Lynn, my climate is similar to yours -- just a tad cooler in the summer. I'm a beginner at OGRs, but my Duchesse de Brabant planted one year ago from a one-gallon is about five feet tall by about three feet wide. My Souvenir de la Malmaison shrub planted one year ago from a band is about three feet tall and wide. My Souvenir de la Malmaison climber planted one year ago from a bare root is at least 13 feet long (it's wrapped in fairly tight coils on an arbor). And my Souvenir de la Malmaison climber planted one year ago from a band is about 18 inches tall. Who know how much more growth each of these will put on.

There is no such thing as a typical OGR, as I am sure you are aware. The term was invented by the ARS as a place they could put ANY rose of any kind which was in commerce in the mid 19th century or before. There are thousands and thousands of them, of many many different types. It is safer to inquire about at least a type of OGR and a climate zone to get responses that would make any sense.

Having said that I will say that in warm climates some rose types which like warm climates (such as teas and some chinas, polyanthas, etc. can get much larger than some resources will admit.

ARGHH! I was going to post some pics, but suddenly Houzz won't let me post any pics - I wish they would get their act together!

If the Vintage Website is still working, it shows the size and growth habit of the OGRs. It varies depending on type and location grown.

Lynn, if you give us a list of the roses you have in pots and want to plant in your garden, we would better be able to give you useful information.

Jackie

Here in Livermore, CA, as big as they can. I had a Duchesse de Brabant from Chamblees that was 7' tall x 6' wide in just a few years (mildew queen and too big for the spot, so off she went). I have a Mrs. B.R. Cant that is 8' tall and approx. 14' wide (and that's while being inflicted with some sort of stem gall disease -- doesn't seem to affect appearance or blooms at all) and an Etoile de Lyon that is roughly 7' tall x 12' wide and Le Pactole not quite that large but headed that way. Arcadia Louisiana Tea is about 8' tall and 8' wide. Also Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux, about 6' tall and 10' wide, Comtesse du Cayla 8' x 10' after a good trimming, and Miss Lowe's Variety, about 6' x 6' and going bigger. Don't even ask about the tea-noisettes; it's scary.

Yeah, Jeri, as you say, anything but "weak growers"! Even Westside Road Cream Tea, which Vintage listed as a "1" and which the little cartoon shows is about knee high, is a little over 5' tall so far (gets bigger every year) and much wider. Can't post the photo of it here that I took this week, due to Houzz photo malfunction at the moment, but I did post the photo on HMF, mainly to let folks know it can get bigger (and that it is a beauty! Very clean, floriferous bush).

..perhaps they were referring to Europe or colder climates..?? they can be rather weak over this way it seems.... most I think with a few exceptions, but we still like to try...

No. They were referring to the East Coast of the United States. But this was someone who SHOULD have known better, having traveled enough to know that statement was nonsensical.

Catspa -- I would very much like to see your photos of Westside Road Cream Tea. Can you private-message me? The only one I have seen was very immature, and hence, about 12-ins. tall.

sent you a message, Jeri

THANK YOU! I really appreciate it!

In order to keep a 'Mermaid' within a reasonable size; becauseI wanted it to spread 30feet wide, but espaliered to only 3 and 1/2 feet from front to back, I only lightly amended the soil, with a shovel full of compost and a bit of chicken poo, in four years it never grew larger than 4 feet and 4 inches tall. I recently dug around it and increased the amendments to make it grow larger. It was a 2 year old budded rosebush when I bought it in 2010. I live 10 miles east from San Francisco, and the soil is heavy clay.
I also lightly amended one of two Westside Road Cream Tea, in 2010.
One bush is approaching 4 feet tall, with my normal amendments, the other is barely 1 foot tall, and I'm going to increase the amendments to it this summer.
My smaller Old Garden Roses that I've grown include: Rose du Rescht' Souvenir de la Malmaison, which is a lovely Old rose that reblooms as well as most of its Old Garden Tea cousins, (it is 1/2 Tea by parentage. The Old Rose Polyanthas are smaller too, I've kept the original form of Mlle. Cecille Brunner, to only 4 and 1/2 feet by 3 feet wide for years, and the same for 'Perle d'Or'. 'White Pet' can be kept to c. 3 and 1/2 locally by c. 3 feet wide and makes a wonderful low border or hedge.
I love the Teas and would rather have one large Tea than a bunch of other classes of rose but that's just me. They have a longer bloom season, being nearly evergreen where I live, and I love their elegant blooms.
Let us know what you decide upon.
Lux.

Thank you all for the input. I hope gardeners from zone 7 ( pushing the zone for some of these) will chime in too as I have R ead interest from gardeners there wanting to plant some of the very special roses. I have the Vintage catalog, but am between homes, and it is in storage... somewhere. The OGR roses I have are:

Duchesse de Brabant

Mrs. B.R. Cant

Clementina Carbonieri

Vicomtesse d' Avesne

Mlle. Sombreuil

Madame Joseph Schwartz

Caroline Marinesse

Mme. Isaac Periere

Belle Vichysoisse

Blush Noisette

Paul Neyron

Baronne Prevost

SDLM bush and climber

Francis Dubreuil

Reine des Violettes

These are the roses that I can think of off hand. What is most shocking to me thus far is the report for Mrs. B.R. Cant. I have 3, and was thinking it would grow to a width of about 8'... but Catspa...14'... WOW!!! We built our new home for us, but my husband often states that the land/yard is for me and my roses. It looks as though I will need the land....all of it...

Luxrosa, recently as I perused rose magazines, my husband noticed a soft pink climbing rose that was so large, he likened it to the size of a tree...seems as though Mermaid would qualify as "tree size" if left on its own...

Jacqueline, I hope Houzz gets it together and you are able to post images again. I always enjoy seeing images of your beautiful garden.

Sow_what, your gardens and work at the Humpty Dumpty House are inspiring!! I am still considering Claire Austin because of the images you have posted and your reports regarding the performance of this rose.

Jerijen, it isn't an antique, but what is the general range for Grandmother's Hat growing in a warm climate? BTW... I now have 3 G.H. too... thank you:)

Lynn

"Grandmother's Hat" actually IS a legitimate Old Garden Rose. We just don't know what it is -- which is true of many of the "Found" roses.

Since we cannot upload photos, see these links:
Grandmother's Hat

Grandmother's Hat 2
Grandmother's Hat 3

It can be pruned and grown as you might a Floribunda, espaliered as a low climber, let to its own as a freestanding specimen plant or shaped, but grown huge, as you see above. (But do note this plant is easily 20 years old.)

I am in zone 7. I have (or had) Mrs. BR Cant, Duchess d'Brabant, Sombrieul, but the climber, Clementine, Reine des Violettes and Barone Prevost. Mrs BR Cant is the largest, by far. Mine was about 8 feet around but was getting larger. I did try to keep down to a certain size. Duchess d'Brabant is about 5 feet high and wide. I also keep it pruned because of the spot it is in. Clementine is a moderate size. RdV and the Barone are medium, both seem to want to climb, but are not large climbers.

Last year when we had the polar vortex, our temps got below zero for a few nights. I lost most of the above ground growth on most of my teas. But they did come back strong from the roots. Unfortunately I lost my Mrs BR Cant in construction in my yard. But since I have all new beds, I now have 2 new ones. I am planting one on each side of my drive way. And hopefully this time I've left enough room.

I have mature plants of Duchesse de Brabant and Dr. Joseph Schwartz (which is a color sport of DdB). My Dr. Joseph Schwartz stays smaller than the DdB, but that is probably because it is in partial shade, and DdB is in full sun. The DdB is about 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide and deep. The Dr. JS is about 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide and deep. Both bloom here 10-11 months of the year. Both get a little mildew in the early Spring, but it disappears in the Summer. No other problems.

Jackie

Westside Road Cream Tea on HMF. Looks big enough to me.

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.262221

Somewhere, I have seen a photo of Marie van Houtte. I think the photo was taken on the Riviera. The gardener is standing beside her, and MvH is about 3 times as tall, and about the same width. My Ms Tillier grew to about 8' tall and 15' wide in 3 years.

Do Centifolas grow well in the warmer zones? I have a Unique Panache with canes taller than I am. Apparently it thinks it's a climber.

We have grown 'Crested Moss,' which is a Centifolia sport. It grew and bloomed well for a year, then began to grow backwards. We dug it up, and gave it to some friends who lived in a mountain community, and had some winter.

Going to try and post pictures of large OGRs in my No Calif garden again - yay, it worked! This is my old Le Vesuve. I'll try some more below.

This is what I think is Lemarque, hanging over the 6 foot fence from the neighbors':

This is what we think is just the bush form of Cecile Brunner - second pic (when it was not blooming) has my DH in it so you can tell the scale.

Jackie

Oh..oh

I have a White Cecile Brunner growing in a 16" pot. I was told that it remains small....I was going to plant it toward the front of a border. Thank you for posting the images :)