For me, in zone 9, Gert grew straight up. And up. She looked like a 10' hybrid tea. The beautiful and fragrant flowers bloomed on top of 10' rebar.

For your site, I would look for a pink Noisette or climbing tea, such as Lady Waterlow. For heavy fragrance, you might want a Bourbon or another of the larger growing English roses. Sceptred Isle fills a large space and is fragrant and repeat blooming.

nastarana, is your G.J. own root or grafted ? See you are zone 9 like me. I am in 9b... Las Vegas and wondered if the issues folks are having are climate related or own root versus grafted?

I've heard she's a stingy bloomer no matter where she's grown, and that alone would prompt me to look for another rose. On another thread Austin's Huntington Rose (aka Alan Titchmarch) was praised as a nearly perfect rose for warmer climates and it's now on my list of wanted roses (not that I have any idea of where I'd put it, but it sounded so special). You might give that a try instead.

My GJ was grafted. For some reason, when the English roses first were being offered, J & P was pushing GJ.