It gets plenty hot here in the summer, over 100 degrees f. is not uncommon, and rugosas seem to like it just fine. I'm pretty miserly with the water too. Only one of my rugosas is a poor performer, Mme Georges Bruant, and not surprisingly she has a tea parent, the real Mlle de Sombreuil (Mme Georges Bruant was produced in 1887 before Mlle de Sombreuil became confused in commerce). She takes after the tea part of her heritage in wanting lots of water and badly mildewing. So I think it depends on the rugosa. Those that are mostly rugosa, or that favor their rugosa genes, like leaner, sandier soils and are pretty drought tolerant. The ones that are crosses with less drought tolerant roses may perform more like the other rose(s) in the cross even if they have the outward appearance of a rugosa. Melissa

Yes, there are roses out there that will survive well below -20 but I don`t know what kind of humidity you have in the summer. That can often create problems with powdery mildew and blackspot. The Canadian rose series Explorer, Parkland and Canadian Artists groups are pretty tough for the most part. Any shrub roses(Hansa for example are also very tough - I grew it in the Northwest Territories -40 below and colder and it did fine) I would think that Quadra, John Cabot, Felix LeClerc, Henry Kelsey, Ramblin` Red or William Baffin could work for you. Some of these are REALLY thorny but vigorous. Hope that helps.

halloblondie, you've got a nice start to your gardens--and don't worry--one of these days, you'll look around and realize you have a "mature" garden. If it's any encouragement, I like to joke that when I moved into this house back in the early 1980s, all my back yard had was weeds and sunshine. So I immediately planted a couple trees in strategic spots along the western property line--so there would be a little protection from that late afternoon "killer sun" that my zone 6 garden has to endure. However, I have to admit that the previous owner was evidently a talented gardener herself. I still am growing some of the plants (peonies, daylilies, hydrangeas, iris) that she left me, although they have been moved around a half dozen times or so since then. I basically started with the two garden beds she had and kept expanding them a few feet more --a little wider here, a bit longer there--and now, thirty some years later, those beds cover most of my back yard--which is fine with me since I have no use otherwise for a backyard. We will enjoy watching your gardens expand over the years also! : ) Cynthia--I had trouble getting the larkspur started. For two years I threw seeds all over the back garden and would just get a handful of rather pathetic looking larkspur to grow. So I started ignoring them, having given up on that project. Well, that handful of larkspur threw their own seed at the right time and by winter, all sorts of tiny larkspur plants were growing. At first I thought they were a new kind of weed, but getting behind on my weeding, some of them grew large enough that I finally realized they were larkspurs! Since then, I do nothing except when I pull out the plants after they are done blooming, I do shake a few of the plants over spots where I'd like more larkspur next year. They are now so busy re-seeding themselves that by spring, I will have to pull nearly half of them out so they dont' choke out some other desirable plants--but there's always enough left that I get a natural show for about 5-6 weeks in late May and most of June. Here it is July and I still have a handful still blooming out there--but I think this is probably their last week for this year. Siberian Iris--that's easy. They are tough and super cold-hardy--hardy down to -40 degrees! Gorgeous spring bloomers, no diseases, no care. You might be confusing them with Japanese or Louisiana irises that have greater water/moisture needs and probably don't like the sun as much as other irises do, but other than that I think they are all very cold hardy, but I've never grown Japanese or Lousiana irises, so I cant' say for sure about them. However, my mom grew Siberian irises in South Dakota, so I can swear by their cold hardiness. I treat them like I would any other perennial--no additional fussing at all. You do plant them in full sun, don't you? You must try them again sometimes. Sun and not too much water. That's about it. Now, as to Princess Diana clem--mine is always just barely making it. I think that western sun tends to boil mine. I had no idea she was a thug elsewhere. Have you got some pics of yours? I was afraid I'd lost mine during an exceptionally cold winter we had a couple years ago, but she is creeping back again--so I'm guessing it is the hot summer that is harder for her to handle. To all the other posters: I'm so enjoying all the gardens. So many different styles and combinations--and they all look wonderful! Kate

My friend (who's also in the Rose Society) had (she moved) a fabulous rose garden filled with peonies and old garden roses (OGRs) from before 1867. She had the most bees I've ever seen in a garden. Amazing! This will show you the size of the pots I use. I also have a routine for waking them up in the summer and putting them in the garage in the winter. I got my pots from Costco, but they don't sell this type anymore. They're resin pots and very light, but with the soil in (big yellow bag potting soil delivery) they become heavy and my husband uses a dolly to get them to and from the garage. I usually have around 50 roses in pots. Yes, John Davis is capable of climbing...but it's canes aren't long and supple, so it was beyond me (maybe not you) to get it to climb. :) Ann - That sounds wonderful!! And bees love rugosa roses the best!! Carol