You can certainly plant now. We can plant almost year round because our ground doesn't really freeze. You may not find a lot of roses in the nursery at this time, usually spring is the big time for them. And be patient, climbers take a few years to get to full height and put on a great show.

I have climbing Iceberg which does well, but will get blackspot if not sprayed. The other white climber I have is an older rose, Sombreuil, which has a fuller flower with more petals. I just planted it this year, so it hasn't gotten that big yet.

You should post on the rose forum, they will have lots of other ideas.

Here is my favorite article on rose gardening. This is Jean's list. Jean lives in Tennessee, but a very similar climate to the Atlanta area...hot and humid. She does not spray her roses and lists these that have been healthy for her:

http://www.ars.org/About_Roses/health_no%20spray.htm

It's a nice place to start. You can also check out the rose and antique rose forums. Very handy and nice folks with good advice!

GGG

groupgirl, that was a great site, thanks.

KP, if you don't want to spray, I do recommend that you try a product called Bayer-All-in-one rose care. It's a semi-liquid (sort of pudding consistency) mixture that you would mix in water and pour around the rose bush every 6 weeks or so. It is a fertilizer, and systematic insect and disease protector. It will give your roses more resistance to black spot and it has virtually eliminated aphids on my roses. I still spray, but have stretched that out to about every 3-4 weeks due to the Bayer all in one.

It all depends on your tolerance for black spot. If you don't mind a bit of it, then you should be OK.

This is all terrific information. Thank you so much. I can't wait to give this a try. Good to know it is a couple years before the reward (so I don't get discouraged) and the Bayer Advanced is something I am familiar with but never knew if it really worked. And Jean's List looks like a gold mine. Your time and replies are much appreciated!

kathy

My favorite white climber is Sombreuil (off white maybe) - you can smell the fragrance from several feet away! It takes my breath away! Old fashioned many petals type bloom. I also love Devonesis - it also have a strong lovely fragrance, but the blooms look more Hybrid tea-like. I probably did not spell that correctly.

But my favorite climber is Westerland - lovely orange color with a wonderful fragrance that blooms and blooms!

Goodness. No one has mentioned our state flower, Cherokee Rose, a single white blooming in spring. The flowers only last a few weeks, but the deep green, glossy evergreen foliage looks great all year. Can be somewhat RAMPANT. I have a 10 year old vine that I have sheared as an 8 foot shrub at the end of an 8 foot sheared eleagnus hedge (I like tall hedges, despite the necessary maintenance). Blends in flawlessly. I guess Cherokee Rose has been superseded by other, superior climbers, but I like growing old-timey plants.