Mine died to overwatering. I think your conditions sound IDEAL for it. I miss it but I don't have a place where it won't die again on me. Highly recommend it.

RdR is indeed shade tolerant and will bloom, although more scarcely, under quite a lot of shade, but it tends to loose its round compact shape growing long spindly canes (I suppose in search of the light). Nothing very strange really, most plants do that.

Rose de Rust in my experience.

Might well be rust prone in rusty places, we don't get much rust here and this has not been one of the roses that do get what little rust we are having in wintertime. My RdR does get a bit of mildew under the right conditions but shakes it off easily. Everything is climate dependent.

Key elements are the genetics of the particular fungal strain present, the genetics of the rose and the mineral content of the soil on the growing site.

Hit me with any strain of rust or BS and any rose genetics you desire. There ain't going to be any BS or rust evident on the roses during our summers here...

Oh, sorry, I thought the thread was started by somebody else.

Embothrium, what kind of conditions do you have that caused it to rust so much? I don't normally have a problem with rust and I don't mind using the systemic stuff occasionally. I defiantly don't want a rose that needs the stuff on a regular basis to perform though. My soil is very alkaline clay. I do amend with an acidic mix, and have found that using a fertilizer for acid loving plants helps my roses. The climate is mostly dry and warm with hot summers. It does usually cool down at night here. That helps. I would be planting it on a slope that is difficult to water. In the summer I sometimes run a sprinkler in the early morning hours just to give that area some relief. With your rust experience, I'm wondering if some occasional overhead watering might spell disaster.

Mine gets "damask crud" big time. But I still like it. It used to be more floriferous. I think it needs renewal pruning. I have had it at least 30 years.

Oh, sorry, I thought the thread was started by somebody else.

How very nice of you. Do you think I should delete my comment as inappropriate?

Lisa, I might be wrong here since I'm only experienced in my climate and with my fungi, but here rust is only evident during our cooler winter months (Dec-Feb) under our rare persistently wet conditions in the darker spots of my garden, and then only on very few roses (Rosarium Uetersen springs to mind, an otherwise very healthy rose) and mostly on senating leaves. This is just at pruning time btw. If your climate is anything like mine, or is even warmer or drier during the winter, then there's a good chance that rust will not be an issue for you judging from my experience. I'm not sure if soil pH has something to do with rust or not but my soil is very alkaline too although mostly not clay.

Yes, I think if rust comes from moisture, I shouldn't have too much to worry about around here. I can't imagine that your conditions are much drier than mine, Nic.

Rusts some, and if on its own roots, it will sucker into a small thicket. It's not as bad as a gallica but you will have to keep on top of it. I used to love this rose but after a few years, I no longer did.

Rosefolly

Well, I found it in stock at Angel Gardens in the quart size. I really look foreword to trying it. Thanks to all for all the help. I HAD to add one more rose to it for the sake of shipping, so I'll have some questions on my "impulse buy" rose as well. Something like Boule de Neige. My spelling may be off. The "snowball" description got me:) Lisa