Emily,
I'm into my 2nd year with roses.
I can highly recommend the rose - Frederic Mistral.
It's a beautiful pink, smells divine.
I also recommend visiting the rose forum...LOTS of helpful info there.
You can also visit the website, Help me find roses for great info!

My Climbing America roses bloom continuously all summer.

Check out the organic rose forum. They emphasize disease resistance because they don't use sprays (other than a few approved for organic growing). There are really very knowledgeable and helpful people there.
K.

Polyantha roses as a class bloom nearly continuously and are highly resistant to disease. For Southerners, noisettes and chinas are also very good in both respects. I would suggest you visit the website www.countrysideroses.com since you hail from zone 8. Countryside is a small rose nursery in Mississippi whose owner only sells highly disease resistant roses suitable for Southern gardens, a niche market if there ever was one. She has lovely photos and good descriptions of many fine roses.

The climbing 4th of July rose is doing well for me. The flowers are beautiful.

My chinas are the most prolific. Old Blush is always the first and last to bloom here with constant blooms in between.
Hamp

Playgirl is the most disease resistant for me. Single bloom, hot pink with few thorns and a nice green foliage. Floribunda and grows about three feet tall. This is my third year growing them, twelve in all, and I have had no problems with black spot and the only time I had mildew was when we had about three days of rain from a tropical storm last summer. They also take some shade. I stop deadheading in September and last year they were still blooming at Christmas. When I pruned them way back in February, they were wtill holding much of the green foliage.

Bonica, is showing off in my garden here in Chattanooga. Nieghbors stop to ask what it is. Have had it 4 years with no dedease problems so far.

I just started a rose garden this year and have found the 'Betty Boop', and 'Europeana'do very well and are continuous bloomers. For those of you that like a tree look virsus a shrub, try the 'Mister Lincoln.' Very large, and strong scented red blooms are quite wonderful to look at or use for cutting. When the bloom is about to wilt and die, I take the petals and put them into a bowl for my own potpourri. If you have young children they seem to especially like to make their own potpourri.

Cinco De MAyo..blooms constantly..big bush though.