The Old Rose: Four Hardy Pink Roses for Gardens in Cold Climates

Most old roses like the Gallica, Centifolia, and Alba roses are quite hardy to zone 4 and a great choice for cold climates. Old roses, while generally small in flower are stunning up close are very fragrant. They have gained popularity in recent decades and northern gardeners are bringing the hardiest old rose into their gardens without fear.

Growing Old Roses

The traditional old rose is a rose that was either discovered or hybridized prior to 1867. Most bloom only once in early summer, but a well-tended old rose will offer up an enormous number of flowers to make that one-time flush worth the care.

Old roses need the same soil preparation, growing conditions, maintenance and feeding as other rose types in the garden. They are known to flower well on second year canes. They like to be open and airy, so the dead or very old canes should be pruned out.

Some flowers on old roses may be affected by rose proliferation in certain years, which can be nipped in the bud, literally, to avoid losing the season’s flush of color.

The Gallica, Cardinal de Richelieu

The cup-shaped flowers of the Gallica rose, Cardinal de Richelieu, remind the gardener of still life paintings by the Dutch masters. It’s a richly-shaded flower, layered with numerous tight petals. The scent is not as strong as some old roses, but it’s sweetly pleasant and slightly peppery. Unlike some old roses, Cardinal de Richelieu flowers on long stems, making it a perfect choice as a cutting rose for the house.

It will grow to 5 feet, but 3 feet is average for most northern gardeners. Much depends on the locations micro-climate, and the openness to the drying winds during the winter.

Cardinal de Richelieu flowers are deep pinkish-purple in color and is complementary in a pink garden. Consider combining it with white delphinium and under-planting with English lavender.

Königin von Dänemar: Alba Old Rose

Königin von Dänemark is a brightly shaded true pink. The tiny, crinkly petals open up to form a somewhat flattish flower head. This Alba rose offers clusters of flowers in mid-summer. The clusters can be heavy causing the canes to droop in a carefree manner. The flowers could turn brownish and mushy in long rainy periods. Königin von Dänemark is a generally easy going Alba, growing to 4 feet in most garden zones.

It’s a good companion to deeper-shaded pink roses like Cardinal de Richelieu. Gypsophila repens, which forms a low-growing matte made up of tiny pale pink flowers is a good choice for under-planting this rose.

Rosa Mundi: The Striped Gallica

Rosa Mundi is a pink Gallica rose famous for its dashes of red stripes. Rosa Mundi needs to be heavily pruned in early spring to keep their height at 3 feet. Otherwise the stems will droop down to the ground under the weight of the flowers. It can be staked otherwise.

It would make a good companion to a white Alba rose interspersed with baby’s breath, Gypsophila paniculata. If growing baby’s breath, Rosa Mundi will not really warrant an under-planting, The baby’s breath spills out and softens the area around the rose.

Centifolia, Rose de Meaux

Rose de Meaux has been cultivated since the 18th century. It’s a hardy soft pink Centifolia. The smallish flowers are similar in form to the Alba, K√∂nigin von D√§nemark. This is a dwarf rose that may only reach 24 inches in height, making it a good choice for a pot or the edge of a border with thyme, lavender or nepeta.

Under-planting Roses

Roses need space and a lot of water, but under-planting with flowers adds greatly to the visual effect. If under planting, it’s wise to plant out from the rose’s crown, at least to its drip line.

Old Roses

Most old roses are hardy, but some, like the Bourbons and Noisettes, are less so, based on their heritage. These are slow going into dormancy in late fall, and in colder zones, this can weaken them.

Gardeners who plant old roses, plant them for their beauty, scent, and long history. There is a romance to old roses that draws at the gardener’s heart strings.