You know, I live near the coast in Southern California.
Most of the year, our climate is very cool.
Here, La Marne is lovely, with a beautiful bicolor effect.
So I was surprised as all getout when I saw it at the ARS rose gardens in Shreveport.
There it was, blooming like mad, but with blooms of an uninspiring "dirty" white.
So I understand what you are saying.
Do you want something very floriferous and graceful with continuous-bloom?
Check out 'Lady Ann Kidwell'.
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/pl.php?n=3686&tab=1

Jeri

It reblooms so quickly here I have a hard time getting it deadheaded..which I do with the hedge loppers (7 in a hedge). Summer heat washes the color out but the rebloom is so fast I don't care. Maybe it's the constant pruning??

Well, this is great info. Lady Ann looks like it would really do the job for me. I like that it is a polyanthua and I won't be battling to keep her size down. I think I'll "split the baby"....prune LaMarne during July and August; if she doesn't improve her performance, I'll replace her in the fall. However, as both of you pointed out, she will continue to be washed out in the heat, which is 8 months out of the year in my area. Hmmmm, I'm afraid LaMarne will not escape her fate. Why not go for a prettier, smaller, girl?

Valentine is one of the most beautiful and healthy roses I have ever planted. I vote for Valentine. It blooms constantly and everyone who sees it loves it. Stays a nice size too.

Sandy

You know, Valentine will bring some much needed color to that portion of my garden. I can probably find it locally, too. Is it necessary that it be own-root, or will it matter in my texas zone?

A word of caution: I grew 'Valentine' own root for a number of years, but it suffered greatly from heavy blooms on insufficiently developed canes, so the blooms arranged themselves like teas--or the Sweet Surrender effect. If you find this pleasing, by all means, go for it.
La Marne: Normally heads toward six feet although it can be kept shorter with vigorous pruning; however, it WANTS to be a larger plant even though it does wash out in Texas heat; in fact, when I grew it in Texas, I thought the blooms were white, not pink.
Be careful with Lady Ann Kidwell in a restricted area spot. It, too, has a tendency to grow or 'build' as the china/teas are occasoinally wont to do. I recently viewed one that had grown to occupy a space the height of a garage and a six foot width. It, too, can withstand pruning if you want it to.

IF you want a fragrant short climber, you might consider
Excellenz von Shubert,' a lilac pink four foot climber/stand alone bush, a combination of Mme Norbert Levavasseur x Frau Karl Drushki. JimD

Since I am in Louisiana I can relate to your heat. Below is a picture of a hedge of LaMarne at the base of a raised deck. My spring blooms on this bush this year were fantastic. Deep pink covering the entire bush with blooms lasting weeks. It is true the color washes out in the summer heat(summer picture) but I still respectable blooming that makes it worth it. I do not prune heavy just sporatic deadheading and taking out dead branches. To me it is a keeper.

Clint
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I got my Valentine from the Antique Rose Emporium, and it is own root. I took some cuttings and had one grafted on fortuniana, but do not have it planted yet. It'll be an interesting comparison. I actually prefer the growth habit of own root roses best.

Valentine does have an old-fashioned soft look, despite the bright cheerful color. It is one of my favorite roses, and I prefer it to a more modern looking floribunda.

Thanks for the info Sandy. Just about all of my roses are own-root. They have all been purchased from the Antique Rose Emporium, Chamblee's or grown from cuttings. The only grafted roses I have are 2 Zeph D's that I purchased from Jackson & Perkins. These ZDs have been poor bloomers/performers, so I'm not big on grafted roses. I see that one of my neighbors has what appears to be a bed of Valentine and they are striking.

Jim, that's a major attraction of Valentine. I'm referring to the "insufficiently developed canes" that you mentioned on Valentine that is reminiscent of the nodding of old tea roses. The canes are NOT insufficiently developed on the floribunda Valentine, or on any old tea rose. It is their plant habit. It's just what they do. Personally, I prefer it over the upright, rigid growth habit of many of the more modern roses. If looking for a cutting rose, that's a different story, but I think we're talking about a rose for the garden here.

You would do well to consider Valentine, jardineratx.

Randy

Pink and Blushing Pink Knockout are the only roses I have that rival LaMarne for prolific bloom, It is lightly fragrant being a polyantha. I think you would like Clothide Soupert and Cecile Brunner better. Marie Daly is another nice pink. These guys are better adapted to the heat of the Deep South. I like Mrs. Dudey Cross for colors and Marquese Bochella for fragrant pinks. You may want something like a Katy Road Pink for Summer rebloom and fragrance.

Well, after reading up and hearing your comments on Valentine, I'm going for it! I have a new flower bed that is currently planted with annuals. As much as I love them, I can easily plant annuals elsewhere and give that bed to my Valentines. This bed is along the side of our white brick home so the color contrast should be good. The bed is approximately 40 in deep and 6 feet long. Will 2 valentines fill this area adequately? I am granting the LaMarnes a stay of execution. I checked my garden journal and found they are only 2-1/2 years old (from cuttings) so they will probably improve with age.

I don't have LaMarne but what I read about it in QR I'm tempted.

But all the comments here about it are from warm climates where it may not be well adapted.

So what about colder areas? Pickering has it and that usually is a clue about what grows well for us.

La Marne is an excellent hedge rose, but not so much a solitary focal point. I have 6 around my mailbox with white lantana growing in around them. It is exquisite!

Disney in Orlando using LaMarne as hedges EVERYWHERE! The even do this in their prized hybrid gardens in between the hybrid tea showcases are spaces hedged full of LaMarnes.

This is an indispensable rose if used in a particular fashion that it is good for. It requires almost nonexistent care and is ALWAYS in bloom in southern climates.

Take a look at Credenza. I had it recommended on here before from Pnut ( I haven't seen them post lately), and found it to be an excellent show case rose. It is considered a shrub rose. However, it has gorgeous blood red roses that cluster bloom continually and the bush is large and round and carefree.

Oops! That's Cadenza not Credenza. ARE has it.

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This is Cadenza

I have cadenza. I love it. Mine was purchased at chamblees year before last. The flowers are amazingly persistant, lasting longer on the bush than any other rose. I love all the info I get on this forum. Nothing is better than on-hands experience.

Randy--I have no quarrel with those who like the 'nodding' effect of teas; however, it is not characteristic of floribundas or hybrid polyanthas of the early 1950's. Personally I have several teas in my garden and enjoy the hang down effect when the teas are of sufficient height.
But a nodding effect on a two foot plant may be something else. I am glad the original poster is retaining La Marne since it is a terrific poly, IMO. JimD

My three Valentines are each 4 ft tall. I suppose pruning could keep them at 2 feet, if wished.

Randy

Interesting. Five years of POP in the fifties produced
a consensus that the plant grew 25 inches tall. The nodding effect at four feet must be twice as exciting as at two feet.

JimD

And a stiff, rigidly upright rose is just as natural looking in the garden at 2 ft as it is at 4 ft.

Randy