I don't know where in TN you are located, but the botanical garden in Memphis used to have an excellent rose collection -- and it was easy to see which roses had disease problems there, and which did not.

Jeri

thank you Im in middle tn overton county

Then, you should check to see where the closest public gardens are located.
You might also check the ARS Website for a Local Rose Society near you.

Jeri

thank you Jeri. I did find out there is a rose society in the county next to me. Hopefully my work schedule will allow me to join

rebeccah, it would help if we knew what gardening zone you are in. I'm guessing about Zone 6--but my Zone 6 (Kansas) and your Zone 6 (assuming that is right) may not be quite the same. Mine might be drier and hotter. If enough people post responses, notice those especially that are close to your area.

It would also help if we knew approximately what size you were looking for and things like how much sun your new roses would get in your yard (hopefully at least 6 hours per day).

In the meantime, my general advice to newcomers is to find "disease-resistant" roses--or even better, "very disease-resistant." Some places might indicate that just the opposite way--"very healthy" or something like that. Blackspot disease is a common problem, so you want the ones that don't succumb quickly to it.

Browse rose catalogs at some well-known nurseries--such as Roses Unlimited or Jackson and Perkins or Pickering, to name a few. Check out what they have to say about size and disease-resistance, etc.--then check them out further by looking up the specific rose by name at helpmefind.com . Then post here, asking about a specific rose by name.

There is also a search function near the bottom of this page. Type in key words like "disease-resistance roses" and that should bring up some older threads that covered some on these topics also---and some cool photos of the roses.

Hopefully that will get you started.

Kate

Jeri's suggestion to contact a local rose society is the best way to know what does well in your general area. You'll find people who have tried a lot of roses and will know what ones were the healthiest and most hardy. They can also give you an idea of how large certain roses will get in your area. My roses here in MI are never as large as say someone like Jeri in CA because of my shorter growing season and winter die back. Every place has it's own climate that effects how a rose will grow. And different places have different diseases to contend with. I get terrible black spot and powdery mildew but have never seen rust which can be prevalent out west. Your local society will have had experience with the diseases and pests that are most common to TN.

i am in zone 6 but some websites are saying zone 7. Blackspot is a major problem here. I'm wanting to buy all kinds of roses this year (Austins, hybrid teas, floribundas, and grandiflorias) Actually I like all kinds of roses. My roses have full sun all day. Some get evening shade. Summers here are very hot and humid. Does anybody grow Ebb Tide?

I grow Ebb Tide and really like it. I purchased mine from Roses Unlimited. Like everyone else was saying about the roses, they'll grow differently in different climates. Pictures of my Ebb Tide in Tennessee look quite a bit different than the Ebb Tides that grow out west.

There's a very knowledgable lady named Ann on here that lives in East Tennessee (Grainger or Greene Co. maybe?) whose advice I never doubt. She basically lives right up the road from me, and is also knowledgable about my specific area of Knox/Sevier Co. Hopefully she'll chime in.

There's also quite a few others in the Mid-South/Black Spot Central that have been very helpful. Then there's people like Kate and Seil, who are close to our zone and very experienced. Then the California people are just rediculous in their knowledge! I don't even know where to begin! There's really so many mentors on here, along with us newbies!

I just wish I had found this website when I first started rose growing, vs last year after I had already planted (and killed) so many roses. Great group of people!

Tammy

There's some information on preventing/dealing with diseases in the article below. I believe it's more tailored for zone 8, but you can move up in zones and be ok :). Good luck with your growing.

Oh! These line up as well I think for zone 6 if you are still hunting: https://www.roguevalleyroses.com/rose/zone/zone-6

Here is a link that might be useful: How To Grow Roses

I'm 'that' Ann.

The Cookeville Rose Society will be an invaluable assett for you. They are a good, active group and they do (or did) have an interesting rose garden in a space in downtown Cookeville. The nursery where they meet is also gets good modern roses in.

Burgess Falls nursery, south of the interstate (I-40) in the direction of (duh) Burgess Falls has in the past had some very interesting found roses.

For black spot resistance, you need to go to a site at the University of Tennessee which I can't find right now. A partial list is at the link below. The other link will be continually updated and maybe tomorrow I can find it. Right now I'm not sure why I'm not asking google the right search terms.

Weather wise, your garden is at least half a zone colder than my garden. The large rose garden that would be closest to your conditions would probably be the huge garden up in Lexington KY, across from the football stadium, that has several thousand different cultivars. (Road trip this spring!)

There is also a group near Lebanon who are trying to get an old rose interest group started.

Feel free to email me off line through the Garden web link you get to by clicking my name.

Ann

Here is a link that might be useful: A partial list

Oh, my sister (Anne, BTW!) lives in Lexington and I've been to the Arboretum there. It's gorgeous so do go if you can. I'll have to check with her and find out when the peak of bloom is but I'm thinking sometime mid to late May maybe because I know it's earlier than mine here in MI which is usually the first 2 weeks of June. Of course with this weird weather who can tell when it will be this year!