Lilylady, don't buy Dorothy Perkins or Excelsa. They're once-bloomers, they have no fragrance, and they're highly susceptible to powdery mildew, and perhaps to other diseases in your climate. Look for Super Dorothy and Super Excelsa instead.
You're right about the Vigorosa series being wrong for those locations. Even in California they never spread more than 2 or 3 feet. They would never "drape" properly.
