Take a look at Love Song. It was a wonderful bloomer for me last year and had very good health too.

Rose hog,

What is your zone? How much space do you have? There are a couple great OGR that come in a nice purple.

Josh

One of the more famous old purple roses is Reine Des Violettes, which I bought recently even though my climate is probably too hot for it to do well. It's fragrant and repeat blooming and old, but there's always the question of disease resistance depending on where you live.

Ingrid

Zone 8a, willing to give it some space. I am hoping for something will fragrance in a light purple (lilac) with the old rose look. I live 20 minutes from the beach. It is black spot central but I will spray it If it needs it.

Ordinarily I am not fond of light purple but I was stunned by the beauty of Lagerfeld when it bloomed and it is fragrant. It was new last Spring and so I cannot advise you as to its health or vigor.

Cath

Rosehog,

Please don't spray with fungicides. Chemicals like tebuconazole are known to cause seizures in animals and possibly children.

Besides, you don't need to when you have options such as the Rugosa 'Hansa.' It's purple, fragrant, and apparently bulletproof. The Rugosas are notable for withstanding the salty air of marine climates.

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/pl.php?n=1875

Josh

Rosehog, great forum moniker! Lavender Lassie might do well for you. ARE sells it and it is generally low maintenance. Also, as Ingrid mentioned, Reine des Violettes might be a good, darker lavender choice for your area. William Welch (Antique Roses for the South) notes it does well in Houston, TX. If you like dark purple, I'd give Bayse's Purple a shot. It looks fantastic with Lavender Lassie and should look nice with Reine. I've grown it for years and it has thrived on neglect. Good rebloom after about three years. If you spray, I'd suggest a sulpher -based product like Safer. Of course, like Josh and others, I'm big on no chemicals. My organic leanings are constantly questioning why the heck I have Abraham Darby in my front garden. Carol

Perhaps Aunt Margy's Rose or Excellenz Von Schubert for a softer purple tone?

Jay

Thanks for the suggestions on the roses. I am looking into them.

We all have our opinions on spraying so please respect that. I am NOT an inexperienced rose grower. I have been growing them for 18 years. I grow around 125 roses of most types. I am also a consulting rosarian and the president of our local rose society. I follow all the safety measures and only spray those roses that need it in blackspot central (mostly the diva hybrid teas). I do not spray for insects. I respect your decision not to, respect my decision to try to straddle the middle of the road as best as possible.

Rosehog,

Everyone here respects the decisions the others make in their gardens. Carol and I were just concerned, and hoping to help if we could. Since we had not met yet, I was unaware of your background with roses. I'm sure you have plenty of experience with which to make an educated decision.

Let us know how the search goes. This forum is great for picking the brains of the "hive." I'm sure we could dig up some more roses if you need them.

Josh

Neptune is just as lovely as Poseidon.
Hummingbirds love it.

Not an old rose, but my favorite for fragrance is angle face. I have found it's fragrance to be the best for making jelly (which I love), and it's a nice dark lavender color. I've not found a more fragrant rose yet.

I was going to suggest Angel Face, too, but others think it is very prone to blackspot. We don't have blackspot here, so Angel Face is fine, but apparently not so in many areas. My favorite light purples, or lavenders, are Blue Bayou, Blueberry Hill, and AF. I'm getting Love song this spring, and it looks like a winner to me. I love the look of Poseidon, too. Diane

Take a look at Vineyard song. I have it on order for the spring so I can't speak to the color yet, and I'm hoping that it's more lavender than pink. I have been searching all winter for a light purple that will harmonize with OGRs & Austins but I am striking out. I have a bad habit of pursuing lost causes. I ordered Sister Elizabeth. I'm fully prepared that she will be plain old pink and not at all "distinctly tinged with lilac" as DA suggests.