Austins, Austins, Austins!! Many of them are hardy in an average Maine winter. I will admit that I lost 3 of mine last winter, due to the extreme cold and no snow cover. But I replaced them all and then some more because, for me, they perform better than nearly every rose I have tried. I have never winter-protected in the past, but may consider placing some leaf mulch around the Austins this winter. If I had done this last winter, I may not have lost the ones I did. Let me say that if you are looking for very fragrant, big fluffy flowers, David Austins are the way to go. Your wife will fall in love with them. I have fallen in love with them. They are the only roses I have ever been enamored by. Although the Canadian Explorers and Bucks are hardier, you are right in that they have no scent. I have two Champlains (Can. Expl.) that do bloom red continuously all summer, but I am not impressed by them because they have no scent and their form is not as nice as Austins. I have tried a couple French Rugosas, and though they are fragrant, they have not been anywhere near the blooming machines as my Austins. In fact, I have been quite disappointed with my rugosa "Souvenir de Philemon Cochet" because all the buds just beginning to open balled in the rain (turned an ucky brown color and never really opened). Nearly all Austins will bloom all summer long, even into the fall sometimes. Their fragrance will make women swoon (and some men too). They are absolutely beautiful, old-fashioned round, fat, thousand-petaled, scrumptious blooms. They have been very disease-resistant for me. An occasional speck or two of black spot is all I have seen on some of them. Many are 100% clean. Now to the hardiness part: Last winter was a doozy, but I have had Austins sail through the previous two winters very well. Their canes do winter-kill, usually down to 6-12" depending on the conditions. In mid-April, when they have started to put out new buds, I prune off the winter-killed canes down to live growth. They make up for the lost height by mid-summer. If you winter-protect, you will have less winter-kill. Email me if you want some pics or more growing information, and sources.

Those plug wraps are that material (liners) that large perennial growers and obviously some commercial rose growers start their plants in. I've lost more perennials since they started using them than ever in my life. Some perennials just won't grow out of them into the soil. Just like peat pots and coir pots. The only reason for these things is to hold moisture and makes for success for the wholesalers. I happened to be talking to Chris from Hallson Gardens and mentioned what I thought of those liners. I hit a nerve. He has been fighting distributors over their use for a long time. Not only does is cause trouble for home growers but significant loses for plant farms like his. grumble grumble Kentucky Rose, I'm not sure about a cut flower. It has petals with good substance and lasts about 2 weeks on the bush. It always blooms as multiples so in order to use a vase you need to take them all. I bring some in so I can stair at them longer. They lasted about five days and that was cutting them after they had been open for a while. Thank you for that laugh Seil. Thats my reason for refusing pain killers for this crippling arthritis. It takes your smile away and replaces it with a frown. They need a new class of pain killers. Oops got off track there.

I agree with a lot of Kate's suggestions, but remember we're both in colder zones than you. I've seen fairly universal recommendations for Munstead Wood and I love that rose. It blooms in the heat and even maintains some of its purple color where other purple roses (particularly Austins) really pink out in the heat. Olivia Rose Austin is impressing me already in her second year and is looking to be one of the best Austins. In my climate both of those can be cutting roses, at least as far as any Austins can last more than a day cut, but Scepter'd Isle is better enjoyed on the bush. It's a loosely double self supporting shrub of over a meter for me and it probably has the potential to be much larger for you. It blooms all summer in the heat, so that definitely recommends it. Another Austin that does well for me and is supposed to do well in hot climates is Heritage, but the colors are pale and they don't cut well. Tranquillity is settling into its third year with a lot of promise but I can't say for sure yet. Sharifa Asma has the absolute best fragrance of any Austin for me, though Evelyn is also supposed to be in the running. If you have access to Elizabeth of Goshen, she has all the beauty of an Austin with much better hardiness than most purple roses and tolerance of shade too. Not many people in the US grow the Delbard Painter series because they're not available, but I want to contribute an absolutely enthusiastic recommendation for Edgar Degas if you like stripes. He's probably in the top 5 of my favorites among over 1000 roses, and I've shared cuttings with several vendors in the US to keep him in circulation. He's wider than he is tall, at less than a meter tall but as much as two meters wide. He blooms all summer with captivating variations in blooms and enthusiastic robust clusters of blooms. He laughs off heat and blackspot in my garden and is robustly cane hardy (not an issue for you I realize). Even the dreaded Japanese Beetles prefer other roses to him, though they'll eat anything. Here are some pictures to tempt you: Among the other painters, I still have Henri Matisse and he pales in comparison to Edgar. Dark pink blooms now and then with modest variegation, but mostly a one-cane wonder. I have Alfred Sisely and he's a great rose too with orange-yellow-white stripes, but not the monster Edgar is. I grew Claude Monet for one shining moment, but he didn't survive our winters and isn't replaceable. I remember him fondly though. Hope that helps! Cynthia

Im wondering how I have missed Velvet Fragrance? What a beautiful red and fragrant to boot Two of my favorite for fragrance are Double Delight and Memorial Day. Tess, my mother in lae and my dad were both in care factories and I know the joy that they would have received by sharing the fragrance and beauty of real roses or any flowers actually What a great ministry and blessing for those who love fresh flowers but have gardens no more Well done !!