Thank you, so much for the response Jackie. :) I live just east of Seattle in Bothell, but am open to driving anywhere in the Puget Sound to find something like this. I've been trying to find and join the right groups but it's all a little overwhelming to start. I'd love any suggestions you may have. I would love to find something like you mentioned regarding the cemetery roses. I really want to plant roses with history and their own stories.

Most of the roses in our garden we propagated ourselves from cutting trades. Since it has only gotten harder to buy hardy OGRs since then, I honestly think it is a necessary skill for anyone who wants to take collecting seriously. It is also a cheap way to find out what works in your garden, how to overwinter marginal roses, and what rooted cuttings just plain aren't worth spending money on. At this point, there are a fair number of roses I would exchange cash for *if* I could only find them grafted onto something that isn't multiflora.

Robin, there are two Heritage Roses Groups in the PNW, and both share plants and cuttings. "Passalong" is a great way to expand your garden, and acquire roses that have a history. Some of my favorite roses came from friends, in that way. See:
Cascadia Heritage Group

Claire Acord; cacord@gmail.com Angelique Laskowski bluecascadia@gmail.com and https://sites.google.com/site/cascadiahrg/home

Heritage Roses Northwest

Margaret Nelson 32904 4th Ave SW, Federal
Way, WA oldrosen@gmail.com

I suspect a lot of posters do as I do--buy most of their roses online --in my case, because there really aren't any decent garden centers/nurseries around here at which you can buy much of anything beyond a Knock Out rose.

Probably half the ones I buy online are bareroot and are planted by early April at the latest, and the other half are well-grown container plants--not dinky little "bands" (who has time to wait around for them!) but like 1 gal. or larger containers which already display well-grown roses several feet tall and often blooming when I get them (from Roses Unlimited or Chamblees, for instance)--those roses usually arrive in May and don't need to be babied before planting them in the garden. They go in the garden the minute they get here.

I also have no desire to do cuttings and such. More power to those who like that activity, but it just isn't for me.

Kate

Volunteer as a gardener in a rose garden and wear deep pockets when it's deadheading time. (The garden where i work has no problem sharing cuttings. I am not advocating stealing.)

When at all possible I like to propagate from cuttings and suckers; naturally I've also bought hundreds of roses. I propagate only old and older varieties, which are in any case the bulk of my garden. Of course it saves me lots of money. But I also like the do-it-yourself and cooperative aspects of home propagation and cutting exchanges. Also, here in Europe the vast majority of commercially propagated roses are on rootstock. Speaking as someone who has to go out and dig up canina suckers that have sprouted AGAIN from 'Le Ville de Bruxelles', I have a strong preference for roses on their own roots.

I do order mail order a lot. I don't have much luck with cuttings, but that is a good way to go. Also, join a rose society, you will wind up getting more roses from other members than you can handle.

I buy almost everything online. I have grown other things from cuttings but never roses until recently because I thought they would be more difficult. However, stuff happens and I'm now giving it a try.

I too would like to find a local source. I'm in West Michigan. We used to have Nancy Lindley here in the state with Great Lakes Roses, but sadly they retired several years ago and we no longer have a rose nursery anywhere nearby.

We do have a couple high end garden centers that carry a good selection of roses, but they are all modern roses and some Austin's. Nary an old garden rose to be found.

I'm just starting over, having moved into my current home in December, so for me it's been expensive mail order, which is okay, but it takes several years for bands to do much. I do enjoy rooting cuttings when I can get my hands on them, and have been fairly successful at it.

Thank you for all the thoughts. I have emailed the heritage societies now about joining and need to join the Seattle Rose society. I'm struggling to find a good local source that grows own root, but there has to be one. There's too much farm land near me for this not to be true. Most of the places I've visited have modern roses on rootstock which I don't prefer but I'll keep looking. I'm hoping to learn a lot from the Rose shows this summer, as well. If any sources near Seattle come to mind, please let me know while I'm working on my propagating skills. Thank you!

I am on the buy online wagon, although, one year I will make it to Sacramento for their annual sale, as it seems to be a great way to acquire roses that are not easy to find.

Burlington, Rogue Valley Roses, and Heirloom Roses are based in California and the PNW. If you decide to utilize this option, your roses will not be shipped across the country, which often results in higher shipping costs and potentially more trauma to the rose...especially when it becomes warmer.

Robin - each of the three nurseries Desertgarden mentioned are wonderful, and carry many many old roses own root. RVR and Heirloom are in Oregon - nice and close. Look at their web sites. I have ordered from them for years and have always been happy.

Jackie

It's great to buy plants online but for me it is more fun to trade plants and cuttings and of course it is always nice to receive gifts. I do lots of cuttings. For me the most exciting way to acquire roses is to grow them from seeds. So far I only have tried open pollinated seeds but every year there are some I like and I have some pretty good sized plants in my garden grown from seeds. I think hybridizing would be the most fun.

Northland Rosarium is also in Oregon

I buy the majority of them online. I have gotten a few cuttings from generous people for postage and every time I care for those roses I think of that person and makes me smile :) So those, are of course, extra special.

I am lucky because there are now 3 great antique rose nurseries a little over an hour away..Rose Petals, Angel Gardens, & the new one called A Reverence for Roses.. I just got a band from the new nursery today and it is probably one of the largest bands I've ever received via mail order.

I don't get down that way often so I still order online. I think it helps when I get roses from nurseries in my own state because they are already used to our climate and really take off quickly.

Band from A Reverence for Roses received today :)

I think Northland Rosarium is near Spokane, Washington.

I purchase mine from mail order nurseries. They provide a very valuable service and I like to give them my business.

Mindy, there are several sources that would be good for you. Palantine Roses is in Canada and their roses are rooted on multiflora, which would be good in your zone. I have bought from them and they have great quality. Make sure you get your order in early when they open for bare root ordering, sometime in September. Some varieties sell out quick. Also, try Wisconsin Roses. Steve sells maidens, which are roses that are just budded. You get a small plant that will eventually grow into a great rose. I ordered from him for the first time last year and all of the roses grew successfully. Give it a shot.

sultryjasmine, that looks less like a band and more like an orchestra... wow!

Now, I need to figure out what to order from them in the fall...

Virginia

Sacramento open gardens healthy plants someone told me they bought ten there one year and not one struggled or died. My Peggy Martin I got there was propagated last November and already has 5 ft canes it had 2 ft canes when purchased 4/9 my ferndale and Romaggi have also been vigorous. So I definatly recommend their sales.

rustles - it's always nice having a rose with a story

propagating my own

nurserys Mail order or regular in person stores

Oh, I need a trip to Sacramento! That's probably more expensive than paying for shipping, though ;)

strolling down the isle of an antique rose nursery, seeing a rose that is so breathtaking beautiful that it steals my heart.

sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida 9a), do you live in the Tampa Bay area? I lived in Tampa most of my life, though I now live in New Port Richey. I used to frequent a lot of Mom and Pop nurseries up in Leesburg looking for old roses, though I haven't been up that way in a while. I checked out your recommendation for A Reverance for Roses, but their website is awful. How do you find out prices, etc.?

I used to propagate all my own roses from cuttings exchanged with members of GW. Eventually I collected over 600 varieties, but a family situation forced me to sell that property a few years back. I saved what I could, but several moves and a stint in a rental condo wiped that out. Now I'm in my own home again and slowly trying to rebuild my garden, which means ordering online to get new stock. Talk about sticker shock. Plus everything I want seems to always be out of stock.

I find that most OGRs root easily, though I've successfully rooted all kinds of roses. It's not rocket science, though a lot of sources would make you think it is. I make my own rooting mix from compost, peat moss, and perlite. Stick two or three cuttings in a cup (I use the transparent Solo cups so I can see the roots), water daily, and in most cases they take within a couple of weeks. I do find the time of year plays a big part in the success or failure. Spring is best, and cuttings from a blooming stem generally fare better. I can't stand to trim any plant and not root those trimmings, so I've always got a well-stocked pot ghetto, which means sharing plants with others.

Do you find that you need rooting hormone? Or is the soil blend sufficient? I tried rooting in water and it didn't work out - or I haven't waited long enough...

I've never used a rooting hormone. Having a light soil blend is key so the roots can breathe. But at the same time, keep them moist. Florida summers can be brutal, but I've never had a problem if I water them in the morning. I have a little rooting ghetto under my back trellis that gets filtered morning sun, which is perfect.

I bought my 40 - 50 first roses locally. When these sources were exhausted or had closed down like so many nurseries, I bought mail order. I have rustled lots of roses or have been given roses from other rustlers.

Hi Robin,

I don't think you will find a commericial Washington State OGR grower around Seattle, but if you do, I hope you will share that info. In the mean time, I am sorry you missed our Open Garden and plant sale on Whidbey Island this last weekend, but you can see the photos, posted on the Cascadia Heritage Roses Group blog:
http://cascadiaheritagerosesgroup.blogspot.com/2016/06/open-garden-and-started-rose-sale-for.html

cheers

Claire-love Old Garden Roses-so do we! Join us Cascadia Heritage Roses Group

Robin,

I've gotten a number of roses from dear Claire, above, and the Cascadia group. Claire loves old roses and the group has some very nice people.

That's one good way to accumulate roses, join one of the local groups and buy from their low cost sales or get cuttings and propagate. Another really helpful group is the one that meets in Tacoma; really lovely people there and a good source of information. They maintain the very large rose garden at the Point Defiance which has an abundance of both modern and a nice old garden rose section. There is a mix of people there and they do a nice ARS rose show if you like that kind of thing and an auction of roses in late fall.

I think it helps to know what kind of roses you want to grow. Once blooming old garden roses like the albas and the gallicas? Repeat blooming old roses like the portlands or hybrid perpetuals? Spinossisimas have a charm of their own that's like nothing else. Love fragrance? Any particular color? There are some really beautiful more modern roses - I love the ease and charm of some of the recent Kordes releases. Most of the roses people here love are not going to be found at a local box store, you have to look for them. The search and the learning rival the sheer fun of growing them and dealing with all the problems that attend any kind of dedicated gardening. It helps to look at rose books also and learn the different classes of roses ... or ask here and people will share their knowledge. Rosarian-types love to share what they learned from a book!

Over the years I've spent hundreds of dollars and along the way learned how to propagate and accumulated a lot of books. Roses are a hobby like tatting or crewel work or collecting porcelain.

Favorite vendors of mine for on line sales are Burlington roses in California and Chamblee roses in east Texas for modern Kordes and some Austins. I've also ordered from Heirloom and Rogue Valley and am very satisfied. High Country is great! Rogue Valley also gives away mystery roses and other roses with a certain order amount.

Gean

Thank you for the very thoughtful reply, Gean. I am definitely throwing myself into research. But I'm finding that perhaps a little gardening along the way would be nice as well. ;) My yard doesn't have obvious places for roses, so some of my hesitancy is because I'll need to plan and really put in a garden - dig out grass, add a wall, make a place for the roses, you know? It's just all lawn and rocks right now. It is interesting how with the research the ideas come into focus. I'm learning how much I love the interplay of colors within a bloom, particularly pink with yellow or orange. And how much I love roses with history and story. I keep thinking I've found *the thing* and then getting confused, again. I thought for sure Bourbons and then read that they struggle with blackspot which seems problematic in the PNW. Then I thought of course gallicas, but read that they sucker (though I'm not sure I mind that). So the research continues. The one rose I'm committed to, I can't find except for one place in Florida that charges $42 to ship, so that may be a longer term quest for me.

Thank you again for the advice. I've ordered In Search of Lost Roses and read some of Austin's books. I'd love to know if there are any titles that stand out that are must reads.

Thanks, Robin

hi, Robin,

If you're interested in the history of rose breeders you might like a book by Jack Harkness called, Makers of Heavenly Roses. For basic rose care I like Everyday Roses by Paul Zimmerman, and I like the pictures in David Austin's Old Roses. I think that there is a good description of rose classes in Graham Stuart Thomas' The Rose Book. For design ideas you might like Landscape with Roses by Jeff Cox and there is a helpful relatively new book out, Roses without Chemicals by Peter Kukielski that has some recs for healthier modern and older roses.

A search for book recommendations here will probably bring up a number of old threads on books people think are indispensable, probably much different from my own list above.

What is the rose you are interested in from the Florida nursery?

I have few pink/yellow combinations, but a polyantha I grow called Tip Top has that coloration. The china, Mutabilis, also comes to mind. I think Burlington carries both, and I think her prices were/are now? $10.95 plus very inexpensive shipping costs. She has a great rose list.

Gean

My birthday is in December. My husband hates to shop....he asks me what would I like? I say how about a rose. He says would you like one for Christmas, too? I order two or more roses from Northland Rosarium...then go out and pick them up in the spring : )

A_Church, I am in NE FL...in the Jax area.

A little out of the neighborhood, then.

Gean, thank you for the book recommendations. I will look those up right away. I did email Burling to see what she had for sale, but only received a miniature rose list, so thought perhaps that's all she sold. Maybe that's all she has right now? The rose I was looking for is Rosette Delizy. I can only find it at A Reverence for Roses and the price is reasonable, but the shipping is $42. So, I was hoping to find it closer to me. I suppose Florida to Seattle is a very long journey for a little rose band. :)

Robin,

It may sound odd, but go back and look at the email she sent you and look for the two rose lists in different locations. The last list I received from her was in 2015 and while the miniature rose list is in one spot on the email, the rose list is in a completely different part. Alternatively, she may have just forgotten to attach both lists. Just ask again and she'll send it.

Rogue Valley in Oregon carries Rosette Delizy and it seems to be stock right now, so that's a possibility for you. www.helpmefind.com lists vendors that carry various roses.

The King County library probably has a good number of those books if you want to look before you buy. also, the NW heritage rose group has a library of books you can borrow. I think if you email them and plan to join, they'll lend you anything they have on their list. One of the kind ladies in that group handles their lending library and faithfully hauls books to and from the meetings.

Gean

My favorite way to acquire roses is to have people give them to me as presents. Why, isn't that everyone's favorite way?