The only pure white I grow is the Kordes rose Memoire (also known as Ice Cream). It is very good in many ways, has decent rebloom, decent bs-resistance, and is fragrant, if I remember correctly, but it seemed to always have very slightly thin brown edges around the petals (what is that-- thrips or something like that--except its rarely a problem on my other roses, even the very pastel ones). Whether it would have that problem elsewhere, I don't know, but it looked fine in the garden--might not have looked as good up close in a vase on the dining room table. Oh, it is a rather narrow, upright/vertical bush.

That's my only contribution--but I do remember a post very recently where several people were complaining that their PJPII roses were going into slow decline during the second year in their gardens. They were quite disappointed.

If you don't mind a pastel blend/white, Garden Party is gorgeous--but I must admit I don't know if it is a disease-magnet or not. Seil posted a lovely pic of GP just this week, I think.

Good luck on your search.

Kate

I have an all white garden that includes perennials, self sowing annuals and several white roses (the china Ducher, the bourbon Kronprinzessin Viktoria, floribundas Bolero and Moondance and HTs JFK, Secret's Out, Sugar Moon and PJPII). PJPII would not grow for me own root, but is doing well on Dr Huey. It's my best white HT as far as rain tolerance and long lasting bloom. Secret's Out was a close second until this year when it was plagued with health issues. I think it was due to the massive amounts of rain we had early in the season...hoping it will back to its normal self next year. Only my second year with Sugar Moon and it's already at least 8 feet tall. It struggled with all the rain early on this year, too...blooms would not open properly, but it didn't have that issue once the rain slowed down a bit. It does bloom mostly at the top of those 8 ft canes, though. Blooms are huge and very fragrant, but they don't have HT form...more like big camellia blooms...lovely, but different. JFK has been a good rose for me for many years. It's not my favorite white, but a nice reliable one here. Hopefully, yours will bloom better for you once it matures. If you would consider a floribunda, Moondance is as close to everblooming here as any rose I have...big bushes (I have two) covered head to toe with countless blooms. Nice moderate fragrance, long lasting weatherproof blooms (very rain and heat tolerant), great cut flower. It will blackspot here if not sprayed regularly, but that's its only fault in my garden.

White Garden with JFK in center front with 2 Moondances center back (somewhat hidden by the cedars) and white cows in the background...lol:

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Moondance (not sure why it's looking yellowish in the photo...it is more white in person)

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PJPII

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Sugar Moon

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Love your white garden--with matching cows. How clever you are, pat!

Kate

Mmmmm... I have SUGAR MOON coming this spring. Love it!

Here's some of my whites. Mind you, they don't get sprayed, and most will have that thrippy brown edge, unfortunately!

AVALANCHE - a florist rose
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HOME & FAMILY - gets really tall and blooms pretty well
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ICE CREAM - also a tall grower and decent repeater
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KAREN BLIXEN - a nice all around white that blooms pretty well
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MT HOOD - a little on the more creamy side, but a great bloomer
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OPULENCE - another florist rose, and a great bloomer
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VICTORIAN LACE - probably my best white, very tall, tons of blooms, great repeat
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WHITE LIGHTNIN' - the prettiest form, but kinda stingy
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WHITE MASTERPIECE - almost lost this one a few yrs ago, and it doesn't grow real well, but it's a beauty
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I would recommend the HT 'Tineke'. I've had one in my z4 garden for 8+ years & it has done very well even though both the Edmund's catalog & hmf.com says its on the tender side. I bury the bud unions 3-4" deep & that seems to help all my tender HT's survive. 'Tineke' is a florist HT so it has nice long lasting blooms & sets very few side buds so you get lots of nice cutting roses, but like most florist roses, not much fragrance. Has better than average disease resistance for a HT also.

Thanks so much Ladies - Pat, your all white garden is lovely with or without the white cows in the background! Every rose is gorgeous and Beth you have some beautiful whites too, that Victorian is really lovely! Every rose pictured here is! Seems like several of these are really good bloomers. My choices are almost overwhelming now! I've noticed that Moondance keeps coming up as a really good rose.

Kate, I always appreciate your input so much.

Pat--what a pic. Sprawling roses with a white cow statue observing the scene while outlined against the sky. You have a wonderfully modernist sense of humor also!

Kate : )

I have Tineke and consider it to be one of the finest white HT's you can get. I also grow Crystalline but about 1/2 of the blooms are on thin, floppy canes. The other 1/2 are amazing. Good, long strong canes with deep green foliage and blooms that look like silk. I grew JFK in FL. on fortuniana rootstock and I really liked it a lot. I need to get a bush from Nelson's Florida Roses next time I go down for a visit in central Fl. I grow a couple of their roses up here and they do great.

Here's what I want in a white HT: one that can take our sudden shifts in temperatures, is at least average or better in resistance to blackspot, produces a reliable supply of roses with good form for cutting, AND has better then average Thrips resistance. Those thrips are a real pest on light colored roses around here. What did I settle on? Have to give thumbs up to Ken and Wirosarian as we selected the same one: TINEKE. It's been a winner in my garden for years. RRD got it last year and I will replace with another one. Going to try own root this time from Burling.....As a side note, one that has caught my interest lately due to the high RIR ratings is Randy Scott; an offspring of Moonstone. Pictures are luscious with the same rounded multipetaled bloom form as Moonstone. However, the Thrips resistance (if any) has not been noted, and it seems hard to come by. Was recently voted a Members Favorite in the ARS magazine. One to keep an eye out for if you come across it.......Maryl

Randy Scott is a great rose. The negatives in my garden are moderate BS, some thrips problems, and no fragrance. Sugar Moon was my biggest thrips magnet. The blooms on Randy Scott are beautiful, long lasting, and plentiful. I do spray. I like PJPII probably better, love the fragrance!

My biggest complaint about Randy Scott is the heavy "veining" of the blooms. When I think of a white rose, I imagine a clean, pure bloom. That's just me. :)

Now i want a cow! Tineke, Anastasia, and Summer Memories ( big shrubby thing) have lasted for years in chicago. JFK, Moondance, PJP, Crysatalline, Snowbird.....not so much.

You gotta love cows! The statuesque looking calf standing on top of the little hill overlooking the roses that day is one of a set of twins we were blessed with in February. Twins are fairly uncommon in cows and always difficultâ¦was touch and go for mom and calves for a bit. Anyway, you guys can now see why I prefer VERY FRAGRANT rosesâ¦lol

Garden Party is my best white. It's a really vigorous grower and the blooms NEVER ball. Pope John Paul II is OK for blooms. The petals are quite thick so it doesn't ball but it's a really wimpy grower. When it does bloom though, it smells heavenly!

I've had Honor, Full Sail and JFK in the past and all of those tended to ball badly in any humidity. Full Sail was SPECTACULAR when it did open though! JFK never opened. It had the most gorgeous long white buds that stayed and stayed and stayed...and then turned brown, lol.

If you have problems with high humidities look for white roses that have those heavy, thicker, more substantial petals. The ones with the thin, delicate petals are more susceptible to the humidity that causes balling. They seem to absorb more moisture and stick together so the rose can't open properly.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions. Tineke sounds like a good one. Garden Party is lovely and that is one I've wanted to try anyway. I think there are several good ones to consider here. I didn't realize there are so many whites, I think I will have plenty to choose from. I'm considering doing some color themed beds, so I might have to have a white one.

But Sara-Ann, do you have some white cows lined up for that white rose bed? The crowning touch to any well-bred garden!

: )

Kate

Kate - There are definitely lots of cows around here! I'm in city limits though, but there are some across the road and we have had a few wander into the yard when their fence was in dis-repair, maybe I'll get lucky! I do enjoy the good natured sense of humor on this forum. Laughter is a good thing!

Sara-ann, try planting JFK next to Marilyn Monroe.

Susan - That sounds like a great idea!

I wish I had a picture of Guinevere..my favorite white. This rose has been so wonderful in my garden. Another rose that has really developed is Maria Shriver. Maria has a wonderful scent,too! I almost shovel pruned her, but got busy and forgot! Now a favorite. I hope to take more pictures next spring/summer. I am not good with a camera! LesleyThis is a picture of French Lace...another creamy favorite...not snow white, but pretty!

I would also recommend having a look at Polarstern and White Licorice. Both have nice flowers, and Polarstern is quite sturdy.

Thank you both for the suggestions. Lesley - French Lace is lovely! It is one I have thought about ordering many times, but I never have, I think mainly because of my past fear of the lighter colored roses. I've wondered about Maria Shriver, because it looks lovely, but I don't hear much about it. Glad it is doing good for you. Bustopher, Polerstern is really gorgeous and White Licorice looks like it would be a good one too.

They sure are worth the effort!

What about Moonstone and it's sports..

I grew JFK for years and was never happy with it. Awkward looking plant and stingy with the flowers. CRYSTALLINE is a classic but does require TLC (it is a florist rose that exhibitors are crazy about) to perform at its best. The flowers will also spot in heavy rain. POPE JOHN PAUL II seems to be the hot new white Hybrid Tea right now, but I haven't grown it. Among the modern roses with high centered flower form my favorite white is the Floribunda FRENCH LACE. It is actually more ivory than white but the flowers are ravishingly beautiful and blessed with a nice moderate fragrance. It blooms in clusters like a Floribunda should but the flowers look like those on a Hybrid Tea. I especially like the graceful growth habit and the repeat bloom is excellent. Doesn't grow well on its own roots though so it needs to be grafted.

Our best white rose is Pope John Paul II. It blooms better than most of my HT roses, including Mr. Lincoln and Double Delight. We have 3 JPII's in our cutting / fragrance bed with 6 Mr. L's and 4 DD's. The JPII's are disease free (no spraying) are more prolific and repeat quicker than ML and DD. The fact that JPII performs so well while they are all in the same bed, same soil, sun exposure, water, etc. tells me this is an excellent rose compared to 2 of the great roses of all time.

This photo was taken this morning Dec. 26. I am waiting until after the New Year to prune but I stopped dead heading and reduced watering about 2 weeks ago.

One of the top 3 HT's of the 20 varieties we grow. The other 2 great roses for us are Secret and Peter Mayle.
JP II is a great rose, vigorous, disease free, prolific and fast repeat and great cut with a very strong fragrance!

Lee

I thought I would mention my favorite white rose - its a floribunda though: Bolero. Its a Romantica rose - so fragrant! My zone is quite different than yours but did see some nice pics of it in the rose gallery in your zone.
Love your Happy Cows!