I "owe" my yard a rose bush--there was a wonderful wild rose in the back next to the sliding door beside the chimney. For a number of reasons I had to dig it out and I didn't get it transplanted successfully.

A friend here in Texas used a rule of thumb that may only apply to Texas but you might want to ask about. He felt that the "antique" roses were more hardy, disease and bug resistant, etc. Whatever color he found in antique roses, those were the ones he would consider. He did a lot of xeriscape gardening on top of that, so they may also be more drought tolerant. Perhaps not a consideration on the soggy Washington coast! :)

Roses do best, are more resistant to bugs and disease, when the bed is properly prepared. For good information on this, visit my guru of organic gardening, Howard Garrett. His sit is at http://www.dirtdoctor.com. If cost is a factor, consider buying one or two of the type you really want, even if they're pricier, then using cuttings from those plants to propagate new plants in coming years. It works very well, and again, Garrett is certain to have information about it because this is a recommendation he occasionally makes on his radio program (which you can listen to on Sunday mornings over the Internet).

Good luck!

SRS