Nahema grows upright.

Supposedly so fragrant, that Guerlain named a perfume after it. .??

I think strawberryhill grows Nahema and likes it, as does campanula from England. Can't remember the posts where they made comments, but they were positive. I wish I could be more specific. Nahema has some gorgeous pics on HMF. Diane

If you mean Kordes' rose Harlekin a.k.a.,Kiss of Desire, it's one of the best roses for me. Fairly stiff, but quite trainable; i.e. not as stiff as , say, Gloriana. You can even peg down some of the canes! I love it's scent, too; a fresh, citrus-y perfume, quite unusual ,maybe even unique,in a rose. Truly spectacular spring flush, with good repeat bloom even in my dry garden (established roses have to rely on rainfall,of which there is little to none in summer...) I'd highly recommend it!
I am very curious about Nahema. Flowers in photos do look beautiful, but I am worried that it's growth habit would be uber-stiff and untrainable,with flowers only at the top... bart

I am possibly an unreliable witness regarding Nahema because there is much to like about it....but also, quite a few things which are a bit tricky (and I suspect that it is my fault rather than the rose). It had a horrid winter.....but so did all the others but Nahema really looked rough, with many dead canes. And yep, it is a trifle stiff...but again, I have it gracing the end of one of the vegetable beds and relying on the tatty old timber which supports various nets or veggies. I fail to take responsibility for training and tying this rose, because I feel that if I grew it against a warm west or south wall, with decent wire or trellis supports, it would be a truly stellar performer rather than the erratic (but fabulously fragrant) rose it is in my allotment.
As for Harlekin, not a rose I grow but one I know well and although I wouldn't go to great lengths to have it, I wouldn't refuse it either. Altogether a tougher proposition than Nahema though, so choose your locations well, Susan, and grow Nahema where it can get as much reflected heat and shelter and probably be a bit more generous with the fertilisers than I am.

I grow both of these and they're both excellent zone 5 roses, hardy and trouble free without BS in my yard. Both of them have stiff-ish canes, but since Harlekin is older in my yard it has the larger canes. I have it growing over an arch, and the canes are mostly tip hardy, but I haven't seen a very dramatic rebloom. Nahema definitely wins for most beautiful flower, and is the more fragrant of the two - big pink Austin-like double blooms that can be heartbreakingly lovely. Mine grew like gangbusters in its first year, and now in its third year covers at least two panels in each direction of a six-foot metal fence. I find the canes relatively easy to redirect, using my no-fuss tucking the canes between the gaps of the fence, and the rebloom is better on Nahema than Harlekin, even in part shade. I'd put Nahema in the showier of the two spots, if the colors work there. It's a dark carnation pink, whereas Harlequin starts creamy white with dark pink edges, and those pink edges spread over the flower as it ages.

Let me know if there are specific points you want to contrast between those roses, Susan. I like them both, but Nahema has stolen my heart.

Cynthia

Thank you all. I am planting this week . Locations based on your suggestions.

Cynthia, would you say that Nahema is more or less of the same habit and stiffness as Harlekin? bart

Bart - my Nahema has stayed pretty flexible so far, but it's only a 3rd year rose so it's not quite a fair comparison. It doesn't complain at all about being bent sideways to attach to the fence, where I can't see Harlekin being very happy about it.

Have fun planting Susan!

Cynthia

Thanks, Cynthia! I may wind up getting Nahema ; the flowers look so beautiful in photos, but the comments on HMF make it sound like an uber-stiff plant, that really needs a WALL. I saw it at Rose Barni but it was not in bloom and the habit seemed stiff-ish, but since it had finished it's spring flush it was hard to tell. Thing is, I've had problems with Compassion and Polka in my garden,growing very stiffly and wanting to bloom only at the top, but I didn't know about that principal by which an unsupported rose will often grow shorter, with thick,stiff canes, in order to be self-supporting. Since then I moved both, but it's too soon to tell how they will do. bart