This is first attempt at growing roses. I am worried about how to winterize them. They have only been in the ground since May/June. They came as bare roots. They are still flowering here in OKC. I have read to create a mound from soil/mulch. I don’t understand if I need to cover them with something or not? Also, I don’t want to prune them bc they are still babies lol. They haven’t grown much yet in size, only flowered. I don’t remember all the names of the ones I bought. I know I got Julia Childs, Dick Clark, and something from downtown Abby. Any help would be greatly appreciated, I sure love them!

Sherry, I wish I could say this rose's appearance was due to masterful activity on my part, but I can't. In fact, I have never pruned this rose (didn't even go near it this spring, except to throw some alfalfa pellets its way). I did cut out the dead brush in the interior a few years ago and expect I will need to do that again in a few years. The support consists of two bands of wire that run from fence post to fence post, one at about 3 1/2 feet above the ground, the other at about 5 feet above the ground, to hold the rose, as a whole, against the fence. In the earlier years, I just had a loop of wire around the main canes fastened to the fence at one point (so, I guess the "training" could be that I just let the main canes grow up and supported them), but that broke during a storm, leaving the rose laying on the ground, so I then set up these bands of wire. Yes, the section to the right is an arching cane blooming to the ground. The clone that it is may have something to do with its obliging nature. Vintage describes their Alister Stella Gray as a less-vigorous, "more demure" version than others. Debbie

One of the things I like most about Salet is its hardiness. That won't be a relevant consideration for you, but for me the canes suffer almost no winterkill at all. My bush grows in the dappled shade of a flowering cherry, with the early morning sun blocked by an evergreen azalea. It also is infected with a rose mosaic virus (I bought it in the late 80's from Roses of Yesterday & Today). Consequently it doesn't grow as vigorously as Salet is capable of growing, yet even so after being transplanted from the Philadelphia area to the Boston area (a 6 hour superhighway drive further to the northeast) four years ago it now is approx. 3.5' high on four canes. So far it puts out one new cane per year, at the beginning of the growth flush following its late spring blooming. It's remontant, but not a strong repeater, with a big bloom in late spring and little thereafter. (I believe when it's growing in a better location it blooms very occasionally during the summer, and then blooms a bit more heavily in the autumn.) It's a moss rose that isn't heavily mossed, but very few of the mosses are remontant at all, so that makes it a rarity. I also believe it's regarded as one of the most dependable of the reblooming moss roses. The leaves are somewhat coarse in appearance, yet thin, with a healthy, flat, medium green color. (My soil is acidic and Rosa multiflora is an invasive weed here.) The leaves are notably hairy to the touch, although the hairs aren't really visible. The canes are heavily prickled, but the vast majority of the prickles are insubstantial. The prickles remind me of those on the cane of a rugosa rose, but they're less substantial than that. The flowers are nicely fragrant (as is the moss), about 3" wide, very double, and a medium pink color with a hint of lavender. In substance the petals are also more thin than thick. I regard Salet as one of the most satisfying roses I grow. Despite its less than perfect present location (& the horrific, droughty subsoil it grew in when it was in the Philadelphia area, where it barely survived, but did survive for almost 20 years) and its virus infection, it doesn't die back. The leaves get some crud in the summer (probably black spot, but the symptoms are a bit atypical) and it defoliates (about 70%) unless I spray it, but during the summer it also gets sprayed by lawn sprinklers for 30 mins. every morning at about 4:30 am. I wish I could stop that, but I can't! It puts up with much less than ideal circumstances and still gives satisfying flowers with almost no winterkill. So far the bush grows in a very shapely manner, with the longer canes bending into a gentle arch as the flowers come into bloom. One fault it does have is that the flowers struggle to open in cool wet weather, but that's not unusual for an antique rose with heavily doubled flowers. Here's the HelpMeFind entry for Salet.

You have so many on your list that I’m expecting this Spring so I have to say you‘ve got excellent taste. Lol! I’m a newbie this past summer to roses so I can’t comment on overall longevity and health but I did a LOT of research when choosing my roses. I’m, personally, I big fan of Marchesa Boccella/Jacques Cartier and bought her this past late summer. I got two beautiful blooms out of her. They smell incredible and open very quickly. They don’t last a particularly long time though. I’m also a very big fan of Munstead Wood and planted 2 own-root this past summer with a grafted one ordered for Spring. I really wanted Lady Emma Hamilton but all my research turned up that she just doesn’t do all that great in cold zones. Bolero and Earth Angel smell incredible! I’d give Bolero the edge though...she really pumps out blooms. Her form is more along my taste also. Short stems though so maybe not the best for cutting? Earth Angel has the longer stems. I have PCdM and Emily Brontë coming this Spring, as well as (hopefully!) Eustacia Vye. I’m really looking forward to those. PCdM has rave reviews from so many enthusiasts...I can’t imagine anyone would regret planting her. My Bolero, from FGL. She was so tiny when I planted her in late August. Still had large blooms!