growing roses under cover

For several years I’ve tried to nurture along some cold hardy rose bushes. My first bushes were field planted. They amounted to few flowers in the summer, but the ones we saw were beautiful, and their fragrance alone was enough to make caring for them feel worthwhile.

In the winter, I’d build a 4ft tall low tunnel over their row, mulch them heavily, and hope they’d make it to the next season. The first winter, rodents cozied up in the low tunnel and stripped the canes of the bushes to the ground, but luckily they left the roots alone and new growth came in the spring. The same flowers followed here and there.

Last season, I decided to try something different. I converted a row in a larger greenhouse tunnel that had been dedicated annual flower growing space to a perennial rose garden. We companion planted perennials around the roses that otherwise couldn’t survive the winter here. In selecting these companion plants, I was careful to choose plants that don’t typically harbor pests or disease that might jeopardize the roses. Ornamental oregano, rosemary, and lavender are among my favorites in this new garden.

We added some insect netting to the sides of the tunnel to further ward of pests and periodically released beneficial insects or applied neem oil. I fertigated the roses (added organic liquid seaweed to the irrigation system) every couple of weeks.

The roses exploded in blooms. Even the weak bushes that we transplanted from the field recovered quickly and grew new and longer canes. The extra heat from the unheated tunnel and protection from the elements was just the ticket. The warmth of the space also allowed me to grow varieties that are typically cold hardy in warmer zones. We are zone 3/4, and some of our favorite roses in the tunnel are labeled hardy to USDA zone 5.

‘Distant Drums,’ ‘Winter Sunset,’ ‘Prairie Star,’ ‘Quietness,’ and ‘Paloma Blanca’ roses in the studio in August

‘Distant Drums,’ ‘Prairie Star,’ ‘Winter Sunset,’ and ‘Quietness’ were among my favorites in this new garden. This year, I plan to convert the remaining 2 rows in that tunnel to garden rose plantings. That will bring our total number of rose bushes to 75. We’ll add more ‘Distant Drums’ - whose flowers are long lasting and transform through a beautiful range of colors. I also have ‘Honey Dijon,’ ‘Morden Blush,’ ‘Iceberg,’ and ‘Prairie Harvest’ on my wish list.

For purchasing rose plants- my favorite farm/seller is Menagerie Farm & Flower. This is an unsponsored recommendation based on my experiences receiving plants from a variety of online wholesalers, including a top purveyor of English garden roses. I get the healthiest plants from Menagerie. At this time, Menagerie offers several of the roses on my wish list, but I have to find other sellers for a few types. Some of the more cold hardy varieties are less common.

I’m tempted to sacrifice the dahlia tunnel to more rose plantings, too. The roses bloom earlier and for as long into the fall or longer than the dahlias. They don’t fall prey to the beastly (and prevalent here) tarnished plant bug, and they better meet our event clients’ preferences for romantic-looking blooms. For now— I’ll try to hold back. I’ll be sensible and see how the roses over winter and stick to expanding to just the one, dedicated tunnel. But don’t be surprised if you hear more “rose news” in the future here!

Have some ideas, questions, or tips about growing roses in cold climates? Let’s connect! Please share a note in the comments.

Wishing you all the sweetest rose scents in 2021!