Great thread, Vettin - thanks for the info. about La Reine balling, since I was considering its low-thorn factor for next year. Will skip that one.

If I move to the new house, top 5 babies are all low-thorn, so I won't have any worry of causing pain to myself, my child, or my neighbors who I give cut-roses as gifts:

Annie L. McDowell, Lynnie, Firefighter, Sweet Promise, Frederic Mistral or Deep Purple. All of them are thornless in the upper 6 to 12 inches.

I just got pricked by Scepter d' Isle in the knee, I'm hopping around the house like bunny.

Star of the Nile
The Pilgrim
Golden Celebration
Marie Van Houtte
Generous Gardener

** pouting.. only 5? **

Keepers:
Mme Abel Chatanay
Mrs B R Cant
Clotilde Soupert
General Gallieni (finally - he's amounting to something)
Bermuda's Anna Olivier
All the Teas
White Pet
Borderer
Souv de la Malmaison
Mme Lombard

This is impossible! There are too many more!!

Not:
Blush Noisette
Enchantress
Jaune Desprez

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

I forget my trash list, or "good-ridden", all are own-roots: Scepter d'Isle (spreading), Jacques Cartier (not repeating well), Eglantyne (stingy), Chhristopher Marlow (spreading, can't use as cut flower), William Shakespeare 2000 (personal disike for color and scent).

Having started over, for the fourth and FINAL time, well over a thousand went away. Even more have fallen by the wayside since. I've found when push comes to shove, my own seedlings take precedence over anything commercial, no matter how good the commercial rose is.

I guess to make the response comparable, the commercial roses I would maintain would be:

Blue for You - amazing colors; tremendous scent; excellent health; well behaved plant which is beautiful even when not in flower.

Eyes for You - the most well mannered, "mainstream", healthiest and most fragrant of all the Hulthemia hybrids here to date. Each flower is like an evolving tie-die, Georgia O'Keefe painting, reminding me of psychedelic Matillija Poppies. (the poppies grow out back and are a daily visit as I wander around).

Lynnie - She was (at least in my eyes) good enough to proudly bare my favorite aunt's name. She still is.

Annie Laurie McDowell - Every bit as good for its type as Lynnie and also named for an influential, intelligent, strong and amazing woman who had positive influence in my life. NO prickles; tons of fragrance and (at least here) always healthy.

Lauren - one "happy" rose. Healthy, always in flower, and one of my favorite colors.

Many of the "outta here" roses are already "outta here", but the next to go would have to be:

All ten of the landscraper installed Austins. Too water intensive; too large plants for too little, too fleeting color for this situation and environment; too highly prickled with too marginal disease resistance.

I've whittled down what's here to the point that something I brought has to really misbehave to be dumped now, but in clients' gardens, the next I'd love to see go would be:

Polka - ginormous, terribly thorny plant which throws 8', inch thick shoots, all with one, fleeting, huge flower at their ends. Too stiff to train along the wrought iron fence the way I want to, so it bends slightly, creating a wider plant than it was originally, and always far too tall. Much blood loss every time I wade in to do battle with it. Like my Graham Thomas, way too large and entrenched in a difficult spot that it will take an explosives expert to dislodge it.

Gartendirektor Otto Linne - one which has been gorgeous...elsewhere, but never happy in this garden. It's healthy enough, but there is always much die back and the flowers mummify to beige used tissues and NEVER fall by themselves. Definitely not suited to the environment in which it is planted, but it was a gift from a cherished friend and remains in her memory.

Margo Koster - The only good things I can say about her is she grows and provides some color. It's the colors which set my teeth on edge, like fingernails on a chalkboard..amplified! Spent flowers remain on the plant until I remove them. Old flowering wood blackens and remains embedded among the new chartreuse growth. I've grown many polys and this is the only one to have what feels like a congested, "arthritic" plant habit. There is such a mass of plant in "those colors"... odd, chartreuse with stale cantaloupe which never open, most often just turning beige and dried in place. One I honestly wouldn't mind if a gopher got it, but it remains because her sister's name was Margo and it is in her garden in Margo's memory.

Barbra Streisand - "Margo's" favorite rose, so it grows in a very unsuitable, hot, dry spot. Ever-present mildew, rust and black spot unless I resort to using systemic treatments, which I am loathe to do. Sprays aren't suitable due to the enormous plate glass windows close by and the proximity of the front door. Windows around it are frequently open to permit ventilation as there is always a decent breeze. Any scent would be an issue as would spotting on the windows and house. They, as I am, are very concerned with unnecessary exposure to any potentially harmful chemicals, so this one receives the occasional dose of Bayer. Even in a more suitable location, there is enough die back and foliage issues in that climate, I would choose something else to plant.
Kim

If I could pick just 5? not sure I could do that, probably pick the best of the gallicas/albas I grow, but then I would have to drop something like double scots white out, that would be a shame..

5 not to grow? easy answer for me, any moderns, any repeaters, anything with desease, I would just dump them all. I would keep explorers if I could becuase their biggest flush is early.

I started weeding out moderns years ago and have a very small selection left, some hps mostly and a couple of austins. They are not worth the hassle, becuase after july 4th weekend the jbs will just eat them all anyways, its not worth the fight to me, when I can grow antiques and early roses that bloom from late may to early july , they are then done, I then enjoy other blooms that usually open before they are eating (daylilies for one, usually jbs ignore them till they are open, but who cares if they eat them up, I get my picture and they are done that same day)

silverkelt

I would have Hugonis, Primila, Alba Semiplena, Rosa Mundi and Complicata. If I coud have more I would add Tuscany Superb, Ipsilante, Charles de Mills and Constance Spry.

I got rid of roses that I am not satisfied with long time ago because of space limitations. So all I have, I choose to keep.
Olga

Sorry, can't do 5. But:

Keepers
- Cl America
- Angel Face
- Blueberry Hill
- Color Magic
- Cherry Parfait
- Chrysler Imperial
- Double Delight
- Dream dome True
- Fragrant Cloud
- Gemini
- Heirloom
- Honey Dijon
- Just Joey
- Ingrid Bergman
- Miss All American Beauty
- Stainless Steel
- Sunsprite
- Twlight Zone

Bye
- Arizona (super tall, almost no blooms, few blooms blow fast)
- Europeana (PM nightmare - ugly all year round)
- Paradise (really weak rose for me)
- Proud Land (oye...)
- Queen Elizabeth (tall with foliage and a pink head here and there)
- Voo Doo (week, boring)
- Tantalizing Red (week, boring, stingy)
- Grand masterpiece (super tall, about 3 flowers a year)
- Medallion (sigh...)

So - I guess I could say, if I had to reduce significantly from 85 roses, I could be happy with only the 18 in my keep list. Too early to tell on my DAs and Romanticas.

Keepers:
Souvenir de la Malmaison
Mme. Dore
Belinda's Dream
Le Vesuve
Mrs. B.R. Cant
(I chose the above, aside from their beauty, because they're still blooming bravely in our heat wave)

Losers:
Duchesse de Brabant
Mme. Joseph Schwartz
Julio Iglesias
Celine Forestier
Alexander Hill Gray

Horribly, this question may become much more pertinent as developers close in around the allotments. We are surrounded on all sides by buildings several storeys high and feel that it is merely a matter of time before we get the heave-ho. So, I have seriously considered this prospect: too precious to abandon:
The most common class of roses on my plot are the hybrid musks, for the good reason that they flourish and put out a flush in the autumn which is the equal, if not better, than the first explosion of blossom. So, MOONLIGHT would be kept.
Funnily enough, I must concur with Kim and pick either Blue for You or Eyes for You - tricky but will stick with EYES FOR YOU as it is unusual, astoundingly healthy and very floriferous.
Then there are the wildlings of which I will be greedy and keep 3: R.MOYESII, R.HUGONIS, R.CALIFORNICA (PLENA)
(I am counting these as one as several of you have not just stuck with a mere 5)
On to the climbers and ramblers with a very difficult decision but, after much grief, I think AYRESHIRE SPLENDENS makes the cut. A rose which will sprawl or climb, can be pillared ar espaliered, draped over a stump or scrambling down a bank, a delicately beatiful rose. Finally, because I love it, MADAME GREGOIRE STAECHELIN - this was the 'gateway' rose for me and I have remained faithful to its beauty.
To go: For obvious (to me) reasons - FALSTAFF, CREPUSCULE (this is just a bit feeble)PENNY LANE - boringly generic, too formal and just not really to my taste. JUDE THE OBSCURE - I honestly would not be too sorry to see the back of all my austins (not that there are more than 6) apart from Graham Thomas which performs stunningly well in the fortuitous spot it was allocated. Finally, although it has astoundingly good blooms with long thornless stems, lasting for ages in the vase, it also defoliates almost completely so it is bye-bye PHILLIPPA, a renaissance rose from Poulsen.
Good thread, Vettin, and a fear I really, really hope is not too imminent.

These questions always elicit answers that show just how differently roses behave in different places.
My keepers:
Stephen's Big Purple
Cramoisi Superieur
"Madame DuBost"
Queen of the Belgians
Veilchenblau
Fortune's Double Yellow
Georgetown Tea
Blairii #2 (perhaps)
Pat Austin (maybe and on fort.)
finally, either RdV or a Portland (perhaps Jacques C. who performs beautifully here)

It's an interesting question. I often wish I hadn't gone so overboard collecting roses--I've got about 250 varieties of mainly old roses. I would like to have half as many but the idea of the money I spent makes it too difficult to get rid of so many.

We actually will be moving in the next couple of years, so this is something I've been thinking about. How can I leave ANY of my "babies" behind? I know when the time comes around though, I won't want to be digging up 70+ roses and moving them all. Anywho, If I had to decide right now...

Keepers:
TOP 5- Pope John Paul II (modern, but I CANNOT live without him)
TOP 5- Archduke Charles
TOP 5- Madame Scipion Cochet (sold as)
Niles Cochet
Maman Cochet
TOP 5- Koko Loco (another modern. LOVE this rose)
TOP 5- Lady Emma Hamilton
Belinda's Dream
Cherry Parfait
Leveson Gower

Getting the Stink Eye:
Old Gay Hill China
Cream Veranda
William R Smith

Seeyalaters:
Marie Pavie
Safrano
Angel Face
Folklore

Obviously there are a lot more that I don't have definite opinions on, and all of these are subject to change at least 10 times.

Brittie, I am astonished at how much I like Pope John Paul II, being a dyed-in-the-wool old rose lover. I just planted a row of 4 this spring and they have quickly become one of my favorite roses. Here they are healthy. Add in fragrance and a wonderful full petaled form and they hold their own with any reproduction rose. My other 4 HTs to keep would be Oklahoma (fragrant), Whisky Mac (fragrant), Lemon Spice (fragrant), and Gloire de Holland (fragrant).

The question surely was which 5 of each class one would keep. It would break my heart to reduce the garden to a mere 5 roses!

Seriously, this is a question I have considered many times. I could be content with 2-3 dozen roses but which roses those are would be determined by where I lived at the time.

Rosefolly

For our extremely hot and humid summers in eastern NC where BS reigns, here are my keepers:
Belinda's Dream
Prairie Sunrise
Polonaise
Naga Belle
Mrs. B. R. Cant
Prairie Harvest
Cresupule
Dublin Bay

Good bye to:
Madame Berkeley---small flowers
Mrs. Dudley Cross---sometimes beautiful but often sparce bloom
Rosarium Utersen---beautiful in spring, nude the rest of the summer
Hi Neighbor---puny, few blooms
Earth Song--still puny after three years own root
Pearlie Mae also still puny after three years
Clementina Carbaroni spelling?, sparce blooms

Sunny, you need to try a different Earth Song if your present one is still puny. Earth Song is not naturally a puny rose. You might get a totally different view of it, if you did. : )

Kate

Sunny, you need to try a different Earth Song if your present one is still puny. Earth Song is not naturally a puny rose. You might get a totally different view of it, if you did. : )

Kate

Keep:

Francis Meilland

Evelyn

Munstead Wood

Quietness

Blanc Double de Coubert

Lose:

Jude

Heritage

Scepter'd Isle

Sweet Little Lies

Nahema

This is really an interesting thread. Since there are so many to choose from, I chose by class. However, this list is likely to change with the seasons. LOL

There are two Floribundas. It is the largest group in my small urban garden, so it's really impossible to pick just one.

I want them to be in my (new) garden:

Renae (climber)

Garden Delight (floribunda)

South Africa (floribunda)

Young Lycidas (DA)

Lady Hillingdon (Tea)

Mutabilis (China)

Dr. Robert Korns (hybrid Musk)

Secret (hybrid tea)

Baby Austin (mini)

Cream Veranda (shrub)

Like but willing to let go:

Therese Bugnet: Too many suckers and prone to RSG infection

Poseidon: Requires a lot of water

New Dawn: Too many prickles to manage

Raspberry Cupcake: Balling in the rain

Koko Loco: Lack of vigor

Feiy, I’m surprised your Raspberry Cupcake is balling, I haven’t had that problem here

Oursteelers, the recent rains turned all the flowers and buds into brown paste. I really struggled with whether to keep it or not. Maybe give it another year since yours doesn't have this issue.

Well, I’m getting my do-over in my new garden so here is my list of the top 10 roses I had to get again or bought with me and the 5 that I was happy to leave behind. You’ll notice my first garden had a lot of DAs and they are still a big part of my new garden.

Roses I got again or moved with me:

Eden (moved with me)

White Eden (moved with me)

Madam Alfred Carrier

Lady of Shallot

The Poet’s Wife

Evelyn (on order from GRF)

Abraham Darby

Golden Celebration

The Lark Ascending

Munstead Wood

Special mention to Jude the Obscure and Lady Emma Hamilton, they would be on this top 10 if only I could get my hands on them!

Roses I was glad to leave behind:

The Generous Gardener (its a fine rose - healthy, pretty, smells nice - and boring)

Wollerton Old Hall (I can’t handle the scent - and it would waft)

The Albrighton Rambler (it’s pretty but also boring)

Clair Austin (balled non stop until summer and then had tiny blooms)

Dark Desire (drop dead gorgeous for a day and then would turn into a frazzled mess, awkward growth, no scent that I could discern)

Special mention here for New Dawn - you would think I learned my lesson but I went and got another one along with Awakening and now have two thorny octopus roses that drive me nuts and need to find a new home.

I would also like to comment on Cecile Brunner. Climbing Cecil Brunner is the scent of my childhood growing up in Los Angeles. So for nostalgic reasons I had to have one in my first garden. Well. it did nothing for three years and then turned into a driveway eating once blooming monster. Absolutely stunning when in bloom but a beast to manage and yet I couldn’t be without it. When we moved to our new house I was planning to get another Cecile Brunner (but better sited) when I discovered much to my delight that it already had the Spray version of Cecile Brunner! I love this rose so much, it’s always in bloom, flowers drop cleanly, healthy, large but not overwhelming, wafting scent, just a joy all year!