I've never grown most of the roses on your list, so I can't really be a lot of help, but I can comment on two of them.

Elle is a very nice rose I've grown for a number of years and I have no complaints about her in any respect--except that she does NOT make my heart sing.

Peter Mayle is big and showy -- flaunt it in your face-- he not only makes my heart sing, but also makes me want to jump up and do a tango!

I have heard that Evelyn is gorgeous -- and a totally temperamental diva. But you should ask gardeners who have actually grown her.

Good luck.

Kate

Carol, I am interested in this because I am forced to plant several roses in containers and have not had too much luck in wintering them over without planting pot and all in the ground. (I may change my mind about that after this winter). Anyway, I have a heated garage, so that nixes the idea of using the garage. I have a little barn in the back but usually can't get out there to water because of the ice and snow cover. Can you give me some of your tips--not too strenuous because I am no spring chicken anymore. Thanks Barb

Hi Carol...I am in KY> and would like to comment on Elizabeth Taylor. This rose is always in bloom here, and the blooms stay so long on the bush. Beautiful form, outstanding hot color...no fragrance to speak of. I really love this rose.Another rose I love on your list is Apricot Candy. A real bloom machine here, just no fragrance to speak of.I also have two rock and rolls which bloom nicely with no fragrance. My Evelyn smells yummy but she is a bit stingy. Love her anyway!My Elle, Over the Moon, and Gemini are O.K., moderate bloom with moderate fragrance. Good luck with your choices. Lesley

Hi Carol,
The only rose I've grown on your list is Evelyn, of which I currently have five. The blooms are probably the most gorgeous--to me, anyway--in my garden, and her smell is lovely. She puts on a big spring show, but rebloom is just ok--not the best, but not the worst, either. For me, she's kind of hard to prune because her growth habit can be ungainly. My Evelyns produce a lot of canes that become big, thick and less productive, requiring some heavy pruning, but these plants are in the ground, not in pots. You've got to remember that you're in it for the stunning blooms when it comes to Evelyn. Diane

I have Rock N Roll, Blue Girl, and Fragrent Plum. Blue Girl I really like, but has BS issues (which I don't you have in the desert), but the blooms are large and beautiful!

Rock N Roll is very pretty, but doesn't really stand out for me...not sure why. Might just be my preference.

Fragrent Plum I added last spring as a one gallon ownroot plant, and it never bloomed. It must be a very slow grower ownroot, so I can't really comment on it yet...but I'm hoping for the best in year two :)

Tammy

barb - I just watered my roses in the garage, and they're all alive with nice green canes. Here's what I have done after the roses have gone through a cold enough freeze that stops growth, etc.:
1.1 Fill the pot up to the top with soil of some kind
1. Strip off all of the leaves
2. Water the pots really well
3. Move them into the garage and place them off the concrete. Mine are on pieces of wood.
4. Cover them with many breathable layers of material.
5. Keep the lights off
6. Water about 1 cup of water every month.

My garage is insulated and has a huge heater overhead. I only use the heater if the outside temperature is below -20C Good luck!

Kate - Oh!! Peter Mayle makes your heart sing!!! Yeah, baby!!! I want that rose!! Elle - hmmm, I'll see what everyone else says. Thanks!

Lesley - That is really nice to hear about Elizabeth Taylor!!! I'll get that one!! I love roses that bloom lots (yet I'm not that fond of floribundas) Apricot Candy was a rose I really wasn't sure of. But, sounds like a keeper. Rock & Roll looked beautiful on the internet sites. Great!

Diane - I just live for big huge stuffed roses, so Evelyn will fit the bill wonderfully. Thanks!!

Tammy - I had Fragrant Plum for one season before we moved. I never saw any blooms. So maybe it wasn't just my rose. I think I'll pass on this one. Blue Girl has large and beautiful blooms - I'm in.

You all were VERY helpful!!! This is so exciting!!
Carol

Fragrent Plum on a good understock is very good. Elizabeth Taylor is a great rose. If Gemini can survive your climate I'm sure you'll be very happy with it. Royal Amethyst could be your surprise find. I've grown it for a BUNCH of years. It really performs in cool weather. Elle, yes. Blue Girl is about like Royal Amethyst. Just Joey is a beauty when it decides to bloom. You might see 1 or 2 blooms all summer.

Evelyn is very impressive. I have never had any trouble with her. If winter hardiness is not a problem, try Francis Blaise.

I grow Evelyn, and love it. It repeats well for me. It does have thick canes and not sure how it would do in a pot. The blooms and fragrance are wonderful.

Perfume Delight is relatively new to the garden, planted last spring. It was fantastic all summer, a bloom machine with richly colored, fragrant blooms.

Yves Piaget is also new, planted last spring. Very fragrant and wonderful colorful blooms. It repeat bloomed its first summer, I was pleased with it.

New Zealand I've grown for many years, and love the fragrance. It has beautiful blooms and repeats well.

I added Peter Mayle to the garden in September. The vibrant blooms look wonderful in pics; this is a rose that I had been wondering about for years, looking forward to seeing it in bloom this summer.

Yves Piaget (Pewgut) is a great cup shaped red, Gemini is one of the better roses out there, and Just Joey although a little tender produces these great big fat ruffled blooms.
Have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Just Joey

I've only grown a couple of those. I got Elle last spring and the blooms are beautiful, some fragrance but not the strongest and the plant was vigorous but it did black spot some. I'll know in April how she winters. I'm hoping she really does well because I really did like this rose.

Just Joey is one of those you mentioned at the end. Not much fragrance but OMG those blooms are exquisite! Mine wasn't a very healthy or vigorus plant and finally didn't winter one year. But I got it as a mislabeled cheapie bagged rose so I can't say if it was just that one or if the variety isn't vigorous as a rule. And it was also very black spot prone.

ken-n -Good to hear about Elizabeth Taylor. Going to love that rose I'm sure!! Gemini should be okay in the garage. Can't hurt to try. It seems to have so many different looks. Royal Amethyst - great to hear that. I'm getting it for sure. What do you mean about Blue Girl being like Royal Amethsyt. Do they look the same or just both are great roses?? Yeah, good-bye Just Joey - looks like a rose that would need a lot of heat - which we don't get. I'm still not so sure about Elle.

Predfern - Good to know that Evelyn seems to be a real winner!! I want to stick with the roses that the local greenhouse provides. They don't have Francis Blaise. But good to know for the future.

Krista - Evelyn just looks better and better. Glad to see you like Perfume Delight. Can't wait to smell it!! I love the saturated colors. I actually had Yves Piaget before, but my husband said that the pot had frozen to the ground so he couldn't move it into the garage. I was sooooo disappointed since I really loved that one. Can't wait to get it again. New Zealand was one that I wasn't sure about. Good to hear it's worthwhile

Iowa Jade - Yves Piaget is very pink here. Is it red where you are?? Everyone seems to love Gemini - looks like a winner.

Seil - if you really liked Elle, then I think I'll give it a go. I really like vigor in a rose. Hmmm.... Just Joey....cheapie bag rose might have been the problem. But then again, not. hmmmmmm

Thank you all!!! Thank goodness for all of you!!
Carol

Putting in a good word for Lady Emma Hamilton, she's green to the tip here. She's low in thorns, RRR, healthy leaves, and I like her scent more than Jude the Obscure.

In the past I checked and found the same: Fragrant Plum is stingy and Just Joey is not hardy for zone 5. My hubby could smell Apricot Candy but I could not - we both like the shape and health of the bush. Carol, if you have more acidic soil you'll get better scent and darker color on New Zealand, which fades and doesn't smell that good in our alkaline soil.

Since my climate is worlds apart from yours, don't know how much help I'll be. I grow Just Joey and Blue Girl. Just Joey has no fragrance, but is one of my favorite roses. Blooms are HUGE and gorgeous, and in my climate it's a crazy repeater and always covered with blooms. Blue Girl might be happier in your climate than mine. It is best here in early spring with gorgeous and wonderfully fragrant blooms. As soon as the heat starts blooms become sparse and small.

Hmmm...you're zone 3 so I really don't know that JJ would winter for you, Carol. It's only rated to zone 7 on HMF so I guess even I was pushing it.

Elle is rated for zone 7 too but I'm hoping that it's vigor will carry it through.

In your zone you're going to have to do some serious winter protection for most of these roses.

Yves Piaget - medium pink - humpft!
What was I thinking of? Not much apparently. Thanks for calling me on it.
I think I planted Veterans Honor where Yves Piaget
used to reside.
A mind is a terrible thing to lose.
FogHorn Leghorn

strawberryhill - really - scent is nicer than Jude's. That's saying a lot!! I almost got Lady Emma Hamilton (Admiral Horatio's mistress) last year. I'm going to try it on your recommendation. :) I don't know about the acidity of the soil. I grow mine in pots so don't use garden soil. But I think the coolness of our summer's will be good for New Zealand. Can't wait to smell it!!! I've never smelled honeysuckle. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I won't get Just Joey or Fragrant Plum. Thanks a lot!

harmony - I'm going to get Over the Moon which should have big blowsy flowers. That rose gets lots of rave reviews here. I think that will be better than Just Joey for me. Yes, you're probably right about Blue Girl - it should do well here. Exciting!!

Seil - I put my roses in large pots. They get overwintered in the garage which has a huge heater for very cold nights. I place protection over them in the garage. So they do okay. Right now they all still have nice green canes. But I am going to pass on JJ just in case.

iowajade - :)

Carol