rmgreco

I am in NE Ohio along the lake which is supposed to be zone 6 but I
always buy for zone 5 just to be careful. Does anyone know how English
Roses fare in this zone? I'm interested in getting the "Evelyn" David
Austin type.

Thanks!

Rachel

larry blanchard

In article <13193-3FF6DAA8-61@storefull-2233.public.lawson.webtv.net>,
Rmgreco@webtv.net says...

I'm in Spokane WA (zone 5) and I've had several Austins for years.
Mostly the Chaucer series. No protection in winter and very little
dieback.

Tonight and tomorrow we're supposed to get below zero. Coldest it's been
in several years. But there is over 6" of snow on the ground. We'll see
what the Austins look like next spring :-).

If you really want roses that laugh at blizzards, get some rugosas. I
keep having to severely prune mine so I can still get through the garden
:-).

--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?

hdpe02

I'm in zone 5b in Canada and have more than 100 Austins (grown on
hardy northern Ontario rootstock) that get no winter protection except
for a blanket of snow. My oldest ones are six years old and while I've
even had Rugosas suffer winterkill, not one of my English roses has
ever died or gone wild, even when the temps go below -30C. That's one
of the reasons I keep planting them. That and they're gorgeous. And
smell good. And aren't unduly afflicted by blackspot or mildew. Plant
away.

larry blanchard

In article <acf668b9.0401271807.7f83fccd@posting.google.com>,
hdpe02@yahoo.ca says...


I've had dead branch tips on both rugosa and English roses, but never
total dieback of either. I did lose a moss rose and a Dortmund due to
cold weather, both in the same year, and a white rugosa (Sir Thomas
Lipton) su***bed to something or other, probably thrips.

--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?

hdpe02

Interestingly, I planted two rows of Therese Bugnets my first year in
the house and what wasn't killed by winter failed to thrive the next
summer. I ditched the supposedly hardy roses and replaced them with
Rugosas, which stand up to winter, drought and the herds of deer that
view them as a salad bar because with better than 200 bushes, life is
too short to deadhead. Like you I have dead tips and quite a few dead
branches that have to be trimmed come spring, but the roses are so
tough and ****er so prolifically that they have kept their shape and
they're six years old. A spring prune, two shovels' worth of manure
during the summer and they're reliable little flower factories. A
terrific rose.

After several years of experimentation with my Austins, I find the
best winter strategy is to trim them down to nothing in November –
they bloom on new wood and clearing out all foliage and old wood in
the fall has greatly reduced the mildew, blackspot and caterpillers
that overwinter in the beds. I leave my spent annuals standing to act
as snow collectors to insulate the roots and take them out come
spring. I started doing this last year after experimenting with spring
prunings etc. and this method is the best I've tried. It's -25C
outside today and the Austins are as cozy out there as possible, under
the cir***stances. Too many sources tell you Austins aren't hardy
enough for northern winters, but I find they require less attention
than so-called hardy roses.

larry blanchard

In article <acf668b9.0401290938.98cb0fd@posting.google.com> ,
hdpe02@yahoo.ca says...

But I thought Therese Bugnet was a rugosa. Am I wrong?

BTW, I have a Marie Bugnet that's one of my favorites. A little bush
just covered with white flowers most of the year. First to bloom and
last to quit - it's still budding furiously when we get our first freeze.

--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?

hdpe02

Should have been more precise. Yes, Bugnet is a rugosa but the ones I
planted were a huge disappointment and I have no idea why as they came
from one of my usual growers whose roses are superb. Their
replacements were 20 rugosa rubras and they have been magnificent.
Hardy or not, you can't tell for sure until you've got it in the
ground in your local conditions.