Little Pink Pet or Pink Soupert. Both should remain small. White pet I know to be a smaller plant, and floriferous. I believe that Pink Pet has the same habit as White Pet. Pink Soupert is a rose that I looked at recently that could work possibly fit your needs.

Lynn

This post was edited by desertgarden561 on Mon, Oct 21, 13 at 1:03

Will the pot be kept outside during the winter? A few plants can survive in a pot outside over Winter here but not many, pansies sometimes sort of, yew, and well established ivy, for example, in a 22-24" pot.

Cath

'Earth Song,' very pink, very free blooming, hardier than hybrid teas, disease resistant in most gardens. I think it would be fine over winter if it is in a sheltered location with some leaves piled around the pot. With pruning in a big pot it could be 5' x 3 or 4' wide.

Comte de Chambord and Marchesa Bocella also come to mind. I don't know much about their cold hardiness but they don't seem to be huge roses and are quite fragrant.

Ingrid

Bonica and Royal Bonica are continuous bloomers, lovely roses, and quite carefree here. I grew them both when this part of Idaho was a zone 6, and I still grow Royal Bonica. My close friend who gardens in a slightly cooler location than my garden grows both these roses very successfully, too. My only concern would be that Royal Bonica could become too large for a pot. Its blooms are a darker pink and a little different shape than Bonica's. Bonica is still fairly widely available and Royal Bonica is available from Hortico--and probably some other places, too. Diane

Is this for breast cancer awareness month? If so, Pink Promise is the official rose of the American Breast Cancer Foundation, and I believe part of the proceeds from sales go to the organization. I havenâÂÂt grown it personally, so canâÂÂt offer much other than IâÂÂve heard itâÂÂs very disease resistant for an HTâ¦but being an HT, it may not fit your other criteria.

Thank you. I'll do a little more research on all of the suggestions--you know, reading and digging around for info. growth habit etc.

Lynn--Little Pink Pet is lovely. I will certainlly keep it in mind. Also I might consider it as a possible rose for myself for next year.

Cath--At this point, winter hardy isn't so much a priority any more. Mama lives alone and can't possibly move anything heavy, so she lets everything winter outside. So I guess roses will be grown as annuals for her. Although she said a Mary Rose I gave her two years ago survived: she left it out on the balcony of her second floor apt, without winter protection I gather.

Michael--earth song is good, I'll look into it.

Diane--Bonica is good too because I remember this particular rose is easily available in most garden centers in the Netherlands.

Ingrid--Comte de Chambord is beautiful. I wonder whether the foliage will be clean and plentiful in between flushes. I think an old garden rose would be lovely; I know Mama likes old fashioned quarter blooms.

Pat--no, it isn't Breast Cancer Awareness related. Pink Peace is a good suggestion too.

Priclkes,

Growing outdoors in a pot in zone 6 is a bit of a challenge. So a rose that can really take the cold is a must. Some things that contribute to winter survival under these conditions are: placing the pot in the shade (there is less freezing and thawing and less dessication caused by the sun drawing out moisture from the plant when the soil is frozen and the roots cannot replace it from the soil), using resin pots (they seem to provide more insulation than plastic and clay will not survive), lining the pot with bubble wrap (to provide insulation - I have not tried this myself), placing the pot in a sheltered spot away from the wind.

Cath

Cath--Do you think potted own-root, left outside on the balcony, has a better chance of surviving zone 6 winter without protectiont? If that's the case I'll keep an eye out for own-root instead of grafted. I am certain that Intratuin and De Border both carry lots of own-root Austins, and rather cheap and large compared to what I can get in the US.

Grafted and own root are equally hardy provided the graft is buried.

Balconies are problematic because you don't have the benefit of ground heat. If the rose is on a trolley so it can be moved against the house wall for winter, that would help.

What Michael said. Also any insulating you can do would be a plus, not only around and over the plant but also under because as Michael said you do not have ground heat.

Cath

Sommerwind has been the most continuously blooming, healthy and utterly delightful pink rose I have ever owned (which would also cope with the hazards of balcony pots). Absolutely bulletproof, pretty, great for cutting (a spray lasts 2 weeks) ...sadly no fragrance but everything else is stellar.

Quietness is a pale pink rose that has good disease resistance and lots of blooms. Some fragrance but not strong. And it may just survive in a pot without protection it's so hardy and vigorous!

I second Seil's vote for 'Quietness'. In my conditions, it is the best pink rose, old or new, that I have ever seen or grown. It is absolutely hardy to the tips for me, even with no snow cover and dozens of brutal freeze-thaw cycles that weakened some lesser roses last winter. It may not be happy long-term in a pot, however, since it is a healthy, happy and lusty grower.