If you live in one of the colder gardening zones – Perhaps a USDA zone 2 or 3 you might have already found that you need to purchase very hardy roses.
Some of the hardiest are the Rugosa roses. They are the most cold tolerant group of roses. Most of the cultivars are hardy to zone 4 and a number of them are hardy to zone 3.
Another type of rose to search for are the Canadian Explorer roses. They have been developed to survive Canadian winters. They require minimal care and are environmentally friendly needing minimal spraying. The roses are hardy to -35 Celsius (-31 F) with only snow as protection. They are disease resistant, and flower repeatedly throughout the summer. The Parkland series of roses is similar in nature.
Just a few of the Canadian explorers to look for are Alexander Mackenzie, Champlain, Charles Albanel, David Thompson, De Montarville, and Frontenac.
I grow several of these roses myself and they are thriving. I love them.
I love the Canadian Explorer roses.
I live in zone 3-4 and I have William Baffin and John Cabot, Henry Kelsey, Frontenac, Charles Albanel-Etc…
For the past 10 years I have had no trouble with them , no diseases, no die back and best of all no need for winter protection! Since I have over 100 roses in my garden I try to buy the ones that are as carefree as possible yet have the beauty and stature of old fashioned roses if not always the scent! I back them up with rugosa which have lots of fragrance or some Antique rose such as Madame Hardy etc … I have just purchased John Davis a climber from that serie for one of my arbors and I know that I will not be disappointed. I am so looking forward to watching it grow and cover the entry to my lovely garden. The Canadian Explore serie is really what you said it is! It is nice to have roses that are carefree and beautiful at the same time. They are a winner in the garden! Marie Suzanne at dailyweeder.com
I LOVE Canadian Explorer Roses!
Canadian Explorer Roses is the best one for sure