Gary if you want an OGR type rose, Louis Philippe is hard to beat. It will grow..and grow!! If you're looking for less maintenance, Knockout is a good choice. These are just two that I've had success with - but there are many others. Try the Roses forums for more ideas. Good luck!

I love my Louis Phillipe and 2 Sweet Annies( Garten Direictor Otto Linne 1934) and the knockouts. Also Zephrine Drouhine as a climber can handle some shade and has no thorns. I feed my roses alfafa pellets and worm compost and spray with Baking Soda and water for black spot.Knockouts I ignore and he is in a NE corner under the eaves,happily growing and blooming.However I am on the east coast.{{gwi:902472}}

goldenpond,what's the ratio for baking soda and water ?it sounds easy enough.thanks,patricia

I do absolutely nothing for blackspot. I refuse to be a slave to my roses. :-)

I have quite a few old garden roses, and they're very tough. Most of mine have been in the garden almost nine years, so they're established, and black spot isn't noticeable. The old garden roses in the China class do the best for me (Louis Phillipe, Old Blush and St. David are some Chinas I have in my garden).

I also have a hedge of the bright magenta colored Knockout roses in an area that only gets afternoon sun. They're fine. They'd bloom more if they got more sun, but they're doing really well.

I prefer Louis Phillipe to Knockouts. I personally think Louis is less maintenance. My Knockouts look a little ratty if I don't deadhead them, but Louis doesn't look too bad if I don't get around to deadheading.

Size could be an issue. Louis Phillipe will get gigantic if left to its own devices - 7'x8' easily. In my experience, Knockouts don't get as big. Louis Phillipe has a nice spicey fragrance, whereas I can't detect any scent in my Knockouts. But as far as your location and the amount of sun, I think Louis Phillipe or Knockout would bloom about the same there. I've seen huge bushes of Louis Phillipes growing in very shady areas in St. Augustine and they had blooms.

Have fun! OGRs are an addiction!

Sorry the top one was sweet annie this is LP{{gwi:902473}} I do like the looks of L.P better than the knockout but everything has its place. The knockouts do have a Wild side to them.A lantana decide to take up residency with my knockout which is interesting.This is the NE corner beneath eaves.{{gwi:902474}}
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These are good roses for eluding black spot but I do have other roses which are not such as Teasing Georgia and Disney .
The answer to the Baking Soda question.
I only use 1 TBS per squirt bottle(QT)and water.
BUT,,,,,,,,,,here is the Cornell Recipe I got from Paul James The Gardener Guy TV Show(HGTV)
The Cornell Recipe
I TBS Baking Soda
1 TBS Hort.oil
1 Tbs insecticidal soap.

Where in the Miami / Hollywood area can I buy the Louis Phillippe roses?