Hi Carol,
If I were working in such a cold, restrictive climate, the Hybrid Teas are just about the last group of roses I would choose to hybridize, given their inherent lack of freeze tolerance. There is such a limited selection of truly winter hardy, zone 4 and colder, repeat-blooming roses available that it would be a great gift to the community if you were to choose to work on expanding the cold climate roses catalog :-) The Canadian Explorer roses have barely been tapped as a breeding resource, so much could be done still! *hint, hint*

Paul

Unfortunately my soil here is glacial till so I would need a bulldozer to plant roses here. My first year here I got my husband to dig a very large hole - he used a pick. I planted Morden Blush - but the rose just died - water wouldn't drain. So I decided since I would have to grow roses in pots (every roser in my area does) I would grow tender roses. They have become my passion. :)

But you have a good idea - just not for my area.
Carol

Carol, Paul is right on with this one. Plus, with a premium membership to Help Me Find-Roses, you have full access to all the breeding/parentage information for all roses with listed parents. $2 a month. You probably already look up roses there. With your premium membership, you can look to see if what made the rose you're researching has been disclosed and check to see what the rose may have been used to create. How the information is listed tells you who was the seed parent and whose pollen was used. The 'mom' is always listed first. So, for Oklahoma, the cross was Chrysler Imperial X Charles Mallerin. Chrysler was the seed parent with Charles supplying the pollen. Then, you can see the reported offspring Oklahoma has made, often with living color photographs of the results. That will help answer many of your questions and easily show you what has been well used to make good roses. Plus, it's a lot of fun! Good luck! Kim

Kim - I clued in to that as well :)
I registered for the premium membership and got the parentage all figured out. This is what I'm going with:

Memorial Day X Paradise Found
Charles Austin X Valenica
Charles Austin X Betty White
Memorial Day X Betty White
Mister Lincoln X Queen of Sweden

Hopefully I'll get seeds and hopefully my first attempt at hybridizing will go well.

If you're interested in hardy roses that have been hybridized by an amateur check out Far Northern Gardening and search for hybridizing. This one guy has really, really, really beautiful roses that he's hybridized. They're incredible.

Carol

Wonderful, Carol! While I find it interesting to read of the successes in creating cold hardy roses, most of them are as unsuitable for my endless summer climate as most of those which flourish here are in areas demanding the arctic hardiness. Your crosses sound as if they should result in some interesting results!

In case you didn't catch them, an Australian gentleman, Warren Millington, has bred some real beauties from Charles Austin. The numbered seedlings here

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?grpLst=1.2.3.4.5.6&l=2.1071.1&tab=21&lstTyp=256&grp=1

are Warren's Charles Austin offspring. He is currently experiencing temps up to 118 F, so arctic hardiness isn't a requirement for him, but he has definitely created some amazingly beautiful roses from some rather imaginative matings. They may give you some indication of what you might expect from your crosses. You might also enjoy browsing and lurking on the Rose Hybridizers Association. That's where I first saw Warren's beauties. Here's the link.

http://www.rosebreeders.org/forum/list.php?2

There are quite a few people there who endure your kind of conditions and are breeding for disease resistant, cold hardy roses. You'll find a number of "kindred spirits". Thanks for the link to the hardy breeding. I'll have to check it out! Thanks! Good luck and please be sure to share your baby pictures as they flower! Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Warren's listing on HMF

Oh those are wonderful links!! Thank you!!

Yeah, I chose CHarles Austin because it seems to be such a good seed parent.

Yes, I'll definitely post pictures next winter if this all works out.

Thanks! I'm off to check out those websites.
Carol

You're welcome Carol! Enjoy! Kim