I am currently loving Purple Skyliner at the moment - a fast repeating multiflora rambler. Definitely supercedes Veilchenblau, Bleu Magenta, Violetta et al as it has innate health, even in a fairly alkaline unforgiving soil. Its breeder, Frank Cowlishaw, has dedicated his hybridising career to the bluest rose (Rhapsody in Blue was one of his) - a rather lovely substitute (healthier) for Lilac Charm is the almost single Odyssey. After the reception Rhapsody in Blue recieved throughout the rose world, Mr.Cowlishaw's roses are finally reaching a wider audience.
Needless to say, another rose from the same part of the UK - Blue for You, has also been arriving in the US - a lovely iconic rose with a luminous quality.

Lynn -- Since blackspot won't be a problem in your climate, you might look at the purple roses Tom Carruth bred. They go back to International Herald Tribune, and behind that, to R. californica.

If you want something compact, and ever-blooming, I really love IHT itself. You just have to learn not to prune it, and to deadhead by just cutting or pulling off the falling blooms, rather than cutting into the canes.

International Herald Tribune is disease-free, and makes immense sprays.

See: http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.3399

And see below one of its smaller sprays.

Jeri

Lynn- I love purple roses and I'm growing a good number of them. My current favorites are Blue for You and Twilight Zone (the 2011 Carruth rose).

Sabalmatt, I like Blue for You and recently purchased a few Twilight Zones. The pillar will accommodate a rose that grows to about 10', so I hope to place something in the space that will be tall but not very wide. Thank you for the suggestions.

Jerijen the IHT is very pretty. HMF has it listed as a growing to 4' x 3'. Is that accurate for warmer climates?

Campanula, Wow!!! Purple Skyliner. Everything about this rose looks gorgeous. I like the leaves, the coloring, and the size of the plant at maturity could be perfect.

My summers are intensely hot ( can get up to the 100 teens ), and my soil is alkaline, about 7.6 in the area where this rose will be planted. My concern is how well this rose would perform in my soil and climate?

I wonder if any GW members who have hot summers and mild winters are successfully growing this rose?

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Sun, Oct 6, 13 at 23:19

Lynn

Are you okay with purple roses being more magenta or hot pink at times? It seems the weather/temps cause some color changes and it you are looking for a true deep purple you might find yourself like me, wondering at times why I have so many hot pink roses....hehe

4' tall x 3' wide is accurate, but it will take a while to get there.

I repeat -- it is essential that you not prune it (other than removal of dead growth) and not deadhead down into the cane.

The distance between leaf nodes is very long, and you'll chop your canes down to nada.

It tolerates my saline, alkaline water very well.

Jeri

Kippy-the-Hippy

Turning magenta at times would be fine. I have not grown anything in that color family that could hold its color during the summer; actually, few things hold the same color here when it becomes really hot, so I just expect the changes and it is usually okay.

Lynn

Here's pic of Wild Blue Yonder. Diane

One pic is worth a thousand words. Thank you Diana. Both are beautiful.

Here's two ideas, Night Owl, a dark purple repeat blooming climber and Perennial Blue, which is related to Veilchenblau, but reblooms.

Nanadoll, I agree with jeannine2009,

They are both gorgeous, however, the Wild Blue Yonder appears to have more of a purple tone. Am what I seeing as a difference accurate?

About 4' in width would be perfect, although I would not complain if the rose grew slightly wider to about 5'.

Are either of the two shade tolerant?

Lynn

I grew Wild Blue Yonder in morning sun only and it seemed to do fine, but I didn't care for the thick canes and less than elegant growth habit, but maybe that was just due to my less than optimal growing conditions.

Ingrid

I loved the look of Nightowl, but it didn't want to bloom here.

Jeri

The few blooms we saw, tho, were lovely.

Jeri

Below: Night Owl

Thanks, Jeannie and Lynn. Wild Blue Yonder is darker than Ascot in spring and fall, but as I mentioned does fade in summer heat, so it then is a mixture of shades, some lighter than Ascot, some about the same. I don't like this aspect of WBY--reminds me of Ebb Tide. Ascot's color varies just slightly according to the heat and sun. As Ingrid mentioned, WBY has thick canes, and so does Ascot. I'd pick Ascot if I had to choose between the two roses. My two Ascots are in a southern exposure and WBY is in a southeast exposure. All three get lots of sun, so I don't know how shade tolerant they are. Be sure to check photos of both roses on HMF if you haven't already, to help with comparing the two. Diane

I want to amend the above post a little. Wild Blue Yonder does get enough shade that I think it would do ok in a sun/shade exposure. Might cut down on fading. Diane

Night Owl does really good in hot summer, mild winter climates. I know a plant that is grown in El Cajon (east hot San Diego) that is lovely. Otherwise I'd recommend the purple stripey, Purple Splash, which is a wonderful rose.

I also grow both Purple Skyliner and Perennial Blue. They are very similar, but I think Perennial Blue is the better rose. More bloomiferous, healthier.

I think I just didn't have enough summer heat for Night Owl. Our Plumerias didn't even bloom, until the Heat Waves hit, the latter part of August.

It was, after all, bred in a place with very hot summers.

Jeri

HMF has Night Owl listed as deep wine red as well as mauve. Purple to anything with pink shading is okay, although purple to a lavender shading would be better. I am not sure about the red, as everything in the front yard is pink, lavender, white, or purple.

Purple Skyliner appears to have the best color range but I am not sure how it will perform here.

Wild Blue Yonder is possible too, but after re -evaluating the space, I think something with small flowers would look better.

I am beginning to consider planting a small white climbing rose for the area because finding the right purple is tough, or I am just fried.

Thank you for all of the input.

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Tue, Oct 8, 13 at 23:30

Vol De Nuit 1st bloom today.
Delbard (France, 1970)
I received as a band this summer.
This rose is going to be breathtaking...

Be really good to that Vol de Nuit and watch it carefully and give it the very best care. It's a beautiful rose, but I could not keep it alive on it's own roots. I wish I had grafted mine up when I still had it. It just slowly faded away.

Mauvegirl8,

Wow, what a beauty! I am SO cranky now. I have been digging holes and planting everything myself as I do not trust the gardeners to exercise the care that I will. My back aches as I have discovered that the only place in this yard where I have sandy soil is my raised planter where it was added, minus a lot of the proper levels of soil amendment. Dealing with it is a pain.... Clay soil in this state is a force to be reckoned with. Okay sorry for my rant... As I know that some of you know my pain and likely even more. Despite my physical and psychological state roses still captivate me. Next I will look up Vol de Nuit oN HMF.

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Wed, Oct 9, 13 at 13:25