I'm just starting on this path myself, so all I can share is the ones I'm trying, and how I'm doing it. From what I've come to learn, many roses in these classes are less vigorous when grown on their own roots, and for pots, this would be a good thing. Also keep in mind that unless you protect them well for Winter, consider varieties which are hardy to a zone below you when growing them in pots. I have two sizes -- less vigorous HTs are in 15" plastic pots, while the bigger ones are in 22 1/2" resin barrels (from Home Depot, $20 each).

My collection is very much a theme -- fragrant dark-red and crimson HTs.

Big Ben (1964) -- barrel
Chateau de Clos Vougeot (1908) -- pot
Chrysler Imperial (1952) -- barrel
Crimson Glory VID (1935) -- 2gal liner, 15" pot next year
Heart's Desire VID (1942) -- 2gal liner, 15" pot next year
Mirandy VID (1944) -- barrel
Mister Lincoln VID (1964) -- barrel
Night aka Lady Sackville (1921) -- pot, barrel next year
Nigrette (1934) -- pot
Nocturne VID (1947) -- pot, barrel next year
Oklahoma VID (1964) -- barrel
Red Masterpiece VID (1974) -- barrel
Rose of Freedom VID (1948) -- barrel
Velvet Fragrance (1988) -- barrel

I find their blooms to be magical, but I know that HTs in this genre have a reputation for being weak and/or finicky, especially on their own roots -- so I enjoy them as pot-pets. Perhaps that might be good criteria for choosing which will do well in pots -- the ones that are too wimpy to grow in the ground.

Incidentally, they're actually doing rather well for me. Even 'Chateau de Clos Vougeot' and 'Nigrette' are making thick canes in their second year with me. One of these days, I REALLY have to take updated pics of things in the garden -- even if things aren't blooming as much right now, they sure have grown.

:-)

~Christopher

Here is a link that might be useful: My pot-pet red Hybrid Teas

Thanks Christopher. A few of those I'm familiar with or currently have them. I had Mirandy years ago, it was beautiful and the fragrance was powerful, I loved it.

Try 'Easy Does It' in a container-- it has to be a large one though.

Sara Ann,
I grow these in the ground rather than in pots, but they all stay a reasonable size for me here where HTs and floribundas usually get very bigâ¦.so I think they would be good candidates for pots. All are nicely fragrant, too:

Intrigue

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Gruss an Aachen

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Elle

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George Burns

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Bolero

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Thank you Jazzmom, love the color of Easy Does It. Pat - thank you for those great suggestions and all the lovely pictures, some beautiful roses there. I really appreciate this.

I've seen George Burns in a 15 gal. pot. Fantastic rose for a pot. I have Charisma in a 15 gal. pot and it does fantastic. Full & bushy, covered with dozens of bright orange and yellow tipped in red blooms. Great garden display. Have been growing this floribunda since the late 1980's. Both in the ground and in a pot. I like it much better in a pot.

Ken - I love Pat's picture of George Burns. I haven't thought of Charisma for awhile, it used to be one I considered, because I liked it, but never actually tried it, maybe I will. I appreciate the suggestion.

You know, over the years I've grown just about every class of roses in pots from micro minis to climbers and everything in between. I've found that they'll all do pretty well if the pot is big enough and the rose is well cared for. Look for ones that have the best health in your area and you'll do fine.

Things to know about potted roses:
BIG POTS! The bigger the better and lots of good drainage holes in them. Plastic, resin or foam ones are the best. They hold up the longest and are much lighter weight. Roses in big pots of wet soil are HEAVY!

Good quality potting soil. Any kind, crystals or fertilizer, doesn't matter as long as it's a good light mixture and not heavy and clumpy. NEVER use top soil or garden soil.

They'll need extra watering because the pots dry out quicker. Because you're doing extra watering the nutrients will flush through quicker so you'll need to fertilize a little more often too.

Get pot trolleys to put them on them even if you're POSITIVE you'll never move them. It gets them off the ground so they can drain better and believe me, you will some day need to move them. It always happens.

If you have climbers or tall HTs think about getting those small stick in the ground trellises to tie them to. Most of them will fit inside the bigger size pots.

If you live in a place that has a lot of wind you may need to find a way to anchor the pots down. With some of the bigger/taller ones I had problems with the wind tipping them over. A big healthy leafy rose acts just like a sail. I found that the squatter pots with wider bottoms are less tippy than the tall ones that are wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

Hope that helps!

Seil - Thanks so much for the information. I know you are very experienced in growing potted ones, so I'm sure you know. I learned my lesson when I planted roses in whiskey barrels several years ago and still have a few planted that way, that's only because I already had the barrels, but they are way too heavy.

I agree with everything Seil said. My only other advice would be to find the most disease-resistant ones available. My situation is such that I couldn't spray--even if I wanted to, and I don't. I keep some that do get BS, particularly the "Conundrum" minis, because they flower so profusely regardless of the BS.

The past horrific winter we just had seemed to have greatly delayed any development of BS until just a few weeks ago. All my container roses bounced back like nothing had happened and leafed out beautifully,. They also all bloomed in the Spring at the same time, making the most wondrous display after such a hard, cold winter.

I no longer use wooden barrels because they rot out no matter what you do to them and have to be replaced. The containers I use for all my perennials are some sort of man-made material that won't crack with the constant freezing and thawing of winter.

Barb - Thank you. Glad your container roses are doing good.