Thank you all so much for your input. Krista, You have helped me a great deal in my selections, thank you so much. Do you have any thoughts on how large Eglantyne might get in my harsh, Midwest zone 4? I'm guessing it won't be as large as yours, and in this particular case, that might be a good thing. Ingrid, I have wanted PJ for a long time. Sadly, (this is embarassing to admit)I got one last Spring and accidentally killed it. I think, from pictures, that PJ is a must have, but I'm wondering if there would be enough contrast between the 3. Sven, at times, is almost the same color as William, and at other times lighter, so I'm looking for a rose that will contrast with William and a lighter Mauve. Would you say that PJ is as light as Sharifa Asma, or I guess, pale enough to contrast with a lighter mauve? ilovemyroses, Sceptre d'Isle is very pretty. I wonder how large it would get in zone 4. I got Sven at a local nursery. I kind of doubt they ship, but you never know. Their name is Nelson's Nursery. I will look up their # for you tomorrow, or ask them myself if they would ship. Carol, Brother Cadfael is another one I've been longing for. They don't have it at the particular place I'm ordering from, but they do have it at a relatively local place, so I'm hopeful I might make a short road trip and pick one up this year. Hoovb, The space I'm putting them in is not too big. Some would probably say too small to fit another rose, but like you said, they just aren't getting very large here. It's really hard to judge how large everything will get in my zone. Dublinbay, I'm hoping Shakespeare will be a bit taller than the others. He hasn't grown very much, though. I keep hoping this year will be his year. I really think, from pic.s that Gentle Hermione, would be a good alternative to Sharifa. I don't know how hardy this one is. I never go by smell, not that I don't love the smell of roses, but I have come to the conclusion that, the stronger the fragrance, the more the rose chafers and other beetles come. So, maybe if the smell is unappealing to people, it will be unappealing to the beetles. Thank you for the help. Any other ideas would be appreciated. The clock is ticking for my order, though. Kitty

I've received a Sharifa Asma through mail order and was very surprised to see how many thorns she has. I'm growing her in a pot. I've seen a couple of photos of her in a pot and she seems happy. If she gets tall - you can always prune her to the desire level. Hopefully I made the right choices in buying this rose because some many people on this board said that she's a great rose - but I don't like the flower shape. Anyway, can't wait for spring to come.

Many of the older Austin roses are quite cold hardy due to the Old Garden Rose Genetics that is only one or two generations removed in their breeding. Mr. Austin has also used some Rugossa roses in his breeding programs which helps with hardiness. My personal list of hardiest Austin varieties is: St. Cecilia, Mary Rose and her sports,Redoute and Winchester Cathedral, Crocus Rose, Lilian Austin, The Reeve, The Mayflower, Saint Swithun, Teasing Georgia, Eglantyne. All of the roses named above survive and do well here without winter protection. Though aside from St. Cecilia and the Mayflower, the rest will have significant die back if not protected or covered by snow. I grow other Austin varieties that are somewhat more tender, but still do very well for me here with winter protection. I plant all my roses with the bud union three to four inches below the soil level. I cut my more tender rose plants back in mid to late November to approximately 12 inches and then cover them with straw and leaves, because I do not have reliable deep snow cover. Generally the yellow and peach roses are more tender. Cheers, RRL

I just planted this one, too. Hope it does as well as yours. Great shot!