Perle d' Or
Centennaire de Lourdes
SDLM
Jude the Obscure
Dublin Bay
Craomisi Superieur
Clementina Carbonieri
Quietness
Belinda's Dream
Gruss an Aachen
Ambridge Rose
Carla

I've had my Roseraie de L'Hay for about three years, it's yet to get to it's mature size so I feel like next summer it's going to literally explode and eat my fence, it's growls at me when I pass by.

That's very much her character, she's by no means a completely "pretty" rose as she is loaded with prickly rugosa thorns and while her shape is appealing, I wouldn't want to mess with her much. Her "don't touch me" leaves get a bit tired looking by August, but then again I think the rugosas are some of wisest roses and set/drop their leaves according to the sun and not temperature, so it's somewhat expected that they're going to yellow a bit earlier.

So far though her flowers are gorgeous and so contrastingly feminine to it's butch, masculine "personality". If you like informal blossoms than you'd love this one. The color is hard to describe, more like a magenta that quickly displays cool tones. When she drops her petals they turn a bit more slate-mauve. The perfume is outrageously good, very rosey with I want to say almost soapy like qualities (at least to me) and has that characteristic rugosa clove undertone that all together make it wonderful to smell but not overbearing. Each year she's given me more and more blooms and had about three flushes with one mini flush on newer growth. One is before Japanese beetles in May, one occurs during the invasion and that flush this year I deadheaded to deter them from eating the foliage, and then she blooms again after the beetles somewhat die off for the year.

It would probably like the coastal climate too.

I'm picky, my roses must have highly BS resistant foliage (no spray), a pleasing bush shape (some teas & chinas don't have enough foliage to suit me), zillions of petals and frequent bloom. My faves, in no particular order, are:
Monsieur Tillier
Marie Van Houtte
Clothilde Soupert
Caldwell Pink/Pink Pet
Jean Bach Sisley

I just started my garden in June 2005, so I hope my opinion is still good here? These are the ones that are doing very well, in spite of my inexperience - and I really LIKE them:

Pat Austin - I have 5 of them! JB's not quite as fond of them as most of the other roses, good rebloom, gorgeous
color.

Penelope - I have 4 of them. They don't get nearly enough sun, not even for hybrid musks. Sun doesn't even hit them until about 3:00 p.m. during the summer. But bloom and bloom and bloom, as long as you deadhead. New growth is just gorgeous plum colored.

Kronprincessin Viktoria - I only planted her this past spring, but she's already a star! Great big FAT smelly white blooms.

Marie Pavie - I have 3 now, and one started my garden with me in May 2005. Smelly smelly smelly and cute white/pink.
Bloom, bloom, bloom.

Mons Tillier - I planted him fall 2005 and he didn't do too much the first 2 years, but oh my goodness - look at him now! Covered in yummy pink in two shades.

The Fairy - we just moved her into the "inside the fence" garden. She was beyond the pale and totally neglected and just bloomed her little heart out anyway.

Kathleen - I never get around to deadheading her, so really only get a wonderful spring flush. But the prettiest orange hips in the fall. I'll post a pic of those hips in a minute here.

Heritage - truly a great rose. Smell, bloom form, color, health. What more can I say?

Albertine - a once bloomer. Plunked right down into unprepared soil, out beyond our fenced in garden and then forgotten. One of our two has climbed the tree and both of them put out gorgeous BIG smelly blooms this past spring.

Westerland - I'll never get tired of this one. Big beautiful blooms of the most amazing peachy orange!

I wish my hips looked this good!

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Brandy, there are some roses I have, that I have'nt had
for three years, yet that I know I'm going to love always,
like Graham Thomas, but of the ones I have, I still like
Rosarium Ueterson greatly. It is an amazing Kordes rose!

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Wow, Devon. I've often thought of getting Rosarium Ueterson, and your pictures just nudged me into the "I HAVE TO HAVE IT" zone! It's hardy here in zone 5 which is a strong plus,on top of being so beautiful. In terms of Brandyray's question, it often takes a good 3 years for a rose to reach it's true potential here in zone 5, so the third year is when I'm just beginning to truly appreciate it for what it will be.

Cinderella the Bourbon/Noisette
Noella Nabonnand
Perle d'Or
Blush Noisette
Cornelia
Silver Appleyard
Fewell's Noisette
Katherine Zeimet
Lindee
Fourth of July
Bishop Darlington
Marie Drivon
Mary Washington
Champney's Pink Cluster
Salet
Kiss'n'Tell
Perle des Jardin
Lemon Tea
Abraham Darby
Bow Bells
Morey's Pink China
Camellia Rose
Ballerina
Georgetown Tea

Belinda's Dream--big fat cabbage-rose blooms all over, sweetly fragrant, and super healthy. Ask me again in 2 years and I'll definiately be adding Quietness-- gorgeous pink blooms just cover the bush. Both these roses have a rare quality of being both great garden roses and good cut flowers. The blooms may resemble hybrid teas but the plants do not-- both tend to be wider than tall with nice foliage.

Very good question. Here are a few that I've had for over three years, and I like them better and better each year! As for the other roses I've had for over three years, I still like them, but I can't really say I like them more each year.

Mrs Dudley Cross
Basye's Blueberry (I've grown this one before & am on my second specimen)
Pink Gruss an Aachen
Valentine

Randy

Thanks to everyone for sharing their favorites!
I like those hips, bobkat. I am probably going to order Westerland and Pat Austin. I love the colors!
Melva, what collection of roses you must have! I have 4th of July- still a baby. Perle d'Or is on my list- need some cream-colored roses to contrast w/ my reds. Many of those roses I have not heard of.
Devon- Ros. U. is impressive. I remember hearing of it before.
Thank you Barbara, and Randy. Wishing all of you a good winter for your roses- not too cold. Brandy

I like this topic :)

My favorites:

Lady of the Mist
Pat Austin
Star of the Nile (gotta get it!)
Marie Van Houtte
Leonie Lamesch
Mme. Watteville (I am wondering if this is really what it was sold to me as, but whatever I have I love it)
Golden Celebration
The Pilgrim
Gertrude Jeckyll
Jean Giono
Fabulous!
Crepuscle
Mons. Tillier

Those are the ones I would replace for sure if I lost everything due to some sort of circumstance.

Now, there are a lot I have that I wouldn't replace. I don't dislike them enough to remove them, but I don't love them enough to replace them.. that is another whole posting :)

Marleah

Mine will be:

Blush Noisette & Kronprincessin Viktoria - I only have them rose for 2 years, and wish I had it sooner. Very fragrant & continuous bloom, very healthy, and beautiful bush. KV is a slow grower and seems she uses all the energy for blooming.

Dutchess de Brabant & Mme. Joseph Swartz - Love them, love them, love them. Love the bloom shape and changing color. Very healthy.

G. Nabonnand - I just planted because I heard he is good, now I will not be without. Very dependable. It is very neat to see how the bloom color changes depends on the season.

Mrs Dudley Cross - Slow to extablish, but I am so glad I waited. The redness of the new growth adds the accent color in Fall.

Papa Gontier & Rainbow - I didn't care much at the beginning, and now really like them. Beautiful and healthy bush.

Perle d'Or - Very healthy, blooms constantly with fragrant flowers, dependable. I would have done mass planting in a front yard if I have known.

I have been growing roses for over 11 years now and I have to say that even after three years some roses (especially tiny bands) still haven't reached full-grown size or best blooming. That is not nearly enough time to evaluate a rose. I grow about 125, too numerous to list here, and replace/add less than ten a year now. I would also like to put in a good word for larger bareroot roses because they are about a year ahead of bands, and I love multiflora as a rootstock because it adds vigor to some varieties.... Best of luck to you!

Thank you Marleah, Malm. and lori.
Lori, I said 3 yrs because it sounds like many roses don't make it that long before their owners become disenchanted. A rose that has made it 3 yrs is probably "a keeper".
Marleah- of that list, I have seen pics of Lady of the Mist, van Houtte, and Mons Tillier- all very attractive. I am trying not to go overboard- I still have all these trellises to build... Brandy

These are my favorites, but I also have some new ones that I already know will be future favorites.

Old Favorites:

Mutabilis
Cl. Lady Hillingdon
Felicia
Duchesse de Brabant
News
Mrs. Dudley Cross
Cottage Rose

New Favorites:

Route 66
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Abraham Darby
Teasing Georgia

Old garden roses and semi-old garden roses like H. Musks) that I have in the yard for minimum 3 years, in certain cases much longer.

Climbers:
Crepuscule, Jaune Desprez, Prosperity, Marechal Niel, Buff Beauty. - these are "no spray" in my garden. Zephirine Drouhin (the oldest climber), Gloire de Dijon (it suffered major dieback after the big Eastern freeze; if it dies, I will order a new one from Pickering)- Zephirine needs spraying and Gloire also benefits from occasional spraying.
Anoter Noisette I have is Celine Forestier (must be sprayed)

Shrubs: SDLM (I have 4), Kronprincessin Victoria (2), Catherine Mermet, Felicia (needs spraying), Paul Neyron, Devoniensis, Lady HillGruss an Aachen, Duchesse de Brabant (about 8 years), Luise Philippe, Lady Hillingdon, Clotilde Soupert, Mme. J. Schwartz and Baronne Prevost (BP must be sprayed regularly). A few Bourbons, HPs, a few teas and Portalnd damasks were planted in the last 3 years except for Comte the Chambord that I have about 6 years - I intend to SP it every year but the fragrance saves its place.

Moderns - too many to list so I mention a few
Climbers: Colette (my favorite and the best modern climber I have), New Dawn, cl. Pink Peace, Cl. Peace (all are older than 6 years - DH would not hear about getting rid of cl. Peace that must be sprayed and has RMV), The Field of the Woods, Pele, cl. America and a no name cl. with similar flowers as Foklore, Ilse Krohn Superior, Eden. Cl. Mrs Mc Gredy, Royal Sunset. I think Papi Delbard is in his 3rd year.

HTs, floribundas and shrubs: Abbaye de Cluny, Bolero, Frederic Mistral, Johann Strauss, Yves Piaget,Bewitched (the oldest HT in my yard along with Double Delight), Lemon Spice, Antigua (one of the oldest), Taboo, Papa Meilland (I got a second one this year), Royal William, Velvet Fragrance, Black Baccarat, Rouge Royale, Red Intuition, Jardins de Bagatelle, Secret, Crimson Glory, Europeana, Bride's Dream, Ambridge rose, Medallion, Tiffany, Cherry Parfait, Paris d'Yves St. Laurent, Belle Epoque, Valencia, Scent-Sation, Just Joey, Elina, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Heritage, Abraham Darby, Paradise, Memorial Day, Ginger Hill
and about a hundred more.

It would have been a much shorter list If I should enumerate those that I SP-ned or gave away.

3 years is rather early to evaluate a new rose in my climate, especially if ownroot. Of the 17 roses I planted in 2005 my favourites so far are Abraham Darby, Lykkefund, Rhapsody in Blue and Sangerhäuser Jubiläumsrose, all of them grafted. Lykkefund has not reached its full potential, of course, but it is already 10 ft tall but still skinny and it will take some time for it to clothe its support, a nearly dead plum tree. I agree about Kronprinzessin Viktoria, mine is also only two years but already fully grown and flowers profusely, much more than my Souvenir de la Malmaison.

Marianne in Sweden

Thank you, ingrid, ceterum, and marianne.
Of roses you named, I have Lady Hillingdon, Folklore, and Fields of the Wood. These are all bands I rec'd 2 wks ago, so it is nice to see them on the "keepers" list.
Ceterum- you have so many roses, it would be nice to see a list sometime w/ your notes about them. Maybe something you could almost put together just looking at old posts.
Thanks everyone. Brandy

I like almost all of the roses I've had three years or more. That's why I still have them. After three years, they tend to get the boot if I've not seen something I like. The list would go to 100+, but..

I noticed a trend - certain roses keep showing up in this thread and I concur

Gruss an Aachen
Pink Gruss an Aachen - my preference
Clementina Carbonieri
Marie Pavie
Belinda's Dream
Ballarina
Quietness
New Dawn
Westerland
Fourth of July

I would add:
Maggie
Westerland's sport Autumn Sunset
Almost any of the Buck Roses
New Dawn's sport
Iceberg's sport Burgundy Iceberg (which is better than
Iceberg for me by many times)
Souv. d'un Ami
Peter Mayle
Kanagem
Folklore
Mellow Yellow
Midas Touch
Francis Dubreull
Mirandy
Cherry Parfait
Hot Cocoa
Larry Daniels
Rose Rhapsody
Mrs. Keay's Pink Noisette
Carefree Sunshine
Tropicana
Fragrant Cloud
Juane Desprez
Marjorie Fair
The English Miss

I'm sure I've left something out. Like the red climbers.

We should have this thread every fall. I've a ton of new roses or roses only a season or two old, so every fall I will be adding to this list.

How do you people get Fields of the Wood? I've been waiting two seasons on a couple of them. I've left places for a pair on the front of the house.

Jody- I got F of W from Countryside last month and I just checked and it is listed as out of stock :( HMF also has Vintage and Rogue Valley listed as sources.
I have Fourth of July and Folklore- the first is a baby and the 2nd is a new band. I have ordered Westerland. Why don't you have Playboy? Just wondering... I've heard so much positive about it and then I was fortunate enough to actually be able to see it and I was very impressed w/ it and Folklore. (I also liked Garden Party, Strike it Rich, and Stretch Johnson, but I was advised that I would have to spray them, so I guess I won't be getting them.) In short, I have a bunch of new roses, and 2 that I would like to give away- rugosas Robusta and Alba.
Thanks for your great list! Brandy

Marie Pavie
Old Port
Pierre de Ronsart (Eden)
Violette
Francis Dubreuil
Ferdinand Pichard
Stanwell Perpetual
Autumn Damask
Felicite Parmentier
Charles de Mills
Konigan von Danemark
Tradescant
Buff Beauty
Honorine de Brabant
Rose de Rescht
R. moschata

Probably a dozen more; these come to mind.

There are also quite a few two-and-a-half-year old roses that please me very much, definite keepers. Among them are Careless Love, Sydonie, Yolande d'Aragon, and Grandmother's Hat. I would have included the BPR clone of La Reine that recently bit the dust (literally), and since it was not at all its fault, I'll try it again.

Rosefolly

I have a climbing Crimson Glory that is in a large thermolite pot for over 10 years. No spray, and keeps on . Not a blooming fool, but does great, especially in fall and spring. It is heavenly on a nice crisp fall day- you know, one that's about 75 degrees, no clouds, and no humidity. I have root pruned it a few times, and kept it at ~4 feet in height. I also have 3 of the bush form, just to increase the bounty. Here it is in the spring.
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jbcarr: I planted two Cl. Crimson Glorys last year. They have 6'+ canes on them already - a ton of basal breaks this spring. They are planted at the front of the house so I'm pleased that they are already putting on a good show.

Beautiful rose, jb. Brandy