>I want something that is hardy and somewhat resistant to disease- Maybe Crepuscule and new dawn?? Hi vlodom, I was just going through some similar decisions recently and rhonda in upstate SC convinced me to go with Crepuscle. She posted a picture of it growing at one year old that is incredibly enticing. Plus, it will do that well in less than ideal sunlight. And it has few thorns. Just a really nice rose, I think. I've been interested in New Dawn too. Someone has been working on me towards one of New Dawn's seedlings: Penny Lane. That one has really good shade tolerance, she said, and she loved its fragrance. I assume it will grow as well in the Piedmont as New Dawn will, though she was writing from Kansas. Some other rambling or climbing roses you might take an interest in: Madame Alfred Carriere, Dublin Bay, Red Fountain, Quadra, Laguna, Reve d'Or, Jaune Desprez, William Allen Richardson, Sympathie, Goldfinch, Creme de la Creme, Climbing Pinkie (especially the cultivar at the Antique Rose Emporium). If you'd really like a lot of bushiness as well as the ability to put out some long canes, then take a look at Ghislaine de Feligonde. It ought to mix well with Crepuscle too. Avoid Iceberg, including climbing Iceberg, if you want to try to avoid having to spray for blackspot on the east coast. I wanted Iceberg so much that I decided to give it a try anyway... but sure enough, all I'd read about it being more of a problem on this side of the country turned out to be correct. The best resource on the internet for investigating roses is HelpMeFind.com: http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/plants.php Good luck with your new house and yard! Best wishes, Mary Here is a link that might be useful: Crepuscle photo appears in this thread within Antique Roses Forum

Ahhhhh . . . you may wanna rethink that. Balconies and potted plants are often more trouble for both than one ever would think in advance. The only happy people with balcony plants are those that (1) don't own the balcony, and (2) have no ground floor space at all. That's because balconies and wet pots do not play well together -- think rotted wood wherever that pot drains, unless you can somehow create a "no standing water, ever" drainage way for the watering water. And that's hard to do, in practice, because there's always somewhere that water collects near a pot. And the plants are not usually all that happy either -- balconies tend to be either hot and dry or shaded and damp, and it's hard to find one with decent sun exposure that doesn't get too hot. Many HOA's have "no pots on balconies" rules for exactly that reason, and having been a construction defect lawyer for awhile, I completely understand the need for that rule.

Being from zone 5 as well, I can give you some feedback about the roses you list, since I grow or have grown all of them: Fourth of July - tried it last year but it didn't overwinter. Reports are that it has grown in zone 5 but might be marginal hardiness Dublin Bay - in its second year in my yard and overwintered OK with protection. Reports are that it doesn't grow very tall, and if you want to cover an arbor you want a climber that doesn't die back in the winter, since it needs the old canes to support new blooming growth (as Seil mentions) Eden - hardy enough to bloom in my yard, but hasn't maintained enough old cane to cover an arch. It loses about half its canes for me each winter, and blooms at about 6-7' tall. I grow mine next to a monster climber that's extremely hardy (Quadra) so it can shine in contrast partway up the arch. My Eden took at least 4 years to have ANY blooms at all, though a friend nearby had hers bloom earlier Jacob's Robe - Also tried this one last year and it didn't overwinter. Others have reported it surviving zone 5 so I'll probably try again, but the same concerns with maintaining enough cane to cover an arch apply Westerland/Autumn Sunset - these are both closely related climbers, Westerland is more orange toned and Autumn Sunset is more yellow. Both are reasonably hardy in my zone, and they've both survived the winters with most of their cane, even in my zone 4 pocket of my yard. Not a huge climber for me, but nice flexible canes and I've seen reports of others in zone 5 that have it covering an arch. Ramblin Red - this is by far your most hardy and trouble free of the roses they listed for you. It's a crimson sort of red, but it has very strong canes and is a fast grower. You should have no trouble having this one grow over an arch, but be sure to tie the canes early as they grow and stretch them horizontally on the arches so that they send up laterals (the blooming part of the canes). This one gets pretty thick canes as it matures. Where are you in KS? Since you're south of us I would have thought you'd be at least zone 6, which makes any of the climbers you mention a much more feasible option. Regardless, a little extra hardiness in a climber can't hurt with the variable winters we've been having. Cynthia

FJ Lindheimer seems to fit the criteria.....mine is a very upright shrub with flowers of variable pink/yellow/apricot. The intensity changes with age of the flowers and temperature. It is a tall, narrow plant, peaking at around 4 feet. It is relatively BS resistant, but very few varieties of roses don't get at least some BS here. It has been blooming quite profusely and another bonus: the blooms don't crisp and fry and we have been having a major heat wave and drought here (100 degree + temps for several weeks now). Happy Gardening and good luck with your choice! Lynn