Anne Boleyn is a clunker here. It won't even keep it's petals on for a full day in my coastal garden. Also, if you cut it and try to put it in a bouquet, it won't last the day.

Kathy

Dear Ingrid,

I've never GROWN any of these, but if you don't mind, I'll tell you a little about what I thought of them when I've seen them several times at Huntington and Descanso.

The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild seemed very pretty and happy but I don't remember details.

I remember seeing Sophy's Rose several times and it's usually blooming and looking very happy. I think she's probably a good bet for you, but we'll see, right?
I'd agree with what kstrong said about Anne Boleyn, but I'll shade it a bit by saying that I thought her "blowing" fast was rather charming. She creates this lovely little carpet of rose petals under herself almost like cherry blossom petals. I've gone several times and everytime she was blooming.
Here's a photo:... try to imagine how cute she is. There's not anything brown or lingering. It's just very lovely somehow. My photo isn't good enough.
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Hi Ingid, of those on the list, I only have Mary Rose and TIMF, my comments, your mileage may vary:

Mary Rose in z10 is fairly tall (~6+') for an Austin and reasonably upright with only a little training. I think she smells nice. Blooms continually throughout the year. Very pretty blossoms that also blow quickly, but she has very little problem with mildew under conditions with a lot of mildew pressure, so I treasure her anyway in the same way that not every rose I have has to fill a room if it has other great qualities. I don't recall rust being a problem. Btw, she is on the east side of the house and happy with that much sun. I would think with your heat that she'd be with half sun there as well. HMF pics are representative, but know that the blooms open brighter pink and fade as the open but do not look 'faded' if you know what I mean. I enjoy the mixed colors of pink.

TIMF is in z8. A very healthy bush about 3-4'h x 4'w. He puts out a terrific spring flush and then blooms in flushes throughout the year. A bit thorny. I think he's pretty. He does prefer to rest in the heat of the summer up there, as do many of the roses, although some put out a few here and there - we are probably dryer than you, plus we have more sun radiation. No mildew up there which isn't saying anything it's not really an issue. HMF pics are representative, but I find MR to have larger blooms, TIMF is also somewhat spray-ish in it's blooming form.

Here 'Sophy' is at her best in Winter and Spring--she usually always has a spectacular December. She's not a hot-weather rose, and I am in a cooler zone than you.

'Mary Rose' is spectacular in spring and just so-so the rest of the time. Rebloom could be faster and mildew is always a threat, even now after 10 years in the same spot.

Thank you all for your input. It sounds as though Anne Boleyn may be too fragile for my conditions, Mary Rose may be too thorny and blows too quickly and Sophy's Rose may not like my heat. I'll seriously reconsider these. Would love to find out about some of the others too.

Ingrid

I don't know why the heat difference would be different between our two spots, but Anne B is great here. Sophy's is good but not that fragrant and appreciates dead heading. Mary is fragrant but gets bs here. Gilbert is still a baby but blooms fairly well.

Belinda's Dream is in the western-most position in full 8 to 6 sun. It loves it. Don't even think of putting it in part sun. It gets too lax and lanky. Full sun is where she belongs. I was in Stockton in early August, and Belinda's Dream was in full flush. Go for it.

I think that most of these roses will do well in your area. I have a hotter summer and colder winter than yours, but I'm in Southern Cal too, in the mountains.

Here are my impressions of those that I grow:

The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild: Floriferous. Benefits from pruning after blooming in the spring. Heat tolerant and does well in full sun all day long. Needs a *lot* of water and does not like to be thirsty.

Belinda's Dream: I have these in standard and shrub forms. Does very well in heat and tolerates cold too. Worth growing and easy care.

Sophy's Rose: A great rose for the heat. It's growth is rather upright and the crimson color tends to be overpowering.

Charles XII: Have only grown this for a year. Does well in heat and cold. Tends to get PM like most bourbons. Puts out long gangly canes.

Mary Rose: Beautiful pink that sticks it to the sun. Heat tolerant and floriferous.

Yolande d'Aragon: Tolerates heat well. Very upright, and all the flowers are produced on top of the canes.

Mlle. de Sombreuil: This is the tea right, not the impostor climber? I have grown Mlle for several years and was surprised it survives our prolonged winter. Flowers are delicate light pink/white on a shrubby plant. Gorgeous and delicate, and should grow big in your area.

Heritage: Beautiful, delicate rose that has no sun tolerance. Grow in a spot protected from afternoon heat. I have this in a pot and it benefits from pruning after spring bloom. Gorgeous pink against a dark green foliage. Flowers shatter in a day or two; however, it is floriferous and it churns out many blooms.

Belinda's Dream grows very well for me. At first I would say that Sohpy's Rose is a good grower, but it is beautiful. Mine is not that large.

Everyone seems to love Carefree Beauty. I have three of them, and the blooms seem rather "loose and floppy". The limbs branch out, but I don't seem to be able to control the form of the rose. It is not what I had expected.

My Nabonnand is G. Nabonnand. Some say that Gilbert and G. are the same, and some have other opinions. If you have my rose, you will probably love it.

Many problems I have with roses will not affect you since our winters can be very cold, and we have had the hottest summer in 30 years here. Once it is super hot, I don't think the blooms can be judged well.

Sammy

i think sophie's perpetual will do well for you, ingrid. it has a loosely sprawling shape with delightful 3inch blooms with a subtle colour change - might be more pronounced for you. Apart from cecille brunner, this is my first china and, not, i hope, my last. I will be ordering mr.bluebird myself as i have no purples apart from a cutting of rhapsody in blue about which i am still undecided.
it looks like i am about to head into a white phase, having just ordered 3 new whites(nastarana, prosperity, Helenae hybrid)

I am in completely different climate, but this year we had very dry and hot June, when the first flush happens here and I was not impressed by Mary Rose in a few public plantings I saw it. She did not have a lot of extra care as she might have gotten in the private gardens, but where I saw it (rosarium, botanical garden and some small city garden where they put plant tags out) it looked rather miserable, not a lot of foliage and somewhat wilted blooms. It also may be that she did not enjoy our last winter to begin with and woke up with the headache, but she did not look like care free rose by a long shot.

Belinda's Dream: a tough rose. Great scent to my nose. Excellent for cutting, lasts in a vase. Lots of blooms year-round.

G.Nabonnand (it's the same rose as 'Gilbert Nabonnand', the one that's different is 'Souv de Gilbert Nabonnand'): If you are concerned about roses that "blow" fast, you may not like this one. I personally love it. Blooms all the time, although individual blooms are very short-lived. Canes are almost thornless, although the undersides of each leaf has tiny, but sharp, little prickles. They can't do much harm, but are quite capable of a light scratching, if you get too personal with the plant.

Carefree Beauty: I agree with Sammy that its blooms are best described as "loose & floppy". But if you are okay with that, it is almost indestructible, adds frequent color to the garden, & is very drought tolerant.

Randy

Thank you for the additional (and sometimes conflicting) comments. I have to say that Carefree Beauty is worrying me a bit since I thought it was so wonderful. Mary Rose is out as far as I'm concerned but I do want to keep Belinda's Dream. I have so few roses that last well in the house. Campanula, I'm glad you're getting Mr. Bluebird, and it should look wonderful with your "white phase" roses. I'm glad you like Sophie's Perpetual; I've been lusting after it for some time. I really like the almost thornless aspect of G. Nabonnand and have pretty well learned not to run my hand down the backs of ANY rose leaves. I'm not so much concerned about roses blowing fast if they're beautiful and rebloom well.

I really appreciate the input so much from all of you.

Ingrid

Belinda's Dream has grandly voluptuous roses, but mildews like mad here. It becomes a seriously cruddy looking rose by the time the first flush is complete, and it never recovers all season. I had a hedge of eight at the edge of my back patio and I ended up removing them all. I replaced them with eight Perle d'Or, a much healthier variety here.

I do believe that it does well in some climates, just not mine.

Rosefolly

The only rose from your lists, that I have in my new, hot garden is Heritage.
I have planted her in full summer shade, in the hope that she would keep her petals a little longer.
This hasn't worked though, she still sheds her petals within a day or so.
I am giving her another year though, as she has only been planted a few months.
Daisy

Oops. I missed the last part, Ingrid:

Sophie's Perpetual, grown it for 10 years. Impossible, awkward habit as it matures. Best if you can plant it close enough to something it can lean against. Then you can in good conscience just leave it alone except for deadheading. Mine is propped up against the short lattice screen and a 12 foot tall climber.

Gilbert Nabonnand, martyr to mildew, but when he's good, he's very very good.

Yolande d'Aragon, the SoCal exhibitor's token OGR show rose. Fab blooms, plant, not so much.

McClinton Tea, healthy, cute, must be deadheaded. Flowers look about semi-double with some petaloids, Strawberry shortcake cream pink, nothing formal there.

Mlle. de Sombreuil, upswept growth habit, spready, blooms plenty, form best in spring.

Heritage, never made it in the ground, but then I'm an Austinphobe because so many have such a serious rust problem up here.

Carefree Beauty is great for me in every way!

Rosefolly, fortunately the two Belinda's Dream specimens I've seen locally, in gardens less dry and hot than mine, had no mildew, so I'm hopeful.

Daisy, from all the input, including yours, I've decided that Heritage will never grace my garden. I do have an order in for Potter and Moore, a rather obscure small Austin rose, and I'll let you all know how it does.

Cass, your valuable advice about Sophie's Perpetual is very much appreciated. It will definitely have an effect on where I plant this rose. I've definitely decided against all the others you mention, except perhaps Mc Clinton's Tea, even though it's not the most beautiful rose in my eyes. Deadheading doesn't bother me, it's something I like to do regularly anyway.

Buff, I'm so glad your Carefree Beauty does well for you. It's just a rose I want to try and see how it does for me.

Thank you so much for all the new contributions.

Ingrid

P.S. I've eliminated Mary Rose and ordered Mrs. Dudley Cross instead and Anne Boleyn has been canceled.