Hi,
You might want to post that question over on the rose forum. I have Don Juan which seems to handle heat okay, but other folks might have some other suggestions on that forum.

gennieb, I hope somebody more knowledgeable chimes in but I must say, I would think roses love heat and sun more than anything--any rose except possibly dark red roses wouldn't mind the situation you're describing. Just make sure it is in a good hole, amended with plenty of compost and manure and keep it watered and mulched.

Eden is a breathtaking rose but it is susceptible to getting very cruddy by mid-season. If it were me I'd put a tea rose like marechiel noir or crepuscule or lady hillingdon there (what lovely thoughts, sigh
:)

Rose

I have an old Don Juan climber on my deck arbor on the west side of my house. It gets strong sun from noon on and is happy as a clam (we assume clams are happy!). It doesn't seem to mind my neglectful ways either. It loaded with buds now and after the spring flower burst it will bloom on and off again till frost.

Roses like to have good air circulation, are you able to hold it off the house a bit?

I have a New Dawn rose in that same situation. It grows like a monster and it very healthy. Disclaimer: I do have to spray it with fungicide, and I do fertilize it regularly.

I have other roses on that wall that get very tall. How high do you want it to grow?

Thanks to everyone for reponding! I also am fairly neglectful when it comes to my gardening habits but I'm trying to remedy that. All of these roses seem to fit the bill. I'd like for them to get at least 7 or 8 feet if possible. I live about three hours south of Atlanta and it seems to get incredibly hot dowh here, particularly in late July and August. There is just something so restful about a wall or fence full of beautiful blooms...can't wait!

I just noticed your question. I posted a thread earlier today called If You Grow Roses. If you check it out you will find a link to Texas A&M, which trials roses that survive a lot of heat. The Roses Unlimited site lists a lot of climbers, so between the two sights you might find something there. Hope it helps.

Most roses will tolerate sun, but heat can slow them down. You may not get many blooms in July/August unless you water frequently.

I too have DJ and it does well. Surprisingly, the lighter color roses will fry faster in the heat/sun than the darker ones. I also have climbing iceberg (white) that does well and golden showers (yellow) that also survives.

I've heard good things about Eden, but can't vouch for it personally. But guaranteed someone on the rose forum has it and can comment.

Actually, roses don't just "tolerate" sun, they need several hours of sun a day for best health. But you're right about the dead heat of summer - they do take a break on the blooms and get stressed and often lose leaves in the middle of summer.

Rose

I should have used a different term, but sometimes my roses actually get 'fried' by too much sun. Especially the lighter colored ones.

The best combo is early am sun with some afternoon protection. It's amazing how much longer the blooms last in the late summer/fall when the sun isn't as strong. The colors are different too.

Darlow's Inigma is white, and it thrives in sun here. Doesn't get too large but is also so easy to cut back. Small, wild type flowers.
7-8 feet is not all that tall for a climbing rose. You could also grow a shrub rose and train it to the wall. La Marne will get about that tall, and it is very heat/sun tolerant with beautiful bi-colored pinkish blooms. Frequent blooming and quite disease resistant. I have it in a small area, and it does well with pruning and confinement. Most of my other roses are shrubs with stouter stems that don't want such shaping, or are climbers that quite large.

GGG

Why don't you call the folks at Antique Rose Emporium in Texas, or Lisa at Countryside Roses in Mississippi? You'd get some great advice on climbers that do well in the baking sun.

I don't have too many climbers that are in the sun all day...New Dawn, Secret Garden Musk Climber, Darlow's Enigma, Buff Beauty...all get some afternoon respite.

Hope you get some great suggestions!

Mme Alfred Carriere might do very well in that situation - a heat-loving, very fragrant climber that is well-adapted to our climate. I would go for this over the more modern roses such as Eden, for health and exuberance. Antique Rose Emporium carries it; so does Roses Unlimited in Laurens, SC, and many reputable online dealers. Do a Google search and you'll see lots of great pictures. Ask in the antique Rose forum here and you'll find lots of people to comment on her - try to get comments from people in the southeast. I have a neighbor who has her, and "rudely healthy", beautiful and fragrant sum her up. If you feed her, she will be fine.

San Marcos Growers (whom I don't know)has this to say:
Rosa Mme Alfred Carrière
Resembling a Bourbon Rose, with large cupped flowers with wavy petals loosely arranged, 'Mme Alfred Carrière' is considered to be a Noisette Rose, although its parentage was not recorded. This beautiful rose was raised by J. Schwartz (France) and introduced in 1879. It has nearly thornless canes which are clad with large leaves and can grown up a wall to 18 feet tall or as a large shrub without support. The clusters of well scented large flowers (likened to a Tea Rose or Bourbon Rose fragrance) are creamy-white with a tint of pink and are produced intermittently with a strong initial bloom in mid spring and a magnificent display carried on over a long period. It is a very hardy rose for its class, occasionally plagued by powdery mildew but not other rose diseases and is reportedly tolerant of shaded locations. Those visiting our nursery can see this rose on the fence next to the gate to our greenhouse area. In 1908 was proclaimed the best white climber by the National Rose Society in England. Winner of the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Hardy to zones 4-10

David Austin in his book Shrub Roses and Climbing Roses says of this rose: "If a very strong, reliable, repeat-flowering, white climber is required, you need look no further than this variety. Even today, there is no white Climbing Rose to rival it in performance."

I am far from any kind of rose expert, but you might look at the state flower of Georgia, the Cherokee Rose. I have just planted one in the fall on the west side of our house, and it gets/will get similar conditions to what you describe. It has done very well since planting, though I haven't been through the summer heat yet.

My understanding is they are fairly disease and insect resistant as well, and require little maintenance (other than the occasional pruning). Since they are naturalized to Georgia and the south, I can't imagine heat being a problem.

I also understand they pair well with clematis, for blooms through spring, summer, and into fall.

gennieb,

I have a Cherokee rose that gets sun just about all day and it does thrive ... however, it has some vicious thorns! It's difficult to prune because of these thorns. If you're planting where anyone will be passing near it ... mine reaches out and grabs unsuspecting passerbys if I don't keep it cut back. Mine doesn't have a very long blooming period in the spring. I keep it basically because it is beautiful when it is in bloom and it's extremely healthy and, of course, it's our state flower.

bloominganne

I have a lovely rose, with hardly any thorns, that is as tough as nails. It is an old timey climber called, "Climbing Pinky." It is not a rebloomer, but absolutely covers itself in small, double blooms in April/May. It would thrive in the situation you are describing. If you are ever in Athens, GA it is on the gazebo in the trial gardens. Also, it does not require spraying, and the foliage looks great almost all year.

You might want to look up "Fourth of July". I just planted one a few weeks ago after hearing good things about it. I live just west of Atlanta so I'll be finding out just how heat tolerant it is also.

Thanks to everyone for these valuable posts! I have learned alot. I just love this site! I could talk about gardening all day. It is so nice to have a place to ask questions and get such great feedback. Heirloom Roses in Oregon mentioned one called Awakening. The pictures are simply lovely but I must question if the kind folks there have any idea how truly hot it gets here in South Ga. I agree about the Cherokee. It is lovely and seems to be VERY hearty. It grows locally on the fence of a holding pond on one of our major highways. It never gets any attention but has covered that fence and is spectacular. Thanks again to everyone. I'll let you know if I'm successful.