Back on the subject of Portlands, I have grown several and liked them all in their way. They have all been reasonably hardy and healthy in my zone. By reasonably hardy I mean that enough cane survives to bounce back after winter and bloom well during the season. By reasonably healthy I mean not totally disease-free; they get some blackspot but it is not disfiguring (to my eye) or defoliating. Same for powdery mildew. The exception is Yolande d’Aragon, which repeats well with splendid flowers. My husband says that the scent is “too strong”! Ha! However, this one gets pretty bad blackspot and does defoliate.
Indigo repeats really well and smells fabulous. However, the color is best in cooler weather and the habit is a bit sprawly (so far). My favorite so far is Portland from Glendora, which is almost as tall as I am (I’m 5’2") with sort of arching V-shaped habit, good repeat and great scent. It is very vigorous and hardy. In 5 years, I have never known it to make an OP hip. I don’t know if it has any pollen, but it has a button eye so might be hard to breed with either way. Wonderful garden plant for me, though.
Betsy
Minnesota zone 4