How do the Portland Damasks do in your area? I have a high opinion of 'Mme. Boll', but don't know about her disease resistance where you live.

Hi grace: I'm in zone 5a too. I second Ingrid's suggestion of Earth Song. Burlington Roses in CA has it for $11 per band, so you can easily make a hedge at that price, if you order in advance so Burling won't be out. The shipping cost is cheap, I paid $11 for 4 roses to be shipped from there to my Chicagoland recently.

My neighbor's EarthSong is tall and lanky, as a grandiflora up to 4'. If you want a bushy hedge, rather than tall and sparse, there's "Pride of Oakland" floribunda with a spice scent, tons of blooms (click on the link below). Kim Rupert used "Pride of Oakland" to create his drought-tolerant LynnPoo, or Porcelain Rose.

Pride of Oakland floribunda is known to stand up to 100 degrees heat at Cliff's dessert Garden in CA. Burlington Roses in CA sells "Pride of Oakland" for $11. From my experience in researching roses to survive my zone 5a winter, those that stand up to high heat also do well in cold drying wind.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pride of Oakland Floribunda, spice-scent

If I were to make a eye-popping gorgeous hedge, I would alternate pink "Pride of Oakland" with purple "Lauren". Burlington Roses sell "Lauren", purple polyantha, fragrant and hardy to zone 2a. Burling has over 389 big roses for $11 each, and 169 mini-roses for $7.50. Kim Rupert said his 2003 "Lauren" creation is 3' tall in CA, since it's a very hardy rose it would keep that height in zone 5a.

I learn to get the newest-bred roses, they are more disease-resistant than older-bred roses. Click on the link below to see purple "Lauren" at Cliff's High Desert rose garden:

Here is a link that might be useful: Lauren rose at Cliff's high desert garden

Earth Song is NOT virus-indexed free, so my neighbor's earthsong didn't look good after zone 5a winter (hers might have Rose Mosaic virus). For a warmer climate, Earthsong is outstanding in terms of zero-diseases, good cut flower, and always-blooming. See the link below to Earth Song huge bush in CA.

Here is a link that might be useful: Earthsong bush in Southern California

If you are interested in a fuchsia pink, very fragrant sweet-pea scented shrub, almost thornless, flower-drop off by itself, so you don't have to dead-head .... it's the new release 2010 Bohemian Rhapsody, bred by Robert Neil Rippletoe. It's 3 feet tall, and 4 feet wide. It suckers easily, so you can get more than one plant just from one initial investment.

It was available at Roses Unlimited summer sale for $8. I regret terribly not getting that one. A thornless, hardy, and fragrant rose with fuchsia pink color is rare. Robert Neil's climate is dry and hot, so you won't have to water that one frequently, the bloom drops its petals so you don't have to dead-head ... perfect for landscape!

Here is a link that might be useful: Thornless and fragrant Bohemian Rhapsody

My next door neighbour has a front hedge with a mix of 23 Mme Boll and Rose de Rescht and it's beautiful. It's 3 ft tall so it doesn't give much privacy if that's what you want. The rugosa Fru Dagmar Hastrup, pink single blooms with hips at the same time as the flowers in autumn, will make a little taller hedge and will give some protection against dogs, for instance, because of the thorns.

David Austin's Queen of Sweden makes a great hedge, though it may not re-bloom as fast as you want. However, it is disease-resistant. Austin has several other pinks that would make good hedges. For a taller hedge, Hyde Hall is excellent. For a medium sized hedge, Maybe Harlow Carr or Scepter'd Isle. For a low hedge, Anne Boleyn.

I grow a solitary Bourbon, Mystic Beauty (nearly identical to Souvenir de la Malmaison). It is a marvelous plant and I think could grow nicely as a medium to medium-lower hedge.

Let us know what you decide. : )

Kate

Mariannese of zone 5b has an excellent suggestion: hardy Rugosa shrub, which is very drought tolerant. In my last house with acidic soil, I saw Rugosa shrubs made a great hedge, nice compact shape, nice scent. In my present house with alkaline soil, I cannot grow Rugosa and I miss those nice round shrubs.

Burlington Roses has Theresa Bugnet Rugosa, pink, hardy to zone 3a, 5' x 4', heat-tolerant. The fragrant Bohemian Rhapsody that I posted earlier has Cardinal Hume parentage, hardy to zone 5b. As to disease-free and drought-tolerant, nothing beat Rugosas like Theresa Bugnet and Fru D. H. that Mariannese recommended. The Montreal Botanical Garden recommends Theresa Bugnet rose as resistant to blackspot, powdery mildew, and rust. In the winter its canes are beautiful purplish red, and it's the first one to flower in the spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rugosa rose Theresa Bugnet

Besides "Earth Song"(yes, I remember that hedge!), not sure if you would consider "Carefree beauty", "Carefree wonder" and "Bonica".

I purchased "carefree beauty" after I saw the pictures on Helpmefind and Deborah Silver's blog.

"carefree wonder" was amazing in this post: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/rosesgal/msg060222566823.html

In San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, Bonica formed a nice round hedge area. But they open late in the year.

One of Jackson&Perking's partner site(Park Seed) offered the end of season sale in late June this yr. Their "carefree beauty" and "carefree wonder" were under $4 (with free shipping). They were grade 1 bare root. Very freeze burn. (I was a bit disappointed to receive them. I dont have many online rose purchase experiences. Another shocker was Heirloom recently.) But once they established, they really take off quickly, specially "carefree wonder"...

There are also hybrid perpetuals and rugosas you could try too.
Flamingo, Fimbriata, Fau Dagmar Hastrup are some rugosas to look into, Scabrosa, etc. Many options.

Stanwell Perpetual is an OLD OGR pink that turns white that's incredibly fragrant double and perfectly hardy for your area.

'Jacques Cartier'/'Marchesa Boccella' is a hybrid perpetual that's another baby pink Old Garden rose that would make a good hedge.

I like 'Therese Bugnet' too, and it provides some of the best fall color in my whole garden...some of the rugosas color beautifully. I like 'Stanwell Perpetual', which is everblooming and fabulously perfumed, but it has been a scraggly bush in both the gardens I planted it in, in different conditions: does it ever make a good full bush? I'm doubtful about it for a hedge.

Hi Grace: Since you are in zone 5a like mine. It's good to watch out for hardiness so you don't lose roses to winter. Earth Song is hardy to zone 4, moderate scent, can reach to 6' tall in warm zone, or 4' tall in cold zone.

All the Carefree series that Kathleen mentioned are hardy in zone 5a, and make a spectacular display, no scent though, and shorter than Knock-outs. The thornless Bohemian Rhapsody is hardy to zone 5a, with strong fragrance at 3' x 4'.

Since you ask for a FRAGRANT, rrr, healthy hedge - nothing beats the rugosas in health. Frau Dagmar Hartopp is hardy to zone 3, nice fall color, large red hips, STRONG fragrance, low shrub. Hansa is pretty flower, zone 3, moderate scent, 5' x 5'. Jens Munk is moderate scent, red hips, best for hedge at 5' x 5', hardy to zone 2.

Therese Bugnet with nice fall foliage only has light scent, 7' x 5'. This would make a tall pretty hedge, hardy to zone 2. All the above Rugosas are sold at High Country Roses in Colorodo. Big healthy plants for band-size, shipping cost is cheap, great customer service. Last year I ordered 5 Austins from them and the total cost was around $100. Rugosas are sold there at a lower price than Austins.

Sorry, I keep getting those 2 confused: Carefree wonder is NOT fragrant, but Carefree Beauty is, hardy to zone 4, 4' x 4'. Upon checking older threads, folks report it as being slow to establish, and slower repeat than Earth Song.

If I make a hedge for my garden, I would choose Earth Song for the pretty color, scent, and fast repeat... plus I can cut for the vase... Many nurseries sell that one, and the best price is at BurlingtonRoses@aol.com

If you go to the link of Pride of Oakland, on the very last page there is an incredible double hedge of this rose flanking a series of small pools that flow into each other. Truly spectacular!

Ingrid

Hi Ingrid: I saw that picture too and was amazed at Pride of Oakland - it does well in Kim Rupert's hot and dry climate that's why he bred it into his Porcelain rose.

Recently I killed a shrub infected with Rose Rosette Disease bought from Home Depot last year for $18. My other 38+ roses are healthy bought from mail-ordered nurseries. Roses I bought from Roses Unlimited, Chamblee's, and High Country Roses came in the mail with buds and blooms. Burlington bands are smaller, thus cheaper shipping. Since Burling's roots are long, they established quickly. Below is a picture of "Crimson Glory" own-root Hybrid Tea, after 1 month of purchase from Burlington Roses. Hardy shrubs and floribundas grow much faster that hybrid teas, and can establish quickly as bands from mail-order.