How refreshing to hear you all accepting "other" roses into your old rose gardens! Harry I love your exuberant garden! (I NEED that Mandarin honeysuckle, tell me where you found it!) peplill, that Kordes 'Grandmaster' is incredible. I've never heard of it but it reminds me of something, I can't remember what just now. Olga, I've admitted to having a Knockout and a Blushing Knockout and, yes, they have their place and function. As a sidenote, I've wanted to SP KO for two years now and my DH has persuaded me to think otherwise. His logic is how can you want to dig out the most disease resistant, insect resistant, floriferous, most densly foliated, and hardiest rose in our garden? That's when I give it another chance until I can figure out another rose that has the same qualifications I can replace it with (when he's on a business trip!) Blushing KO is a more pleasing pink with bluish green foliage, better to blend with other roses so it stays. I also have Carefree Sunshine (thank you Jean!) which is new to me last year but is turning out to be sensational. It is a soft butter yellow and just as disease resistant as the KOs. Of course, most of the hybrid musks qualify, lots of shrubs, oh, Sally Holmes definitely, and rugosa hybrids, there are just too many to mention. I haven't had much luck with the floribundas I've tried, something about the wavy petal form that doesn't match, or color, or stiffness, I don't know what it is. Think about bloom form, color, and fragrance and try to match them to the antiques you love. It's fun! My new love - Autumn Sunset with goldflame honeysuckle

It may well be too late to think of it, but if you want something lower-growing, some of the Polyanthas might be your answer for generosity of bloom and low stature. In our area, China Doll has been used and used and used because it matches those requirements. For a red, there's Mutterdag (Mother's Day) and Lady Reading. Salmon Pink Margo Koster, and all the rest of the Koster sports (do "Contains" KOSTER in a HMF search, or check Vintage's catalog). I'd use any of those guys before I'd try a Knockout -- Not because I'm a snob, but because Knockouts would be such horses, and because I don't want anything that mildews. In a more modern vein, if you want something truly low-growing, I'd use Kim Rupert's lovely 'Lauren' or 'International Herald Tribune' if I wanted poiple. For White, I might use Pope John Paul (or try the white China, 'Ducher.') For Yellow, gosh, how about Julia Child? For red, I'd really go back to Mother's Day. Jeri

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. I'll get some pictures up on the weekend. In the meantime to answer some questions, this is a rose bush in the home we purchased in May. The previous owners were not interested in gardening beyond mowing the lawn. The owner before them is the person who likely planted the rose bush - she lived in the house for nearly 70 years. So with the combination of the two previous owners' disinterest/advanced age, it's been neglected for at least 10 years. It's quite large - probably 6 feet wide, 4 feet tall and 3 feet deep. The flowers had full, blousey petals, and as I recall,they were a bit under 3 inches across - I'd generically call it a "tea rose." The hips were probably a half inch or so across. It is in a good location where it gets full sun all day. Thanks again for helping me restore it to it's full potential!

Each beautiful in its own way, but I love the shading of the larger rose, which is very subtle.