Tips for Growing Heirloom Roses

Whether the rose you're planting is container-grown or bare-root, you must plant it at a depth that's appropriate for your climate. Grafted roses have a gnarled knob, called the bud union, at the base of the trunk. In mild-winter climates, leave the bud union at soil level. Northern gardeners should bury the bud union an inch or two beneath the soil for extra cold protection. If you see no bud union on your rose plant, it's an "own-root" rose; plant it at the same depth it grew in the nursery.

Many growers recommend a balanced fertilizer every four to six weeks during growing season. You can cut back on repeated feedings by applying a slow-release fertilizer in spring. Pruning? Forget it. All that's needed is a gentle shaping after flowering.

Alchemist and Galway Bay climb a lattice. When blossoms are displayed on high, subtleties of color and flower form become apparent. And, their scents are about nose height, furthering appreciation.

The pink Alchemist is a modern rose, but a full-petalled double that looks old fashioned. This hardy rose is a vigorous climber. The red rose is Galway Bay, a hardy floribunda climber, quite generous of bloom.

Especially Fragrant Roses: Madame Hardy (white flowers); Queen of Denmark or Koenigin von Danemarck (pink); Autumn Damask or Quatre Saisons (pink); Charles Austin (apricot); Gertrude Jekyll (pink).

Roses for Cut Flowers: Charles Austin (apricot flowers); Graham Thomas (yellow); Rosa Mundi (pink and white stripes); Reine Victoria (pink); Buff Beauty (apricot).

Roses for Small Gardens: Gloire de France (pink flowers); Jacques Cartier (pink); Rosa Mundi (pink and white stripes); Souvenir de la malmaison (pink).

Purple Foliage: Rosa glauca or Rosa rubrifolia (pink and white flowers)

Purple Flowers: Reine des Violettes

Hardiest Roses: Rugosa (to -35 degrees); Canadian Explorer (-35); Meidiland (-25); Griffith Buck (-25). Roses that grow on their own roots are not necessarily hardier than their bud-grafted siblings, but if they are winter-killed to the ground they will generally return just fine the next spring