Thought I would hop on here to share my 2 cents on ASL. I have 3 along a fence in a fairly prominent area & are about 5 years old. Every summer/ fall I consider replacing, but spring comes along and I forgive him for all his shortcomings. Very small climbers as you can see in photo as compared to many others I have. I have to spray for disease, but being in Georgia that's to be expected of most DAs. I have found if I give him more feelings I get some blooms throughout the season outside of the flushes, but nothing like a nearby hedge of Abe Darby which blooms all season in flushes. As a side note on the Eden suggestion. Beautiful rose. Whenever it blooms for me I feel driven to go have a whiff, then I remember it doesn't have a fragrance. Sigh.... here is pic ASL today ( 3 bushes on fence, carefree celebration is in front) in mid-August. About 5-6 buds, couple flowers...Not terrible, but not a rockstar for me. Adrianne

Cymbaline is great here. I love The Generous Gardener. It blooms a lot here (inland Orange County) You must remove spent flowers or it will set enormous hips, which is why it would stop blooming. Here it is more white than pink. It gets really big, but can handle shaping and pruning. I love this rose. I love Cymbaline too - very much...but that might be harder to find for sale. I think Roses Unlimited carries it, so did Vintage, but I don't think they have it in stock.

I don't have the specialized knowledge you need, since I am in zone 3 :) But I do grow both of them in pots and have some general observations. Betty White - Plus - Lots of very fragrant flowers. Huge pinky/white. One of my very favorite roses. It is very bushy and showy. Minus - Every time it rains, the blooms turn brownish. It rains a lot here - so it's frustrating. A Shropshire Lad Plus - Beautiful soft pink blooms that have a lovely spiral. Minus - grows taller and is not very bushy. Smells faintly of cucumbers. Blooms hang a little bit. Someone else will give you more pertinent info for your zone - but maybe this will help a little. :) Carol

Robert, I just bought a Cl. Clotilde Soupert for $2 at Chamblees sale bin. It looks almost like Sombreiul. Can you tell me something about it? Do the blooms remain white or do they have a little pink? The one bloom this 1 gallon rose had was pure white and just beautiful. A climber that I love is Crepuscule. It grows like a weed, has no disease and blooms wonderfully all the time. Mine huge one is still full of blooms, and my one year old plant is blooming its head off, tho much smaller. I just adore this rose and the peach ice cream colored blooms are divine. I also like Clair Matin. I am trying a bunch of new climbers but dont know enough about them to recommend anything yet. I have heard Dublin Bay is terrific and I have just planted one. Judith