I got mine direct from Austin and it's a nice plant. It is grafted. If you want own root, try Chamblees or Roses Unlimited.

You do not want Fair Bianca own root. It's not a good grower even grafted (it isn't Mighty Mouse, just regular mouse)

Hi - mad gallica, thanks - you replied to this over in NE gardening too. I'm going to post the same question about other options as I posted there, so it may seem familiar! :-)

Hmmm, I did all this reading and found all good things about Fair Bianca, now am suddenly reading (here and elsewhere) not so great things about Fair Bianca. Ugh.

What I'd like is a fairly compact rose with a good, strong fragrance for my front steps. It needs to have some shade tolerance. I'd prefer white, but a light pink might be ok too. My favorite roses have that cabbage rose style flower, but I like other old garden looks too (don't really love the HT pointy florist type rose flower). I'd like one with a continual or strong repeat bloom too.

I know, I'm not asking much, am I? :-) Any suggestions??

how do you grow this rose in arizona?

I know, I'm not asking much, am I? :-) Any suggestions??

I don't know how it would hold up in your challenging climate, but the 2004 version of 'Bolero' is a wonderful small white with a powerful citrus-rose fragrance. A winner here, far better than 'Fair Bianca'.

{{gwi:271642}}

yellowrose10, where in AZ? Tucson has much different conditions than Sedona or Flagstaff.

Another possibility for you lisahloo, is maybe 'White Pet', aka 'Little White Pet', a polyantha with small white fragrant flowers that stays compact and blooms a lot. Again, I don't know how cold-hardy and disease resistant it will be in your zone, but it may perhaps be better for you than a modern rose...

Oooh - thank you!!! Bolero might be a winner... certainly something to do more research on. White pet looks pretty good too.

I was just about to ditch my search for white and go with Jude the Obscure (which I now have to have, but may just have to go elsewhere!)....

Thanks! If anyone else has other suggestions, I'd love to hear!

What about something along the lines of Marie Pavie?

Jeri