IMHO Firefighter has the best fragrance, hands down. Perhaps someone in your area will report on disease-specific issues related to your locale.

Firefighter has been outstanding here. Probably VH or IB are prettier, but for fragrance and productivity Firefighter blows them both out of the water. I have 5 in a vase next to the computer right now and the entire room is filled with their perfume. Disregard the pinkishness of the picture, it is a true red, no pink.

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I have Black Magic, Veteran's Honor, Olympiad, Let Freedom Ring, and Grande Amore. Black Magic out performs all of them and lasts just as long as Veteran'a Honor in a vase.

Aurora, Hoov, and Kentucky,

Thank you for your suggestions. I'll check out Black Magic. I don't think I have ever seen it.

Hoovb, you have already recommended Firefighter to me, and I planned on getting it based on your love of it. I just love the color of Veteran's Honor and wanted to know how disease resistant it was. I can't believe the beauty of your Firefighter. How could any rose be prettier? I also have more questions for you. Would it be OK if I contacted you by email?

Thanks again,
Eileen

Eileen:

Here's a pic of Black Magic and Firefighter:

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Wow, Aurora! Gorgeous pictures. Hard to choose. But, I love that Firefighter has a great fragrance.

Thanks for the pictures.
Eileen

I emailed you Eileen. Another fragrant red HT to look at is 'Lasting Love'. I sniffed it at Roger's Gardens and it had an excellent fragrance. Other than that I know nothing about it.

Whoo-hooo! JeffAurora, the stalker is so happy to have another GORGEOUS set of roses FROM YOU to steal! bwahahahaha! I am really, really missing your roses! I can't wait for the next Bounty of Blooms!

Hi Gail,

I have Lasting Love. It is only a year old. Amazing fragrance and beautiful color, not quite red. It is taking off slowly, but I have high hopes for it.
E

I can't really comment on disease resistance since I don't have any rust or mildew here. I can comment on fragrance - Veteran's Honor has a medium fruity fragrance, Ingrid has a light fragrance, and Black Magic has no fragrance. Firefighter is also fragrant, but I just got it this summer and haven't had a chance to observe it much. Black Magic lasts the longest but I prefer Veteran's Honor both for fragrance and productivity.

Hi Eileen

Lots of good roses mentioned here. My best fragrant red hybrid tea is Barkarole. Ingrid Bergman last longer but only light fragrance. It's well worth to check if they do well in your climate. These two roses does well both in my family's garden in France and at home here in Norway. Francis Dubreuil is a fantastic rose too, with especially good fragrance. I have him on my order list for spring.

Good luck with your rose-hunt :-)

Yes, Firefighter has a great fragrance and the bush is bushier and healthy as well. Veteran's Honor has a big and stately form in flower. Ingrid Bergman is also very healthy and sumptuous. But, now, if I have to recommend only one of them, I choose Firefighter.

There is another very fragrant (fruity) 9-11 memorial rose called "We Salute You". This is orange though.

Athen - Thank you for the information. It looks like it is going to be hard to choose.

Tao - Thanks for the new suggestions. I will look them up on HMF.

Sage - I think it is great that you mentioned an orange rose, because I am thinking of taking out Gingersnap and need a replacement.

Thanks to you all!
Eileen

Veteran's Honor has been one of those roses in my garden that is a true fence-sitter. The blooms are magnificent, but the shrub shape is tall and gangly with large leaves. I have had endless problems with BS and rust. The first part of the season, I want to shovel prune it, but when the hotter weather of the summer hits and it starts putting out the blooms, I just can't get rid of it. A love-hate relationship. Am trying out Deep Secret and Alec's Red. Deep Secret is gorgeous -- saw it at Heirloom and was impressed. We shall see how it does. CJ

I have Veteran's Honor and Ingrid Bergman. VH is a vigorous grower and has huge gorgeous bright red blooms with excellent form that open slowly and last for ages but has absolutely no fragrance. IB is a slow grower and has medium size, average form, deeper red blooms that open quickly and last about a day with a mild sweet fragrance. Although they both will black spot, of the two VH is the healthier.