My favorite rose (in the moment ;-) ) is 'William Shakespeare 2000', simply because of the incredible rich, velvety, dark red color of the big, quartered, and very fragrant blooms. The rose is so sumptuous I find it irresistible and it might even work in your situation color-wise. What I don't know though, is if it will grow well in your climate zone. Here in SoCa it is simply breathtaking!

Have fun finding the perfect rose for you open spot! I am looking forward to the answers of others forum members, too. Naming a favorite rose is always fun!

Christina

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Garden Dreams

Ok. 1 rose. Of 54 moderns. Just Joey. Not the most fragrant (but a lovely soft fragrance). But from a perspective of bush form, bloom form, longevity of blooms, disease resistence (not a sign of any sort of disease on either of my two bushes), vigorousness, repeat, orange color that has the perfect depth of color - not too bright, not too pale - Just Joey really is my favorite.

Julia Child at this moment. She's covered in blooms right now!

Julia Child is also my favorite at the moment, maybe not the most helpful suggestion but I can't betray my feelings! Tee he.

My favorite is Pope John Paul II. It has outstanding fragrance and vase life. I have 7 of this rose.

Kasie

Between Betty Boop and Julia Child, I can see a red rose. Shakespeare 2000 would be a great color, but that rose has a very wide spread. Do you have that much room between BB and JC? If not, the Clements rose called Braveheart might work fine. It has some Austin ancestry, going back to Dark Lady--which also might not be a bed choice. However, all these are shrubs, so the question arises again: how much space between BB and JC?

There are any number of red hybrid teas that would work there. Chrysler Imperial is one of my favorites, but some of the others might be heavier re-bloomers.

At any rate, I see a red rose in that spot.

Kate

OMG . . One? JUST ONE ?!?!? Are you kidding !!! . . . but fine let me think . . . which rose stops me in my tracks every time right now . . . think think think . . . okay I'm going to have to go with . . .

Wild Blue Yonder - the blooms have been plentiful and the most vibrant shade of dark violet. Here's a photo of one I took a few days ago :)

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Simcan - you mentioned thinking about Livin Easy. Is it because of the orange/yellow coloring, or just because you like the rose? Do you have a color preference for that spot where we could give you favorites in that color, or you just looking for favorites of any color?

Hey, all, great suggestions so far. Harmonyp, I am not hung up on any colour in particular, though frankly soft pink is out due to a big cluster of The Fairy and a massive Beautybush (Kolkwitzia, about 10 or 11 feet high) both nearby.

Livin' Easy won't actually match very well with what is around it, but it will clash nicely, if you see what I mean and I do love the rose.

Other questions relating to space: Well, within reason as much as I need. I would say I don't want anything to be more than five feet wide and high, so something that can happily stay pruned in that space is fine.

But to be clear, don't worry too much about helping me pick a rose...I am intentionally leaving it open to YOUR favourite vs a colour/size as I don't want to limit the responses since they are as interesting to me as what I pick...I am not looking for suggestions so much as wondering what people would say if they had to say just one. The suggestions are a bonus, but if your answer is Lady Banks, lay it on me but of course that won't be the one I get. Obviously too big for me, and obviously iffy (at best!) in my zone, but if it is your favourite, that is what you should say.

George burns because, it is very vigorous, Gets no disease here, has the Biggest flushes, & by far has the most blooms over a season.

Today my favorite rose is Munstead Wood. This Austin rose has huge fragrant blooms packet with petals that start out a deep red with purple tints and gradually ages to deep purple. A generous bloomer and re-bloomer, this rose has been hardy and disease resistant for me. It also stays a shorter more manageable size. Just a wonderful wonderful rose.

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Arggh - my post got lost.

Most of my roses haven't started flushing yet due to cool temperatures and rain (plus hail) for the last 2 months. It's like we're living in a rain forest.

So my favorite rose will probably change as most of my roses are new this year. I'm especially looking forward to Wisley 2008 (loaded with buds).

Having said that, my favorite rose is probably Charles Austin. Strange because I bought that one as an afterthought. The blooms lasted for at least 2 weeks through tons of rain and some hail. The weather was cool so that might have helped. The fragrance was delicious. The blooms were about 5 inches.

The blooms glowed so I could enjoy them in the house when it was raining.

Carol :)

This has to be one of the hardest questions- like asking me which of my children is my favorite! After great thought and going back and forth, I have settled on Gertrude Jekyll. The scent is intoxicating, the bloom production is extraordinary and I love the darker pink center fading lighter at the edges. She has been relatively disease-free for me, even in this year of huge black spot problems.

That has to be one of the toughest questions to answer; it's like asking a mother which of her ten children is her favorite! At this moment in time I'm going to say Sister Elizabeth because of the gorgeous lavender pink color and intricacy of its peony-like blooms. She's also been almost disease-free while most of her neighbors have one malady or another. I'm glad she's planted near the front door where I can admire her easily. Oh, and she is also very fragrant and stays small, a quality too rarely seen with the Austin roses. An all-around charmer in my eyes. If I lived in a colder climate I might be tempted to say Harlow Carr, another smaller beauty, but it fainted in my heat and the blooms lasted about five seconds.

Ingrid

Right now its the Austin Princess Alexandra of Kent. Just planted this spring. I was eagerly awaiting the first bloom and then we rolled into a nasty week of wind, rain, cold and humidity. I was so sure the bloom would pop in the middle of it all and be destroyed. Of course, it opened the day we had three thunderstorms roll in and the wind gusts that accompanied it. The bloom is practically perfect and withstood a beating. Yeah! So far so good. Very happy with this one.

Gemini

SIGNATURE ;)

My vote goes to Rugosa Alba. It is the toughest rose I grow. It prospers in shade, shallow soil and resists the common rose diseases. And the flowers are really beautiful and very fragrant. Given a bit of manure 9t repeats bloom regularly The only problem with it is that it suckers madly. I had to install a below ground barrier to keep it from taking over the bed it is in.

I have fallen 'head over heels' for Queen of Sweden.. I love pink roses and she is prefect for me...

Another thing about R. Alba is that deer don't eat the buds. Reading on the current thread about roses and deer it seems they avoid Rugosas.

Oh queenbee - I have Queen of Sweden new this year, and I can't wait to see the buds when they open!!!

Is the scent myrrh?

Carol

Peace

whatever one I am looking at right now

Oh Campanula, how very true!

I'm still new at this but right now my favorite is Crocus rose. It's still going gangbusters, where others have slowed a bit, the flowers are gorgeous and that smell is wonderful!

My favorite tends to be whatever is in full bloom and healthy looking on the day I am asked.

Baronne Prevost for its great beauty, colour and fragrance.

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Those are all gorgeous, but I'll put another vote in for:

Gemini