I am into old garden roses as are all my Finnish rosarian friends so few of us grow many, or any, red roses! I grow a few myself, Alain and Flammentanz that both came with the house, the bourbon Gruss an Teplitz and Futtaker Schlingrose a Geschwind multiflora which is probably my brightest red rose. The rest are all pink, pink, pink, old rose, white and lately, apricot and yellow. I also have some of the dark maroon and purple old roses like Tuscany and Nuits de Young as do most of my friends. More spinossissimas grow in Finland than anywhere else in the world and they are all pink or white and occasionally, yellow. So I don't agree with you!

Study name "Darlow's Enigma" (it came with an original name which D. didn't keep track of) would probably be a good bet merely because it is so clean. But it often starts out twiggy and small parted, like a miniature, and produces many prickles that are like fish hooks - and also often produces a dome-like, semi-shrubby habit. So those factors need to be considered if this is a narrow space, with a lot of walking by involved. Probably by now somebody has imported this to Britain under the study name - if it was not already present under whatever its true name is. (If the latter is the case you would have to find a supplier that knows the stock under the correct name is the same as the one being grown under the study name over here). Otherwise I have seen 'Climbing Etoile de Hollande' and 'Zephirine Drouhin' flowering on shaded house walls in Seattle (USDA 8, dull climate like Britain except summers are quite dry every year). Also maybe 'Old Blush' - it's another you see growing adequately where nobody is rose gardening - or doing much actual gardening at all - and dating from plantings probably multiple decades beforehand. I'm just not sure I've seen it on the north side of a building. As mentioned previously 'Madame Alfred Carriere' mildews a bit where site conditions encourage this, so the recurring recommendation to use it for shaded walls seems like it wouldn't be apt - the chronic drying of the root zone by a concrete foundation is just the thing to get a susceptible rose covered in mildew. That said I've seen it on the north side of a largish house here once, don't remember the mildew being hugely worse than on other infested examples that were growing in the open. The usual thing is a light coating of mildew with a little puckering of the newest leaves during peak mildew time in later summer, when soils are dry and the atmosphere is becoming foggy. I've never seen a level of affliction on this one where the plant looks like it is painted white or covered in mold. 'Carriere' in west-facing planters against a building at the local waterfront, where presumably they are never sprayed - as they look like they are seldom even fertilized - I don't think mildew much at all. Maybe the salt air has an effect, or they are just being kept watered enough in summer.

How cool, Mad - thanks for that link! I knew the eclipse would be total here in Nebraska and we were planning to drive to the western part of the state, but it turns out it'll be complete here as well and after school hours no less (starting 4:30 pm). We were going to pull the kids out of school for this but won't have to. Watch for it - August 21, 2017! And yes, that was a rose detour. On the original topic, I have about 50 roses on the north side of my house plus maybe twice that many in part shade in various locations. It's trial and error to see which roses can do well in those conditions, and you'll want to make sure the rose you pick is at least a zone hardier than your actual zone, since I've found the north and east sides of my house are zone 4 pockets where normal zone 5 roses won't survive. That cuts out Penny Lane, since it won't survive my normal zone 5 winters, and makes Madame Alfred Carriere a bit iffy. Mine survives just fine, but it only blooms on surviving cane and that only happens sometimes (and I have mine in a zone 6 pocket of my yard to boot). Furthermore, I only get one bloom cycle from in in the years that it has bloomed, and I've heard the same from some other northern gardeners. In its 7 years, it has probably only bloomed in two of those years. Several of the hybrid musks would do well in that location - even though they're only rated to zone 6 officially the following hybrid musks in cream colors survive fine for me in a normal zone 5 spot: Cornelia, Bouquet Parfait, Ghislaine de Feligonde, Guirlande d'Amour, and the intrepid Darlow's Enigma have survived well. All of these have climbing tendencies (may not cover an arch but will get 6' or more with support), though Darlow's Enigma is not really a climber but a big free-standing bush, both broad and tall. Sally Holmes and Clytemnestra both didn't overwinter a few years ago, but I'm trying again. Buff Beauty would be a nice rose for you and survived several years before fading in a non-ideal spot. No idea which ones are fragrant since I can't smell most roses. Here's a shot of several of the hybrid musks all in bloom - they're a loose cluster of blooms in general rather than single blooms, though Buff Beauty is the closest to a cutting rose among these. Here's Guirlande d'Amour in specific: There are several yellow hardy climbers that have larger blooms that would survive Ok in this location. Golden Celebration really wants more sun among Austins, but I have Teasing Georgia in a mostly shaded situation and it blooms reasonably well. Not that often, but I can get several good flushes in a good year. A more reliable yellow bloomer that would look nice against your house is Lunar Mist. It's related to Colette and is rock solid hardy for me. I have mine towards the east side of my house in part shade and it blooms all season, more or less like this: Among those that I grow, I'd probably suggest Lunar Mist, Buff Beauty, Darlow's Enigman, or Guirlande d'Amour as the most frequent bloomers. Roses Unlimited sells all of these I think, though Buff Beauty is available several places. A lovely spot for a rose and lots of options. Just remember as Mad Gallica says, any rose will bloom less and less often in a partly shaded spot than in full sun, so be sure to temper your expectations of having season-round blooms around your front door. Cynthia

I live in the greater Toronto area and my zone is also 5b according to Canadian ranking. Eden is not cane hardy in my garden and I lost her two years ago. However ND is but not a monster yet. I do have a few canes and I am currently training it against the wall. I use a tall tomato cage but I am also fortunate that the main canes are sturdy and self supporting. The thinner canes I use bamboo stakes for now but if needed I can attach to the wooded fence.