My most interesting is the Buck rose 'Gee Whiz'. Named because that's what people said when they first saw it. Streaked and freckled, the blooms are about 4 inches across.

It was new to me last year - an impulse buy. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Gee Whiz' rose on HMF

Oh, there are sooooo many!!

How about a semi-double rust-colored random striped bloom machine....
RUSTY
{{gwi:220973}}

Here's some of my more unique modern roses....Crested Sweetheart, Lady Moss, Curly Pink, Tom Brown, and the miniatures Sequoia Twist and Tiny Tears.
Here's some photos to illustrate what is interesting about each...
Celeste

TINY TEARS....
(A picture is worth a thousand words....this truly is
a micro-mini)
{{gwi:220974}}

LADY MOSS....
really mossy buds and sepals but unlike the old moss roses, it reblooms.

{{gwi:205185}}
{{gwi:220976}}

SEQUOIA TWIST (miniature)....
What I enjoy is that there can be any combo of orange & yellow striped blooms, mostly yellow blooms, mostly orange blooms, yellow w/ orange speckling, etc. on the same plant)

{{gwi:220977}}

TOM BROWN...
He's interesting because of the color...russet w/ tan.

{{gwi:220978}}

CURLY PINK....
The petals are twisted and 'curly' just as its name implies.

{{gwi:220979}}

CRESTED SWEETHEART....
a strange climber that has frilly sepals, much like one of its parents 'Crested Moss'.

{{gwi:205230}}
{{gwi:205199}}

I grow the miniature rose Halo Sunrise, which is from the late, great Ralph Moore.
The petals are yellow with a red base, so the blooms have a red circle in the center:

Here is a link that might be useful: Halo Sunrise photos

{{gwi:220981}}
I've got to say Halloween. No two blooms are alike and it has fabulous fragrance. I don't spray and this one doesn't seem to care.
A must have IMHO.

I think Earthquake and Wedding Cake are the most different/unusual rose I have seen but I don't grow them.
For most interesting beautiful there are so many choices....
The Pink and Red Intuition Roses
Striped Julia
Honey Dijon
Saluda
Abracadabra
Rainbow Warrior
Valentine Rose.
John

I'd have to choose 'Grace Seward'. A simple creamy white with a boss of peachy-pink stamens. Altho' classified as a mini, it grows to 3' and is always covered with bloom. It makes a great addition to the garden.

Lyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to photo of 'Grace Seward' on HMF

Oops... I posted the wrong url. Here's the link

Here is a link that might be useful: Grace Seward on HMF

Great thread!

My most interesting rose from this year is OCCHI DI FATA. I tried to see what that means in Italian, and came up with "Fairy Eyes"(?) Anyway, I see it won the Best Floribunda in European Rose Trials this year. Here is a picture of the first blooms on an own root! It has really flourished and is in the ground now.

{{gwi:220982}}

I also agree with Chuck on HALLOWEEN! What a remarkable rose!

{{gwi:220983}}

And, finally, here is the polyantha GESCHWISTER SCHOLL. I guess this first bloom doesn't look all that unusual, but, to me it doesn't look like most polyanthas-more like a floribunda.

{{gwi:220985}}

I would probably say Adolf Horstmann. Its a Kordes HT which seems to come up with a new color combination with each flush. At times, I see almost pure yellow. Other blooms feature raspberry shades and occasionally lots of orange.

{{gwi:220987}}

{{gwi:220988}}

{{gwi:220989}}

I Don't know why but i always liked black roses.
I planted few last month and got the gorgeous looking blackies this week.

They are not pure black rather reddish black. For me they are just awesome. Dont know about others :)

Probably one of "my" most interesting roses is this zone 3 hardy seedling I hybridized ... but, I know you're talking about commercially available varieties :)

{{gwi:220990}}

Terry

I'm not sure how Black Garnet does in your climate, but it is a good one...
Also, Halo Today and Celebrate Life (both miniatures).
I second Grace Seward, and that Curly Pink above got my attention, that IS unusual.

Terry, what a lovely rose. Too bad it isn't available in the commercial market.

Kate

I'm swooning over some of these roses! :-)

One more rose I forgot to add is 'Halo Glory', a miniature.
This is a very unique-looking rose and very pretty too.

Celeste

{{gwi:220991}}

La Jolla, Pres. Herbert Hoover, Coffee Country, Kaleidoscope, Distant Thunder are some I like.

I would vote for Lady Emma Hamilton for its color and fragrance, Rock & Roll for its striping that varies with the temperature, and Blanc de Vibert for its frustrating bud failures and then it starts to rebloom later okay. I am keeping it as a study rose to see if it ever outgrows the bud failure problem.

Celeste, can you tell me where you purchase your roses? I have been looking at Pickering. I looked up your Lady Moss there, but their photo looks nothing like yours. I was interested in Curly Pink and Crested Sweetheart and wonder where the best place to try to find those would be? Thanks ... :-)

I'd have to say Parole the darn blooms are the biggest I have ever seen and fairly good HT form too. I have two bushes and I'm amazed at their size everytime I go out to the rose garden.

I don't have anything super exotic or unusual, but I would have to go with a couple for varying reasons.

-Pat Austin-From the gorgeous foilage to the rampant color changes it's quite interesting. I sit outside sometimes on cool mornings as the bloom or "eye" as I call it will shrink up, and as it gradually warms up in the morning the bloom gradually opens up as well.

-Winchest Cathedral-white as white can be. The most interesting part is the scent though. A scent that is totally unique amongst my other roses and Austins. I've had problems with mildew, but it's worth it just to smell the scent of vanilla, almonds, and honey mixed together. It smells nothing like a rose, but it just smells delicious.

-Evelyn-Known for most evident reason. The colors vary more than any other rose I have between each of the blooms. The scent is very fresh when you can smell it. The most interesting part for me is the glow from the inside of the blooms though. It's such a vibrant and awe inspiring glow of pink, yellow, or apricot from the center of a gorgeous green stamen.

-Red Eden-Simply beautiful in form and color. The amount of petals packed all together so elegantly is mesmerizing to look at.

Luckily, I got a digital camera for xmas this year......nothing great........but at least I can share photos this year.

I don't have anything super exotic or unusual either, but I sure am enjoying all the contributions from everyone! Another great thread, Nauvoo!!! Thanks. :)

Debbie

{{gwi:220992}}

I just saw a new one at rogue valley roses, Treasure Trail... looks interesting.

Two of my most unusual minis.

Ring of fire
{{gwi:220993}}
Little artist
{{gwi:220994}}

Winchester Cathedral is a sport of Mary Rose.
Sometimes there are pink and whites roses on the same bush.
Sometimes you get something unexpected.

That's an intriguing looking rose, Dutch. I think my most interesting rose is Augusta Luise, six inches wide and packed with many curly petals that are in a constant flux of colors. First she is a brighter combo of pinks or maybe peach and orange, but depending on the weather, she may be paler. This is a very vigorous and healthy rose from Tantau. Diane

Now here is Augusta Luise looking a bit pale. Diane

Diane, that is a gorgeous rose! Do you mind me asking where you got it? HMF doesn't list any American nurseries carrying it.

Thanks, Karolina. I love this rose. It's available from Hortico in Canada as far as I know. Diane