Roses in my Cold Zone Garden

 

Rose 'Above and Beyond'

The allure of roses is hard to beat. 

And, I live in Wild Rose, WI. The residents here have been looking at roses for awhile, always hoping to find the best ones. I have been at this for over 20 years. I have tried the Knockouts, with limited success. They just need a bit more warmth and reliable snow cover.

In the 1960s, my village went full-bore and entered a beautification contest and redid the whole village and a park on the main drag featuring roses. They won. However, the upkeep proved vexing. Without regular water, care, and extensive winter prep the high tea roses which were predominantly chosen for this project withered and died. (There is now an apartment complex on this site.) 

Those that survived more than a handful of years: Seven Sisters and the rugosas.

This informs me as to which might survive with little care.

I have a Blaze that is the longest living rose in my garden, followed closely by the Canadian Explorer Series William Baffin and John Cabot. A white rugosa also think s it is considering world domination. A Therese Bugnet is a fairly new addition, dug up from my friend's yard. 

Rose 'Blaze'

Rose 'Blaze'

I was gifted 5 Champagne Wishes by my boss in 2021. All 5 are alive and put out quite a few roses in June and some continued bloom through the rest of the year. I cut them heavily in June 2022 for my son's wedding shower.

Rose 'Champagne Wishes'

I have also added a David Austin's Tess du Umbervilles in 2021. It is finally getting its footing now 3 years later.

My newest addition is the climber Above and Beyond.

Rose 'Above and Beyond'

Another rose I am aware of doing exceptionally well is Music Box, part of the Easy Elegance series. This one is in a friends garden. (Music box in a vase and in the garden of a friend.)

Rose 'Music Box' in a vase

Rose 'Music Box' in a friend's garden

Another view of 'Blaze'

So here's a list of what has grown well for me or I am aware grows well for others:

'Nearly Wild'

Canadian Explorer Series

'Music Box'

'The Fairy'

'Seven Sisters'

'Blaze'

'Champagne Wishes'

'Therese Bugnet'

Rosa rugosa cultivars and species

Roses 'Music Box' and 'Champagne Wishes' are both part of the Easy Elegance series, but not all roses in this series perform equally well.

I have not grown any of the Parkland series, although many in cold zones swear by this one.

I have the David Austin rose 'Tess du Umbervilles', a red climber and supposed zone 4 roes in my garden. This is the first year it has more than 1-2 blooms at the same time. It is year 3. 

One of the Canadian Explorer series climbers, either 'John Cabot' or 'William Baffin'. Bothe are the same intense pink, one is a single and one is a semi double, but otherwise hard to tell apart. 

Rose rugosa alba