I feel I've come full circle with rose growing. I started out with hybrid teas, gradifloras, and floribundas, from Jackson and Perkins over 30 years ago. During that time I was gardening at my mother's house, and our winters were severe for several years. Those first plants gradually perished after I went away to college and moved out on my own. When I started growing roses again, I looked to hardy old garden roses and some modern shrub/landscape roses. While I discovered many qualities in roses that I love, I now find I'm missing seeing a few classic hybrid tea roses in the garden.
I'm looking for a nice assortment of colors to dot throughout the landscape. I don't use chemicals, so I need varieties hardy to zone 6, that will tolerate heat and humidity. I have ordered deep pink 'Beverly', and will be ordering 'Francis Meilland' for this spring.
What varieties have you found to be the toughest?
