Firefighter-fragrant, would have to recover each year from winter damage, SP'd

Tahitian Sunset-big producer, gets some BS, but not bad, thrips like it in spring

Grande Dame-heard it nods

Neptune-very fragrant

Peter Mayle and Valencia are two of my favorite HTs--both large and lovely blooms, both very fragrant, both very disease-resistant.

Valencia might be a bit shorter and not quite as full as Peter Mayle, although I find my three Peter Mayles rather vertical growing. Don't know if I would call that "nice bush shape"--but I have no complaints about their typical HT shape--it's just not a strong point.

Have no idea about the "alkaline" situation.

Both roses survive my Zone 6 Kansas winters, but often do die back close to the ground--but I offer them no winter protection other than the oak leaves from my neighbor's trees that blow into my yard, haphazardly. They both recover at about the usual HT rate.

Neither one is a fast re-bloom. Valencia in fact is a bit slow on the rebloom. But they are both so big and gorgeous when they bloom that I quickly forget they didn't rebloom as fast as I wanted. Valencia in particular lasts very long in bloom.

I always urge gardeners to grow these two--I really love them.

Kate

My Neptune died through no fault of its own, but I loved it for many years. It has a lovely strong wafting scent. I remember it had very large canes. The canes were so large and wide I had to use a small handsaw to prune it. This was on Fortuniana, so perhaps it wouldn't grow the same on Dr. Huey.

Grande Dame is one I just bought. I haven't planted it yet, but it's a nice strong saturated color.

Frederic Mistral is immensely vigorous and requires twice the space of a normal HT--if you fudge on that you will be sorry. It is slightly hardier than average and comes back strong after severe pruning. I cut mine back to 12" even though I don't have winter damage nowadays. It regrows a full plant with many basals, 9' tall by late season. Summer repeat is good, fall repeat only fair. This is a grafted plant.

Ideal cutting rose with spiral form, many petals, strong sweet fragrance, and long stems. Flowers get botrytis fairly often in our mild, damp climate.

Valencia is my favorite cutting rose, huge and gorgeous with unique color and form, decently fragrant and quite long lasting. The plant is not bushy. Canes may need staking for the first couple of years. It may be slightly less hardy than average.

I agree with michaelg about Frederic Mistral's vigor. Mine is grafted onto Dr Huey and is only about 6 feet tall, but is easily 6 feet wide. It is the last rose to start blooming in my garden, but then keeps on for the rest of the season, doing its best in early fall. We have very hot, dry summers which I don't think it loves, but it keeps blooming through them. I love it in bouquets where its long lasting bouquets smell wonderful. In fact, I think it's the best scented rose I grow. The downside on FM is that thrips love it and, as michaelg says, FM does get some botrytis in cold, damp weather (we don't have much of that). Diane

Tahitian Sunset is a beautiful rose. I grew it for years.....a new one every spring... Lol. Did not do well in my zone 5 winter, even tho I am in a micro climate that supports tree roses. Go figure. Maybe our new "milder" winters will support her now. Worth a try.

Not much from me other than we have similar tastes, as 5 on your list are new for me this year! I've been drooling over Neptune at a local nursery for a while now, and finally broke down. The bloom form, color and fragrance are just awesome - possibly one of the best lavendars ever.

I have Peter Mayle, Frederic Mistral, Neptune and Valencia. I grow them in large pots and overwinter them in the garage - so I can't comment too much on how tender they are - they're quite coddled in the garage.

I don't think you want Peter Mayle. Mine is only 2 years old - but it grows very tall and has blooms at the top. Nicely fragrant and very large and long lasting blooms. It gets about 4 feet tall here in the pot. So planted in the ground, it might get even bigger and the blooms might be too high.

Valencia is wonderful. I don't notice a long wait in between blooms. They last for weeks and weeks on the bush - I'm not kidding. Rain doesn't faze them. Hail (we get a lot) doesn't faze them. I get tons and tons of blooms that are 6" wide with wonderful form. Scent on mine is average. But then again we don't get the heat that brings out fragrance. Avg temp in the summer is 72. I love this rose!! Has a really nice bush shape with nice thick canes.

Neptune in my yard has a better fragrance than Valencia - but it doesn't have as nice of a bush shape. It doesn't get as many canes - vigor isn't as good as Valencia. Neptune has had to have canes cut off due to the spring cold producing canker. Neptune gets a decent amount of flowers - would have more if it had more canes. IMO Valencia is the better rose for you - but the fragrance isn't as good.

Frederic Mistral is large (but has a better bush shape than Peter Mayle) and FM also has a lot more blooms that are positioned more evenly on the bush. FM's fragrance is really, really nice. This plant has a lot of vigor. It has never had a problem with spring cold (when the pots come out of the garage).

So in closing :) I would really recommend Frederic Mistral and Valencia.
Carol

Wow! Such great comments!

It looks like 'Valencia' is a definite keeper, but 'Tahitian Sunset' may be out due to the hardiness issues susan4952 detailed above. Can anyone recommend a good, hardy, fragrant yellow/yellow blend rose as a substitute? Flower form is unimportant as long as it is prolific, fragrant and good for cutting.

In spite of some reservations people seem to have about them, I must include both 'Firefighter' and 'Peter Mayle' in my garden. I must have them! :-)

So right now, I am looking at the following:

Firefighter
Peter Mayle
Valencia
Frederic Mistral
Grande Dame
Bolero
Twilight Zone (the pics look wonderful)

Please, keep the comments and opinions rolling in! :-)

Thanks again,
Ispahan

Search feature at bottom center of page....Most fragrant roses.
I killed Twilight Zone. But that was me.
A mature double delight is wonderful for cutting and fragrance...so many wonderful roses to choose from. If you have limited space, Bolero may not be the best choice for cutting. Blooms are beautiful as is fragrance, but not as prolific as I would like. Are you using HMF? Invaluable tool, honest, unbiased, realistic.

My TH was more of a peach color. Kind of pale coral. You will find tons to suit your needs.

Wish Joseph's coat was more fragrant. Puts out different colors ar the same time. A very cool rose.

I have Firefighter, Papa Meilland, Lasting Love, Royal Highness and Old Fragrance (amongst others) but here in the high desert of SoCal fragrance seems a bit harder to come by. Lack of humidity?

From your list, I grow Firefighter and Bolero, and they are two of my best. Highly fragrant and disease free, both were slow-ish starters. Their full potential was not apparent until their second and third seasons, and early on they both almost got SPed as a result. So glad I didn't let my impatience win the day. Bolero is now the star of the grouping in large pots. Firefighter is a blooming machine. That said, I have no idea how well they might do in your climate--YMMV as they say.
Of the rest you mention, I'm picking up my order that includes Francis Meilland and Valencia later today--bulletins from the front as they break dormancy and begin to grow. I am a bit troubled by a review I read that says that Francis is actually white most of the year, not that lovely very pale pink.
For yellows, you might look into Sunsprite. It is not a rose a grow, but is a rose I covet. (Something else will have to die off first. I'm out of room. Maybe if Francis Meilland doesn't work out. . . ) The Sunsprite fragrance is nigh on legendary, and it may do better in a cooler climate than here in hot and getting hotter California.

Kay

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunsprite on HMF

A fragrant peach/apricot blend with normal hardiness is Warm Wishes AKA Sunset Celebration. It is very pretty and fine for cutting.

Don't know if Bolero is prolific in zone 6, and flower form is only good for small vase. POpe John PAul 2 is a beauty but he also stuggles in colder zones.