Easiest roses for beginners are Knockout roses. They bloom all summer with no special care. They are available everywhere, including Walmart and Home Depot. They will be fine in containers. The bigger, the better, but get at least a 14-inch pot.

The Georgia Gardener's Guide lists roses that do well in GA. The book lists: Lady Banks (climber), Cecile Brunner, chinensis mutabilis (single petaled), Mister Lincoln (hybrid tea), New Dawn (climbing), Sun Flare (floribunda), The Fairy (polyantha). I'm sure there are others, but these are in the book for their ease of care and their ability to survive in GA.

The only one of those roses I have is Mr. Lincoln. I would not recommend it in a pot, it can get up to 7 feet tall. Plus it needs to be sprayed if you don't want to lose leaves for BS.

For a container, I would look for mini, or carpet roses. They look nice spilling over a container.

Just remember that roses need to be fed often to flower and in a pot that means at least once a week with Miracle Gro. You can't use some rose food in a pot because it will be to strong.

Some polyantha roses do very well here.
I have Margot Koster. She never looses leaves, and has lovely little apricot balls of flowers. She is a non-stop bloomer all summer, and is small enough for a container.
I grow red and pink fairy roses, they can get BS but recover quickly. They need to be in fairly large containers. I prune them back to the ground annually to keep them small.

GGG

I have Yellow Lady Banks, Carefree Sunshine, Pink and original Knockouts, Cecile Brunner, and a couple of unnamed pass-alongs form GGG that I love, and all do wonderfully well with no spraying. I have a list passed on from GGG of no spray roses (originally from a local rosarian named Jean.) I have added pictures of many of the roses and descriptions as I have researched them. I have not researched them all yet, but if you, or anyone else for that matter, is interested in this it is a Word file and I can send what I have to you. Because it need to be sent as an attachement I can not send it through gardenweb so send me you email address (or just post it here.)

I noticed that the Antique Rose Emporium lists what they call Tried and True roses for beginners on their home page, including tried and true roses for containers. I've included their url.

Kathy, I'd love to have your list of no-spray roses - I keep thinking someday I'll find enough sun in my yard to grow at least one rose. You should have my email address.

GGG, where did you get the Margot Koster? I tried to look it up on the web but only found Margot Koster clematis.

Here is a link that might be useful: Antique Rose Emporium

Here's a photo of margo koster. http://fichas.infojardin.com/rosas/rosales-polyantha-rosa-polyantha.htm

It came from the Uncommon Rose, now out of stock. I tend to make my rose purchases in February or March so that they can be in stock.
Chamblees has listed that it is being propagated and is "coming soon".

GGG

Roses Unlimited in Laurens South Carolina should have Margot Koster and others of her family. Their garden open house, which is a treat well worth the drive, is coming up the first weekend in May, I think. If you search for "roses unlimited" and laurens you should find the website.