Marie Pavie, the polyantha, is a workhorse of a rose. Although the flower is only about 2" , it is an abundant bloomer, and fragrant, too. Its disease resistance is reknown.

There are two strains of MP. One has almost twice as much petals per bloom, petal packed. It hides its boss. The other is still a beauty, but not so packed, and shows its yellow center. They both have identical fragrance, rose milk lotion that wafts, and the same growth habit. Old Pickering Nursery carried the petal packed version. You can see the obvious difference between the two strains in photos of them at HMFR. Just browse through them, and you'll see what I mean.

I had them both, and liked the petal packed better just because it was fuller, not a better grower. .Before you buy, ask which one they sell if you want the petal packed one.

Moses

P.S. Almost thornless, too.

Do you know who sells which one, Moses? Mine is from are. It keeps getting eaten by the deer so I can't really judge at the moment. But I don't think it's extremely doubled.

Cloud 10 is completely clean here too no spray, organic fertilizers only. It did get a little sunburned and some heat stress in my most exposed location but you shouldn’t have that problem. The blooms last a VERY long time. Mine has a nice light scent. I don’t think it would be a terrible idea to pair it with bolero to cover its legs :)

Oh and my JFK currently has rust, cercospora, blackspot, that chevron leaf thing, pink spots on the petals, and thrips damage, so if you can grow that organic, cloud 10 is not a problem.

Amanda, does it drop its petals cleanly?

I said I grow JFK. I did NOT say I grow it well!!! I’m on my second one and I really should toss him but....I love that fragrance.

I think I’m leaning towards Bolero because of what lilyfinch said about the scent. If it is kinda leggy and awkward I will just grow a clematis on it.

I was hoping ARE had it cause they have a couple (quietness and Gruss an auchen) I still need to get but it’s sold out.

Also, thanks everybody for the suggestions. Now I have more to research :)

oursteelers....Bolero is a compact bushy plant that gets 3-4 feet. Here is a pic of part of the "hedge" I planted. They are grafted plants I bought at Walmart. I also bought 6 own root plants last season from ARE which aren't as bushy yet as the grafted ones.

I wish I had close ups! And for some strange reason, I didn't take any pics later in the season. But these pics show the general shape of the bush. As you can see, the are loaded with flowers and buds, and they flower like that continuously! And I second what Lily said about scent.

I have two more to mention, though I haven't grown them myself, to tell the truth. The first is the classic hybrid musk Penelope, which V. Sackville West recommended for a white garden because, "it gives the impression of being white without being white" -- that is, it has apricot buds that open to white.. She suggested growing it behind a hedge of Iceberg, which has little scent. (I heard that she wasn't as enthused about the idea of a white garden as was her husband, Harold Nicolson. She liked the idea of some subtle pale variation in color to give it interest). Tall, semi-double, floriferous, and reputedly very fragrant, with a fragrance that carries, Penelope is also distinguished by having exceptional coral pink hips.
Nymphenburg, top; Penelope, mid-left; Moyesii Geranium, mid right. Fru Dagmar Hastrup, bottom left; R. spinosissima, bottom; and small spray of Kifsgate. Watercolor by G.S. Thomas

The other rose I want to mention is the floribunda 'Ivory Fashion', which won many awards in the 60s and 70s, and, name notwithstanding, it looks white to me. Ivory Fashion is a semi-double with red stamens, which don't look dirty when the flower is pollinated the way Iceberg's do. The flowers last well when cut and the scent is wonderful. When I lived in North Carolina I used to take home the cuttings when they deadheaded the rose bushes at the University of North Carolina, and they lasted a long time in a vase in water. I like it better than Iceberg, though Iceberg is admittedly a blooming machine. Roses Unlimited sells it with the strong endorsement of the nursery's owner. I can't understand why it went out of fashion.
Picture from Helpmefind: http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.21235

I love Ivory Fashion, what a sweet rose

Hello. I just ordered quite a few white roses last night, including Desdemona, Crocus Rose and White Licorice. It is nice to see them recommended here. I have tended to stay away from the whiter shades because thrip damage is so apparent, but my husband likes white and the garden would benefit from the addition. And, of course, the collector in me beckons.

I do have one that I can highly recommend that I don’t see mentioned here, that is, Cole’s Settlement. it is one of the Pioneers from ARE. It is a nice vase shape with flexible canes and large single flowers. The buds and partially open flowers are blush color and then open to white. It is a great rose for the impatient as it starts to grow and produce lots of blooms very quickly. To give you an idea of how much I like it: I am thinking about moving it out of the bed to an open spot where it can be grown as a specimen plant. It has been that impressive.

Tina , maybe call ARE , they have advertised before that they may have things in stock but not enough to add to the site . I think you’ll be happy with bolero !!

Rosyldy , wow , I love your beds.. such good lines and a lovely backdrop too !!

What a pretty rose that ivory fashion is !!

Deborah , do you have a photo of coles settlement to share ? I would love to see it. I think ARe offers such neat roses .. my sweet frances is such a great rose .. they have some goodies that need more press !

Another vote for Bolero.

This version was purchased from Roses Unl. in 2013.

A.R.E.'s Bolero, which matches Regan's Bolero.

Check out Snowbird. The fragrance is lovely.

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.262345

It looks like the white rose seekers are spoiled for choice. :)

Steelers- i was wondering what kind of wizardry you were using to keep JFK nice. I’m planning to replace it when I find a snowbird, they are supposed to do well here. My husband loves the scent of JFK and its actually established so I feel bad pulling it out. And I was saying to cover the legs of cloud 10 with bolero since cloud 10 is a climber :)

vaporvac- yes, they just drop right off but the last a long time.

I ordered Desdemona too. I almost got a bolero but I think it will toast here with all those thin petals.

Like you need another to recommend Bolero again but I am going to do it anyway ;) Wonderful fragrance, beautiful bloom form, compact, above average disease resistance for me.

Desdemona was only released a couple of years ago but I have been pleased with it. It was in recovery mode this year after last year‘s harsh winter and late freezes. Great fragrance and displays good disease resistance so far.

Deborah, I need to look again at Cole’s Settlement. I’d love to see a picture as well.

I was researching Bolero and a lot of the pictures show blush, not necessarily white.

Blush (with pink, apricot, yellow) ARE really pretty and I have quite a few but I was really hoping for a fragrant, pure white.

My garden style is not formal but the area im working on surrounds the driveway. I don’t have matching plants on either side but I do like to have similar colors. For example im putting a Dainty Bess on one side and on the other I’m going to go with a rosy astrantia.

I have all the white roses down there and then a secret garden for separation and then I have the blush, peach, apricot blends starting. So really if the rose isn’t a clean white I’d rather it go up top in the other section.

I love white roses. Bolero is a great rose and I also highly recommend Snowbird, an old hybrid tea. Great scent. May be hard to find though.

Bolero and Snowbird are both on my list. I think Grace Rose Nursery carries Snowbird.

Here are some photos of Cole’s Settlement. It was planted in late May 2019.

From July

August

October

November

Oops! Of course I meant 2018.

Grace rose sold out of snowbird pretty fast I was too slow :(

I purchased my Snowbird from Burlington. I think she still stocks it if you have interest?

Also, I only saw the blush tones on Bolero during cooler weather... YMMV...

'Mrs. Herbert Stevens' is a Hybrid Tea that was bred from the Tea rose 'Niphetos' and its blooms exhibit the exquisite delicacy that Tea roses are famous for possessing. The climbing form can be used as a self standing shrub rose, and pruned to form a shape that resembles that of an apple tree.. The roses have a dependable, moderate scent, and though technically a modern rose its' bloodline is fully half Old Garden Rose. Everything is lovely about this rosebush; bloom, foliage, and growth habit. It inherited from the Tea race the ability to bloom early in the year ( mine started blooming in February along with Mme. Alfred Carriere) with quick rebloom and
Mrs. H.S. continued to produce a normal bloom cycle through November, when all the other H.T.s had stopped bloom production for the year.

Lux.

P.S. I never spray with anything anymore (not even Cornell) if a rose isn't disease resistant they get the garden boot.

Deborah .. wow coles settlement is beautiful. So fresh and clean looking . I think I’ll try it instead of another darlows. I think ARE should ask for your photos!

Kronprincess Viktoria, a sport of SDLM is also a great white rose. I second Mrs Herbert Stevens also. Had the climbing version and loved her.

Thanks, Lilyfinch. The photos really don’t do it justice.

An old thread on old white roses: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/what-are-your-favorite-white-or-mostly-white-ogrs-dsvw-vd~1703279

Snowbird is one I would love to grow, if I had the space for more roses. It always looks great in pictures posted on the forum, and it appears to be very healthy.

I can’t say which nursery carries the petal packed Marie Pavie, but I can say that I don’t think High Country Roses has the more petal packed one. Mine has a few blooms today. They are quite pink, but it’s normally much whiter. The chilly temperatures brought out the pinkish blooms.

Amanda, I have grown Bolero for 4-5 years. Mine is placed in hottest, sunniest spot I have. It even gets some reflected heat from the nearby sidewalk. It’s one of my most heat tolerant roses, ever! It doesn’t burn or crisp in the dry heat at all. I like it so much, that I bought two more last year, on their own roots. Mine blooms mostly pure white, but can show some blushing in cooler weather. I don’t get a lot of cool temps around here, so I usually get the white colored blooms. Bolero is nicely compact, and rounded. I’m WAY behind on pruning, so I can take a picture to show Bolero’s mature form.

Deborah, your Cole’s Settlement looks gorgeous! Didn’t Ingrid purchase a Cole’s Settlement last year? Lisa

PS. Now that I think about it, I think Ingrid may have bought both Cole’s Settlement AND Snowbird last year.

Monarda, thanks for that old link. Fantastic recommendations. : )

I also saw White Out get some praise in a slightly older post. https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/4783681/evaluation-of-my-new-roses-planted-2017-in-zone-5-chicagoland#n=12

Yes, it is a great thread -- many for zone 7, though.

It is curious where you draw the line between a white and a blush rose. To me Félicite Parmentier is blush and Penelope is white, despite the latter's apricot tinges.

Then you have a rose like Frau Karl Druschki, perhaps the dazzlingest, whitest rose ever created, and, lo and behold, it has red buds. Likewise Madame Plantier: https://garden.org/plants/photo/363988/

A lot must depend on how you set them off. You need a lot of green, I imagine, and some other white flowering companion plants to underscore the whiteness..

The single Rosa rugosa alba, must be the purest white of all, though not the dead white of Frau Druschki. Blanc double de Coubert has some faults, but its flowers are white and it is fragrant at night, which makes up for a lot.

luxrosa....I just purchased climbing Mrs. Herbert Stephens! I am glad to hear you sing her praises. This rose will take pride of place my rose bed with the best sun in my entire garden.

Boule De Neige is an extremely fragrant Bourbon.

Kronprincess Viktoria, as suggested by Debbym, is a very pretty truly white rose. I only grow one, and it is in a position where there is not a lot of foot traffic, so I tend to forget about it.

I can let you in on a few secret white varieties that I either had or saw when I was living in western Washington. For floribundas, one of the really pretty ones I had was Margaret Merrill. It is white with a pale pink blush. It does quite well out there. I had it along with French Lace which was also planted in the Woodland Park rose garden in Seattle. For me, Margaret Merrill was quite amazing. It bloomed 3 times in the same time period that French Lace bloomed twice, and it had a tidy growth habit. It was one of my better floribundas. It has a slight fragrance.

There are three hybrid teas I would mention. All of them are beautiful, blatant show roses that do well out there. I had two of them and saw the third. The first is Randy Scott. I saw this one take Queen at the Tacoma rose show a few years back. It was eye-popping, but not fragrant to my nose. I have it here, but it has not done much yet. It is one I have on fortuniana that I am hoping will make it through the winter. The next one is an older stand-by, Honor. It is a classic white show rose that does quite well in the garden out there. It has its share of rose show trophies also and puts out a lot of flowers. I have not detected any smell with this one either. The third one is an ivory-white one that does have a smell and puts out a lot of consistently pretty, show-quality flowers, and that one is Polarstern/Polar Star. My Polarsterns were really nice in my yard, but one of the big exhibitors I knew who used to bring them to the rose shows had them as absolutely stunning. He won lots of trophies over the years while I was there.

Another one I can mention is one that can turn into a monster and is a hybrid musk. It is Sally Holmes. It has huge sprays of white flowers that have an apricot blush. I never grew it, but I saw it consistently beat all sorts of other shrubs on the show tables. A good one of these meant game over for just about any other shrub in that section of the show. I do not know about fragrance on this one. I have seen it as a climber in the Washington Park rose garden in Portland.

Another climber that can look really good out there is Sombreuil. It was in Woodland Park, and I have seen it on the show tables also looking gorgeous. I would expect it to smell since it used to be a tea rose that got reclassified as a large-flowered climber.

From my experience out there, I would say pretty much all roses need spraying there as much as here. I do not know how they would do in an organic garden, but they can all be gorgeous. There are a few others, but I don't know enough to comment on them. Maybe something on this list will tantalize you. Good luck.

Cathy...I just have to tell you how much I enjoyed looking through your album of rose pictures. I was excited when you posted the link to them because I remembered seeing gorgeous pictures from you in the past. You really have some extremely large, vigorous roses that are beautifully trained and pruned. The way you grow your roses is an inspiration for me!

Well desertgarden and Lisa, it looks like i’ll have to make a trip through visalia soon and get both snowbird and bolero. There was a nursery kinda close to burlington that has a ton of Bolero for $15. See what you do?

Bustopher, you reminded me I have Margaret Merrill coming in spring so I am happy to see you recommending her. I got Sally in the fall but I was

planning on putting her on a trellis in the blush section. I’m hoping that over time there will be a lot of buds to give the peachy blush look.

As for how they do with no spray/organic, ehh. I’m not super picky unless they are really bad. I know they would do and look better if I did a ton of spraying, fertilizing, etc but it’s not worth it to me. I will just try my best and if a rose has a rough year there are plenty of other plants to look at:)

Take a look at the HT, Tineke. When the Edmunds had their business in Oregon, this rose was their very white rose.

Monarda mentions 'Penelope' and I have to say that its fragrance must be my favorite. Combined with dainty flowers, it was a magical experience the first time I saw it in a public garden. I have it on order for this spring.

I have 'Mme Hardy' which is gorgeously fragrant with snow white blooms. I think that photos cannot do justice to this rose with its almost perfect bloom form, soft white color and lovely petals with a green button-eye. For me, all this more than compensates for its only 'drawback' that, as a damask, it's a once-bloomer though with a very long flowering season of several weeks.

vesfl, I have mdm hardy and mdm Plantier coming in March to go in a different area. I’m happy to hear you like hardy-I researched the two of them a ton and kept going back and forth on which to get so I got both.

oursteelers, you made the right choice :-) I'm sure you'll love 'Mme Hardy', the real-life look of it is something to behold with a fantastic scent to boot, and I wish I have more space to have 'Mme Plantier' as well. I look forward to your experience with both of them.

Oursteelers, I looked up the two that you ordered and I think that those are two great choices

Both really beautiful and I can see why you needed the two of them, who could choose just one ?

You guys a killing me! I have Mme. Plantier coming in spring and now it looks like I need Mmme. Hardy, as well? I love that button eye.

vesfl. I hop you do better than I with Penelope. Mine didn't make it through the freeze thaw of it's first winter. I may try again as the few flowers I saw were pretty. Perhaps it I could grow it bigger before winter it would survive. We were -7 at night last winter and several single digit days, but that's well within the realm for zone 6. : (

Vap, go for it! My 'Mme Hardy' not only survived the major feast by rabbits in its first winter, but also bounced back without any coddling and even bloomed wonderfully.

I know I'm pushing the zone with 'Penelope' but I just couldn't get that scent with beautiful spray of white, cream and peach flowers out of my head. Well, I also ordered 'Gloire de Dijon' which is possibly even more of a fantasy for my zone 5/6 but I'll give them both the prime spots facing south in full sun. Keep fingers crossed.

Yes, i should amend my post to point out that I planted it in an iffy situation which is why I'm willing to try her again. : ) I hope both these zone pushing roses work out for you! Usually I go in the other direction, but I just adore the Hybrid Musks. I'm hoping when they develop large roots they'll rebound and bloom more quickly. Belinda and Felicia have done very well. I just saw a post on a new fragrant one called Hera's Song that I may just have to add to my HCR order.

Please, please, vesfl, and vaporvac, and all the others who are planting new rosebushes, please keep us posted with pictures of how these beauties are doing!

Look at Rosa rugosa Blanc Double de Coubert a fragrant disease resistant shrub rose. For a front border fragrant rose look at Kordes La Perla.

Ducher is a white China that I think should be fine for your climate. I must say that it outperforms most other roses, constantly blooming and has a great scent. And it's almost thornless to boot! Usually it's all covered with blooms but it's winter now and it still has some. Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday.

I think Ducher is gonna have to go on the short list! That looks awesome!