One being circulated under the provisional name (given because Darlow had forgotten what he received it as) "Darlow's Enigma" is now comparatively common in gardens here and requires little care. It is small-flowered and can be wickedly armed, producing a network of small twigs with slender curved thorns like fishhooks. It has the fringed stipules and small sweetly scented flowers in conical heads of Rosa multiflora, but with additional petals and produced during the July to October flowering season of R. moschata in this climate. A plant sold in North America as 'Nastarana' is similar but glaucous green instead of yellowish green, apt to die back periodically during hard winters and not building up into a tall arching shrubby bush, pink in bud instead of yellow and somewhat susceptible to blackspot. Despite these differences if the two introductions turned out to be from the same breeding program or even the same cross it would not shock me.

I'm really liking Lady Hillingdon, Souvenir de Pierre Notting, and Etoile de Lyon, all Tea roses. The Tea roses in general have really beautiful very red new foliage, as does Mutabilis, a China rose. Really healthy, repeat blooming and apparently drought resistant once established, large growing, shrubby bushes. Perle d'Or is blooming well and healthy in a woodland position on the north side of the house. Others are Rosa moschata, Julia's Rose, Le Pactole, Clementina Carbonieri, Climbing Crimson Glory, and Cl. Etoile de Holland. The Austins Golden Celebration and Jude the Obscure are hard to beat.

Try Sexy Rexy or Easy Going ( Fellowship) Also Savoy Hotel.These are easy.
My favorite is Golden Jubilee ( unfortunately not easy and its hard to find.)

I've now crept over fifty but for both flower and foliage, my favorites are:

Darlowe's Enigma
Lyda Rose
Betty Boop
Flutterbye
Easy Going
Livin Easy
Sunset Celebration

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:23153}}

Note that it's spelled Darlow and that it's a study name rather than the original true name of the plant.

It's intriguing how everyone has different choices.... and not one mentions Westerland! But I like the sound of Darlow's Enigma... does anyone have a picture.... is it a climber or a shurb?

Yes, 'Westerland' is known to be a good one in this area. "Darlow's Enigma" has a variable habit but tends to be intermediate between climbing and bushy. Some specimens start out twiggy and small-parted, others make longer, thicker canes right from the early stages - perhaps these latter differ by being grafted (if anyone is grafting this variety). An arching almost treelike habit with longer, more climbing-style canes at the top and edges seems typical of specimens farther along in years - good for arches and gazebos - both of which I have seen it used for here.

I always intended to get a 'Westerland' but every time I went to buy one, they were out. My guess is that it's because they are in demand. One time I substituted a 'Stairway to Heaven' another time a 'Scent from Above' and recently a 'Blaze of Glory'.

I have a Darlow's trained on a 6' fence. I bought it as a tiny little own root from Heirloom. Last year was year 2. I'll look to see if I have any pics from last summer. This year I'm really expecting it to be awesome.

The "Enigma" looks like Rosa multiflora in bloom, which many here I think mistake for blackberry plants - not the same effect as a large-flowered rose.

Here's a link to my photo of "Darlow's Enigma", a truly spectacular rose in bloom and so sweetly scented.

Here is a link that might be useful:

At a garden consultation today I asked the client what the new rose was near the front door.

"'Westerland'".

Zepherine Drouhin has been the star of my garden, first and last to bloom, never without flowers. She's also thornless, which is nice for a climber.

Distant Drums has very unusual coloration, Neyron rose petals with a center that is a buff color, and myrrh fragrance which to me is like anise or licorice. It has a long bloom season.

Betty Boop also has a long bloom season and the flowers slowly fade so there are different shades on the same plant.

Baby Blanket, a groundcover rose that is arching, is usually covered with flowers.

Champney's Pink Cluster is usually covered in little pink flowers, a climber.

Once-bloomers with spectacular bloom in spring- Leda Rose, Rosa Mundi, Belle de Crecy, Tuscany Superb.

Fragrance, anyone? Are any of these fragrant?

My nose is what counts the most to me - I have something called Elegant Gallica from vintage roses which lifts me off my feet. My Pat Austin doesn't have any fragrance at all.

Anybody have Austin rose fragrant favorites?

Of the David Austin roses I have I think Abraham Darby is the most fragrant followed by Glamis Castle, Shirifa Asma, Gertrude Jekyll ( this one 's thorns will keep lions out of african villages), William Shakespeare 2000, Graham Thomas, Constance Spry and the Mayor of Cssterbridge (very light scent but not too thorny) in that order. One thing to keep in mind everybody's sense of smell may be different.

A......

I have lots of roses....

I am so glad I got two Darlow's Enigmas! I got them last year from Heirloom Roses. They are own-root and I've got them on the edge of our trees to climb away.

Nobody's mentioned the polyanthas, they do great here! I have CL Cecile Brunner, Marie Pavie, Pink Pet, Red Fairy and Perle d'Or. Very sweet roses.

I have a new Westerland from last year planted. As for the Austins that do well, I have Chianti, Flastaff( VERY Fragrant) Jude the Obscure, Abraham Darby and Graham Thomas.

The Vice President of the Tacoma Rose Society has given a lot of praise for the newer white hybrid tea Pope John Paul II. He said it does very well here! It is very beautiful and is supposed to have an amazing fragrance. I have the hybrid tea Ebb Tide. Wonderful! Dark purple with an incredibly strong frgarance. My favorite!

Buzzy,my Tuscany Superb has a nice smell to it. Not as strong as some, but definitely there. I love its color too.

My favourite smelling rose is a David Austin rose, Evelyn named for Crabtree and Evelyn, its gorgeous to boot.The colour is a beautiful peach with hints of pink and yellow.

I noticed a climbing Westerland for 14.99 at Clear Creek Nursery near Silverdale today. Just in case people were looking.

The fragrance of Abraham Darby is divine, like fine perfume. Because of AB, I've added The Dark Lady, LD Braithwaite, Wm. Shakespeare 2000, The Prince, and Gertrude Jekyl.

One rose that seldom ever gets mentioned for fragrance is Outrageous. Last year, twice a week I would cut a huge mixed bouquet for my wife and have it waiting as a centerpiece on her dining room table when she got home from work. Even if there was only one Outrageous bloom amongst 20 or so, even with half a dozen AB's, I could still smell it. The shrub itself is not all that but the fragrance of the rose is exceptional, at least to my discerning probiscus ;-)

Favorite climber: Madame Alfred Carriere
Favorite rambler: Francios Juranville
Favorite frangrant: Abraham Darby, Golden Celebration, Evelyn, Madame Alfred Carriere
Favorite Hybrid Tea: Jardin de Bagetelle