I think the 'Pope John Paul II' rose is stellar, but that is here, not zone 3a.

I absolutely positively loved my Hansa. It shouldn't need winter protection for you, should it? Anyway, the one I left behind is now about 8 feet tall. Of course it increased its performance majorly when I moved away.

scorpiohorizon - Well, I have Hansa in a location closely surrounded by retaining wall. It's a very HARSH spot, so I wanted to leave that one for whomever buys the house. I've only had mine since last fall. I find it okay, but no great shakes. So it probably gets a lot better in a few years? Since it's so readily available, I can get it at my new house. Do you have a picture? What did you love about it? :)

Hoovb - Mine (still in pot though) has only had about 2 flowers and they had brown edges, so I wasn't too sure about that one. So it gets better? :)

Thanks!
Carol

Carol,

I only had Hansa for a couple years before we moved, and it was just starting to get good! :) It had a terrific scent, gorgeous colored blooms, had no problems with disease, needed no winter protection, and was getting really large, which was what I wanted in that spot. When I saw it this summer in my old yard, it was almost touching the eaves on the porch roof. Much larger than I ever expected it to get.

The only drawback I think it had (other than crazy thorns, but hey, it's a rugosa) was that it bloomed heavily in the spring then only sporadically after, but it was not in a good spot for sun. It was on a northwest corner of the house, and that was my fault, not Hansa's.

A smaller version of a similar rose is Moje Hammarberg, which I also loved and had to leave behind. I am thinking of replacing it now--I mean literally like right now. lol! Kinda late in the season to buy roses, but here where I live now my roses were still blooming and thriving on Halloween last year. I might take the chance.

Jennifer

I would really miss my Grootendorst roses. Odd, bloomiferous little buggers.

Are you moving to a warmer zone?? What a bummer to leave all those great roses behind. Is anyone going to take them or is their fate to languish?

Mexicanhat - Moving 3 hours south to Calgary, but they apparently have cooler nights because of the proximity of the mountains and LESS of a growing season! But roses do well with cooler nights. :) I've only had my Grootendorst since last fall. I DO really like it, but I thought that since the blooms are small they might not make much of a statement. Do you have any photos of your established grootendorst? Man, I wish I could take more roses. I guess I could leave behind Black Cherry and take PG. Black Cherry is in constant bloom with lovely, long-lasting large flowers. Gaaaahhh!! I can't stand it. :) Well as to leaving my roses, the ones I haven't potted yet are going to go to friends who like roses. The ones in the bed - I just hope whoever buys our house loves roses - but that's not too likely.

Jennifer - That was my concern with Hansa - rebloom. Although it has been blooming nonstop for quite awhile. But a few blooms at a time.

Thanks!! :)
Carol

Oh Carol, in a way I am sad, only because you mentioned recently how you felt about it, and later said that you would not be going to Calgary after all. Now it has come so quickly. One thing for sure is, that it really is not too far away from Edmonton, I have stayed in both cities over the past year or so. But I did not see too much of Calgary as we stayed with friends for two nights and we drove to Lake Louise, Then met up with a group of our friends and travelled on the Rockymountaineer back to Vancouver. It was wonderful. I have been to Edmonton more times though. Early summer I stayed with my grandson's foster family. We have become good friends with them and I just put my grandson back on the plane to Edmonton this week after he was with us for a whole month. Which was wonderful.

I think being in Calgary you will have to do extra winter protection for your roses. Do you plant them all in the ground or will some be in moveable pots?

How long have you had Paul Shirville. I am very fond of that one, but of course I do not know it's winter hardiness. That is one that I would probably want to take with me. It is so floriforous and fragrant.

I believe having some of your own roses with you will make you feel at home very soon. Hope you and your family meet some great new people and you settle down really quickly to your new lives.

Please remember to send us some pics of the before and afters in your new garden when your own roses are getting established.

I wish you good luck with your move and hope you, your family and your roses will be very happy there.
Hugs!
Pauline - Vancouver Island

Thanks Pauline! I'm okay with the move now -- we've been aware that we might have to move since January, so we've had lots of time to agonize and now I've moved on. I've kind of divorced myself from the garden - I don't weed anymore, just kind of left it already. Oh well, that's the way I am. :)

Paul Shriville overwintered for me quite nicely. It's in a spot where the water constantly drains away from it (that was supposed to be temporary while my husband built retaining walls) so it hasn't been blooming very well. It's about 2 feet tall. Leaves look great. However, the flowers (what few I had) faded to a splotched color - which I hate. So I wasn't thinking on bringing that one. Does yours fade? Do you have a picture? Floriferous and fragrant? Man, I haven't let that rose do its best!

I'm going to plant 11 in the ground this year and see if they survive. I'll plant deep, protect with bags of shredded newspaper and see what happens. It will be a learning lesson that won't cost much since I would have been leaving those roses behind anyway. Hmmmm maybe I could take some extra roses with me and keep in the garage. I guess contenders could be the roses you all suggest:
1. Pink Grootendorst
2. Paul Shriville
3. Pope John Paul
I won't take Hansa because I can always get that in Calgary.

Thanks so much for the kind words and suggestions. I'm off to look at Helpmefind - Paul Shriville.

Carol

Carol I have no pictures of Paul Shirville, unfortunately. It succummed to deer death before we installed our deer fence. I re-ordered it this year from Hortico, but it was not available. I will keep trying though. The information and pictures on HMF are very accurate for this rose. It also is a Harkness - and that goes a long way with me. For a HT, it does have many clusters, almost like a florabunda. It was a bright spark in our garden that I would like to repeat again.
Cheers! Pauline

A bright spark - I like that!

Carol