Anne, can't comment on those selections but a web trip to Vintage makes perfect sense to me.

Carla

What I do when I am tempted by roses but not sure if they are a good idea or not is to consider where I will plant them. Maybe planting them will involve moving other roses, or even removing ones that have disappointed me. Maybe it will require opening up another planting area. None of this matters. If I can figure out in my mind a place where they will eventually go, I buy the roses. However if I can't think of a place to put them other than an ever-expanding pot ghetto, I let them go.

Rosefolly

Hi Anne,

I have tested a number of Pickering polyantha's and HK has done okay with protection, but your snow cover should allow it to do better.

My Katherine Mermoz (I think that one is the one you had a challenge with) is still struggling.

Have you considered Baby Faurx or Yvonne Rabier? The former is "gorgeous color" to me and the latter is a monster in size in my zone 3 garden. The Orleans rose stated to be hardy still survives well but is no where near as hardy as Yvonne in my garden (planted right beside each other).

I planted a second Margot Koster and it does okay here (not vigourous) and is retained because of it's unusual "orange" red color - not shocking orange but some kind of intriguing pale reddish orange wash I would tag it with.

By the way did get Prairie Peace for spring.

Thanks for backing me up there Carla, LOL. This is always the place to get approval for rose ordering indeed. :-)

Rosefolly, those are wise words. I'm rethinking the roses in my gardens and will be removing some to pots for give-aways this spring. I can't and won't allow myself to expand any further, that's for sure, so if I don't love a rose it will get passed along at my rose society.

Riku - Thanks for the info on Heinrich Karsch. I get a lot of die back on polys (even with my snow cover) but they all seem to survive.
Baby Faraux sounds very interesting, esp. the notation on HMF about it being grape scented. Oooooh!
I know what you mean about the color of Margot Koster being very intriguing. It is so pretty in bloom. I just wish I had been given the shrub form and not the climber which is far, far less happy with my winters than it should have to be. Sigh.
Lucky you, finding Prairie Peace! May I ask where?

I have a picture of Heinrich Karsch on the gallery and must say that I love the color and general look of this rose. Unfortunately it does have black spot to some extent but since it's a fairly new band I hope it will grow out of it. Raymond Privat is supposed to be an even better lavender rose but it's now only available to be rooted on request. I also have Baby Faurax but it's too soon to comment on it. International Herald Tribune is putting out a lot of buds and is also very pretty.

Ingrid

. If I can figure out in my mind a place where they will eventually go, I buy the roses. However if I can't think of a place to put them other than an ever-expanding pot ghetto, I let them go.

Rosefolly
* * *
You have more self-control than I do. I don't even have a yard, only pots and the goodwill of my parents, who have also run out of spots for roses. Yet I am ordering 4 more from Hortico.

Hi Anne,

Got PP reserved from a local Albertan grower for spring who unfortunately does not export. They are also reserving Percey Wright's Hazeldean for me when one is available.

Plus just put in a claim for spring for some more old Prairie private hybridized roses from the 40's and 50's that were made available yesterday - Frank Skinner's Butterball, Haidee and Suzanne.

This source - Sheila Holmes in zone 2 - is turning out to be great since Skinner's Nursery bailed out. She has more types of roses that do not show up on her site. My hats off to the lady for getting into saving and growing for sale Erskine's and other old hybridized prairie roses - more so to put up with the hassle of mail order.

Wow - that's wonderful, Riku. I'm so glad for you that there is a source like that in Canada. My hat's off to her too. Maybe one of these days, one of the nurseries on this side of the border will see about importing some of those valuable hardy roses to the States. Please, do keep us informed what this group of roses are like as they mature for you. And pictures! We'll want pictures! ;-)

Anne