Question
Hi. I was wondering since you have so many roses if there is a special list you have of your favorite roses. I live in Texas and I think the climate is similar to yours. Do you have a couple you like and also do you have a couple that you don't like?  

Answer
There are many trial gardens all around the world and they keep the rose bush for a number of years and if it passes all their requirements then it gets a medal or a label to say that it has been tested and is a very good rose. The rose that won the highest awards was Elina (Peau Douce I have 3 of them and this rose NEVER gets any disease at all no matter what the weather or growing conditions. Because of that I always tell new rose growers to start with this rose. The other ones that also has no disease problems is the shrub Bonica 82 and the climber New Dawn. This way the person at least isn't disappointed about their first experience with rose growing. I also have 3 New Dawn and 8 Bonicas. I prune the Bonicas with an electric hedge trimmer and have no problems doing it.
When you grow as many roses as I do you begin to see a pattern evolving and it is usually that a certain breeder does better in your area than others. Kordes performs very well for me, I like Harkness roses but when the weather gets nasty many get problems. So far, both Carruth and Zary in the States grow well with no problems. MrGredy roses hate my garden and climate. I honestly don't know why. Poulsen from Denmark does well and also Dickson from Ireland.
No matter how much I like a rose, if it starts to get problems when the going gets tough, I find I slowly get turned against it and so out it goes to another garden. Don't forget that who you get the rose from also has a BIG influence on how it performs. Sometimes the local nursery is not the best place. I get most of my roses from Pickering in Ontario. I also like to gamble and will get some of the rarer old ones from Hortico.