In article , Mark. Gooley
wrote:

Heirloom Roses (www.heirloomroses.com) does have a few
roses classed under "Ramblers" that are fairly recent, fairly big,
and in some cases remontant: this is encouraging. I know nothing
of them apart from the catalog descriptions, but Cherries Jubilee
(red, once-bloomer, 14 ft.), Christmas Snow (white, once but long
season, 14 ft., and that damned "lightly fragrant" again), the
German-bred Super Dorothy and Super Excelsa (12 ft., but
remontant), and some of their others might be worth a try.

The best scented rambler (truly a once bloomer) that I know of is Long
John Silver. http://www.rosefog.us/imagesJtoZ/LongJohnSilver.jpg

It's probably foolish of me to expect any recent introductions to
be huge plants, remontant, and strongly scented. No doubt a
reliable repeat bloom means that the plant has less energy to
grow large, for one thing. But if anyone knows of such roses,
do let me know. At least there are the older varieties out there.

Westerland? It actually grows like a huge floribunda on steroids, with
8 foot canes and bloom waving at the tips. It's a bit stiff to use as a
climber, at least I wasn't able to do it because the canes always
snapped when I tried to train them horizontal. But I've seen it grown
as a 12 - 15 ft. pillar.

If you think New Dawn is strongly scented, then it has a lot of
off-spring you'll think are scented: Aloha, Parade, Penny Lane, Dublin
Bay, Coral Dawn, Dixieland Linda, Rhonda.

I'll be interested to know how New Dawn performs for you. It has a
reputation for poor rebloom in coastal California. But if you're really
zone 8, then it should be a winner.

The largest, best scented, best reblooming roses here often hybrid
musks. They get very large, and some have very good scent - Cornelia,
Francesca, Buff Beauty. Also Excellenz von Schubert. I grow them all as
shrubs, and Excellenz von Schubert is the largest - not tall, but
fountain shaped. http://www.rosefog.us/imagesAtoI/ExcellenzShrub.jpg
Buff Beauty produces 6-7 foot canes, rather procumbent in my garden.
Cornelia sends up 7 foot canes, but arching like Excellenz von
Schubert.

Depending on what you think about the Kordesii scent (Rosarium Uetersen
is an example), Dortmund also gets huge. It takes at least 3 years to
grow huge *and* rebloom well, but mine, now in the ground 3 full years,
is finally reblooming quite well. The first year you'll think it's a
dud. It won't throw 12 foot canes until the end of the second year.
It's huge. http://www.rosefog.us/imagesAtoI/Dortmund28May03.jpg
And that's after severe pruning last year when it got in the way of the
dog's tennis ball and she chewed through two basals.

Also, Golden Celebration is reputed to grow to 8 feet in mild climates.
I only have 4 foot canes, but then I planted mine last winter.

Joasine Hanet aka Glendora is huge, remontant and highly scent, damask,
like Rose de Rescht but better scent and foliage. 6 feet tall, 8 feet
wide. It's best with periodic whacking, but it grows a lot each season.
http://www.rosefog.us/imagesJtoZ/JoasineMay03.jpg

Mme. Pierre Oger. Best foliage of the bourbons in my garden, constant
flowers. My poor plant lived in a pot too long, but it's first season
in the ground it has produced three 6' canes. I will say the flowers
blow in a day and look particularly loathsome in the heat.
http://www.rosefog.us/imagesJtoZ/MmePierreOger.jpg

One climber that is not widely known and can be slow to build (tho not
for most people - but very slow here) is Ralph Moore's Renae. The scent
is quite delicious, the pink flowers like perfect little rose buds when
new and then opening flat and semi-double. Almost thornless and
beautiful foliage that is as close to perfect as it gets.
http://www.rosefog.us/imagesJtoZ/Renae.jpg

Oh, and "Secret Garden Musk Climber." Very tender but clove-scented.
Slow to build but grows like a climber in Southern and Central
California. Mine throws 6 foot canes only, very thin wood, lots and
lots of white single blooms. Hard to find, good to grow. And while
we're doing white single found roses that get huge, Darlow's Enigma is
another.

I like big roses. There are more than enough for my purposes, scented
and unscented. After all, they don't all have to be scented. I have
Phyllis Bide growing next to Excellenze von Schubert, and you'd never
for a moment be disappointed that Phyllis has no scent because EvS has
so much. http://www.rosefog.us/imagesJtoZ/Phyllis.jpg


Same with Sally Holmes. Pair her with a scented hybrid musk and you
won't feel cheated. http://www.rosefog.us/imagesJtoZ/SallyTons.jpg