'll stay away from Earth Song for now... I might come back to it in a couple of years.

professorroush, thanks for telling me about EarthKind roses. I've decided to start with these two roses, both of them pale pink:
> Cecile Brunner
> New Dawn

I would appreciate it if people can recommend other roses to me which will survive in my zone without any winter protection. I want to have a rose garden with many different colours. Orange, red, pink, white, mauve, stripes, combination, etc.

I have researched a fair number of roses. Nevertheless, I would appreciate recommendations from people who actually have the roses in their garden and are in Zone 6 or lower. I definitely don't want to have to spray my roses, so high disease resistance would be appreciated. I don't general rose maintenance otherwise (pruning, dead-heading, fertilizing, etc).

Also, I would like to have at least one fragrant rose variety in my garden... even if I do have to baby it for a year or two. Anyone here on the forum willing to offer me suggestions?