brother_cadfael has a Quadra that is out of this WORLD! But he is Midwest, you are east. Me, I am dying to try a Ramblin' Red (or two) this year.

Another one to look at is 'Winners Circle', a red climber from the same guy who hybridized 'Knock Out' (Radler). It may or may not be good, but worth researching.

It's pretty hard to beat Dublin Bay IMO. It's actually a TRUE red as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dublin Bay video

For a 7 foot tall arbor, you don't want a climber. The rose will just eat it.

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The red thing is Quadra on a 9 ft arch.

I agree about Dublin Bay. I would also recommend Crimson Sky, a very hardy & prolific climber with color & form, however it is not easy to find.

Thanks for the replies! Dublin Bay is one of the choices I am researching. From what I have read, Blaze would be another. Out of the two which one is more fragrant? My research has resulted in conflicting opinions.
Does anyone know if Dublin Bay would be cane hardy in zone 6? Am I being naive in thinking that any climber would be cane hardy in zone 6? Actually my area of NJ has "moved" from zone 6 to zone 6B. Thanks for any and all replies. This forum is a terrific resource.

Dublin Bay is *not* disease resistant. It will need a regular spray program to do much of anything. I haven't grown Blaze in the east to know about it.

mad gallica,

Thanks for the tip. I want to avoid spraying. The rose I plant must be disease resistant. I had tea roses in the general spot that I will be planting climbers and black spot was a big big problem. No matter what I used the black spot would come back.

You may want to try Jules, milleruszk. This is my first year growing Jules, because much to my huge disappointment, my fragrant zone-hardy, shade tolerant Climbing Etoile de Hollande did not fare well in the greenhouse this year, so out of the only red climbers left, I only liked Jules from RU; I had seen the breeder's photo and my friend Cyndy from Peter Beales forum (she lives in the U.S.) had some really great things to say about it. The color is a gorgeous and very dark red. I saw the spent bloom on it when it arrived on my doorstep and it's living up to Cyndy's comments about it on HMF also. I am worried about it being fragrant though; it's supposed to be fragrant--Cyndy says she'll update me on the scent. My young Jules from Roses Unlimited had a nice cane on it. It only took 2 weeks planted before it sprouted 2 more healthy thick basal canes, and now it's getting ready to send up some blossom buds. A very fat bushy climber that also gains height quickly!

Milleruszk I am total non-spray, no fungicides or insecticides...Jules so far seems a winner. However all my new climbers except for two are isolated in giant 4' long 2'6" deep pots because of tree root issues. Not sure if isolated pots can make a difference in a rose. And no young rose of mine gets BS so I can't tell you about BS performance yet, but Jules was rated very BS resistance both on HMF and by Cyndy. Here is an HMF link...

Jules Climber

Ramblin' Red is fabulous for me here in the mid-west, zone 4/5. Some years there is some winter die back, but it springs back in spring after pruning. This is an exceptional size for only the end of May. Wonder what it will look like come fall if it is this big now already!

Took these pics this morning and more buds have opened since then.
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Closer...
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And close up...I have Jackamani clematis growing with it and it is just starting to open.
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oh, I forgot to add that I do not spray and this rose doesn't need it. Also blooms almost continuously all summer. Not as heavy a flush as now, but blooms. I do nothing special to winterize it. Just leave it where it is. It is planted on the east side of our screened porch. I live in southwest Wisconsin.

However, I should mention that is does not have very much fragrance. But for me the hardiness is the biggest factor when I consider a rose.

Oh Mary Lu....shame on YOU! Okay, here is a chance for you to redeem yourself...how is the repeat?

Whoops, sorry, just saw your remarks about continuous bloom...I am SO getting these roses this year!

Blaze is not disease resistant in NJ.

Wow..Blaze is not disease resistant in NJ? I'm beginning to think that what I am seeking is not possible! A red, disease resistant, repeat blooming, climber?

Mary Lu,

Thanks for sharing your Ramblin Reds are spectacular! That's what I'm looking for. No problems with black spot?

I grow Quadra, Ramblin Red, and Dublin Bay. Quadra is the hardiest with Ramblin Red close behind. Dublin Bay requires some pruning but it recovers quickly. The first two required no pruning but Dublin Bay had to be pruned to 3-5 feet. It's now almost as tall as the other two. Dublin Bay has the best shaped blooms. All three have great rebloom if deadheaded. I don't spray any pesticides and all three stay relatively disease free all season.

Nope, none at all. And I tend to water in the evenings due to my work schedule. The only "problem" is that some winters there is some die back, but as I said it does come back quickly. We planted it at the end of the porch for a privacy screen and it really works well.

This past winter we got down to -27 and there was almost no die back.

There is a moderate growing red climber called Rhode Island Red (by Brownell) that is supposed to be hardy, disease resistant and fragrant. Maybe Mad Gallica could comment on the verity of these adjectives and if that rose is the same as Kocher's Red or not.
I grow Field of the Woods (aka Kocher Red?) and it is disease free in my humid climate even in a shady spot though due to its placement does not bloom as much as it could.

Quadra is a very good, disease resistant, hardy, repeat blooming red climber. It is simply too good for what you want to do, and I'm having problems coming up with something smaller.

Blackspot pressure is a lot lower in the midwest than in the east. Right now you are hitting a fairly common forum dynamic where the midwesterners are suggesting roses which the easterners are telling you won't work. So you end up with a very frustrating thread. There are a lot of suggestions, but almost nothing that counts.

Where do you go from here?

You could try posting again in the Antique Rose Forum. In general, people there don't spray, and a different group would have different ideas. You could also try adjusting your ideas of what the final result will be. It seems to me that two matching roses on either side of a small arbor translates into lanky shrubs instead of climbers. Not that I have any great shrub suggestions, but hardiness is less important for something like that.

You are correct....it is frustrating. On the surface you would think that the climates in the Mid-West and East are similar in that they both have hot humid summers which is conducive to black spot. Each day that passes I come up with a different rose selection! I haven't done anything yet and I think that this project will be put on "hold" until early next spring. I think I am running out of time to plant this year? I believe most of the "good" selections have already been sold. I see that some rose nurseries are already taking orders for 2011. Thanks for your suggestions. Although frustrating at times, I enjoy receiving all of the different ideas and opinions. This will give me a good foundation for making my final decision.

I agree with folks on Quadra, Dublin Bay and Ramblin Red (I never have to spray my Ramblin' Red and it has very little winter kill). I'd also like to mention Dortmund - I never spray it and it has absolutely NO winter kill in my garden. Here's a picture of Dortmund at the Cleveland Botanic Garden (mine isn't that big, but it's a great performer).

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In the Columbus Park of Roses Earth Kind garden are both Quadra and Dublin Bay...they are approximately 2 years old. Ramblin Red was added to the garden this year, but is not mature. Dortmund is in the Heritage Garden, not the Earth Kind Garden.
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Thanks for taking the time to post your photos. The photos of the different roses will be a big help to me in making a final decision. Closeups of the actual roses beside the tape measure really helps define each type. Thanks again!

I'm resurrecting this thread because the amazing pictures posted by jeffcat show a Dublin Bay climber that would make for a great draper if not tied up to support. Some climbers have naturally stiff canes that make for good freestanding shrubs. Other climbers have very flexible canes and if not tied up, will drape downward and hug the ground. I need more recommendations for drapers b/c I've been searching for roses to drape over my front terrace. The terrace is about 3' tall. Here's a picture. The daylily tuffs have been removed, so I'm looking for a couple drapers to drape this terrace. Elsewhere, I've already planted Rosarium Uetersen and plan to plant Jasmine alongside it to do exactly the draping that I've described. For the front, I'm thinking of using Dublin Bay, and what else?