HA HA Lenie -- My husband called them "Ugly plants with bare bottoms," and remarked that they all looked like they'd "been to Military School." :-)

G00d luck with your search.
I am in California, so can't be too much help. But find a copy of Mrs. Ethelyn Keyes book "OLD ROSES." Mrs. Keyes was one of the first "Rose Rustlers," collecting lost roses all through your area in the first couple of decades of the 20th Century. She found the roses that had survived there practically on their own since the 18th and 19th Centuries.

You can buy her book in reprint (try ABE Books) pretty cheaply, and it is the most wonderful read.

Jeri in SoCal

Lol Jeri you're husband is right!i spray them with fungicide but they still get blackspot,they look very ugly.thank u for your suggestion jeri I'll definitely get that book..

Austin roses will get blackspot as well, and can drop their leaves in summer. Some of them are more prone to this than others.

Bishop's Castle holds onto its leaves better than some of the other Austins.

Repeat blooming antiques such as Hybrid Perpetuals and Bourbons also can get blackspot or drop their leaves in summer.

Rugosas tend to resist blackspot. You might also look into once-blooming Albas or Species Roses.

Pink Promise is a fantastic Hybrid Tea that holds onto its leaves better than some other Hybrid Teas. Perfume Delight is vigorous and well foliated.

Lenie - one thing I have learned is that roses all act differently in different places - some get no blackspot in one place, and are covered with it in another, etc. So, I would not take any specific advice on roses from anyone unless they live/garden near you.

Look for you local branch of the American Rose Society - usually they concentrate on HTs, but I have found several old rose lovers in mine. If you go to the Heritage Roses Group website, they have regional people - find the one in your region and ask them if they know anyone in Maryland. Also, I would walk around my neighborhood and look for rose gardens, and see if anyone is growing old roses. It is so very important to find roses that like to grow where you live!

Jackie

Hi Lenie,

I'm in Southern California so don't know how roses I've seen would do for you disease wise, but I can suggest some you might want to look at for their lush foliage/lack of bare knees. Perhaps those in your area can comment about their health and resistance to disease.

R. SPINOSISSIMA (aka Scots Rose, R. pimpinellifolia, etc.) is a beautiful white, once blooming species with single flowers. I got the mother plant from Eurodesert due to the nursery's closure. The plant was covered head to toe in leaves--no visible knees at all, and it has performed the same way in my garden. Grows as a large rounded mound. It has, so far to me, the best tasting hips of any rose in my garden. The hips change color from a bright, cheerful red to black and are quite ornamental. Eurodesert got their plant from Forest Farm, http://www.forestfarm.com/products.php?order_dir=ASC&order_by=plantNameGenus,%20plantNameSpecies,%20plantNameCultivar¶ms=plantGenusStart:R:plantName:rosa

I've ordered once from Forest Farm this year and received large, very healthy looking plants (only one was a rose) which were very reasonably priced. They have an excellent selection of species roses.

Photo on Help me Find:
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.90574

LA REINE is a hybrid perpetual I bought years ago from Antique Rose Emporium in Texas. I've since sold the property on which my plant grew (intend to buy it again from ARE). It was densely-clothed in foliage all the way to the ground. Bloomed often with very fragrant many-petalled flowers of rose pink. Maybe around 3 1/2 feet tall and a little less wide. No disease at all for me. Others in Southern California have not had the same experience and I wonder if perhaps they got a less-healthy clone (maybe rose mosaic virus infected?).

La Reine on HMF:
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.143154

Roses at Antique Rose Emporium:
http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/groups/all
I've bought roses from ARE multiple times over the years and have always received HUGE healthy plants. Highly recommended. Ships in wonderful modular boxes which are very easy to unpack and which protect the plants well.

JOE GREY is a little-known shrub bred by J. Benjamin Williams that covers itself in mauve flowers. If you want something that is densely foliaged, this is the rose for you! I saw one growing at Eurodesert earlier this year (same as the one pictured on HMF by Cliff). Blooms all the way to the ground. Canes not visible at all. I didn't have room for it at the time Eurodesert was closing, but made note of its unique qualities and plan to buy it in future.

Joe Grey on HMF:
http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=21.149786

Available from Vintage Gardens:
http://www.vintagegardens.com/roses.aspx?cat_id=31
A great place to get hard-to-find roses. Sadly it will be closing in 2013.:(

SNOWBELT (aka Cassie) is a delightful polyantha with white flowers that smell like honey! It's another plant that I saw at Eurodesert earlier this year. On the day I was going through the polyantha bed taking pictures, someone bought it--if she hadn't I would have. Really pretty up close and stunning from a distance with the white flowers dotting the dark green leaves. Mounded and dense in shape, about 3 feet tall and wide. Supposed to be nearly thornless too, although I didn't part the leaves to check the canes.

Here it is on HMF:
http://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=21.186686

Available from Heirloom Roses in Oregon, sold as Cassie:
http://www.heirloomroses.com/roses/shrub-roses.html?color=71
I've ordered from Heirloom for years, band size only, and have always received very healthy bands (I've received larger bands from them than anyone else), including this year. I especially like the way they pack bands--protects the plants well while being especially easy to unpack (after cutting thru the tape on the outside of the package, *no tools required*!!!!).

Melissa

Wow thank u so much Jeri,krista,Jackie,Maureen and Melissa !i really appreciate all the wonderful suggestions I don't mind once blooming at all Im gonna order them for spring planting rightnow I'm cleaning my garden and need to throw like 100 hybrid teas I feel bad but I want something that look good and I don't wanna waste my space for sickly looking roses.I am very excited!and thankful to everyone I will post some pics next year.thank u all!
Lenie

My experience (here in Delaware-I'm no spray, and abide some leaflessness, so with that caveat): Earth Song continues to flower, is relatively black spot resistant, holds leaves well & has some fragrance. Gets rather large. May be my favorite rose (though I'm also liking the McCartney Rose-little blackspot, better fragrance than Earth Song, repeats well; believe I'll move this to a sunnier locale in the Spring).

As a class of roses, I'm finding my favorite may be becoming Polyanthas. Marie Pavie is a flower machine, holda the leaves well, and has some fragrance (which, for me, is something to remark on, as generally I can't smell roses, which is why I'm leaning more, now, to reblooming lilacs).

Clothilde Soupert also is repeating, now - light pink to almost white on the outer petals, darker pink inside. Fragrance, too, but has more than a tendency to "ball" in moist conditions.

Lady Emma Hamilton is an Austin that seems to work for me (at least so far). Holds the leaves well (mixture of dark red & green), some fragrance & I like the orange flowers. Heritage still blooms now, some leaf loss but a lemony fragrance (on occasion).

If you like once blooming roses (and can keep up with the suckers, which I don't see as a huge problem, except possibly my Apothecary Rose), I'd say consider gallicas; really nice display for awhile in the spring.

Here's another recommendation for Duchesse de Brabant, for the reasons noted previously.

Quietness, for me, has some rebloom, but no fragrance and does blackspot some.

Moss rose that works for me is Captain John Ingram (no repeat, though I like the moss smell & the deep purple).

You need to hear from Olga. She is quite knowledgeable on BS in MD. It would help if you put your zone and state in your name, that may get her attention. I don't mean to be rude but have learned for experience - ignore the nice people in California, down South and up North. Even us in PA and DE aren't as accurate as Maureen and Olga in MD.

Thank you all for being helpful.can anybody tell where I can buy this antique roses,I look up rose nurseries like chamblee and heirloom but they dnt have much OGR .i know you guys have the experience please tell me the best rose nursery online where I can order my roses.thank you all for being helpful and patient with me,I really want to learn more about roses and fill up my yard with lots of them!i think the Abraham Darby that my husband bought for me last year got me hook on roses I love the fragrance and it's very beautiful even though it get blackspot where I am I love this rose and it makes want more and more lol I can't go on with my day without looking and smelling the blooms I think my neighbor think I'm crazy just spending so much time in my yard digging,planting .

Hi- Chamblee's Nursery has a good list of EARTH-KIND roses, also they have lots of OGRs, I order from them and have been very pleased...sally

There is also Roses Unlimited in your part of the world. I don't generally order from them mostly because there are excellent nurseries closer to me, but I hear good things of them. They are very well-regarded.

Rosefolly

For OGRs (gallicas, albas, damasks, etc,), Pickering Roses sells grafted bareroot roses that I have delivered in late March. They also have many Austin roses. They grow VERY fast, as the rose you order comes grafted on the roots of multiflora - a rose that loves the soil in our area. I planted some gallicas last Spring that are already 4' x 3'

For other old roses and shrub roses, I highly recommend Long Ago Roses in NC - they are very helpful with any questions you may have. Roses Unlimited in SC has lots of more unusual roses. They send larger plants but are more expensive. I like Chamblees (good prices) but they don't always have what I want.

Follow the advice of those in your area of Maryland. There are many good roses that will keep most of their clothes on throughout the summer, but you're not likely to find them at the typical garden center. Use the forum to make a list of the good candidates and then order them from reliable specialty growers like Pickering (on multiflora mostly), the Antique Rose Emporium (own root), and a number of other reliable suppliers of virus free roses.

Thank you very much for all the suggestion,I decided I'm getting the following:
Charles de mills
Belle amour
Blush damask
Celsiana
Comte de chambord
Felicite parmentier
Fantin latour
Tuscany superb
Madame hardy
Graham thomas
Brother cadfael
Molinuex
Pat Austin
Sophy's rose
Benjamin britten
Belinda's dream
Charles Darwin
Tamora
Charlotte
Eglantyne
Easy does it
Golden celebration
And lot more I know Austin will need spraying but I can't resist these beautiful roses!!!ughh I won't be able to sleep if I don't get this hahah I guess I'm a rose addict now.but I wanna get more OGR I love the gallica they look so pretty!but I never seen it in person that's why I can't wait for the spring,do OGR bloom on thier first year in the garden?

Lenie,

I read your post and read your list of selections. I am a bit south of you, but I do grow all my roses without chemical support. I grow all the roses on your list except Eglantyne and Easy does it. From your list I would recommend the following:

Charles de mills
Belle amour
Comte de chambord
Felicite parmentier
Fantin latour
Tuscany superb
Madame hardy
Graham thomas
Moinuex
Pat Austin
Sophy's rose
Benjamin britten
Belinda's dream
Charles Darwin
Tamora
Charlotte

I left all of the David Austins on your list because you indicated that you are willing to spray. I am not willing to spray. I do have a rather high tolerance for BS. There are some David Austins that seem to be doing rather well for me without spray:

Sweet Juliet
Alexandra Rose
Comte des Champagnes
Benjamin Britten
Constance Spry
Tess of the d'Urbevilles
Teasing Georgia
Queen of Sweeden
Malvern Hills

I'm sure there are more in the garden, but these seem to perform well enough.

I would also recommend that you consider:

Shailer's Provence
The Bishop
White Cap
Darlow's Enigma
Marcessa Bocella
Jenny Duval
Daybreak
Salet

I guess I could go on ad infinitum suggesting OGRs for a no spray garden.

Good luck.

Robert

Thank you for your suggestions Robert !i do need a lot of roses so I am gonna try the roses you suggest.im glad that there's more DA you added that do good for you with no spray.,and I want OGR too I never have them but mother in law has it and I fall in love with it even it flower once.thank u so much!

I grow Eglantyne and a number of Austins no-spray, and they do well. I do see blackspot late in the season, but this has not diminished vigor or hardiness.

do OGR bloom on thier first year in the garden?

***

Some might. Once Bloomers won't though, in my experience. Repeat bloomers might put out some blooms later in the year ... I was encouraged to pinch off most of the blooms the first year though, to allow the plants to work on establishing a good root system, and not put effort into blooming. I did pinch off most blooms, but left 1 or 2 just to see them, lol, and to make sure that it was the right rose ...

Congratulations! ORG's and modern hybrids on their own roots are much better than the ones you're growing now!
Just be very cautious - a lot of David Austin roses are GRAFTED. Be sure you are getting ones that are on their own roots or you'll have more bare sticks. I have one, Tradescant, that's grafted, and can't believe it's lived as long as it has, since grafted roses usually croak after a few years here. I'm trying to grow it from cuttings so I can have it on its own roots.

I don't even own anything to spray my roses with and they do great. Sometimes I see black spot but it doesn't harm them so I don't do anything about it.

Also, keep in mind, a lot of these will get very large, especially in a mild climate. They can get much larger than grafted roses. Belinda's Dream is one that will get large in the right conditions.

Yes, they'll bloom the first year!

Lenie- Don't give up on Celsiana! It's a beautiful rose and blooms for several weeks. I don't live in your area, but Celsiana has no trouble with the creek on our property (which caused some mildew on the Zephirine Drouhins...now at my mom's). Celsiana is absolutely no maintenance, is two years old and bloomed like crazy this year. Even the deer don't bother it, as they do some of the other OGRs.

Here's a picture (not mine) but it convinced me to try Celsiana. Good luck with your new roses and have fun with those gallicas! They're beautiful and it's worth waiting for them, once each year. I have two Belle de Crecy and they're small...but beautiful! :)

Celsiana {{gwi:324015}}From Lavender's Garden

Belle de Crecy (also not mine) {{gwi:326423}}From Lavender's Garden

And this is also a very pretty rose...Echo (Baby Tausendschon) from Rogue Valley Roses. This is my picture, with the rose blooming the second year. {{gwi:324018}}From Lavender's Garden

Lavender lass thank you for posting this beautiful roses!!i love them!