SDLM sports have all those good qualities. I have Kronprinzessin Viktoria (white), Souv. de St. Anne's (pale, semi-double, powerful fragrance), Capitaine Dyel de Graville (dp or mp), Mme Cornelissin (pale, different form, sold as Edith de Murat by Roses Unlimited), and Mystic Beauty (nearly identical to SDLM).

The Austin Sophy's Rose (bright cherry red) may fit the bill except for lacking fragrance.

Antoine Schurz, Souvenir de Mme de Corval, Gruss an Achen...

Souv. de St. Anne's is a wonderful rose. I think of the word "purity" when I look at its bloom. There is something - well, PURE, about this rose - I can't think of a better way to describe it.

Mme Antoine Mari stays fairly small and is a terrific tea.
Anita

The tea rose Enchantress may also work for you. Mine is fairly young but seems to fulfill all your criteria and the color is different from SdlM in that it's a beautiful purple. Souvenir de la Malmaison Rouge is also a winner in my garden and has that deep pink/purply color.

Ingrid

Thanks, everyone. I'm already having a hard time deciding which ones I like best. I'm pretty sure I want Kronprinzessin Viktoria and I want one with the darker blooms, but I'm not sure which one. I do remember seeing Sophy's rose and thought it was really pretty and I'm very tempted by SDLM Rouge.

taoseeker - Do you know who sells Souvenir de Mme de Corval? I couldn't find much on it, but the few pictures I found were pretty.

Laurie

This is a great question. I am definately planning on getting SDLM this Winter/Spring. Thrips do not bother it in your yard? Wow, it really is my next love.
I love the photos I've seem of Mme Antoine Mari-that pink blend and nodding blooms are pure charm.

Kronprincessin Viktoria is a non stop bloomer for me. If you can find Capt Dyel another sport of SDLM it's a winner.
Pretty Jessica is near thornless little beauty Romaggi plot Bourbon stays quiet small.

Hi again Laurie

I found Souvenir de Mme de Corval on Vintage Gardens "available list" when I checked just now. There might be other sources nearer you. I will order it from Fabien Ducher in France I think, or perhaps Martin Weingart in Germany has it. I had this rose especially budded for me a couple of years ago, but I was stupid enough to kill it in a fall bare root planting. It grows at the local rosarium here, and it's one of my favorites. This rose has an amazing flower shape, best fragrance, and it doesn't grow as tall as some HP's. Growth habit is pretty upright and usually doesn't need any support. It's the dream rose I'm yet again ordering this fall :-)

I mentioned Gruss an Aachen because of it's growth, leaves, health and flower habit. It behaves pretty much like SdlM. The flowers are a bit more open in shape, and they are very fragrant and nice little plants. There's a pink and a white sport available too.

Perhaps you might like some of the China roses, because of their size and growth habit. The canes are a thinner and leaves are smaller and finer, but they are shapely plants and some are fragrant like Sophie's Perpetual and Irene Watts. Might be worth checking how they do in your climate.

Best of luck with your rose search :-)

As mentioned above, all of the SdlM sports meet your criteria, altho you might find that 'Souvenir de St Anne's' and 'Capitaine Dyel, de Graville' eventually become larger plants than their sport parent.

Other fragrant Bourbons that remain relatively compact are 'Madeleine de Vauzelles', 'Queen of Bedders' (faint fragrance on this one), 'Madame Dore', "Romaggi Plot Bourbon", and 'Mistress Bosanquet' (aka 'Pauline Bonaparte'). Most of these are not commonly available, but show up occasionally on Vintage's list of available roses (or can be custom-rooted by Vintage if you have more resources than patience).

A very compact and very fragrant Bourbon that I'm waiting impatiently for is 'Reverend H. d'Ombrain'. Rumor has it that it may be available in the U.S. in a couple of years or so.

I forgot to mention 'Prospero,' which is one of my favorites, Like 'Sophy's Rose," it is fairly resistant here (at least as good as SDLM) and could probably be a no-spray rose in Texas. Both are good bloomers with interesting color on small plants. 'Prospero' is fragrant and suitable for cutting, though stems are short.

rootygirl - I used to hate light colored roses because of the thrips. I had Belinda's Dream and the thrips were awful. That's why I was so surprised that they didn't bother SDLM. I've never had any white roses for that reason, but I'm will to give Kronprinzessin Viktoria a try.

Laurie

I decided that I probably should post pictures of my yard, so you can help me decide which area would be better for the roses. The SDLM I had in my old yard was only about 2 feet tall, but I'd only had it one or two years, so I don't know if it would have eventually gotten taller than that. I was thinking about putting some smaller roses in the raised flowerbed, but I'm reading that some of these roses can get as big as 5 feet which would be too tall. It would be pretty up there, but I don't want to have to climb a ladder to trim the roses.
{{gwi:294518}}

{{gwi:294520}}

I'm wondering now if I should put some of these in the bed where the Oleanders are currently planted.

{{gwi:294522}}
I have someone coming out next week to remove all of the current plantings, so I will be starting completely over. My last yard had nothing but roses and daylilies and I really want to mix in some other things here, if I can resist all the wonderful roses suggestions. Now that you've seen the beds, what would you put where?

Laurie

msrose--KPV isn't bothered much by thrips or balling

You might like Jacques Cartier, it's very healthy here, and easy to keep a nice size and shape with a bit of pruning. One of my favorites, worth trying if it does well in your area.

I added 'Marchesa Boccella' - aka 'Jacques Cartier' - after hearing high praise from many quarters. She/he has been in my garden for three years now, and I'm unimpressed. I think this is a rose that doesn't perform well in high heat. Sorry to say, her/his days in my garden are definitely numbered.

The Austin Wife of Bath on its own roots is small, beautiful and fragrant. The same can be said of another Bourbon, Mme. Dore, of which I have two. Anne Boleyn is another beautiful, small Austin.

Ingrid