I hope so! You know you can alter your zone rating substantially with all that hardscape and exposure. I wish I could tell you what to expect as far as growth habit in a shorter, colder climate and without support. I'm afraid to find out, you'll just have to try her there. I don't have personal experience with her in anything harsher than Zone 9. I don't know about the rose, but "I" am just too "tropical" to flourish in anything colder than 8! Kim

I think Annie will get too tall for the front. The only spot I see that would be good for her is in the top bed by the garage, where her height can blend into the garage while lower canes can caress the wall. In the front I'd do a few ground covers like Red Cascade or Weeping China Doll to fall over the wall and then pack in a whole bunch of very short, very fragrant roses so people can smell them as they walk by.

Can Annie's height be redirected to drape over the terrace, instead of rocketing into the air? How tall are we talking about if grown as a freestanding shrub?

I believe that Strawberryhill grows ALM in Zone 5. Strawberryhill, please share your experienced with her! :-)

She's at least 12 X 12. I really don't see her in your front yard. Right rose in the right place. What is it you like about her? There are so many other roses you can surely find one that shares the traits you like in a non-climbing form. Again, take a look at Weeping China Doll, also pink, fragrant, nearly thornless, and does droop.

I did have her here for on season but she didn't make it through her first winter. I was very sad and disappointed because I loved her flowers. That was early on in my rose growing life and she came as a tiny band plant so I may try her again and see if I have better luck. I do know that the canes she grew were quite lax in habit. She spent the summer here in a hanging basket because she was so small and her canes draped beautifully in that but they never got past about 2 feet in length before winter set in.

Your house is lovely, by the way, and roses draping over that wall would be spectacular! You might want to think about some of the carpet roses for that spot and put Annie on a trellis up by the house some where protected.

Catsrose, I got interested in ALM after reading some post here on HMF about her. Then I read her HMF description and member comments. There were a lot of comments about how her fragrance wafts and is the strongest someone's ever smelled, and how much she's willing to bloom. Here in the summer we're hot and most rose scents burn off to nonexistence, so I got visions of a wafting rose by my front door, always in bloom. Then there's the reported disease resistance, low thorns, and easy care. Something about this rose just seemed almost too good to be true, but I was hoping it's just a treasure that I have yet to experience, I guess. So is it not all of those qualities? By the way, I love cats and roses too, and my dog, so I guess I could have been Catsdogrose.

Seil and Catsrose, I was intrigued to see that you're both in Zone 6, but ALM was not hardy for Seil, yet grows to 15X15 for Catsrose. That's a huge difference. Am I missing something? I was hoping that our Zone 5b cold winters would limit ALM to a more manageable size, like 6 X 6, or even 8 X 8. Is that not the correct thinking?

I have considered weeping China Doll and other roses recommended, but they're only mild for fragrance on HMF, and I'd like to get something very fragrant that wafts in the front, if possible.

I first considered ALM for growing on several arbors that I newly installed. But the lack of hardiness was what made me reconsider. Even though the front of my house is not protected, it's probably the warmest place on this property due to all the concrete and rocks absorbing heat and then reflecting it back during the night. Last winter, my Heritage rose never even lost its leaves, and it's planted in the front. That's unheard of in my zone, though granted last winter was freakishly warm. Thanks for looking at my picture and considering this problem with me.

" I was hoping that our Zone 5b cold winters would limit ALM to a more manageable size, like 6 X 6, or even 8 X 8. Is that not the correct thinking? "

In my Zone 8a climate, 'Annie Laurie McDowell' is often badly damaged every winter, whenever we get a freeze event colder than 20F. I cannot imagine the rose surviving for long in your climate, let alone growing to an appreciable size. Who knows, though.....if other folks have succeeded with it in zone 6, maybe its possible. I'm very doubtful though.

Its a beautiful rose, but definitely bred in, and bred for a warm climate, as was its parent, ''Renae'.

Oh, I'm disheartened. :-( But I do appreciate your candor, trospero.

Even the most fragrant roses don't waft their fragrance well in hot dry heat and many 'continuous' bloomers won't bloom in the heat. You might look at some of the Bourbons, most of which are extremely fragrant ad more winter hardy. One of my favorites is Louis Odier. She won't droop over your wall, but as a front door rose she would be excellent. She is also shade tolerant, easily get 6' and reblooms very regularly. I grew her in Santa Fe, which is/was also 5b with hot dry summers.

Hi gardenerzone4: Your house is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! That's my dream-house! I love your landscape walls, the bay-window, the red brick. I'm in zone 5a. I'm looking out the window, it's 15 degrees windchill factor today. My Annie L. McDowell is green to the tip. Other people in colder zone than my 5a stated that roses die in the winter not because of cold temp, but because of drying wind.

I grew Annie in a large pot until her rootball is at least 2 gallons, before I buried the entire rootball 4 to 5 inches below ground. I also water her weekly, if we don't get snow. I bought Annie end of March, now she's 2' x 2' - so cute. The key is to grow the rootball until it's at least 2 gallons, and keep it moist 4" below ground through the winter. Below is how green Annie is during Thanksgiving. I have heavy clay with mixed-in leaves and peatmoss, so it's always wet where Annie is. She's next to the house, which keeps her warm.