On 28 Jan 2005 18:56:36 -0800, "scratchy"
wrote:

Belinda's Dream is a great choice for a first rose. It's easy to grow,
very disease resistant and impressive in full bloom. The blooms are
big, deep pink and perfectly shaped like a hybrid tea, but the plant is
much more like a shrub, with a full rounded shape and the foliage is
nicer.

Buff Beauty would be nice under the tree. It just gets bigger and
better each year and it's ridiculously easy to grow, particularly as a
large shrub. It would be least bothered by the shade you mentioned. It
has large full blooms of a soft apricot color. It's also a very heavy
bloomer once it's established. The one I have here suddenly became a
different plant it's third year and was quite a sight. I've ordered a
few more.

I really like Don Juan, too. The blooms are almost black velvet at
times and for such a large red bloom, it's very disease resistant and
repeats well throughout the hot summer here. It also starts blooming
well at an early age for a climber. The second year in my garden, I
pinched a lot of buds and still had a good display. The repeat improved
the third year. All of these have a nice fragrance in my garden.
scratchy
SCTX(near Austin) Zone 8

Hmmmm, that's another person who thinks that Don Juan gets sort of a
black velevet. I wonder if it's a matter of soil or if it's just a
normal variation to the one that Shiva has. I doubt it's climate,
because I'd imagine that my climate is actually slightly cooler than
her's and Austin is certainly a hotter, drier environment that both of
us.