Roses

[Anonymous]

Paige,
Welcome to the area where I garden, and to A Way to Garden’s forums. Roses can be a little tricky, in that some of the favorites (especially among the climbers) hate when we have a bad winter, but there are plenty of good choices nevertheless.
Of course it depends whether you want shrubs or climbers, and what color(s) will work, and so on. I strongly suggest getting varieties that are ever-blooming or at least repeat-blooming, so you have more than a couple of weeks of color, especially if you’re siting them right near your porch.
The widest selection will come by mail-order, perhaps from Pickering’s in Canada, http://www.pickeringnurseries.com/, a great vendor. Their website is a rose encyclopedia in itself. Maybe do some reading before you venture out to a local place to shop.
Locally, Loomis Creek near Hudson, http://loomiscreek.com/main/, has a small but choice selection of roses…a few that they really like and know do well here. Call and see if they are in stock now. Bob and Andrew and the crew will give you lots of great advice, so definitely go get acquainted. Their perennial and annual selection is unrivaled in our area, by the way.
A larger selection of roses can be had in Great Barrington at either Windy Hill (north on 7 on the road to Stockbridge), probably the place I’ve bought more plants than anywhere else on earth, or Ward’s (south on 7 from the town, just before Guido’s), which has a big rose section. By the way, I think Windy Hill is an exceptional source of trees and shrubs, if your landscaping needs include any. Amazing.
All of these are key destinations for a would-be gardener in this locale, so enjoy. Tell them all I say hello.
Margaret

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