Melissa, Smell that wonderful air and enjoy those gorgeous roses from one who grows Souvenir de la Malmaison in her window well year round, just to be able to have her in my face when she blooms!!! My temperatures that can fall to -20F or below are not a friendly place for her, so she stays in a pot in my window well in the winter... In the spring, the cover comes off, but her pot stays in the window well, and she grows and blooms like crazy!! In the fall she gets a big pruning and the cover goes back on again. She alone would tolerate such abuse! Her flowers are Heaven in a saucer here!!

Your setting is so much more romantic than mine, but I guarantee we both enjoy our old French roses!!

Rebecca

I get the urge to write, and am glad when people enjoy the results. Rebecca, yours sounds like a creative solution to your temperatures, and a source of happiness! Tell me, do you have a garden? There used to be a poster here, Celestial, who had a wonderful zone 4 garden with lots of old roses. My harem includes a lot of Gallicas, many--most?--of them French bred; when I used the term "hussies", 'Ypsilante' came at once to mind.

I remember Celestial. I would be delighted if she would pop in again once in a while. I wonder if she is still growing roses.

Melissa, Ypsilante is a gorgeous rose!! And, thank you for asking...I do have a wonderful rose garden and vegetable garden. My roses are mostly Austins, but I have 10 Johann Strauss as well. I have learned that if I plant them close to the house, they survive and thrive. SDLM is my only old rose... I do have Gloire de Dijon, but she does not like the trimming in the window well. She wants to climb. :) I suspect this will be her last year.

I am planting Alchemist this year, and I certainly have the room for more roses, I just don't have the desire or energy anymore to expand. I love knitting sweater dresses for our cold winters and that has taken up a lot of my gardening time. I love to knit on my patio in the summer. So I come here to get my rose fix. I enjoy reading everyones comments and especially seeing all the photos along with the stories. Keep writing and give us pictures when these beauties bloom, please!!

Did I read somewhere that Celeste moved and her main focus is lilies? Or did I dream that? :)

Rebecca

I wonder too. I miss her.

P.S. crossed post. I didn't hear that about Celestial; I hope that, wherever she is, she's happy. Her garden was inspiring.

'Ypsilante' IS gorgeous: I look forward to mine every year. It sounds like you have a happy garden, much enjoyed. My impression of cold climate gardens is that they come in an intense burst during their short season.

http://www.houzz.com/user/celestialrose-nh

I found Celeste... She's on the daylily forums now.

Melissa, in a way, you are absolutely correct. My roses are all planted next to the house. They winter kill to the ground every year. In March they take off and start growing from the dirt. They put out 2-3 flushes of bloom and are done in November when the temps hit the teens. They are the only flowering plant that I grow and I love each and every one. I have about 30, give or take a shovel or two, depending on what I keep or remove. :)

My house is loaded with cut flowers every year and my favorite is Cressida for the form, fragrance, and frequency...

PLEASE share your huge old rose garden with us in photos this season, so we can take a romantic walk through Italy, you very, VERY fortunate woman!!

Rebecca

I'll have to visit the daylily forum and see how Celeste is doing, I actually worried about her when she disappeared, and am glad it wasn't because anything bad happened to her. Thanks for tracking her down and letting the folks here know where she is now.

I consider myself a lucky gardener, too, and I love my spot where plants grow much of the year. Zone 4 is difficult. But if fate landed me in a cold zone, I would definitely be researching cold hardy roses, lilacs, and peonies, just for a start. It's a special climate with its own possibilities.

I'm notoriously reluctant to take photos and equally reluctant to post them, but after the generous coaching of fellow forumers, I know how to do it, and will keep the request in mind. Mind you, this is the country, and not the Tuscany kind of country either. But I find it beautiful.

Melissa, dirt is dirt no matter where you go... Put a rose in it and beauty abounds. Trust me, your photos will be appreciated no matter what the setting is... Sky, dirt, rose bush. It works for me!!! :) Share the love!!