Not sure what zone you're in--I've found Sunsprite to be hardy and fragrant, but my problems with it were blackspot, runty growth and the blooms blew fast. I'm trying Prairie Harvest this year, it's a Buck rose and should be very hardy and fragrant--but it has a little bit of pink shading in the centers (from pictures I've seen), so not a pure yellow like Sunsprite. I've also considered The Pilgrim, an Austin yellow that I think is supposed to be hardy to Zone 5--you might give that a look. Carefree Sunshine is another you might consider (I think it's from the same breeder as Knockouts), though I don't know if it's fragrant at all.

Oops, I missed the zone in your post! I should try reading a little more thoroughly.

Julia Child! I'm not even a big yellow rose fan and she is in my top 10 for sure. She proved to be very hardy in my zone 5 garden, vigorous, beautiful blooms and great repeat.

What state do you live in?

Even with hardy roses, containers must be protected-- the rootball gets much colder than it would in the ground. Wait till the soil is starting to freeze and move them into an unheated shed or cover with a leaf pile.

Great yellow repeat-blooming roses are scarce. Prairie Harvest has exceptional hardiness and disease resistance, but the color is quite pale. I'm surprised you couldn't smell Sunsprite-- it has a very strong citrus fragrance.

Thanks to all.
I live in NY and according to the map we are in 6a zone area. However, as I said, this winter was colder the usual with many nights down to teen digit temperatures, so the 6a zone can be misleading.
The 2 sunsprite roses were left unprotected outside and I had to ditch them (last year). I know that they should have been kept covered, or kept in the garage, but I didn't.
I forgot to mention Julia Child which is also on my list.
Or maybe I will try sunsprite again but this time plant it stright in the ground. I gave Palatine roses a call, but they stopped shipping for the season (it is still March, isn't it?)

I also had a sunsprite that croaked. Yellows are my favorite color rose. I would also strongly suggest Julia Child. It is such an awesome rose.

You might try Nacogdoches Rose (or also known as Grandma's Yellow). It is a shrubby type rose with a very strong butter yellow color(blooming in my garden right now!) and has been very disease resistant here (hot, hot and humid!). On HMF it is listed as zone 6b and south but it might work for you. I love this rose!

If you want a fragrant English rose that won't be in a pot, look at Graham Thomas. I have two Sunsprites, and though floribundas tend to be very healthy in my climate, the roses shatter in our winds quickly.

DW wanted Julia Child last year, but it died in the pot in about a week. Unfortunately, the nursery didn't have another.

I really like my Saint Patrick rose!

I think you should try "Shockwave". I like the bright lemon yellow color. I just bought it at the beginning of March. It has been blooming for 2 weeks here in Dallas and we have had weather in the 80's. I have both Sunsprite and Julia Child. Sunsprite's blooms last a day here in the heat. Julia Child is a great bloomer for me, but the yellow is much paler and more buttery than Sunsprite and Shockwave. I have noticed that as the petals age on Shockwave they get a tinge of pink. Fragrance is stronger on Sunsprite. Hope this helps!

You may also want to consider Midas Touch:

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aurora, your midas touch looks beautiful, but I see it recommended for warmer zones then ours (6a).

Texaslynn mentioned Nacogdoches rose but I'm not sure how cold hardy it is. It won out of all the yellow roses for Texas Yellow rose contest and it's supposed to be Texas Superstar plant in April. Who knows how it'd do in other parts of USA but couldn't hurt to try...
{{gwi:229006}}From Grandma's Yellow Rose

It was brutally too hot last year so I planted it in the ground along with 3 more of Nacogdoches for the front yard bed... Will post them in a few months...

Lou

A hardy fragrant yellow repeating rose. Hmmm... Try Topaz Jewel. Here is a description:

Topaz Jewel ­ Here's one of the gems, a yellow rugosa. Yellow is hard to find in hardy roses to begin with, and also in rugosas. This one is a treasure with beautifully shaped buds, lovely double flowers, cupped and very refined in form, growing in sprays of up to eight flowers. The bush is very sturdy and the repeat flowering in the fall is usually as heavy as the spring, with a few blooms here and there in between. Planted next to a tall old garden rose with yellow stamens, such as Celsiana, and the pair create their own mini-rose garden. Fragrant, and grows to five feet.
http://www.sover.net/~garden/rose.html

Julia Child bloomed nonstop for me last year. Carefree Sunshine is tough as nails, and much more hardy than Julia. The new sunny knockout should be hardy but I hear the colors fade. I bought several just because I like having roses that don't have to be babied. Lowes has bagged ones for 9.98 this year, and they have terrific roots. My Sunsprite died back to just one cane over our very mild winter. Tea Clipper, Crown Princess Margareta, Graham Thomas, Golden Celebration are all good yellow performers in my zone 6 garden.
If you don't mind the single bloom form, Carefree Sunshine is healthiest, hardiest, most vigorous constant bloomer. I put several in a dry bed with grasses, rudbeckia, coreopsis, echinacea and achillea and the mix was wonderful. I didn't mulch or feed this bed, either.
Cindi

Mikeber, Just wanted you to know I have had Midas Touch for 8 years in my zone 6a garden in Louisville ,Ky. I have never had any winter die back problems and I winter protect with a mound of leaves, that is all. This rose is just vibrant. People can see is from far away and always comment on it. I do not spray this rose, either. No BS problem,either. Just for your consideration.....Lesley

I had Sunsprite in a pot up north for almost 20 years but I never left it outside unprotected over the winter. Any rose in a container in zone 6 and northward will not survive outside all winter. The roots are just too exposed to the cold! And yellow roses are generally more tender than others. I never had a problem with blackspot on Sunsprite even if I got lazy about spraying. It did get a little mildew but nothing real serious. The flowers didn't last long but they were very fragrant and repeated quickly. I've seen spot free plants down here and I'm considering getting it again!

Blackspot resistance of Sunsprite depends on what strains of the fungus are in your garden. Mine were immune for years and then proved very susceptible to a new strain.

Carefree Sunshine is terrific. I love mine, but most novice growers don't want 5-petalled roses. Topaz Jewel is a good suggestion. However, the canes are totally covered with long, needle-like thorns, if that is a consideration.

I'm told I am in zone 7b, but because I live in a colder area of the region, I believe it is closer to zone 6. The most reliable yellow hybrid tea in our area is without a doubt 'Berolina' aka 'Selfridges' which is a strong grower and very disease resistant in our area. I do mulch the crowns of my hybrid tea roses in late fall and sometimes they must be pruned down to 4-6 inches when winter has been exceptionally harsh - such as this year. The other really great yellow hybrid tea in our area is 'Elina' aka 'Peaudouce' which is another strong growing very healthy rose. 'Sunsprite' is very nice, but not as healthy in our area. Another really nice smaller growing (bushy) plant is 'Conquest'. K

Berolina
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Conquest
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I have had good luck with Carefree Sunshine and Flower Carpet Yellow.

There are other yellow hardy Buck roses including April Moon and Winter Sunset. Prairie Harvest is Carefree Beauty à Sunsprite.

Love that picture of Berolina!!!

I,ve had a Radiant Perfume HT for several years. It,s a gorgeous yellow with nice form. The aroma is outstanding!
Would be better if it was a more prolific bloomer.

carol

I agree carol,I am going to sp my Radiant perfume. It does not bloom nearly enough.

Midas Touch is a great yellow too. I have never heard of Berolina kayli-gardener.It is a kordes rose though so I am not surprised it is good.:) it says strong scent too! only problem is you can't order it from anywhere.Where did you get yours?

My best yellows are Shockwave, Sterntaler/Golden Fairy Tale, Goldmarie, and Tivoli Gardens. The first two are bloom machines.

The pictures of Berolina are really good! It is one of the best yellows there are in my opinion.

I have been very surprised by Candlelight (Tantau 2001). It is something between a shrub, hybrid tea and austin. It has been very healthy here, strong growth, no blackspot at all when other roses can have this very badly. It is never without a flower in summer until the frost comes, and fine fragrance. Under some conditions there are traces of red in the petals, but mostly flowers are pure yellow. Leafs are dark and shiny. Buds look very much like a hybrid tea but opens very full and flat. This rose is well worth checking out.

Good luck with your rose search :-)

'Berolina' is available from Pickering Nurseries, but it is listed in their catalog under 'Selfridges'. It really is a very good rose in our climate. I'm not sure how it does in the warmer zones. It's a strong grower, disease resistant and a good producer of flowers. We just purchased several for our public rose garden this past fall, so I know Pickering has it.

K

bustopher, what is your experience with shockwave? It is a fairly new rose, and there is not enough info about it yet. Do you think it will survive in zone 6?

Mike - where in NY do you live? I live in NYC so may be warmer than you.

Morning has Broken does very well for me here. It's from Heirloom Roses. Julia Child does nicely down here too. And in Detroit, Prairie Harvest does well for me.

I'll put in my two bits for julia chhild. last year was my first year ever putting in roses. julia is one of my 2 best. in the spring she has been the first to green up like the cold winds of winter never happened, she puts forth new growth like blackspot is a nip of sherry, and keeps smiling. already its only the first week of april and she is covered with buds, though not a blossom has broken- i know it will be within the next few days. granted when the days are cooler there is a bare hint of pink of on the blossoms. overall though this rose is as much a pleasure as her namesake. i wish i had room for a dozen more.

Mikeber, my Shockwave did quite well in a pot last summer. I am in zone 6 as far as I know. It has small, bright yellow, unfading flowers all summer. Literally, it did not have a day once it got going where it did not have flowers or buds on it until it froze in the fall. How it will do in the ground I do not know yet. It makes a tidy bush and seems to be rather healthy. I do spray regularly, and it had no disease with regular spraying. I am waiting to see if it survives the winter and our alleged spring okay. I find that most of my roses do survive winter. Where I lose them is during the late winter to early spring transition period typified by wild roller coaster temperature fluctuations between the 80s and the teens. I have found some varieties very susceptible to damage and death. Unfortunately, that includes some of my favorites.

The pictures of Selfridges/Berolina and Conquest are nice. I have Midas Touch, but it looks frozen almost to the ground. The others, Selfridges and Conquest I have not had any experience with.