I highly recommend David Austin roses. They have beautiful cabbage-like blooms that I think perfectly suit cottage gardens. Heirloom roses is having a sale on some of their David Austin (aka English roses) bands which start off very small but grow pretty rapidly. The ones on sale aren't my necessarily my favorites, though.

Knock out roses are a brand of rose that don't require much work in terms of spraying to prevent disease or deadheading from what I've heard. You should be able to find them pretty easily at any big box store near you that has a garden center. Let us know what you end up getting!

Here is a link that might be useful: Austin sale

Andrea,

I would check over at the Antique Rose forum. They have several topics on cottage roses. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/rosesant/

AWWWWW.....The austins! there are 3 on sale now that I would love to have. They have gotten great reviews. Graham Thomas, Golden Celebration and The Generious Gardner, that would grow well in my zone.
You are a bit warmer so I think your selection would be better. Also check out The Antique Rose Emporium.

-Karyn

Here is a link that might be useful: antique rose forum

Thank you so much!! After I posted this I had wandered over to the antique rose forum and got some good ideas from them! In fact I spent much of last night on "rose research" :)
I'll report back with what I get :)

Yes, the Antique Rose forum is the place to start for roses - that's where I started ;-) 30 roses later I´m a firm addict to old roses (even though most are once bloomers) and I do grow some Austins as well. The favorite amongst the Austins I grow is Jude The Obscure, a simply fantastic rose. I severely pruned mine this past January and it's already taller than me (I'm 1.60 m tall) and full of buds already.

In a colder climate such as yours you can grow alba and gallica roses (once bloomers). I have two gallicas, Rosa Mundi and The Apothecary's Rose, and one alba, Queen of Denmark, and love them all. They are so trouble and pest free - I never spray or do anything special to them other than pruning after they bloom (and not in January, so as not to lose next year's flowers) and feed them a couple of times during the growing season.

I also have a very cottagey sort of climber, a polyantha called Phyllis Bide which I believe may be of interest to you too.

Welcome to the lovely world of cottage roses :-)
Eduarda

I second the David Austin Roses. I absolutely ADORE DA roses. My dream would be to have a picket fence in my front yard with those roses draping over it. I have Graham Thomas, Carding Mill, and I just planted The Dark Lady last fall. Graham Thomas is really hardy and a vigorous grower here.
CMK

Andrea, The rose forums here are unbeatable sources of info on roses. One thing I'd investigate is own-root roses vs grafted ones. Many people think own-root roses live longer, are hardier, and have better plant shape. Some people who are sure they can't grow roses have just not bought good quality plants or own-root plants. I don't know much about colder zone gardening but you can get opinions on the rose forums. There's a good rose nursery in your state, Moore's Roses...I think most of hers are own-root. You might check out roses bred by Griffeth Buck in addition to some of the old garden roses Eduarda mentions. Once- bloomers can put on a massive show in spring and bloom more than a month.

Some of my best for rebloom and health that might be happy in your zone:

Felicia
Maggie
Carefree Beauty
Cornelia
Dublin Bay a red climber
Clotilde Soupert
Gartendirektor Otto Linne
Quietness
Country Dancer

You can also look up pictures and info at www.helpmefind.com/roses.
best wishes,
Linda

Other favorite Austin roses of mine are Gertrude Jekyll, she's a real beauty, a rich pink but oh so thorny. A great plant to place where you don't want trespassers :o). Abraham Darby, this is a climber for me, lovely color and it blooms all summer. Graham Thomas is such a heavy bloomer that after a heavy rainfall one year the weight of the water on all the flowers actually snapped my bush, so I advise staking this one.
To me David Austin Roses scream cottage gardens, their big blousey, highly fragrant flowers are a must for me. I have a few more D.A.'s but these are three of my favorites. I should also mention Constance Spry, although she only blooms once I have it on the back of the house framing the kitchen window and it is also arching over the path coming into my back garden, a really vigorous grower, makes a great statement and... The Mayor of Casterbridge another climbing pink D.A., this guy doesn't have too many thorns, love the shape of the flowers. Although not as fragrant as some of the others it is a lovely soft pink repeat bloomer.

Annette

Don Juan is a nice deep-red semi-climber. Not a David Austin rose, but a reblooming red beauty. You might want to check him out.

Question about knock-out roses: since pictures can cheat, can someone who's seen them describe the color: is it more like red or more like pink?

I love antique roses! I got hooked last year so I'm still very new at the antique rose thing. I have 8 of them but I'm in a much warmer climate and have noisettes, teas and chinas. I have always been very afraid to buy roses but when we put up a post and rail fence I really wanted some climbing roses to grow over them. So that is how I started. Yes, like the others have said the antique/ogr rose forums are very helpful indeed!
Good luck!
Meghan

Timbu, The knockout roses are available in both red and pink. They are beautiful in our zone. I remember them being the only thing blooming at Christmas and they were still gorgeous.

I'm a beginner rose grower, too and the best advice I could give you is to do the research and find what grows best in your climate.

I started out with hybrid teas because I fell in love with them. They are not really the best choice for my growing conditions, as I found out later. I still have them, but for reliable, care free flowers it's my Nearly Wild Shrub roses and my Knock-outs. The only negative I can find on both, is their thorns!!

Right now I've got my eye the Austins, particularly Jude the Obscure. I hope I have good luck with them.

Good luck with your rose research.

Marilyn

My cottage garden hosts a variety of roses. My faves are:

Perfume Delight (deep pink; wonderful smell as the name implies; great repeat bloomer all summmer til frost, although black spot can be an issue in the humid August months)

Zepherine Drouhin (deep pink climber with a SPECTACULAR show in early summer; few repeat blooms but nearly thornless and fragrant--worth the space they take up in my garden)

Bonica (shrub with pale pink blooms--abundant flowers all summer til frost but no fragrance)

Fairy rose (medium pink, small clusters of flowers all summer until frost)

Flower Carpet Rose (easy care rose shrub which I have in 2 colors--red and coral; very resistant to black spot and really care-free. Don't love the coral color--it was somewhat of an impulse purchase I have slightly regretted)

Just purchased my first David Austin rose named Heritage this weekend bareroot. Hoping it will live up to my expectations. It looks dreamy in all the pix I have seen of it online!!

As you can see, I gravitate toward pink roses, pairing them with purple often as in salvias, russian sage and varied lavenders and whites.

Hope this helps you a bit. HAPPY GARDENING!!

W.G.

Hi Andrea
I am also in 5b in the chicago suburbs. Here the knockout roses do fabulous. I use them in the front yard because they bloom all summer and dont require deadheading so they are low maintenance. I have 2 austins Abraham Darby that i put in 2 years ago. we had a lot of subzero weather this year which the austin roses hate. im may have lost them. but if you love roses and love austins treat them like an annual and replant a couple if they dont come back in the spring. the only climbers i have had success with are the bare root old roses. I buy my bare root old roses from the catalogs and the remainder from alocal good quality nursery. Have fun and dont be afraid to experiment.

Without anything fancy, here is a picture of Knockout roses in nursery pots. This rose it often used by the city in their projects. It's shrub rose that grows about 3 feet tall and wide, is hardy with good disease resistance.
It only has a light fragrance.

Not my favorite rose (I prefer Austins) but it's easy.

Libby

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:647835}}

I love antique roses in my cottage garden! I have over 100 different varieties. Some of the classics are once-bloomers, which put on a grand show for several weeks in early summer. Some favorites: Konigen Von Danemark (pink), Charles de Mills (crimson), Belle de Crecy (mauve), Ispahan (pink), Felicite Parmentier (pink), and there are repeat-blooming varieties: Rose de Resht (deep pink), Jacques Cartier (light pink), Salet (pink), Madame Ernst Calvat (pink), Souvenir du Dr. Jamain (dark red) to name a few...

If you want to get some extraordinary roses you will have to mail-order since most nurseries only stock the Austin roses and Knock-outs.

Lori~ Felicite Parmentier, oh the fragrance. I was on a tour of Rose gardens in Vancouver one year. When we got to this one rose garden full of antique roses, getting out of the car I could smell this wonderful perfume filling the air I just followed the scent around the side of the house and there she was Felicte Parmentier. A lovely old rose, thorny but oh that fragrance. I'm still looking for this one, haven't found it yet.

Annette

I'm not qualified to give rose advice. I managed to kill Belle de Crecy and Nearly Wild.

The oldest rose in my garden is Queen Elizabeth. She was here before me. Tall and leggy, she has some purty blossoms through the season.
Then I bought Climbing Queen Elizabeth, which turned out to be a rootstock, I guess, of little red roses, faithful through the season.

I have a required Knock Out, which I find hardly more exciting than Charisma and Gene Boerner, gaudy floribundas that have done well in my garden.

Craftlady asked about white roses. I see lots of 'John F Kennedy' roses around in big box stores. I have White Dawn and Sombreuil, both white climbers.

Before I buy, I look at what's available in local nurseries and then research those I think I might want before I buy.
That's how I came to have Rose de Rescht and Reine des Violettes, both with incredible scent.
Good rose books will indicate what's best for your part of the country. Look at the library for local information.
Nell

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the faithfull reading of the Antique Roses forum for anyone interested in roses - even if you fancy modern ones, such as Knock Outs and hybrid teas. The wealth of information there and the knowledgeable people who write there (some of whom have replied to this thread and gave you many lovely suggestions) is invaluable.

I can honestly say that all I know about roses I learnt there - not in books. Books will mostly give you general statements and when you are rose gardening in a specific climate you need specific information. For example, things like gardeners in cold climates should favor roses grown in their own roots, rather than grafted ones, since if a severe Winter kills the shrub to the ground level, it will be able to sprout from the roots, whereas if you have a grafted plant what will sprout is the graft and not the original rose. On the other hand, gardeners in warm climates usually have better chance with grafted roses. Gardeners in Florida, for example, should favor roses grafted on fortuniana stock, because apparently that's what does better in the soil conditions there. I did learn this sort of thing by going to the Antique Rose forum and I have never seen a book addressing this type of issue.

Cold climates are better for growing albas, gallicas, some mosses and damasks (Ispahan, suggested above, is a *fantastic* rose that I also grow). Warm climates such as mine are a paradise for old teas, chinas and noisettes. Warm climates are also favorable for hybrid teas, for those who are into them. Hybrid teas quite often do not survive Winters in cold climates and are usually handled as annuals there.

David Austin roses are *modern* roses which have been bred to look like *old fashioned* a.k.a. old garden roses. They are *not* as sturdy as old garden roses and in most climates (mine included) require spraying to look their best. As I do not spray my garden with any sort of chemicals I have mixed results with them. I find they will look their best in Spring, when our weather is similar to cool England where they are bred. Once our hot Summer days settle in, they sulk and sit there, get blackspot or simply refuse to bloom. There are some notable exceptions from those I grow, namely Jude The Obscure, which is a fantastic rose for a warm dry climate and will usually give me two outstanding flushes of flowers in a year, with a third smaller one sometimes into Fall. Charles Rennie Macintosh is another reliable bloomer in my climate. William Shakespeare 2000 is a Spring bloomer only for me, as is mostly Heritage and Mary Rose. With DA roses I find that is sort of a lottery here - some will do exceedingly well (Jude) others not so (WS2000). Unless probably I was willing to spray, which is not the case.

All in all, I have learned the little that I know by the helpful coaching of the Antique Roses forum and by trial and error - with a little bit of success :-) ...

I must say, my experience with DA roses was less than successful. They didn't last two years! I won't try them again. I am loving the old garden roses, own root. I have a few others, but always look for the disease resistant ones. Even so, don't be surprised to have a few not do well. It is a bit of a trial and error method to find what works well in your garden.

Another good nursery that is reasonably priced is Chamblee's in Texas.
Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Roses

I bought two cheapy bare root roses at that evil "W-mart" store two weeks ago. Today I planted them by my new arbor. They are both climbers. I put one on each side to clamber up over the top and mingle - 'Golden Showers' and 'Climbing Joseph's Coat'. At their feet will be purple & lilac, white and pinkish colored flowers, with splashes of yellow and red, at least this year.
I bought a 'Betty Boop' shrub rose last year and she is everything the descriptions claim. I took cuttings off of her and hope to propagate many 'baby Boops'!

sweetannie4u

Here is a link that might be useful: Betty Boop

BTW - I bought my Betty Boop rose at the evil "W-mart" last year, and she only cost me $8.

Just thought I would add that.
:)

Andrea, please pay special attention to Eduarda's post. And when you are thoroughly enabled, with roses spilling out of every available corner of your garden, remember who to blame. ; ) Ok, I'll let you blame me a little, too, because I just have to post this heart-stopping link to one of the loveliest roses on the planet - Evelyn

I have two ready to go into a new bed in a week or so. : )

Now a few words of advice: have your soil tested before planting anything, especially roses. Roses love a pH of 6.2 but will do well in most soils that are well drained and not compacted. You may find you need to amend your soil or maybe not. No use piling on amendments that aren't needed, right? Plus, that will just leave you more money for what really matters - beautiful roses. : )

Diana

Here is a link that might be useful: my gardens

"And when you are thoroughly enabled, with roses spilling out of every available corner of your garden, remember who to blame."

Look who's talking - attention, major rose enabler here (pointing to Diana)

Diana, do let me know how Evelyn performs for you. Given that our climates are not that different I may wish to try it (I can't believe I just wrote this...).

I always enjoy Molineux's descriptions of roses - makes me want to buy them all, sigh... Of course, I also remember his enabling of Molineux, the rose, itself. And if I remember correctly, Anne is the one who grows Molineux to perfection here.

Andrea, I'm afraid when we are done with you you will have roses spilling out of your *ears*, not just your gardens :-)
Eduarda

You all have been so helpful! thank you so much for all of the advice and suggestions. I will take them all to heart and hopefully have some wodnerful roses in now time :)

~Andrea

P.S. Angelcub, your gardens are breathtaking! Thank you for posting them!!!

Angelcub,

I bought an Lady Elsie May shrub rose last year and just love it. Your gardens are perfection.
Annie

Annette,
I got my Felicite Parmentier from Pickering nusery in Canada. They have a web site for mail order and I would highly recommend them. I've also used Chamblee's and they are good and quite reasonable, but their selection is geared more towards plants that do well in the southern states.

DA working nicely in my garden:

Teasing Georgia

THREE THUMBS UP! GIVE THIS GUY LOTS OF ORGANIC SOIL.

What a fun site, Angelcub!

Craftlady, I noticed that Angelcub has an abundance of floribundas and climbing roses. Says 'Cottage' to me.
Nell

great point Nell, Thank you!!
Diana, if it's not too much trouble, can you name some of the roses in your garden for me? thanks a bunch!! :)

Please disregard my last post, I got side tracked and just posted without reviewing.....I really meant to ask how you have them planted, like which ones work well together? I meant to write that I like how you have them named on the site, that is very helpeful! :)

Even here in zone 8 we can have problems with Hybrid Teas if they are the grafted type, apparently a lot are grafted onto rootstocks that are suitable for California not here. This is why I prefer to buy all my roses on their own roots. Then if we do have a stinker of a winter they'll shoot true from the root.

Annette

"Diana, do let me know how Evelyn performs for you. Given that our climates are not that different I may wish to try it (I can't believe I just wrote this...)."

Will do, Eduarda. And did I tell you I have Crepuscule waiting for a home, as well? ; )

"I bought an Lady Elsie May shrub rose last year and just love it. Your gardens are perfection." Annie

Thanks, Annie! I hope L.E.M. does well for you. I have seven (yikes!) and they bloom non-stop from April until Dec., sometimes into Jan. if we don't get real cold too early. L.E.M. doesn't need deadheading but will bloom better with a snip or two now and then.

Thanks, Nell! I'm glad you enjoyed the site. : )

Andrea, when you ask "how I have them planted" do you mean which roses hang out together? If so, I don't separate my roses according to type other than making sure the climbers have something sturdy to climb on. I have mostly floribundas along the front picket fence, with a few D.A.s mixed in. I leave quite a bit of room between them because roses get BIG out here and good air circulation is a must for growing healthy roses.

I do pay attention to color and generally plant complimentary colored roses side by side, such as "Easy Going" (a golden color) next to "Outta the Blue", a deep pink that turns to dark purple). Most of the colors are the same intensities so nothing looks washed out, which can happen at my mile high elevation with strong sunlight.

HTH!
: ) Di

What about Delbards? I've had wonderful luck with them....they are even healthier (IMHO) than the Austins that I grow. And the blooms are gorgeous and smell wonderful. I have several varieties...all of which I've bought at Ashdown Roses (I'll post a link). Roses Unlimited also carries them.

Here's a pic of Comtesse de Ségur.

Carole

{{gwi:224655}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Ashdown's Delbards

Andrea, I think we are pretty much in the same zones, with the cold winters and humid hot summers. Erasmus was on the money, try to get roses grown on their own root sotck. My last Canadian Gardening magazine had some great info about roses. Firstly, and very exciting is a rose tree that is hardy to zone 4 Canada, which is USDA zone 3. It is called Polar Joy Tree Rose (Rosa 'Baiore' aka Northern Encore). In the picture, it has single pink flowers, no mention of fragrance. It blooms from early summer to frost. One of it's parents is an Exlorer rose, and it is grown on it's own rootstock. I'll be looking for it this spring!!

As to white roses, they recommended 25!! All hardy from your US Zone 2 thru 4. Three are Austins: Francine Austin, Glamis Castle and Winchester Cathedral.

I've included the link below, but the current issue won't be online for a while, but lots of cold climate gardening stuff!

Here is a link that might be useful: Canadian Gardening Magazine