This in interesting. I tried literally five times to post this thread, and now I see my third one has posted, and so has the first one, which I just deleted. I fear the garden gods are not happy with me.

Ingrid, I've mainly grown old roses (for the previous 40 years) up until recently. Also some Alister Clark's (famous Australian breeder). After the GDB (Great Die Back - copying Carol here!) I gave up buying any for a while. I bought a few replacement Teas last year, which are limping along, but that could be as that area is being shaded out.

This year, I went a bit crazy and have just planted 2 Bliss Parfuma, a Lioness and a Heaven on Earth. Lioness, a Kordes, only seems to be sold here and in South Africa so far. It grows to 10' and has buff yellow flowers and is said to be very healthy. Nearly forgot Munstead Wood. I said I'd never buy another DA (blackspot messes here) but was seduced by Diane's photos. We'll see! Another rose I wish i had a place for (might yet find one!) is another new one from Kordes, called Ultraviolet - a climber.

Ingrid, grow what grows best due to your squirrel dilemma.

Moses

Trish, you've chosen very healthy and beautiful roses, and they also have that old rose charm. I was surprised that Munstead Wood had an Excellent rating on HMF, so hopefully that bodes well for you. It will be a lovely foil to all those peachy-yellow tones of the other roses.

Moses, that is the greatest advice, thank you!

You said that so well, Jackie, and that's how I feel too. Being Austrian by birth I think I also feel a kinship with roses that also have a European ancestry, and even those that were Asian in origin were imported to Europe, and were loved in France and England before they traveled to other shores. In addition to their undeniable beauty they also have history which for me certainly adds to their charm. There is an atavistic pull that I can't even fully explain, it just is.

Cels multiflora

Ingrid: What rose diseases in San Diego County would prompt you to seek out more disease-resistant roses?

rifis, I live in what you might call the high desert in northeastern San Diego county and there really is not much disease pressure here. I've always tried to choose roses that are not disease magnets which are tea roses, Chinas, polyanthas and the smaller Bourbons. Some Chinas such as Old Blush would get mildew so I stopped growing it, and Burgundy Iceberg after some years developed blackspot so I discarded it. I grew a few floribundas and some of the Austin roses. I'm not certain what you mean more disease-resistant roses as the ones I grew were very satisfactory and suited to my climate.

I'm a big fan of the once-flowering roses of European origin: Gallicas, Damasks and their hybrids, Centifolias, the Mosses derived from the last two classes. Oh, yes: Albas. These are among the most beautiful roses in my eyes, and overall the best suited to my conditions. This last isn't surprising considering that their species ancestors grow wild locally. Also Ayrshire and, particularly, Wichuriana ramblers, though the last have little relationship to the local native roses. Other classes that I find beautiful, but have difficulty growing, are Teas and the Pemberton Hybrid Musks. I have a fairly small area around the house where I can grow Tea roses, also a few Noisettes, and they're magnificent, but out in the garden have so far had no luck.

There's also the question of rarity. Not too many people, it seems, grow the once-bloomers, so I feel that by growing them I'm helping preserve them. I should add, perhaps they're more popular in northern Europe than here. I also think the Austin roses are very beautiful, but they're widely grown, and not as tough as my roses need to be.

About the once flowering. Our climate is mild and perfectly suited to growing reblooming warm climate roses, and other reflowering roses. However, reflowering roses need water to bloom, and mine is a dry garden, its plants receiving no additional irrigation once they've been in the ground a year. Even if I could grow, and wanted to grow, more repeat flowering roses than I currently do, I wouldn't necessarily get much more bloom out of them than I do out of my once-flowering roses. And the big garden isn't a nice place to be in the summer: too hot, too dry. I'd rather stay in the shade and enjoy the green. I get busy there again in the fall most years.

I grow what attracts me. I grow the ones which are happy to be where I am and don't fight me to perform. If they demonstrate they don't like the climate and conditions as well as my "gardening style", they go become municipal mulch. There are Teas, a couple of Noisettes, a China or two, shrubs, floribundas, a few HT's, a couple of climbers, manay minis, several species and many of my own creations which are mixtures of all of the above. The ones which possess names are all listed on my garden listing on Help Me Find.

I’m a wee bit promiscuous-I love ’em all!!

oursteelers, I'd say that's more than a wee bit! Either that, or you're one of those very rare gardeners who has chosen so well that every rose is a rare beauty with glowing good looks and impeccable health. If only I could be like that, but that would mean that pigs would fly about with gossamer wings and never have an 'accident'.