Scentimental will not last more than a day in the vase. Consider Rock & Roll instead.

I've just rebuilt my rose beds after being without roses for probably 10 years or so, so I am just learning about some of the newer varieties I planted this year, seeing exactly how blackspot resistant they'll be (my biggest problem in coastal NJ). I grow Fragrant Cloud even though it blackspots here. I just love the color, form, and FRAGRANCE (wonderful!) too much to be without it. I'd say you really have to spray this one, though. I've always loved Gemini and Double Delight too, which I've grown in the past, though DD did blackspot as I recall. Dolly Parton is doing very well for me, and boy, are her roses big and showy! I just cut a 6" bloom today that's filling my kitchen with its aroma. This one lasts several days in the vase, as does Fragrant Cloud.

My floribundas are showing the greatest resistance to BS...

Susan - - Of the roses on your list I have or have had - Buxom Beauty, Double Delight, Paradise, Neptune, Kardinal, St. Patrick and Secret. Buxom Beauty is big and fragrant. Sometimes the color is really pretty and sometimes not. Double Delight is a winner, although someone did mention to me it really gets blackspot, I haven't had that problem with it. Paradise and Neptune are both good. I love Kardinal and St. Patrick both, they are beautiful and last good in the vase, not much fragrance though. I haven't had good luck with Secret, but that doesn't mean others haven't. Oh, I've tried to grow Fragrant Cloud, not much luck there either. I live in an area that has plenty of heat and humidity.

I'm in desert heat, but Memorial Day has had fine, large, fragrant flowers. And the bush has been healthy in a no-spray situation (though disease pressure is low here). I'm not much of a flower-cutter but I think it might do well in the vase as they hold pretty well in the heat.

I grow (or have grown) Scentimental, Double Delight, Memoire (same rose as Ice Cream, by the way), and Valencia.

Both Scentimental and Double Delight have trouble with blackspot at times, although sometimes DD seems to get along fine. DD is beautiful to look at and to smell (hence, Double delight). Scentimental aggravated me so--always falling to pieces before the day was over--that she got the spade!

Memoire/Ice Cream is reasonably good--nice bloom and fragrance, but it is not overly floriferous. It has fairly good disease-resistance for a hybrid tea--some problems, but not a lot.

Valencia is beautiful visually and fragrance-wise. But mine has never gained any vigor--remains a small plant even though I've been growing it for 3-4 years now. Rather slow on the re-bloom, but when it does bloom, you forgive it--and the blooms last a long, long, long time. However, it does have some BS problems, although I wouldn't call it a disease-magnet.

Good luck in your search. Your list would be shorter if you listed Double Delight only once. : )

Kate

I'm in an area that gets little to no black spot. So if it gets it here - it will be horrible any place else. So don't get Blue Girl or Royal Amethyst (I know it's not on your list.). They're the only ones of my 50 roses that gets blackspot. And they get horrible bs here. I'm throwing them both away.
You probably don't want Gemini since it's not fragrant. Neither is Dream Come True.

I love Valencia, Jadis, and Memorial Day.

Have fun selecting.
Carol

Thanks you all. That narrows it down a bit. Groan....
Susan

I’m between Huntsville and Birmingham, AL…a bit farther South than you, but similar climate. From your list, I grow Scentimental, Double Delight, Paradise, Firefighter, PJPII and Fragrant Cloud. I spray and am not sure how any of them would do no spray in our humidity.

Scentimental: I’ve heard of negative experiences with this one, but it’s been a great rose for me (once it got established). If I cut it tight, it will usually last 2 to 3 days best case. Rock & Roll was mentioned as an alternate. I grow it, too. It does last a lot longer cut, but although a beautiful rose in the spring and fall here, mine’s color variegation and size are not good during summer months in our heat/humidity. Scentimental’s coloring doesn’t seem to suffer in our heat.

Double Delight: excellent performer here; extremely prolific (rarely out of bloom); extremely fragrant and long stems for cutting

Paradise: a good vase rose, but not the most prolific bloomer for me and not very fragrant to me. Fragrant Plum is very similar in form and color, but blooms more, is much more fragrant and great in the vase

Firefighter: great rose here; my favorite red for cutting; long stems that aren’t too thorny, very prolific (rarely out of bloom), very fragrant and long lasting

PJPII: great rose here; very prolific, very fragrant and very long lasting for a white

Fragrant Cloud: one of my most prolific bloomers and just a beautiful bush here…very rounded and full and almost always covered from head to toe in big, fragrant blooms...and long lasting in the vase. Dolly Parton was mentioned in an earlier response. Fragrant Cloud is her parent and she is even more fragrant; has even bigger blooms (not as many as FC, but still a prolific bloomer here) and even longer lasting in the vase…I wouldn’t be without either rose.

You have Dream Come True on your list. I don’t grow that one personally, but don’t believe it’s very fragrant. Heart O’ Gold has a good fragrance and is very similar in color. It lasts forever on the bush and in the vase. Only my second year growing HoG…not a frequent or heavy bloomer its first year, and was slow to start this year…took a fairly long break between first and second flush, but has rarely quit blooming since. I’ve cut literally armloads of blooms from it most of the summer. It has been a lot cooler and wetter this summer than normal, but hoping HoG will bloom as well in our typical summer weather.

Peter Mayle (extremely fragrant and lasts over a week cut), Falling in Love (vicious thorns, but absolutely stunning rose and lasts over a week cut), Sweet Surrender and Perfume Delight are also favorites of mine for cutting. All have gorgeous, huge blooms, are very fragrant and long lasting cut. George Burns and White Licorice are very fragrant, very prolific bloomers and long lasting cut for floribundas...they might be more BS resistant here than the HTs.

BTW, Chris Evert (you commented on a pic of her in another post) is a good cut rose, too…only moderately fragrant, though (fragrance is definitely there, but not strong)

The hybrid teas will require treatment for blackspot, as will Scentimental. No way around it. I have grown a number of the varieties on your list, none were resistant in near-coastal NJ.

I've grown several on this list.
Double Delight - Beauty of a rose, but BS loves it. Couldn't get it to grow in NOVA without constant spraying, and even then, it didn't do well.
Memorial Day - Excellent rose. I don't spray and it does extremely well here.
Scentimental - It will get BS but doesn't seem too bothered. I don't think it is a great cutting rose though.

I think we are close to the same zone but our real climate conditions could be very different. It's always very humid here.

I have to note here that I rarely bring blooms inside so I cannot comment much on vase life. Off your list I have:

Dream Come True: Beautiful rose with large blooms that have good substance so should, theoretically, have good vase life. It does black spot for me.

Koko Loco: I loved it it's first season but since then it hasn't faired as well. I don't think it like my winters too much. Pretty blooms but they do blow pretty quick on the bush. It does black spot pretty badly.

Double Delight: Gorgeous! And heavenly fragrance too. But a real black spot magnet. However, to it's credit it's one tough rose and bounces back quickly and winters like a champ.

Paradise: Lovely mauve with a red edge but VERY slow to repeat. Black spots every year but very good wintering.

Memorial Day: Is on my shovel prune list. The blooms are big and pretty but not often and the plant is not vigorous and sheds it's leaves quickly when it spots.

Pope John Paul II: I'm in a love/hate relationship with this rose. The blooms are beautiful and the fragrance "divine" (tee hee), but it's kind of a wimp plant with very little vigor. It does have good thick petals that hold up well on the plant (and also allow it to open in my humidities where other whites all tend to ball up) but it's just so unhealthy.

Fragrant Cloud: Another one on the shovel list. The blooms are a beautiful color but don't blink because you'll miss them. From one sepal down to dropping petals in less than 24 hours! It's also a good spotter.

Now for one that I think you might like:

Julia Child: Really good bloom, pretty, fragrant, often, not too much fade for a yellow and lasts a good few days on the bush. As well as rarely a spot on it ever. Winters really well.

I would add Home Run but it's really not a good cutting rose and has no fragrance at all. It is healthy and always in bloom though.

I live in black spot heaven and here's my experience

Dream Come True has done well for me
Koko Loko is good too
Double Delight is a blackspot MAGNET (try Cherry Parfait, its been amazing for me and very similar and long lasting).
Paradise Found is said to be better than Paradise, you may want to try the new version
Blue Girl is good with BS resistance and a prolific bloomer but tends to turn sort of an ugly greyish color once cut.
Gemimi is excellent!
Memorial day is supposed to be great although i have not grown it
St Patrick same as above
Pope John Paul is absolutely excellent. It likes warm weather so should do great for you

Some to try:
Belinda's Dream excellent BS resistance
Brother's Grim (amazing BS resistance and long lasting blooms but none to little fragrance)
Quietness (THE BEST BS resistance in my garden, and very fragrant!)
Camelot is a great performer
Iceberg is also really great, always in bloom
Queen Elizabeth has always been one of the best and does well in my garden
Gold Medal does well too
Distant Drums, Moonstone and Sheila's perfume are all pretty good in my climate (especially Distant Drums)
Our Lady Of Guadalupe (little fragrance but excellent BS resistance)
Polonaise (buck rose) great disease resistance

I'm about 2 or 3 hrs north of you in KY. Pretty much we have to spray, there's no way around it. But I try to minimize spraying as much as I can without losing all the leaves. I found several of my roses needed more care in the first few years but now BS hardly touches them and they rarely need to be sprayed. The best in my garden have been Frederic Mistral, Pope John Paul II, Golden Celebration, Jude the Obscure, Firefighter, McCartney rose and Eternal Flame. Blue Girl, DD, Secret and Valencia all spotted badly. Sorry if I added to your list rarely than cull!

Thanks you all. I appreciate all the opinions because I really have to narrow this down. I have replaced several on my list with some of your suggestions.
I think the only way to reduce my order is to just choose one of each color...
I have lots of good stuff about Frederic Mistral and Golden Celebration. Jude is 3 yrs old now and still not very large. I'm just wondering if I have him in a bad spot.
Susan

Give Jude another year or so. This rose was a slow starter for me, but then...watch out. Diane

I recently visited a local nursery who has a huge selection of roses. They pruned all of them after the summer flush, but clearly haven't been watering them or caring for them otherwise since their main money-making period is over. This was a blessing in disguise, because I got to see which roses were stand-outs with marginal care at best. It's also been a very mildew-y summer here (PNW) and since the rain has moved back in, BS is back with a bang.

Folklore (you guys probably get tired of hearing me talk about how much I love this rose, but I can't lie. It looked good.)

Francis Meilland

Rock & Roll (surprised me)

Eternal Flame (yellow)

Beverly

Firefighter

Beverly is the rose I was most taken by because it had OUTSTANDING foliage. It looked like it had just been shipped there, even though it hadn't. Nice, spot-free, dark green, dense foliage. Since it had just recently been pruned it was starting to send up some new growth, but no buds yet.

I am going to go back and get one, maybe tomorrow. I have smelled Francis Meilland and it has a good, citrus-y fragrance and the blooms are..WOW.
I have read that Beverly has won several fragrance awards and the blooms look gorgeous, very exhibition-y. Palatine has it.

FWIW, my St. Patrick is a bloom factory, in flushes of course, and quite healthy. It's just starting to bloom again, and mine actually has a good tea fragrance, it just won't fill up a whole room if that's what you're after.

You are fortunate! Here in Nashville I don't have a place with that much selection!
Thanks Dianne for the encouragement with Jude. I keep thinking about getting Golden Celebration and then I wonder how slowly it will grow.
Susan

Paradise, Double Delight and Gemini can take the heat during the summers here. Blue girl faded to gray and could not hold its color in the summer heat here.

The coloring of Paradise is beautiful. Double Delight is bullet proof. Gemini has some fading in the heat but it becomes a cream rose with pink edging and it is still very pretty. Your climate should be nicer to roses during the summer. I do not know how disease resistant the roses are as we are not plagued by a lot of the diseases,or many of the pests for that matter.

bluegirl z8,TX,

I have noticed that you refer to your "desert heat". I know in the Mojave Desert ( parts of CA, NV, AZ and UT), where the hottest cities in the U.S. are, we can hit the 120's and have daily highs in the upper 100 teens during the summer for days on end, and it is very arid. Here we average about 4.5" of rainfall annually; other places are in the 10" or less average of rainfall range annually.

Are you in the Southwest part of Texas that is in the Chihuahuan Desert? If so, just how hot does it become there, and what root stock have you the most luck with for grafted roses?

Lynn

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 14:00

Susan, Golden Celebration was one of the "slow to takeoff" Austins for me. The growth started fairly slowly and its blooms didn't really come into their own until around the third year or so. Then it grew into a large, lovely rose that has been nearly a continuous bloomer for me. Diane

Frankly, growing own root hybrid teas without spray in Nashville sounds like a losing proposition. Most if not all the roses on your list will defoliate repeatedly. At least you should get grafted plants that will start faster and have more ability to come back after defoliation. Even so, they will be miserable from June on, and some may die over winter.

In my experience, among roses on your list, 'Valencia' and 'Jadis' were slightly more resistant to blackspot than average HTs. 'Valencia' is a great cut flower and the plant, if grafted, should have plenty of vigor. 'Parole/Buxom Beauty' is reputed somewhat resistant, but mine was puny and died (perhaps a fluke).

'The McCartney Rose' is resistant in some gardens and meets your other criteria. I recommend you try that one. I have 'Souv. de Baden-Baden' (Pink Enchantment) new this year. It is a large, very fragrant cut flower. My plant is clean with spray in a season when many sprayed roses are spotty. But spot diseases often get worse in subsequent years.

This post was edited by michaelg on Mon, Sep 2, 13 at 13:04

michaelg, I've not found the McCartney rose very long lasting as a cut flower, though it's pretty. I've had this one a fairly long time so mine is an older bush, it can grow over 7 feet tall. I never sprayed it until this year, and it does blackspot and defoliate on me.

Thanks, bunni. I'm not surprised that there exists a race of blackspot that can defoliate The McCartney.

Also, there is roughly an inverse relationship between fragrance and vase life--hence our florist roses.

Michael, I ordered grafted on multiflora...Hopefully they can maintain enough vigor to get past the BS. If not, it was fun while it lasted....
Thanks, as always, for your help!
Susan

I'm in warm, coast influenced CA but the only one that stands out on your list would Pope John Paul II - long vase life, smell to impress, and a lovely shape to this large one (4-5 ft) with long stems and not a lot of thorns.
Another long in the vase HT is Veteran's Honor but it's not big on fragrance to my nose anyway.

Thanks Peachie! I ordered PJP II.
Susan