I tip even my largest pots to get the roses out. If it's not near the lawn where it's soft I put down a couple of layers of towels or something to protect the side of the pot and then tip it over. I've never had a problem and I have pots bigger than 27 inches. I will say though that I no longer use any kind of ceramic or terracotta pots for roses. If you want to use it in the future just use the ceramic one on the outside for decorative purposes and plant the rose in a plastic pot that will insert into the ceramic one. Put a piece of styrofoam or some pea gravel in the bottom of the ceramic pot for the plastic one to rest on so they don't stick together and the plastic one can drain better. Solves a lot of problems.

Hi Beth - I'm new to this forum, but not new to coastal Southern Cal rose growing, so I'll chime in too. I'm in San Juan Capistrano on the South end of Orange County and about 2.5 miles from the beach in a coastal canyon. So I know all about roses in the marine layer fog. Mildew, not black spot, is the bane of our existence here. The only blackspot I've ever seen in my garden was on florist roses. But I do spray. And the three most fragrant ones on your list -- Double Delight, McCartney Rose and Fragrant Cloud -- will mildew even with religious spraying. But, the fragrance is worth it and I grow all three. No one has told you about the rose societies here yet. There are several. I go all the way south to the California Coastal Rose Society in Carlsbad. That's probably too far for you. There are two other OC rose societies -- the Orange County Rose Society which meets very near to Huntington Beach in Westminster -- they focus on exhibitions and hold their show the last weekend of October every year at Rogers Gardens. There's also another one that focuses mostly on gardening, garden tours and garden parties -- no exhibiting -- which is the Saddleback Rose Society -- that one's a bit inland for both of us. Wholly different climate those folks have. You can get to either one by googling the names, or I've put a link in here for the OCRS. On the rest of your list, I've grown most of them, and they do just fine. But as a general rule, in coastal cool areas like ours, fewer petals is better. Many roses just won't open like they do in hot climes, and sometimes you just die waiting for a leeeetle bit of heat to get them open, which never comes. So, plan to have some that open without heat. As for colors, try these -- Pink -- Our Lady Of Guadalupe is by far the best pink floribunda. But also check out The Imposter and Lovestruck, both of which do well for me. For Hybrid Teas, I like Memorial Day. Purple -- Intrigue is okay, but try Purple Tiger -- it's better and it's striped. It does really well on the coast. For a Hybrid Tea, I like Neptune and one that Armstrongs carries called Della Reese that is a darker purple hybrid tea with occasional exhibition form. Orange -- About Face Red -- I'm still looking for a good one. Yellow -- Julia Child or Midas Touch. Or even Peace, which gets enormous blooms on the coast. Multi -- get some stripes -- City of Carlsbad if you can find it or Cabana if you can't. Have fun. I seem to move every few years just BECAUSE I get to replenish my garden. Enjoy it. Kathy Here is a link that might be useful: Orange County Rose Society

Hi Rosefolly, I have been growning roses for more than a decade now in Eastern Ontario, home of the Canadian Explorer Roses. If you want foolproof cold climate roses, this is the place to trial them. As this is the Antique Roses Forum, I was initially hesitant to post about cold hardy roses for the harshest climates, but since Explorer Roses and Dr. Buck's roses have now been mentioned, I'll put in my two bits worth. I have not had a lot of luck with OGR's here in Eastern Canada. Most Bourbons and Portlands seem a bit tender here. The exceptions are Louise Odier, Comte de Chambord, Jacques Cartier, and Rose de Rescht if planted deep and own root. I have tried a few Albas and failed. Limited space has kept me from trialing the Gallicas, Centifoias, Mosses and other once blooming OGR's that I would like if I had room. However, with winter protection the list broadens a bit, particularly if you mulch a bit with straw and grow own root roses. Many David Austin Roses and Griffith Buck roses do very well here particullarly with some straw for protection. The really fool proof ones for me are: Buck; Prairie Harvest, Prairie Sunset, Quietness, Folksinger, Pearlie Mae and Hawkeye Belle. David Austin: Saint Cecilia, Mayflower, Evelyne, Charles Darwin, Crocus Rose, Mary Rose and her sports Redoute aand Winchester Cathedral, Cressida, Teasing Georgia, Alexandra Rose, Abraham Darby (protected sight), The Reeve, Lilian Austin, Radio Times. Climbing Roses are few and far between. The ones I can recomend are: Isabella Skinner (Victorian Memories), John Davis, Northern Encore, Polsterjarnin (Once Blooming), William Loeb (Once Blooming Moss), Morden Snow Beauty. Of course, all or the Morden and Explorer roses from Agriculture Canada are wonderful and hardy in the cold zones. Below is a link to the site of the Canadian Central Experimental Farm Garden in zone 4 Ontario. Both the heritage rose garden cultivars and the official Canadian Explorer Rose Garden. if you want to see what we grow up here with winter protection,lots of OGRs in the heritage Rose Garden,and the Explorer Rose Garden are listed. Enjoy and greatings form the "Great White North". Cheers, Rideau Rose Lad, aka Rick Cheers from the Here is a link that might be useful: Central Experimental Farm Gardens

Hi all The pot was one of many suckers I potted up two springs ago. That particular one went as a wedding gift to my cousin. It's also a good example of the bare structure of the rose. I have not actually seen this particular rose growing in any of the many gardens around town, though I have by no means conducted a thorough search. (other examinations have come up with a very lovely rambler I would like to get a cutting from, as well as some antique pallida iris I wouldn't mind getting some rhizomes from, but I digress) The website I found which led to my initial identification was actually a Finnish website, which I had to translate, but which I believe was about someone discussing The Nordic Rose/Mustianruusu. They had some great pictures, and some of them could practically have been taken from my very plant- I instantly recognized the buds, sepals, and its very annoying habit of producing far more buds then ever manage to open, year after year, regardless of care. A habit I have not managed to get my plant to break either. There are always about 1/8 of the buds which yellow and die. Initially I thought there was a nutrition or insect problem, but no. It's just a very typical issue for this rose. Or at least in Europe, and according to this Finnish source it was. I will see if I can find the site, google translate is far from perfect, but it was very interesting. I try very hard to avoid like the plague the Banshee/Minette discussion, as it is very confusing, and nothing is very settled amongst the many possibilities which are out there. I am happy enough to say my rose is definitely of the Mustialanruusu type, and leave it at that :)