Lots of the roses I see around here seem to be taller, spindlier with not too much of a robust nature but they also seem to be more HT and modern roses, so maybe that's why.

I plan to dig out my books and do some online research as well, but would love to hear what the rose enthusiasts here are successfully growing in cooler climates in the way of older and antique roses, also Austins and similar large flowered, many petaled varieties.

Also along with your general faves, looking for strong fragrance and very hardy (aka not too much maintenance during the season) growers for certain areas of the garden.

Thanks in advance!

However, I would like to recommend Cl Crimson Glory if you want an amazing red rose with the strongest "rose" fragrance of any rose I have ever been around. It was hybridized in 1935, and it is a climbing HT, not an OGR. It has the most gorgeous blooms, and HMF says it is hardy in cold zones 4b - 9b, so it ought to do fine where you are. I only prune mine once a year, and tie up its new canes. It is not very vigorous or rampant, and so it is easy to control. I have attache a pic.

Oh, I just thought of another rose - Sombreuil (aka Colonial White). It has a true OGR looking bloom - very double, sort of after the style of Madam Hardy. It also climbs. HMF says it is cold hardy to zone 6b. Mine has a nice fragrance, too.

I would guess that the roses around you which you describe as tall & spindly are modern HTs - that is a perfect description of how they grow.

Jackie

RdV

RdR

Excellent repeaters for colder climates will include the rugosas. They will thrive, and most are wonderfully fragrant. A couple of mosses repeat, and Autumn Damask does, too, but it is a background rose. You might look at the damask perpetuals which I forgot on my first pass at suggesting things. Some of them are wonderful. Hybrid perpetuals should also grow well, but most of them have noticeable disease problems. A few are more resistant. I could tell you which ones those are in my climate, but that would not be terribly useful to you in yours.

Oh, and Stanwell Perpetual, the only repeat blooming hybrid spinosissima that I know. I dearly love that rose.

Rosefolly

Rosefolly, I was just looking at Stanwell online a few hours ago, looks like it's sold out at Heirloom Roses, any idea where I can get one?

We are in Delaware County about 25miles from Philadelphia, near Delaware border if you know where that is.

Very good nursery, BTW. Many of their roses are grafted on multiflora, though I do remember that they branched out into also offering some own root roses at some point. The chief drawback is that you can't order just one rose at a time. They have a three plant minimum. Of course at a time when you are setting up a new garden this will probably not be a problem for you. It is later when you pretty much have your garden established but are tracking down an elusive rose that it becomes more problematic.

You might also look at High Country Roses for an own root nursery oriented toward the colder winter areas. They are currently out of stock of Stanwell Perpetual, but I would expect them to offer it in the future.

There are also lots of small nurseries out there that just offer a small selection of roses that grow well in their area. Some of them are worth seeking out. I have posted a link to a recent thread listing some. Azalea House is the one I was thinking about.

Rosefolly

Zone 7, east coast is practically the world-wide epicenter for blackspot. The reason the local roses look like they do is because they are probably defoliating several times a season from disease, not from the coldness of the climate. Most roses will require a good spray program. If you don't care to get into that, you'll want *local* recommendations on what can get away without it.

For blackspot, are there any organic methods of spray treatment that are shown to be effective? I already have acquired a few roses and while they didn't seem to be too prone to BS this year, they did get munched on by unseen bugs and squirrels ate a lot of the buds (never had to deal with that before!). Also we have deer where we'll be so I guess I have to think about that too.

Among repeat-bloomers, 'Souvenir de la Malmaison' and its several sports stand out in my eastern 7a garden. If grown without fungicide, they get blackspot, but not as badly as most roses. Then some modern roses to try include 'Earth Song', 'Bolero', 'The Generous Gardener', 'Munstead Wood', 'Laguna', 'Quadra', 'Carefree Sunshine', and 'Caramela'. These are spot-resistant in many gardens.

If you haven't had much blackspot this year, it will probably get worse, and most roses will defoliate repeatedly. Micronized sulfur and copper soap are two products that are considered organic and that will help a lot with blackspot if sprayed every week

Marianne in Sweden, zone 5.

Marianne in Sweden, zone 5.

Some Austins do well here without spraying: Constance Spry (huge climber), Generous Gardener, Sharifa Asma, Teasing Georgia, and Sweet Juliet, Munstead Woods are favorites. Earth Song is a modern shrub that has done well for me.

Many once-blooming ramblers and climbers are also good here: Baltimore Belle, Aloha, Debutante, climbing American Beauty, and Fields of the Woods are some I grow.

Also keep in mind that zone 7, while "cooler" than zone 9, still provides you the opportunity to grow some of the roses with which you may already be familiar. Some Teas will need some protection, and others won't reach their full-glory, but they are possible. I like to think of zones 7 and 8 as the "happy medium" areas which allow enough cold for the old European roses, but not so cold that the Chinas and Teas would be outright killed in Winter.

Just some thoughts....

:-)

~Christopher