I look for healthy and hardy mostly. I haven't gotten any real beauties yet so health and vigor are next in importance. Like I said, they have to survive here.
You can cross ANYTHING with ANYTHING! They will all mix. And I like to make the weirdest crosses I can. Just to see what will happen. I haven't had much luck yet but I keep trying. Who knows, I may get a winner some day! But yes you can make any cross you'd like. I would do it ASAP though. They need at least 90 days and preferably 120 days for the hips to ripen and the seeds get mature. So you need to do it at least that far out from your first frost date. Not that a frost will kill them but you probably don't want to be out there harvesting hips when the snow flies, lol. I've used seeds that were in someone's freezer for a year and they still germinated!
I will tell you that a lot of mine turn out to be 5 petaled. rather mundane pink roses. Nothing special at all. But that, as Kim Rupert told me, is sort of the default setting for rose breeding. I'm always amazed at all the gorgeous seedlings people post because mine are so plain in comparison. Of course a lot of them do THOUSANDS of seed and I only do a few dozen so I'm sure that makes a difference too. If I had more room and IF I lived in a warm climate I would do a lot more seeds as well. But then I'm getting older and slower and they are a lot to care for so...
