Ripped out almost my entire backyard and now I'm hoping to try roses throughout. I am thinking a mix of english roses and traditional ones a well. What is important to me is (1) lots of colorful blooms that repeat frequently over a long blooming season and (2) big showy blooms. I'm in zone 10.

I am thinking of planting a few St. Swithum as climbers where it's really sunny and a few Jude the Obscure climbers in a more shady part of the yard. I was going to also do a few dream come true grandiflora roses as shrubs. I am trying to stay in a pale colored palette. i would love thoughts on if I am making good choices. Should I consider something else for my zone (10)?

Any other tips are welcome for a novice.

Question - are you in zone 10 in California, or Texas or Florida? It makes a big difference, since those zones are all very different.

Jackie

I'm going to add one more question for all the experts out there -- Where is the best place to buy? I've called a few wholesale nurseries, and looked at open-to-the-public and looked extensively on-line.

We are in Northern California -- near SF bay, so temps are generally around 75 or so in the summer (occasionally getting hotter) and usually never dip below 35 in the winter.

Thanks for the tip on preparing soil. Our garage collection company collects food scraps for compose and then you can get free compost any time. We've already put some on top of the soil throughout the yard, but I'll get more and work it into the soil now.

Are the tea roses heavy repeat bloomers with big blossoms? I haven't look at Teas at all.

Thanks everyone!

Tea Roses are the most regular repeat bloomers.

The modern Hybrid Tea Roses inherited that trait from the Teas, and the Teas are still champs. Bloom size will vary from one cultivar to another, so you'll want to make individual selections.

I suggest that you might want to visit places where you can see mature plants, rather than roses in pots. Use Google to find:
1. The San Jose Heritage Roses Garden, part of Guadeloupe Gardens in San Jose, and . . .
2. The Historic Rose Garden in the Old Sacramento City Cemetery, 1000 Broadway, Sacramento, CA. That garden will hold an Open Garden and Rose Sale on April 20. This is a great opportunity to acquire roses otherwise not offeree in commerce.

Other public rose gardens should likewise help you decide what you want.

Availability of roses is descending into a very black hole at the moment, with fewer and fewer nurseries growing roses, and fewer offering them.

For moderns, Reagan's Nursery over on the East side of the Bay has a huge selection. For Teas and their other older kin, most use mail order sources. Such roses will be small plants grown on their own roots, for the most part.

Whether you go for modern or older roses, you're not going to have a complete rose garden overnight. Roses will take months and years to grow up, and "be all they can be." Avoid planting too closely. The newly-planted rose garden should look under-planted, until plants grow up and mature, and fill it in.

Jeri

Yes, there are tea roses with big blooms that bloom almost all of the time. There is a great book about tea roses: "Tea Roses: Old Roses for Warm Gardens". It has fabulous pictures.

Jeri's advice to go to the Sacramento Historic Rose Garden Open Garden and rose sale on April 20th is perfect. They have lots of tea roses, and people who know about roses give tours - you can learn all about them. There will be a catalogue of all of the rare roses they will have for sale that day - it will be announced on here - Jeri puts it together and it is always magnificant. You are asking these questions at exactly the right time of year!

Nurseries - Vintage Gardens in Sebastopol is unfortunately closing, but it is still taking orders right now - google it and go on their web site. I have also had great service and roses from Rogue Valley Roses and Heritage Roses in Oregon.

Jackie

Thanks for the feedback.

I am in San Mateo, so I suspect we have similar weather conditions. If you know anything about San Mateo, I am on the westside of town before you get up into the hills, walking distance to downtown. Right near downtown they have a moderate size rose garden that is always beautiful. It didn't even occur to me to go there to check out plants.

We planted this weekend. I went to the Half Moon Bay nursery. I tried a few others and was very disappointed by the selection, but this place had a ton of variety.

Sadly, they didn't have either of the ones I wanted, but I found what I hope are good subs. I got 4 pink Flamingos -- not exactly pale pink, but pink nonetheless and labeled as a smaller grandiflora (which is good as my yard is small).

I was so sad they were sold out of the St. Swithum! Instead, I got Shropshire Lad. I have read mixed things about them here, but couldn't think of an alternative. I also got a Jude the Obscure for fun.

In retrospect, I wish I had gotten James Galway. Seems to have more of the qualities that I was seeking.

Would love your thoughts on growing these in general and any Bay Area specific thoughts are appreciated as well.

James Galway is also a great rose, mine quickly became huge and has really unusual beautiful ruffled petals.

Don't be afraid to order roses online. You don't have to order just in person at a nursery.
I've been happy with ordering from Vintage Gardens, Rogue Valley, Angel Gardens, David Austin, Heirloom Roses, Roses Unlimited and Antique Rose Emporium.

I agree, seeing roses in person, mature, in a garden is a HUGE benefit. I'd recommend doing so since you're relatively close to the San Jose and Sacramento rose gardens…??? Seeing just a photo of a rose bloom isn't the same as seeing a whole mature bush.

Just a small recommendation.. Valencia is a great HT with reasonably sized blooms which blooms almost all the time for me If you like Jude the Obscure's coloring you'll probably like Valencia.