Of those I have which I'd recommend to others as "must haves", I'd have to say:

Abraham Darby
Baltimore Belle
Bermuda Spice
Botzaris
Bubble Bath
Cardinal de Richelieu
Clotilde Soupert
Crimson Glory
Darlow's Enigma
Golden Buddha
Jude the Obscure
Lemon Spice
Marie Pavie
Mister Lincoln
Oklahoma
Orfeo
Paul Neyron
Perle d'Or
Prospero
Rosa moschata
Sophie's Perpetual
Souvenir de la Malmaison
Yolande d'Aragon

I live in central New Jersey, zone 7a. We get ample rain, averaging between 3" and 5" per month, every month. Last year I tried to get by without supplemental watering except for newly-planted companion perennials, and the roses seemed to do just fine. The native soil here is acidic clay, but my garden bets have lots of organic matter piled on top. All I mentioned are in the ground, except for the Hybrid Teas (Crimson Glory, Lemon Spice, Mister Lincoln, and Oklahoma) which are growing in large pots. My "must haves" are not necessarily the healthiest -- blackspot here is basically inevitable to some degree if you don't use fungicides -- but they represent a nice diversity of form (plant and bloom) and fragrance. I know some people bemoan some of the roses I chose for whatever reason, but they provide something I feel is rather unique. 'Paul Neyron' is an example, worth it if only for the sheer size of the blooms, and that the canes are basically thornless.

:-)

~Christopher

I am in zone 7a right on the line of zone 6 in the humid East Tennessee valley. If I lived further into the country, just 10 miles down the road I might claim zone 6, but I feel that being so close to the city all this pavement & heat reflecting concrete gives my immediate area a tiny boost in temperature to push it up to zone 7a. I feel lucky to say that we get a steady supply of rainfall every year, ( I am so very sorry to those of you who don't, I honestly never paid that possibly much thought until reading some very sad and frustrated posts by members of this forum, I now realize how lucky I am) if I didn't want to spoil my roses I could probably get by without supplemental watering, but since they were all in their first year last year I was generous with the hose. Our climate is on the warmer side of mild most of the year, there are only a few days a year that the temps break the 100 mark. Our soil is a very sticky red clay that leans more toward the alkaline side, it is almost impossible to amend it to the point that it won't stick together in a tight ball when you squeeze it, but I'm getting there.

I probably shouldn't be judging any roses yet, because they are still so young, however I want to participate so I will share my picks from the limited experience I do have with these varieties, I have had more time with some than others, so I'll share what I've observed so far. I chose these cultivars based firstly on their health, (I live in a high blackspot pressure area & I really hate looking at defoliated roses), their pleasing habit, and their quick rebloom:

The number one spot unquestioningly goes to.......

• Lady of Shallot, I can't say enough good things about this rose, it is perfect in every way, blooms her head off, no disease, gorgeous blooms with a soft sherberty mix of colors, and a delicate yet delicious fragrance, I just love her, even in her first year she stands out.

Then in no certain order:

• Darcy Bussell -disease free bloom factory
• Barcelona/ F.D. .....Whoever he is he is magnificent
• Ducher - healthy, vigorous, & somehow completely hardy for me, even though it is listed as zone 7 on HMF, he did much better this winter than several roses with much lower zone ratings
• Maggie - very healthy & vigorous
• Marie Pavie - multitudes of cheerful, fragrant blooms on a cute, round shrub

• & Julia Child ..... I know some may find her boring & almost reaching "knockout level" in terms of everyone having been there done that, but I love this rose, she is reliable, cheerful, & has beautifully clean & glossy foliage

I know that in just a few short months when my young roses start waking up and start putting on growth this list will undoubtedly change, but right now this is what I have to add to the conversation. I'll update as needed when things get a bit more mature.

Jessica

I live in zone 8a in SC! I have a couple of must haves, but I don't know how well some would do for you. ( spelling may be off :) )

Orphelline de Julliet - I love this once blooming beautiful, enchanting rose!

Mutibilis- new to me but love it already!

Souviner du dr Jamain

Edith de Murat

Brown Study

Leda

Rose du Roi

Lady Banks

Kazanlik

Ducher

Lilian Austin

So many other, but out of time :) Must get the kiddos to the doctor, I do believe they have a sinus infection!

Lynn, I second what Jessica says about Julia Child, plus she can take that dry awful heat we have in summer (and those nasty, totally unexpected, Arctic blasts in November, which you obviously don't have). Diane

Diane,

Julia Child is a gorgeous rose! I purchased a JC for my sister-in-law the year before last ( I believe), and it is still alive. ( She's new to roses, has 5 kids, a dog, and all of the neighborhood kids seem to congregate at her house). She resides in coastal Ventura County, CA where it is performing well. I use yellow sparingly, and had already selected Golden Celebration ( I grew it about 14 years ago). South Africa is newer for my garden . If I every had to replace Golden Celebration or South Africa, JC would definitely be a contender.

Christopher, I hope you continue to share images of your roses.. you must be highly anticipating spring going into full swing...

Jerri,

Benny Lopez is soooo gorgeous!!!

Lynn

Catherine Mermet

Franciss Dubreil/Barcelona

TipsyI Imperial Concubine

Radio Times

Munstead Wood

Jude the Obscure

Devoniensis

Louis Phillipe

Mrs. B. R. Cant

Madam Lombard/Lambard

Belinda's Dream

Mutablis

Crepuscule

Duchesse de Brabant

One year ago, I only had one rose- an old, fairly scraggly, once-blooming "sweetheart" type of rose.

Since June of last year, I have bought, rescued, grown from cuttings and been given quite a few roses that are almost all very, very young.

It is way too soon to think about favorites, but so far the roses I've really fallen for are 'White Pearl in Red Dragon's Mouth', 'Perle d'Or', 'Enchantress' and my no-name white. I have 2 plants of the nameless white, and they're the only roses with visible buds right now... 5 on the larger plant and 2-3 on the smaller one.

'Cardinal de Richelieu' hasn't bloomed yet, and if this isn't his ideal climate, he may not bloom, but he has the most charming way of unfolding new leaves that I have yet seen... it may not be true love, but at the least it's a foliage crush.

Meanwhile, my rose seedling count is up to over 70, so I guess the joke's on me!

Oh, and I live in the SC Lowcountry where we have hot, steamy summers for half the year, and roller-coaster unpredictability the rest of the time. Zone 8b.

Virginia

Florida rose -- I should have included 'Mme. Lambard.' She blooms for me so faithfully, all through the winter, I love her for her generosity.

Here in blackspot heaven, RRV paradise and varmint Grand Central, a rose has to really earn its keep. By class:

LFC: Autumn Sunset, John Davis, New Dawn,

Rambler: Francois de Juranville, City of York

Tea: Lady Hillingdon (she had a rough winter), Mrs B.R.Cant, Le Pactole, Monsieur Tillier

China: Le Vesuve, Le Vesuve, Le Vesuve (you get the idea)

Gallica: Elegant Gallica, The Bishop

Bourbon: Maggie

Hybrid Perpetual: Grandmother's Hat, Granny Grimmetts (hmmm...didn't realize I had a thing for older women)

Alba: Celestial

Hyb Musk: Felicia (beautiful), Buff Beauty (bountiful), Lavender Lassie (boisterous)

Noisette: Crepuscule

Shrub: Belinda's Dream, Carefree Beauty, Carefree Sunshine (I hear there's a climbing sport???? Gotta find it)

Polyantha: Lauren (this thing is a growing, blooming fool. Thanks Kim!)

I have some other teas that might be more beautiful, and I have other roses that are tougher, more hardy or less thorny, but these are the ones I don't want to garden without.
East TN is hot, hot, hot and VERY humid in the summer; wet, wet, wet and cold in the winter, but with little snow cover. These roses are the reason I keep gardening.

John

Jeri, the Madam has only been in the ground for a couple of months and has grown two feet. Lots and lots of blooms. I had her in a large pot before that, and she bloomed just as enthusiastically. Lush, voluptuous blooms

Here, it is a combination of beauty of bloom and foliage, heat tolerance, floriferousness, and scent that usually make a "must have", but a few (Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux, Arcadia Louisiana Tea, Le Pactole, Lady Ann Kidwell) make the list even without outstanding scent (to my nose, at least), simply due to overall beauty and charm. There are probably half a dozen more coming along that, in a few more years, I will consider indispensable, and a dozen more than that that I consider wonderful roses, too, but I will leave it at these that most frequently give my heart a tug, for the moment.

Mrs. B.R. Cant

Gruss an Coburg

Jaune Desprez

Lemon Spice

Rhodologue Jules Gravereaux

Arcadia Louisiana Tea (the first huge dangling globe of a bloom on this one today truly left me in awe)

Nastarana

Florence Bowers' Pink Tea

Le Pactole

Etoile de Lyon

Francis Dubreuil

Lady Ann Kidwell

Mme. Alfred Carriere

Hong House Cream

zone 7b/8a Texas alkaline clay

Belinda's Dream! Belinda'sDream! Belinda's Dream! Always in bloom. I have 7 of these.

Duchesse de Brabant

Blush Knockout

Little white Pet

Cassie

Colurific

Marie Pavie

Ducher

Kron Princessin Viktoria

Peach Drift

Lady Hillingdon (shrub form)

Valentine Floribunda

Pink rosette

These are my frequent bloomers that hold up to the heat here in texas.

..living with such a wonderful climate - the envy of the civilised world... you know...dull, dull, quick, quick, dull.... roses that are must have's in April can become must have not's by October.... and without the favoured walls of Mottisfont tastes can change rather quickly...

..however, 'Mutabilis' 'Blush Noisette'...'Bonica'... always follow me around... and there's always an Austin or two...

...it has its merits...

Lady Emma Hamilton

Sombrieul

Abraham Darby

Mutabilis

Teasing Georgia

The New Dawn

Pat Austin

Blush Noisette

Daisy

I love reading about everyone's choices and their comments. I have many young roses coming along that have not yet shown what they can do, but one of them, Duchesse de Brabant, I've had before and it will always be a favorite, and this youngster is growing like a house afire in a spot with afternoon shade. Souvenir de la Malmaison blooms year-round and I have two young ones now since you can never have too much of a good thing. Madame de Sombreuil loves to bloom and is a favorite even though it's young and not yet a beautiful bush. Also no mildew, which is afflicting many roses in my garden now. Mutabilis is always on the list for its unique beauty, as is Le Vesuve. Potter and Moore and Bishop's Castle are my most beautiful Austins, not least because they do well in the heat. La France was in my top five but it was diseased, but I have a baby one now since I can't do without this rose. By next year I hope to have a much longer list, unless the water restrictions are so severe by that time that I can't keep the roses going. However, one way or another I will find the water to keep my most beloved ones with me, however reduced in number.

Florida zone 10a coastal fogs; no freezes; sandy "mulch-eating" soil; high-humidity; black spot can be lethal here; salt breezes; can be very windy; dangerously high UV index in summer

1. Napoleon (it's practically a weed here- not my favorite flower form, but it gets an A+ for effort!)

2. Duchesse de Brabant

3. Mme. Alfred Carriere

4. Louis Philippe

5. Mutabilis

6. Caldwell's Pink

7. Alliance Franco-Russe

8. Alister Stella Grey

9. Florence Bower's Pink Tea

10. Teasing Georgia ( on Fortuniana)

11. John Paul ( on Fortuniana)

12. Christina Carbonieri

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you on this forum for your advise about which roses to grow in Florida - It's been invaluable.

Oh, goodness. I have about three hundred varieties in the garden now, and it would be easier to list the ones that I WOULDN'T have in a new garden. So here they are, the over-my-dead-body ones:

'Duc de Cambridge' Appalling proliferation, on a vigorous plant that loves to sucker.

'Perle des Jardins' Beast. Vigorous, constantly diseased, no blooms.

'La Noblesse' Not vice-ridden like the two listed first, but uninteresting. I'm trying letting it grow out in a more open, taller, half-climber form this year to see whether it looks better. I suspect it's too hybrid-looking for my taste.

'Ghislaine de Feligonde' I just don't like this rose, perhaps because its glossy light green Multiflora foliage sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the European origin once-bloomers that surround it. Also I cut an scary canker off it a while back. I think it would have more appeal among different plant neighbors.

I probably have other unliked roses but they don't come to mind at the moment. Most of mine I would be happy to see in a new garden. I think I'd have to actually have a garden to plant, and know what might be likely to grow there, before I could know what I absolutely had to have, in those conditions. Maybe even 'Perle des Jardins': I've heard it's actually good some places.

I've been pondering this question for several days. Roses are much like children: One loves each one, but in a different way. Consequently, it's hard to assess them in a comparative way as a "must have" or not. Looking at it completely objectively, I'd say that 'Faberge' is certainly a "must have." Objectively, it's the best rose I've ever grown: Floriferous, blossoms which are beautifully formed in each stage, handsome healthy foliage on a stocky and vigorous plant, good gradation of color in the flowers, nice scent. It's about as perfect as a rose can be. But I'm not terribly fond of orange roses; and so my feelings of appreciation of the merits of this rose, while strong, are a bit cold. Yes, it's a must have, because it's a perfect rose; but [shiver] it's orange.

But if the question were "what roses could you not do without?", it would be a more personal question, and easier to answer. In no particular order:

--'Souvenir de la Malmaison'

--'Leonie Lamesch'

--'Climbing Cramoisi Superieur'

--'Anna Olivier' (my specimen, alas, is dying; but I have a new one on the way)

--an unknown pink Tea originally from Heritage Rose Gardens which resists all my attempts to propagate

--Robichon's 'Sunshine'

--'Zalud House Shingled Raspberry' (might be 'Clara Barton')

--'Leprechaun'

--'Archiduc Charles'

--'Peach Beauty'

--'Robinette'

--'Lady Ann Kidwell'

--R. hemisphaerica 'Maxima'

--'Snowbird'

--'Chrysler Imperial' in some form (I have the climbing version)

--'Safrano'

I have many many other roses which I cherish; but the above, despite whatever fault or faults each might have (the unknown pink Tea is probably the closest to perfection), are the ones which, when I see a bud opening, or see the plant in full bloom, or smell the fragrance wafting from afar, uplift my heart. They are my "must haves"; they might not be another's.