I don't know about the others, but Seven Sisters is widely grown in Maine and is seen around old homesteads. I have no idea what they're selling as SS, however. Hopefully, one of the many cold-zoners will comment.

I have buff beauty and it is not a climber for me in zone 7. It's an arching shrub .

I hope you can find something that works for you !

Thank you both!

So do I Lily :) some of these my grandmother has listed in her old garden journal as having grown (in her much warmer zone garden) ...I'm hoping to find something that works, or something similar to (like Nahema) that she had :)

Seven Sisters is a common name that has been applied to many ramblers over the years. The official Seven Sisters is R. multiflora platyphylla, which isn't hardy. There are other roses like Tauschenschon or Russelliana have been given the name. They are large, once blooming roses that are capable of hitting 7 ft their first summer, and then just keep going.

Given the size requirement, why don't you just go with one of the climbing Explorers?

Thank you mad_gallica :)

I do have John Cabot & William Baffin. John Davis is on the list for next spring. For me, both John Cabot & William Baffin, although completely hardy, which I love, are BS prone and almost completely defoliate by August. Little to no repeat bloom, and don't seem to be improving (William is in it's 4th year, and John in his 3rd). Ive no plans to get rid of either, as I know climbers take time to mature. But they are the worst looking in my garden lol.

Quadra is an option, but Im hoping to find a pink/apricot. That is also why John Davis is on the list for spring ...that one I'm hoping will show up John Cabot and William Baffin :)

Gillian,

Give Lady Ashe a look at.

It covers my 4' high chain link, 10' across (5' in each direction). It's in its 5 th. year in my garden, and I don't expect much more expansion, maybe to 12' across over the years ahead.

It is tip hardy for me, no protection. Repetition is outstanding. It is essentially a climbing hybrid tea. It has better than average black spot resistance, but not bullet proof regarding BS. Deep, heavy substance and petaled blooms, last a long time, and are very fragrant. No flower nodding, holds its blooms strongly.

I'm the Johnny Appleseed of Lady Ashe!

Moses

Have you looked at Felix Leclerc? I've only seen pictures, and in those the color is all over the place. I believe the description is pink with a yellow center.

Curiously, John Cabot is very clean for me. John Davis is not. JD is also, by far, the most finicky Explorer I grow.

Moses, isn't Lady Ashe a lighter/peachier colored sport of Aloha?

Yes EB, that's what I have come to understand.

Lady Ashe is a CLIMBING sport of the G. Boerner hybrid tea, Aloha (a great rose too, but watch the thorns...ouch!). It was discovered by Gordon Bonnyman in 1996 who named it after his wife.

Moses

Victorian Memory (Isabella Skinner) is hardy, beautiful and pink. It grew in Alaska for me. I have one from High Country Roses here.

Thank you all! Sorry for the late response, we had heat wave and I've been babying the fussier roses.

Mad_gallica, it's is odd that John Cabot would be clean for you, and so very fussy for me! He lost quite a bit in the past few days and is only holding on to his top leaves at the moment. 3 new large canes coming in though, so let's hope that helps :) I have heard of Felix. I actually went and bought two in May, very excited, turns out they were all mislabeled...I have two lovely Campfire roses lol. I was fairly upset at first, but at least I waited to plant them.

Moses, Lady Ashe is beautiful! I will certainly keep her on the list for fall as an option :) If she won't work well on the arbour, perhaps she would do well on the large fence/trellis my husband is building, as you said she likes to spread out a bit. Thank you, I'll let you know if I can find her, she would be a wonderful addition to our rose Jungle.

Shelia, I do love Isabella Skinner! She is sadly impossible to find here. I know quite a few nurseries State side sell her, but they don't ship to Canada. The search for her will continue, as she was one of the first I wanted to get when we moved to this zone :)

Cynthia, Thank you for all the wonderful information for the roses on my list! I knew Buff Beauty, and Zephrine were, not a long shot, but most likely not a possibility, my Gran grew them in a zone 7a (I remember them vividly lol) and other than Coral Dawn and La Reine Victoria, they were the only ones named in her journal. The others, we're refered to as "Pink, heavily petaled rose beside delphinium" etc. I will try Coral Dawn, to at least have one, and hope for the best. (I tried New Dawn as well, it's been shoveled lol).

I'm very pleased to know Nahema, Aloha & Colette do well in your zone 5! I will add all three to the fall order, and hope they'll preform similarly here. I will also Google Lunar Mist & Autumn Sunset, haven't heard of either of these! It's always exciting to "research" a new rose.

I'll leave Parade off for now, and see how these ones preform here. I do have two climbing Laguna, one against the ramp to the back deck, and one at the back of the garden on a large trellis. They are both babies. I lucked out as the local nursery was carrying large healthy Laguna's this spring. I hope they do well, and will report back on cane damage in spring :)

Teasing Georgia, A Shropshire Lad & Crown Princess Margareta (? Spelling on that one) are all to be in at the nursery next spring (missed out this year, but was able to pick up Munstead Wood & Harlow Carr)... I don't plan them to be climbers, rather large arching shrubs for the back :) ...I hope! Lol

Thank you again, I truly appreciate it. I've been working hard the past year, to try to find roses that would do well in this ice box :)

Teasing georgia was planted last year in my garden. It is a vigorous grower, throws out long canes, has bloomed quite a bit. Needs space to grow. Not sure about hardiness as we had a weird winter here. All the austins I have do well here, good growth, no disease & gorgeous blooms. As for climbing roses - I don't even attempt to have climbers, I treat them as large shrubs. They are all against fencelines so they can grow tall or sprawl. If one wants to climb I will support it. But with winter dieback, it's just easier to treat it like a tall shrub. Good luck with your choices!

Thank you, HalloBlondie! It was an odd winter... 2nd one in a row for us. I'm so excited to try Teasing Georgia, I hope yours over winters well for you :) (assuming there's a normal Ontario winter)

I love the Austin roses. I have Munstead Wood and Harlow Carr currently, and I'm hoping to add the three I mentioned as well as Crocus Rose, Sharifa Asma, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Jubilee Celebration & 2 Brother Cadfaels :)

I have a few climbers, but like you, treat them as shrubs. With the exclusion of the explorers (who aren't doing well) and Blaze, who is smaller than my mini's. (Haha)

I will be quite pleased to find two tall, vigorous roses for either side of the back arbour, and one extra to put next to John Cabot & John Davis (should I ever be able to find him, he's elusive)

Laguna, who might turn out to be a good sized "climber" here :)

I'll be giving Nahema, Colette & Aloha a try, as well as Lady Ashe & Honeymoon (who I'm not certain is hardy here, but I'll try anyway)

My husband is dead set on Candy Land, so it looks like we'll be putting that one somewhere as well ...and Felix if I can ever find him. Looks like I'll be running out of room soon!

Laguna is one I'm interested in. I always see beautiful pictures of. I'm running out of room here too. I planted 12 different austins this year & 6 last year. Plus, I'm up to 65 roses now. I know that pales in comparison too many on this forum. But I'm in a subdivision with a decent size lot & my husband still loves grass.

My first blooms of crocus rose. Looks like a good grower here. Planted in May.

Jubilee Celebration is also new and growing vigorously.

Where are you in Ontario? Also are you getting these at a garden centre or online? Just curious if you know somewhere I don't know?

Oh my goodness, those are beautiful!

I'm in Lakefield, about an hour east of Toronto. Most I'd like to order online (Hortico, Palatine etc.) But two of my local nurseries carry a fairly large selection of both Austin's, Kordes & Weeks roses. As well as, Vandermeer Nursery in Ajax :)

I'm in Barrie. Not too far from you. I have a garden centre that has a number of austins each year, but it changes each year & they don't do special orders per customer. So I'm going to try and get some online for next spring.

HalloBlondie - your picture of Jubilee Celebration really is gorgeous and squashed down my thoughts of getting rid of mine. Mine is young, I'm going to leave it. Thank you!

Carol

HalloBlondie, I've just sent one of the nurseries an email, asking if they do special orders for customers. I asked the other one I frequent today while I was there, but they do not :(

If they say yes, I'll send you their info. You're close enough, that it might be worth the drive if you can get the specific Austin's you want!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for us both...might be easier than ordering from the states if Hortico isn't carrying what I'm looking for :)

@rosecanadian - jubilee is really surprising me this year. The blooms are great, give this one time.

@gillian - that would be great if your garden centre did special order. One of mine will keep a list and if enough people ask for a plant they will order it. At that rate I will be waiting years to get stuff.

HalloBlondie - yes, I will! Thanks for the encouragement. :)

CArol