Big enough for you?

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R. hugonis

This is a fairly only picture, from when it was small enough to get it all in one picture. It's bigger now.

Since it is an early bloomer, it blooms with the lilacs, and puts them to shame.

This is smaller, only about 6 by 6.
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Karl Forster

For a stand alone, or "specimen plant" I'd choose a rose not only for its beauty of bloom but also for
-pretty growth habit, mounding or arching, or pegged, or a tree rosebush, each of those 4 make a strong statement alone.
-attractive foliage, in your region the Rugosa roses are good for this,as most are covered well with attractive leaves, and they are also very disease resistant. Many have huge orange to red hips in the autumn.
You might look at hortico.com for a list of Hybrid Rugosa roses available. Hybrid Rugosa roses have good re-bloom and most are very fragrant,

A neighbor has two 'Altissimo' flanking her entryway, both plants have been left to grow to c. 6-7 feet tall and then stripped of their branches from about the lower third of the plants, on downwards to give a "tree rose" shape. One of these alone would make a strong visual statement, and you could grow it without removing the lower canes for a bushier appearance.
Photos are at helpmefind.com under search.

I've found Austin roses to be as a whole, more likely to get disease where I live, compared to Rugosa roses which are generally are totally disease resistant. I'd check which Austins are most disease resistant in your area.

Having said that, an Austin rose can appear splendid as a specimen plant, Molineaux for a yellow, grows to be a tall mounding plant, here near San francisco, Ca
A white Shrub rose such as 'Sally Holmes' can make a bright impact, too. .
I love a big fragrant pink pegged Hybrid Perpetual, this is easy to do with roses of this class because of their long whippy canes:

Ulrich Burnner fils' is an excellent rose to peg for a specimen plant.
Reine des Violettes' pegged or grown upright, surrounded by 4 x 'Little White Pet, rosebushes would make a vibrant stand alone plot.

Good luck,
let us know what you choose,
Lux

I really like Glory of Edzell. It looks beautiful in flower (does not repeat) and forms great hips. Very Hardy and beautiful, healthy foliage.
May not be what you're looking for but I really love mine.

Here is a link that might be useful: HMF

R.moyesii also makes a terrific specimen (although it can look gaunt when its leaves have fallen). As Lux mentioned, this is another of those roses which can be limbed up (raise the crown) to make a great shape with space underneath for growing stuff or even lawn. Plus remarkable heps in autumn.

Here's my idea - just planted this year so I can't tell you yet how much of a good idea it is, but here goes... The David Austin catalog suggests planting their roses in clumps of 3, 18" apart, so that they grow to appear as one big rose. I've had good luck with Austin roses, and I had an area on my front lawn where I wanted that wow factor. So I decided to give this a try with Lady of Shallot and Munstead Wood. I love dramatic colors. Both are fairly new varieties so it's a bit of a gamble but I have read positive early reviews of both from cold climate gardeners. DA recommends Lady of Shallot as "very hardy",

I'd suggest one of the Albas which grow taller (such as 'Alba maxima', 'Blush Hip', 'Celestial', 'Great Maiden's Blush' or 'Konigen von Danemark'). Let it grow free-standing, and when it has begun putting on some size, plant a Type-2 Clematis at its base. The Type-2s will generally offer their first blooms around the same time as the rose will bloom, then both will pause for the heat of summer, and the Clematis will bloom again in late Summer.

You could also do a Type-3, which would bloom after the rose finishes and continue until late summer, but then you'd have to deal with pruning the Clematis back short in the spring, and it may be annoying to pull pruned Clematis off of the rose. The Type-2s are more restrained and generally won't need much more than a gentle tipping-back as far as pruning in your area.

:-)

~Christopher

At first thought, I'd also recommend albas. Over the centuries, they have been referred to as "tree roses." They are once blooming but Christopher's companion vine suggestion is a good one. I love Rosa alba 'Semi Plena.' You can also grow an arching rose on a tripod and let it fluff over the top. A damask like 'Ispahan,' or 'Madame Hardy' would be fragrant and lovely. As Lux mentioned rugosas are easy keepers. Roseraie de l'Hay is quite substantial and very fragrant.

Carol

If you like Austins, I would suggest his rugosa Wild Edric. I've had mine (from Pickering) for a little over a year and absolutely love it. He's over 5 feet tall and covered in the most beautiful lush, healthy foliage. Even if he never bloomed the plant alone would be attractive. The flowers are a swirled combo of purplish/reddish/silver and shimmer in the light like a Monet painting. Blooms like crazy and repeats. Flowers are very fragrant. Plant is drought, heat, and shade tolerant tolerant. I give mine only water. No fertilizer and no mulch. If I could have only one rose, I wouldn't mind if it was Wild Edric. The downside is he is very thorny and hard to find. The only place in the US that stocks him is Heirloom, but they are sold out.

If you like white, I'd suggest Darlow's Enigma. Here's a link to photos on Help Me Find, http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.1455&tab=36 DE can make a large and lovely freestanding mound of green absolutely covered in fragrant white flowers. Rapid repeat! Flowers are single, and not everybody likes this simple look.

If you like mauvey pink, maybe Lavender Lassie. Another big one that is capable of making a dramatic statement all by herself. Strong fragrance, double flowers, good repeat bloom. HMF photos here, http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.3759&tab=36&qn=4&qc=0

For yellow I might have suggested Mermaid, but she might not do that well in your zone. Also she is vigorous beyond belief and her canes are positively weaponised they are so thorny. She's certainly beautiful (I love her and have 3!), but she isn't for everyone.

Another yellow that is a gorgeous large free standing shrub is the species Rosa primula. Grows into a tall upright vase shape. This rose is only a once bloomer, but wow what a spectacular display is put on every year. The added bonus in the foliage which is scented of incense, and this delightful fragrance wafts through the air throughout the year. The flowers are single and of a charming pale yellow. Sets abundant decorative hips. See HMF pictures here, http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.5398.3&tab=36&qn=1&qc=0 Mine is from Pickering, and I'm told by those who have grown multiple different clones, that Pickerings is one of the nicest. Unfortunately Pickering wasn't able to sell to the US this year, but next year they will.

Melissa

Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Edric on Help Me Find

Any updates on this question? I was considering placing three DA "Heritage" plants in a spot off far away by a highly traveled road in my yard. I can get water there in this case. Ideas ? Central Louisiana

For nice bush form, I like Rosa rugosa rubra (deep pink) and rosa rugosa alba (white). If you like fuller blooms with more petals, then choose the rugosa Roserie de l'Hay. I grew these in Ohio zone 6 and they bloomed early, could manage on relatively little water, and were winter-hardy so I didn't have a lot of cleanup pruning come spring. Roserie de l'Hay grew to 6 feet and almost as wide; marvelous clove scent.

The rugosas Sir Thomas Lipton and Hansa are also fragrant and very good bloomers but tend to be more tall and slender; better for hedging than as a specimen. Blanc Double de Coubert is a good performer but the faded blooms cling to the plant and look like (scuse me) dirty Kleenex.

Whatever shrub rose you choose, create an 8 to 10 foot wide bed and mulch it well. You need more than just a dinky little mulch circle.

Randman; grouping 3 Heritages is a great idea as it has been open and vase shaped here in SE VA 8A. Like many Austins it likes lots of water so be sure there isn't a lot of tree root competition. The blooms don't last long but they are well distributed on the plant, and petals fall cleanly.

A really showy rose which is a generous bloomer is Sweet Drift. It's a ground-cover type and will likely stay under 3 feet, shorter than Heritage. I don't recall much fragrance. It's not blush pink, but a nice eye-catching bright pink that would blend well with other colors in the yard. Might be better than Heritage as it won't need any coddling; it is very vigorous.

Even in our long hot, humid summers the Drifts bloom continuously. Two others in the series which are great for landscaping-- Coral Drift and Peach Drift.

I would also look at tea roses that get large, I have a Mrs. B R Can't that is going on its 4th year and is putting on substantial size every year plus starting last year she has been in constant bloom. I would also consider Mlle de Sombreuil, Marie Van Houtte, or Duchesse de Brabant, there are so many great tea roses to choose from. I love my tea roses but you have to give them a few years to grow before they reach their max potential. I also have Heritage and it blooms in flushes for me but is beautiful and smells lovely although the blooms shatter quickly in the heat.

Tea roses in zone 6???

Years ago when I landscaped with roses in zone 6, I used Buck roses and rugosas in my groupings and hedges. Now the antique teas are more widely available you may be able to find some which would be cold-hardy in your zone 6 garden. I suspect many will not thrive.

Tea roses like Duchesse de Brabant tend to remain evergreen; cold winters cause canker and dieback. In colder zones they may simply give up and go backwards, steadily losing size.

Oops my bad, I didn't see the zone was 6. I have Quiteness which is a Bucks rose and it is one of my best roses. It gets large and is always in bloom, the blooms are big and gorgeous with a wonderful fragrance. It has never had blackspot and has been super healthy for me in zone 8.

Boy I'm with you boncrow; Quietness is definitely one of the best of the Bucks. I also love Earth Song, a tall shrub with deep pink blooms of almost hybrid-tea form. And the classic Carefree Beauty which is very generous with its bloom.

For this space you'll want to choose a rose which is hardy in zone 6 so that you won't lose a lot of bush after a bad winter. That's why I'm recommending rugosas and shrubs roses bred by Griffith Buck; they are both known for their ability to withstand a rough winter.

I agree Barbara! I have two Quiteness and will probably be getting another this spring. I need to try Carefree Beauty as well.