Your soil will likely be on the alkaline side. Amending your soil is probably a good idea.

You might consider, 'Renae'. It's vigorous, attractive, mostly smooth, user friendly, should thrive in your relatively mild climate.

Hybridized by the late great Ralph Moore just a couple of hours North of where you are now.

Available for a reasonable price from Burlington Rose Nsy. also just a couple of hours North.

Happy Rosing, Robert

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Renae' at HMF

I have Mme Alfred Carriere, a noisette, growing at the front of my house. It's actually reaching the second story. I find it to be care-free (except pruning the excessive growth) with a lovely scent.

Here is a link that might be useful: HelpMeFind

so many nice rec's for Renae,... ! It must be a great rose!
http://www.au.gardenweb.com/forums/load/gallery/msg101958337229.html

I like all the user friendly qualities.

nwroselady, Mme Alfred Carriere is gorgeous!

I worry a little though about the super hot summers here? Will it not like that? We sometimes get around 110 F.
The other qualities look good, though...! (reblooming?) mostly thornless, etc...

http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/gardenlog/?p=1032

Aimeekitty, I have two own root MAC's here in blazing Phoenix (100+ days of 110+ summer temps.) Hot, arid, summers don't seem to be a problem for this rose, OTOH, the blooms are a bit smaller during the summer.

Linda

You are lucky in your climate - you can grow old china and tea roses that need warm climates, are really healthy, and bloom all of the time. Personally I would start out with Anna Olivier - it is an old tea, and has the most amazing blooms that can be pale pink or pale yellow, but are usually a pinkish buff color with brick on the reverse. I have one climbing up my house, and it is mannerly - it has stayed about 10 feet tall. It is blooming now, and has been blooming since it started in April.

Climbing Madam Caroline Testout would be another good one - it is an old hybrid tea (from before they ruined them). It has huge globular pink blooms, coming out of fat round buds. Here it blooms all summer if deadheaded, and is healthy and not too vigorous (by which I mean it has stayed 10-15 feet tall, and is not threatening to eat my house, as are some of my other climbers.

For a 5-6 foot high bush at the bottom I would use Mutablis, a fantastic china rose that has single flowers in pink, dark pink, and yellow all at the same time, and LOVES heat & sun and blooms all spring & summer.

MAC is also a great rose. I use it here to climb up buildings or trees in partial shade - it gets 20-25 feet tall here, and blooms from Feb through Dec.

Jackie

Lots of good suggestions for roses.

Something else you need, though, is an appropriate structure to grow the rose on. A few eye hooks and a wire or two, or a flimsy big-box store trellis won't cut it where roses can get huge. Focus on the support first.

Antelope Valley: lots of strong winds in fall and winter. Plan for those. Loose rose canes getting lashed around by strong winds, no fun.

Thanks so much for all the help you guys! wow!

Linda: Thankyou for the info re: MAC! That's great!

Jackie (thankyou!) Anna Olivier and Madame Caroline Testout both have a beautiful shape!

I really like MCT's slightly ruffled petals and globular shape.
how beautiful:
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/getImg.php?img=S43926.jpg
How thorny is MCT, though?
... also, seems like it might be more fun to have a rose that blooms longer (ie not just summer?) like you said MAC does, Jackie.

It's nice to have something that's relatively fast growing,... but I have to admit I'm a little worried about something like CL, Cecile Brunner. (perhaps it might get too hard for me to control?)

Mutablis was on my list, too... I love china roses! Was also considering "Le Vesuve" for the bottom.

HOOVB- Yes, we get a lot of wind here,... can you point me the right direction in figuring out how to find a good strong trellis? I was thinking I need one on each pillar, and then would the roses be able to connect in the middle of the arches? Or do I need more trellis there, too? I'm not sure where to start. Much thanks.

woops, that MCT picture link doesnt work... this hopefully will:
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.84358
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.43926

'Mme Alfred Carriere' would do very well in the Antelope Valley. It gets large.

Just tested my soil this morning, it's definitely alkaline! It's kinda rocky and dry, at least in the backyard (which isn't landscaped) I didn't test the front yard. The development put a bit of tree and grass and bark in the front yard, so they may have added -something- up there.

You would be best off building (or having someone build) something yourself. The ones you can buy are usually too flimsy to hold up to a large rose in a strong wind.

I would stick with something thornless or near-thornless and not too large to begin with because it will be so much easier for you to learn on. Renae, Allister Stella Gray, Crepuscule, or a modern like Berries n Cream or Eden (tho Eden's a Ruster). Mme Alfred is a monster, way to big for your chosen area.

Check youtube for Ashdown Roses videos on climbing roses, attaching roses to structures, there are a couple good ones.

Honestly it is far far easier for a beginner to grow a climbing rose on a lowish (5') wide (10'+) fence than it is up columns on a porch. On a low fence you can fan out the canes pretty easily and tie them securely and get a nice show of blooms in a relatively short 2-3 year period. Going straight up and then out is certainly doable but it takes a lot more pruning, tying, thinking, patience, time, etc.

What about a couple free standing teepee type structures in front of the columns and the roses on that. That way you keep the roses off your house but still get the height.

Key thing in your windy area, let them grow in spring and summer, but get everything securely tied up before the fall/winter winds begin. Widen out the too narrow planting bed in front to reduce your lawn size and give you room to really plant some ROSES! :)

I really love love love love how Eden's flowers look. Very romantic.
Crepuscule is lovely, too.

I tried to find if Eden had a lot of thorns, the only info I saw was that it doesn't have "too many". Do you know?

Thanks for the rec re: Ashdown Roses, checking that out now. his training on a trellis video makes things a lot clearer. I can see how having a rose with flexible canes would be important for me.

but is there some trick to a strong trellis? what's going to make my trellis stronger than a store one? (I guess i'll have to pay my power-tool-owning-friend with cakes...)

thanks so much for all the help! I really appreciate it!!

The picture I showed in my original post is just a model, it's not my real front yard,... so actually the real front yard has much more bark (ie non-grass area) so adding a lot of roses to the front + sage and xeri-shaping shouldn't be too hard!
what it actually looks like is more like this (please ignore my poor attempt at a panoramic photo. haaa) My house is the white one on the far right if that makes sense.
{{gwi:331314}}

a bit confused, too, as some sites are saying Eden has a lovely scent, and others saying it has no scent at all?

I have White Eden which is a sport of the regular Eden. White Eden has thorns, but they are not very plentiful and not vicious either. I brush up along White Eden quite a bit and they don't even grab on to me or poke me.

In my opinion, the best structures are manufactured from metal and bolt right onto the structure.

A local iron smith might be worth seeking out if you plan on being in the house awhile.

Many of these climbers get top heavy. I know the wind can really blow up where you are.

Thanks you guys!

we're planning on being here for a long time... are there any websites I can look at that have metal trellis' like that then? If you have recommendations, that would be awesome. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for since I don't have any experience.

if I make a wood one... do I just get pressure treated 2x2's make a ladder-like framework and then... what? sink it in concrete at the base? (about a foot away from the wall?)
I'm sure there must be a good tutorial somewhere, but all I'm finding when I google it is a lot of vague ones.

sorry for all the questions, just not sure what is best or where to start. Much thanks!

(so far Crepuscule and Eden are my favorites...!