In spite of their shortcomings, we will plant tea roses. There are two schools of thought on how tender roses should be planted in the North. One school says plant the graft union 2 to 4 inches above the ground, the other says 2 to 6 inches below ground. The top growth must be pruned off at ground level when dormant if the bush is planted deeply. The tops of roses whose graft unions are above ground must be protected in some way if they are to survive our winters. This protection takes many forms such as elaborate coverings or tipping and burying the top growth in trenches.
As with many things we wish to grow in the North, tea roses require a lot of compromise and hard work. They are only for the dedicated. Most of us have tried them at one time or another, but few of us are truly dedicated enough to continue the labor-intensive life support once we have experienced the hardy shrub roses.
If you have spent your rose growing career focused on tea roses, you might not be aware of all the wonderful variety in shrub roses today. The two major hardy series are the Canadian-bred Explorer and Park roses and the English-bred David Austin roses. I have always loved the "Old Garden Roses" for their voluptuous blooms and intoxicating fragrances, but wished they bloomed all summer. I'm too busy in the garden to take the time for tea roses. These modern shrub roses have the look and smell and the same haughty shrug at most insects and diseases as the "Old Ones" and repeat bloom. Where have they been all my life, I wonder?
Some very good information exists to help us choose the best for the difficult climate conditions we face. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and the Chicago Botanic Garden have both done extensive testing and rating of these roses for winter hardiness, bloom quality, disease and insect resistance. The studies continued for several years and were conducted without special coddling of the roses to simulate average treatment by homeowners who are novice rose growers. Both the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Minnesota Arboretum have made their results available to the public. The CBG can be reached on the 'net from this link. Unfortunately, their series, Plant Evaluation Notes, are not available online, but you could email them for information on receiving a copy of "An Evaluation Report of Shrub Roses". The six page report covers 52 of the most significant Explorer, Park and David Austin roses. This is the first large scale test of the winter hardiness and disease resistance of the English roses to upper Midwest American climate conditions. All roses were evaluated on winter hardiness; disease and insect resistance; flower color, size, bloom period and coverage; plant size and form; and health on a scale of 1 to 4 with 4 being best. Of the 52, ten rated 4 and three more got 3.5.
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