Hi Alison, please define "tiny blooms". What size is tiny to you? You live in a rather cold climate for many roses to begin with. Your desired size of only one to two feet tall rules out many roses as, even in a shorter growing season, with more severe winters, most which are cold hardy enough for where you are, will want to be larger than what you say you want. Generally, "miniature" refers to the bloom size and those are usually 2" in diameter and less.

Perhaps you might be better served by selecting two or three roses sufficiently hardy and disease resistant for where you live, then fill in around them each year with annuals so you have the color you desire with a lot less to maintain over winter, as well as much less labor to keep them healthy, properly pruned, etc.? A smaller number of plants which can be permitted to grow larger so they will be able to support the bloom size and quantity you desire because of their greater foliage mass, will provide you with a better, less overwhelming result?

Unless you purchase them as annuals and replant each year, your selection is limited due to your zone rating. While many will look great during the spring and summer, your probable winter severity may well kill them off, particularly in more extreme years.

I think your selection and our suggestions will probably be easier and more productive if you can determine your minimum bloom size desired, and figure out how much winter protection, disease and insect protection you wish to do and how patient you will likely be to prickles attacking you when you have to maintain them.

An alternative is to hit your local garden centers, sometimes even grocery stores, for their small pots of bud and bloom gift roses. Some of them actually have larger (3" to 4") flowers on short plants in four and six inch pots. But, don't expect them to remain that short as they are genetically much larger plants. These have been selected to root easily, grow well and quickly own root and provide those large flowers at a small size. They are intended to be gift plants, like the potted azaleas, hydrangeas, etc. you find in the stores, but they don't remain that small and very likely might not over winter from one year to the next. But, they can provide you with the roses around your gazebo at about the height you desire for the summer they are there. You'll probably have to treat them as annuals, replacing them each year, but that would be one fairly certain way to get the larger bloom size you indicate you desire, and not have to put in a lot of preventative care and maintenance for them from year to year. Kim

You might want to take a look at Seafoam. According to HelpMeFind it is rated to zone 4b. It does tend to stay small (often used as a groundcover), but can get a little bigger than you want--HMF says 2 to 3 feet. Perhaps in your zone it wouldn't grow to 3 feet, or it could be easy to keep it within your desired height.

It's on sale (through today only) at Heirloom for 50% off.;) They do have other groundcover/smaller sized plants. You could ask them to recommend something for your location. Although this late in the year I don't know if a new rose would have time to mature enough to survive the winter.

Melissa

Here is a link that might be useful: Seafoam on HMF

Thanks for the replies. Though we are in Montana we our area has much milder winters than most of the state, our area is known for growing cherries to give you an idea of the climate. As far as small, I was thinking of 2 in or so as not too small, but if I need to have smaller blooms to get smaller plants that's fine too. We probably won't put them in this year but I like to start planning now. I guess I'm overwhelmed by the choices, should I be looking at landscape types or groundcover types? Thanks again!

Thanks, Alison. A two inch bloom is on the cusp of a "miniature". Many miniatures grow a lot larger than the two foot upper range, but might be encouraged to remain smaller because of your climate.

You could be looking at landscape or ground cover or miniature, even mini flora types to get the sort of plant you seek. Perhaps the landscape and ground cover classifications would provide potentially healthier, hardier types for your situation. The other classifications have slightly different selection criteria, skewed more toward the flower than care free plant. Those selected for landscape use would tend to have less emphasis placed on the individual flower and more on the more maintenance free plant type. Good luck! Kim

Polson area? I really don't have suggestions as don't live there any more; wish Lavender Lass would check in, she's in eastern Washington with weather possibly similar to yours.

Allison,
You might try looking at the roses that Northland Rosarium carries. They're in Spokane, which is zone 5, I think. Here's a link. They'll send you a paper catalog or shop on line.

Here is a link that might be useful: Northland Rosarium, Spokane

You might look at the Pavement series of Rugosas. Rugosas are very winter hardy, have large blooms, bloom almost continuously, and most are every fragrant. The Pavement series, plus Frau Dagmar are all small Rugosas.

Here's a link. If I didn't get it all, search for "pavement on helpmefind.com/rose

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/roses.php?searchNmTyp=5&searchNm=pavement&rid=4131&sbSearch=SEARCH&tab=1

Hi Alison, I grow roses in Zone 5 in central Illinois. I have a sweet little Griffith Buck growing as a border rose in front of the tree peonies called 'Mountain Music', and it gets about 2' tops. 'MM' is a pink/yellow ruffled rose, with almost freckled blossoms, and it blooms in clusters. The roses are definitely not small, but not HT form. 'MM' is very winter-hardy on its own-roots; I never provide any winter protection other than oak mulch in its bed.

Here's the HMF link for pics if you're interested. Good luck in making a choice!
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=21.194698
-terry

Right off hand, the only shorter rose with large blooms that I can think of is Austin's Pretty Jessica--but it gets about 2.5, maybe nearly 3 ft tall with maturity. Is that too tall?

She's a wonderful rose--big, fat, full blooms, pink; disease-resistant; cold hardy through Zone 5. But she's kinda hard to find since Austin dropped her from his line. However, her popularlity on this forum is high and posters have found other places she is offered. Try the search box below for more information.

Kate

The Drift series of roses from Meilland might be a good choice. I have seven Peach Drift used as a border in my garden which stay about 2ft high with an equally or slightly more of a spreading habit. Never, I mean never out of bloom and absolutely disease free. I think they're available in coral, pink, maybe even white. Recently purchased and planted Sea Foam which look like they will be quite a bit taller, spread more, and may even climb.

A rose that might fit your needs is Rhode Island Red--normally grown as a climber--it is just as happy growing sideways instead of up--rather atypical for roses. It has large red blooms and ours is reasonably disease resistant considering the high BS and mildew pressure in our yard.

I'd like to suggest Royal Edward from the Explorer series, if you can find it. Hardy to zone 4, never more than 2 ft. tall, blooms all season.
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