I have only a number of minis and here's my recommendation:

This is my Rise n Shine, I think she's perfect for a pot, I can't detect any fragrance but she meets your other requirements.

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Beauty Secret is a good rose as well.
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Sweet Chariot- very fragrant, pompom like flowers.

You may not be aware of this when selecting your roses but the trend lately is towards "Mini-floras". These grow taller then most minis and have larger blooms. Many "Mini-floras" are as tall as regular roses. Exhibitors favor them in competition because of their larger blooms. When applying the word miniature to a rose what is meant is not the size of the overall plant, but to the size of the blooms. Even some minis (as opposed to Mini-floras) can get quite tall...Yellow roses can be less disease resistant then most. In my area Rise n' Shine is an excellent rose but must be constantly sprayed for disease. A few of the true miniatures that stay relatively compact with better then average disease resistance for me have been Magic Carousel, Chattooga, Rainbow's End. However, I do spray. Beauty Secret is a lovely miniature with a truly good fragrance, but it prefers a cooler climate then mine. I'm sure others will chime in with more suggestions for you.

A very good miniflora yellow is Sunglow. It is a double single miniflora that blooms continuously and has a lemony fragrance. This is the Day is another great mini that always has blooms on it. It has a unique mauve color with a bright yellow center.

Scentimental and Sentsational both smell good and will be nice in pots. Let me suggest that you get the Miracle Gro soil with the water crystals in it, That way you won't have to water as much.

I've been doing some research in the minis and plan to order some from Nor East. Disease resistance is important to me because I don't spray. 'My Sunshine' is a single but is suppose to be very disease resistant and is fragrant.

My daughter's favorite color is yellow as well and I ordered a yellow mini called Sweet Diana from Nor'East last spring for her. I figured it was my name and her color, might as well give it a try. It arrived with blooms and was the last mini rose in my garden blooming into late October. Foliage was clean and healthy throughout the season and I didn't treat it with anything. It is coming back this spring with no die back at all. I really have nothing but good things to say about Sweet Diana. She was a surprise star in my garden.

Irina
Where do you live in central Jersey? I live in Millstone Township, just off Route 33 between Hightstown and Freehold.. Perhaps I can offer advise and posibly plants. If you go to the Nor East website and click on Benardella you will see some of the roses I created. I would like to help with your project.
Frank Benardella

Hi Irina! Take Frank up on his offer. There is nothing more that I can add!

For the yellow mini, consider 'Pacific Serenade'.
I just got it a few weeks ago, but wow is it ever good-looking.
It has some fragrance and is thornless.

I have grown 'Rise-N-Shine' for about 8 years. Another good yellow mini. It gets some blackspot from time to time, but recovers well on its own, no help from me. It's really a tough little rose that blooms a lot. Mine is fully mature, and it is about 3 ft by 3 ft, with very minimum pruning. Mine is pretty much evergreen here. I do not spray it, but I have a fairly high tolerance for imperfection.

'Sweet Chariot' grows in a nearby public garden here. Beautiful little mini, every time I visit there.

Randy

Everybody,

Thank you very much for all of your suggestions. Your knowledge and generosity is second to none.

msjam2,
The pictures are incredible - thank you for posting them.

Frank,
I live in Bridgewater - about 1 hour away from you.
I would love your help with this project - it will be a dream come true. Please let me know how I can get in touch with you. My email is ishlakov@gmail.com.

Thank you,
Irina

I believe this is one of Frank's roses and though I'm in a completely different zone, he created it. It's a beautiful mini rose, easy to grow and depending on temps, it can be different shades as a blend. It blooms in flushes but it usually has a couple blooms on it in between.
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Hi Les, nice pic as usual:)

Frank, please tell us a little about your Jilly Jewel. I bought it this year from Nor'East:)

Irma, looks like you hit the jackpot:)

Jilly Jewel grows about 3 feet tall and wide here in New Jersey. It is a nice spft pink. It likes dry weather. the blooms have soft petals and are damaged by moisture. It is a blooming machine here.

Thanks Frank.

Florida us NOT known for having dry weather but I'll see how JJ likes it here. I have her in a pot to get established first.

Evie,

I did hit the jackpot. It was an incredibly generous offer by Frank and I fully appreciate it.

But I would like to say that everybody's advice and suggestions have been and will be very helpful. I will use them all in one way or another.

I am aware that yellow roses are more disease prone than others, but just knowing that people grow them successfully is very comforting. I did not realize mini-floras will be good in containers - another good point I learned. I have been using MG moisture control potting soil - it was good to know my choice was correct. And all the pictures are incredible - e.g. who knew something as beautiful as Sunswept could be easy to grow?

So I would like to sincerely thank everybody who answered my post. I have been a member of the garden web for a few years - this is my first post.

Irina

Irina, How exciting Frank has offered to help you! I've only just gotten interested in minis the past decade, due to small yard space considerations, and I haven't always paid attention to which roses come from which breeders, but I've been really impressed with Benardella roses the past couple of years that I've been aware of them.
I have to make a plug for my favorate: Caliente.
No, it's not yellow, but a terrific bright red mini. Great bushy form that stays around 18 to 22 inches high and wide for me. Mine lives right under my mailbox on my top step next to my front door. It is just about my most constant bloomer. Terrific form in every bloom, good disease resistance, vigor and even has a little fragrance.

As for yellows, would you consider golden apricot? Apricot Twist is a really easy to grow reliable performer. I am so glad to see that Nor'east is now offering it. It was getting rather hard to locate sources for it. Of course, then there's Frank's apricot mini-flora Ambiance, which looks awesome. I haven't grown that one yet, but I'm sure I will.

Y2k is great for very small spaces. It blooms well but remains one of the smallest bushes. Could be perfectly happy in a 12 or 14 inch pot.

Minis, though smaller than hybrid teas and floribundas, can grow bigger than many people think. I'm just reiterating a point others have already made on this thread. The smallest pots I use for mature minis are 12". Most of mine are in 15 to 18 inch pots, a few even bigger.
Someone already mentioned that mini vs. miniflora designtions refer to bloom size and not plant size. Some minifloras actually remain smaller than some minis. I have a Double Gold that blooms up to almost 3 inch diameter. But the plant is still quite small for me now starting its third season.

Best wishes. Have fun and I'm sure you'll be hooked on roses if you aren't already. : )

Mike