I am about 200 NW of DFW, much cooler and drier than you. I'm with Kate on the BB issue, not a good candidate for an arbor rose.
FWIW, my experience with Sombreiul (aka Colonial White) has been less than favorable. I tried in on a small arbor and it would not give me good coverage. Better a pillar rose, at least in my z7 Texas.
My Reve d'Or is young, is growing vigorously, likely would be an outstanding choice for a large arbor. Crepescule has a great reputation, but both my attempts to grow it ended in dead plants.
If you are looking for a great climber that blooms its head off all the time, try Pleasant Hill Cemetary, a found tea-noisette; not so glamorous, but an all-around winner. Also, the everblooming climber Mlle. Cecile Brunner is another outstanding climber, great foliage as well. There is a lot of controversy about the so-called everblooming MCB actually being the spray version. Mine came from Countryside Roses, is about 3 years in the ground, 12-15' tall and 8' wide, pretty good sized for a "spray".

We've grown Sombreuil since 1987, and have found it a good rose for an arbor.
It DOES need deadheading to make a good repeat, and it isn't a rose that will flourish without steady watering, but it makes a lovely picture, it's fragrant, and it's a good cut flower.
I love 'Reve d'Or,' and grow three of it. It's an easy rose to use on an arbor.
Our two oldest Sombreuil are now doing so badly (gophers and other problems) that we're going to pull them up and see if we can re-hab them.
I would like to replace them with 'Mel's Heritage,' an Hwich climber from Paul Barden, released from the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden.
It's a lax climber, could be a ground-cover, with beautiful foliage, and a strong apple fragrance.

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But it is at this time only available through the Heritage, at one of their events.

Jeri

I've grown all three and definitely agree about BB, and my Crepuscule was also more wide than tall. I have a young Reve d'Or and it blooms even now in December (four blooms) and has been very easy to train up a wall. It would be my choice.

Beautiful rose Jeri; how I wish I could smell it.

Ingrid

Thinking about it, another rose I would consider for that situation is 'Lamarque.'

Jeri

I'm not thrilled about the pairing of creamy white and pale apricot; different, but not different enough. A good strong-colored clematis would certainly help. How about two white roses with different flower styles? These are just thoughts. One of the great pleasures of 'Crépuscule' is its lovely foliage, a characteristic it shares with many other Noisettes.
Melissa

I have a Rev d'Or on an arbor and it gives great coverage. I highly recommend it.

My Reve d'Or is older than my Crepuscule, so is bigger, and I would say more vigorous. It blooms a lot more, and both have similar coloring, but Crepuscule has a deeper peach coloration, so I prefer her blooms. My Sombreuil is in a rather shady place and doesn't get much water in summer, so doesn't bloom much.

The climber I like the most is Zepherine Drouhin, a lovely hot pink that would set off the white. She is the first and last to bloom of all my roses, blooms continuously, and has no thorns. Some people complain of black spot, I don't really notice it.

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Niobe blooms earlier and less prolifically than Jackmanii for me.

Zepherine Drouhin- colors are washed out somewhat. The red climber, Dublin Bay, on the end has been very slow but has gorgeous red color and very long-lasting blooms on the bush.

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Reve d'Or is wonderful here. Still blooming now. Easy, easy, good coverage, blooms almost constantly. Gets large.

I've seen some pretty huge Reve d'Ors and wonder that it might get too big--more for a pergola than an arbor. I love Crepuscle.

Catsrose, I thought a pergola and an arbor were the same, can you tell me the difference so I mean what I say when I use the two terms? Thanks!

I think of the difference this way -

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I am in the same predicament. Reve d'Or sounds lovely on a pergola. Mine is only 8'X8'X8'. Its a great little place I use to cut and trim stems in, sit and drink coffee in and walk through. The last comment was b/c I was under the impression that pergolas were passing through structures and arbors were dead end structures with seats for placement at the ends of beautiful garden walks. Whatever. What about MME ALFRED CARRIERE as a rose for a pergola pillar? It would be long enough to go up and over the top. Very fragrant and few thorns from what I read. Repeat blooming. Large blooms that are cream blushed with pink. How about ICEBERG Climbing rose for a pergola? Do people like this honey fragrance that I read about? It seems sort of a give away description. Not enticing at all. Sort of a great rose b/c its tough and will please most people who are not very discerning. I am liking Noisette roses alot. People seem to be quite passionate about these old fashioned, disease resistant and very fragrant climbing roses. Lastly, do people like GHISELAIDE DE FILAGONDE? It seems so gorgeously colored.

I am always astounded when I see people write here that Buff Beauty can not be grown as a climber. I have grown it both as a freestanding shrub and as a climber. As a climber it certainly needs strong support, but those who say it will not grow as a climber are just wrong. The bush pictured below is 15 years old.

Scott Keneda {{gwi:327095}}From Drop Box

Here is a link that might be useful: Buff Beauty 001

The smaller red climber in the previous picture is Dublin Bay.

Scott Keneda

Has anyone seen Georgetown Noisette in action? I am thinking that this locally found rose might be just the match, adapted to our area so to speak. Still cruising blogs and catalogues for pergola climbing roses purchase. Getting closer and closer. Reve d'Or, Aimee Vibert, Martha or Kathleen Harrop or Zepherin Drouhin, Lady Hillingdon, Ghislaine de Filagonde, Larmarque, Devoniensis, Mme. Alfred Carriere, and That's Jazz are on my short list.

Technically is pergola is a large arbor or series of arbors covering a path or passageway. An arbor covers a smaller area, such as an entranceway or an outdoor table.

This is a pergola:

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And this is an arbor (look past the rose on the trellis, which is a vertical structure for training plants):

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But don' t worry about it. These days hardly anyone knows the difference. Even our architect.

Rosefolly

I'd grow "Alistair Stella Gray" with "Sombrueil" and a purple clem. My second choice would be "Crepescule" because Reve'dOr" fades badly to a pale cream-buff through months of full summer sunlight..

Luxrosa

Found a supposedly nearly thornless climbing rose called KAISERIN FRIEDERICH. It's a deep pinkish red. Looks beautiful in photos. Would this make a good climbing rose for my pergola--8'L x 8'W? Am still trying to find a source in USA for THAT'S JAZZ, a dark red, disease resistant large flowered climbing rose that is also supposedly nearly thornless. Any clues? Thanks!

I love, love this forum - I learn so many interesting things!

I have 2 comments:

1) I grew Buff Beauty along a fence. It went up an arch that was supposed to be for Cl. Iceberg, and over to the house, and then started racing Iceberg up the house. The BB got at least 13 feet up the house (before we had to cut it back to paint) - that was about 22 feet in total away from its base. So, I agree that it can, indeed, be grown as a climber (at least here in No Cal). It is now again putting out long canes and aiming to get back onto the house so it can go vertical again!

2) I am intrigued that evidently there is a controversy about the "everblooming" Cl Cecile Brunner - whether it might be the "spray" version. I was so amused that it took DNA testing to confirm that the 3 types of CB (bush, spray, and climber) were indeed sports of each other, instead of the spray one being a completely different rose (which was the "conventional wisdom" of even very expert rose folks for decades). A reconfirmation of the old "if it walks like a duck....."adage. Thanks greybird! I have all three versions of CB in my garden. The climbing one (which repeats only sporadically with scattered bloom) grew 3 stories up my house. The spray one (which is VERY VERY old - 80-90 years, at least) is 8-10 feet wide, and 10-12 feet high. So, does anyone have the "everyblooming" CB "climber" that has actually climbed up 20-35 feet, like the original climber? Just curious.

Jackie

Sombrueil has some pretty evil thorns so get gauntlets!

I have grown Reve d'Or and Buff Beauty together on a big arch and I love your idea of adding nice pop of color like a purple clematis. Buff Beauty does put out some wrong-way growth, eventually all of my friends received pieces of it!

You could put drifts of that hardy purple aster at the feet-- I miss that plant here which was so easy to come by in Texas.