Mike, we don't get ANY fall bloom. Oh, that would be nice. The rose season begins here with Rosa xanthina. Then, Harison's Yellow and Therese Bugnet. After that, the main rose flush, albas, centifolias and damask. The War of the Roses seems to occur about the Fourth of July. In July, Dr. Van Fleet and American Pillar bloom a little on whatever growth made it through the winter. Zephirine Drouhin starts to bloom then, too, and was going to bloom in September, but the buds froze. Quatre Saison loses its canes down to a foot but re-grows quickly and blooms all summer. This got me thinking that maybe I could find some repeat bloomers that would re-grow and bloom on new wood, extending the rose season out to the end of the summer. So far, red roses are not in the future, it seems like. Gruss an Teplitz and Alfred Colomb are toast this spring, but alive, I think. My science experiments with Bourbons and hybrid perpetuals are mixed. They seem to need balmy ocean breezes or shade. I need to get around to doing some winter protection. Lavender Lass, all of my albas are doing well. Chloris, Alba maxima, Alba semi-plena, and Konigen von Danemark all get about five feet here. Madame Plantier is about as tall but wide. It throws out long, loopy canes that dangle on the ground. It should have been planted in an obelisk or something.

For me, in zone 9, Gert grew straight up. And up. She looked like a 10' hybrid tea. The beautiful and fragrant flowers bloomed on top of 10' rebar. For your site, I would look for a pink Noisette or climbing tea, such as Lady Waterlow. For heavy fragrance, you might want a Bourbon or another of the larger growing English roses. Sceptred Isle fills a large space and is fragrant and repeat blooming.

My first thought when I look at it is Louise Odier...what do you all think?

With respect, the rosarian at Austin does not live on the California coast. I do. I've not grown all of these, because I took the pledge on Austins some years ago, having squandered more money on them than I care to think about. But of the ones I can speak to: Gertrude Jekyll -- Inland people force repeat bloom by re-pruning brutally. and feeding mightily. I don't know any Austins that tolerate that treatment at the coast, however. Othello -- is a lanky thorny mess with awkward canes to a good 6 ft. In Coastal Southern California, it was sparse of bloom and inclined to rust unless sprayed. Blooms, when they appeared, were on short stems, and wonderfully fragrant. Tamora -- Does it rust more than it mildews at the coast? Or does it mildew more than it rusts? Difficult to say. The Pilgrim -- Will grow 18 foot long canes and bloom at the vine-like attenuated ends. Breathtaking bloom. The plant is too much trouble to bother with, unless you just need something to do with your time. Mary Rose -- Blooms as a "cropper" but will repeat well if deadheaded. It grew here as a 5 x 5 "ball" of a plant. Decent mildew resistance. Not much rust. Completely clean if sprayed. Not a lot of fragrance. L.D. Braithwaite -- Striking "Christmas Red" blooms on a plant that will go chlorotic if faced with alkaline conditions. Mildews just enough to be annoying. Rusts late. Can grow as a 12-ft-tall climber in Southern California. Vigorous as all getout. NO fragrance. Winchester Cathedral -- Said by many to lack vigor here, and that was our experience. If you want a good BIG Austin, plant Golden Celebration, which excells at the coast. (Don't prune it hard.) If you want a CLIMBING Austin, plant Abraham Darby. If you want a small bloom machine, plant Prospero, and don't prune it. Just MHO. Jeri Jennings Coastal Southern California