Hi Andreajp: You ask great questions! Do roses want a medium that stays moist for a longer period than other plants? Both guys, Jeff in Ohio and Mr. Kim Rupert (Roseseek) in CA, recommended MiracleGro Moisture Control Potting Soil that doesn't dry out. I saw a HUGE pretty blue styrofoam pot at Walmart, very light. Only drawback: styrofoam pots are made flat at the bottom, they don't drain water if sitting against a flat surface. Since elevating them with bricks look ugly, I had to drill holes at the sides, 1" off the ground. My roses did better with plastic pots - the new ones have indentation at the bottom, which elevates the drain holes 1/2 inches off the ground. I like Hoovb's and Kitty's idea of putting plastic pot inside another pretty pot. Roses do best in plastic pots if there's insulation outside. I recommended mini-roses and mini-flora since they are round shape, no need for pruning, and like heat. Mini-roses have China ancestry, they did well in full sun, 100 degrees here. Blue Mist, is a 3' x 3' round-bush in CA. Mini-roses don't do well when it's raining all day here ... they don't tolerate wet soil like Austin roses. I shipped my mini-roses to CA, since they don't like all-day Chicagoland rain and poor drainage styrofoam pots. Mini-roses prefer well-drained soil, versus wet soil for Austin roses. Burlington Roses has Old port, a mauve floribunda with many petals, almost thornless, that one likes it wet.

Hi Lisa, Please pardon my overlooking your color preferences! I got so engrossed in the thornless and height parts of it that I forgot about the rest of your wishes! I also forgot another rose that ought to have been an obvious choice, considering that I like that one enough to have bought it for myself last year. (!) Have you looked into Renae? Maybe I didn't think of it sooner because I didn't have the feeling that a polyantha would be good for that far north, but I've looked it up again now, and apparently it will go for zone 6b. And also your location for it would have some protection from drying winds and may be be a little warmer overall than farther out from your house. I think it would work, and from what I know about Renae, I think you'd like it. Eventually, anyway. Renae is a little slow to get going (as apparantly are some other rambler/climbers) but is definitely able to fill up your space easily; it's not likely to get to the top of the post and quit. There's a picture of Renae on Carolyn Parker's website pictures (link enclosed). If you scroll down towards the bottom of the page and look for pink climbers, you'll see Renae growing in her yard, plus her comment in the fine print under it mentioning that Renae is her favorite climber. (Carolyn Parker is the author of a rose book, "R is for Rose" and she has an interesting website at http://rosenotes.typepad.com/ too.) There are a couple of tiny thorns on my Renae near the ground, but otherwise it's thornless so far. When it gets established and blooming, I'm looking forward to its fragrance. Renae is the ultimate in pliable floppiness, and is often used in weeping standards. I can picture some cascades of it from the top of your posts now! She apparently does like to bloom, bloom, bloom, and then bloom some more. I have on order another one that is a Renae seedling. It might be just as hardy as Renae, though it might not have been widely available enough to tell about its degree of hardiness yet. That rose is Annie Laurie McDowell. It's supposed to be very much like Renae, but with flowers that look even better up close. Best wishes, Mary Here is a link that might be useful: Carolyn Parker's rose garden

If you want a fluffy pink, have you considered Princess Alexandra of Kent? She's about 3.5 x 2.5 and, according to David Austin, has a "delicious fresh tea fragrance with aspects of lemon and blackcurrants." Princess Alexandra of Kent I wouldn't know since I do not grow her, but if I had any space left open, I would definitely plant her in my garden. Austin adds that she is highly fragrant and very healthy also and "ideal for pots and containers." Really BIG blooms, I'm told. Kate

I like Crepuscule and it can look fairly orange or apricot. William Allen Richardson might be more orange ..I don't grow it so I am not sure what it's like in terms of thorns. I have a fairly new Cl. Royal Sunset that doesn't seem very thorny so far. Blooms start out fairly orange but quickly fade to a buff color. I think seeing the various colors at once on the plant is lovely. Crepuscule on obelisk: Cl Royal Sunset Elie Beauvillain Not thornless but not as thorny as some. It's a warm buff pink with coral reverses But I guess the overall effect is more of a light pink I just ordered a Coral Dawn plant but it's probably very thorny as it is a child of New Dawn. What about Leander? It has few thorns . It's vigorous and more bs resistant than many Austins.