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One of my very favorites is Eden. It is a climbing rose that I first saw at the Huntington Gardens, which is a GREAT place to go for inspiration. http://www.rose-roses.com/rosepages/climbers/Eden.html

I love roses, but I wouldn't consider myself a rose enthusiast in the way that some people are rose or orchid or dahlia enthusiast. I just really love them. I have a few in the communal back yard to my apartment. A pair of climbers and 3-4 bushes all different colors. I picked them because they smell good or they've got a good shape or they're an interesting color.

Roses often have a reputation of being fussy, but I think thats only true if you are fussy over them. They're actually pretty easy to grow and are one of the few things that have really taken root in my sandy SF garden. Just buy a bunch of lady bugs to keep the aphids off and you'll be fine.

I adore roses, though I've never specifically grown them (they might have been in my yard at a couple of previous places, but I didn't do anything special about it.) I love them because of the fragrance and the variety of fragrances in different types. I also love the way they look, but fragrance comes first. If they aren't fragrant, then they're in a less compelling category. Roses are divine.

The best roses I've found are the heirloom variety - they just grow like crazy, even organically. We have had the best luck with varieties like Sweet Juliet and Graham Thomas from Heirloom Roses near Portland - http://www.heirloomroses.com/ - we had some we'd ordered years earlier from another company and the heirloom roses outgrew them in less than a year and have continued to perform beautifully every year.

My favorite rose is Marmalade Skies. It is an everblooming orange/red/pink fragrant, floribunda rose which is very hardy and will happily grow in a 24" planter. What really impresses me about it is the blooms grow in clusters of 4-5 and open in sequence meaning that just before the earliest bloom of the cluster is spent, the latest bloom opens. This makes for a bush full of mini bouquets.

Abraham Darby, which is a David Austin English Rose, as are Sweet Juliet and Graham Thomas. (They are not antique roses, but rather crosses between antique and more modern floribunda or tea roses. Antique varieties tended to come in limited colours, and did not repeat bloom, issues David Austin has addressed in his varieties.)

http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/Advanced.asp?PageId=1916

Yes, I am a Rose Enthusiast (and yes, I do know my varieties).

The David Austin roses go crazy in SoCal, and they're very easy to grow. You can actually grow them in a large pot. And of course, there's always Iceberg. The Huntington has great classes as well.

I am the grandaughter of a commercial rosegrower and while I never knew my grandfather, I have received many years of tutelage from my grandmother who is magical in her rose-growing abilities.
The best tip is to pick the right rose in the first place. I am partial to antique, or old-varity roses. They are naturally more bug-resistant, drought-tolerant, hardy, fragrant, and require a lot less fussy attention. Next, be mindful of where you will plant your rose and look for a plant that will thrive in your particular environment, keeping an eye on the amount of direct sunlight and natural wetness in your area. After that, just choose one you think is beautiful.
I have a few new plants from antiqueroseemporium.com that I adore, they're Graham Thomas, a bright yellow rose with the old rose shape that looks like a bowl of petals on the outside and ribbons of petals within.

I dig orange roses. 2 of my favs are Pat Austin & Brandy (a tea rose-I think).

For the most rose smell in a classic, good-looking red rose, go for Chrysler Imperial.

If you are a rose enthusiast, you must visit the International Rose Test Garden, in Portland, OR!

http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=1113&action=ViewPark

You guys have me swooning!