I have a very reliable Chicago Peace rose that came from Wal-Mart years ago. We do cover it during the hardest part of the winter; hill up soil around the graft and use one of those attractive styrofoam covers (I know, but until it wears out, we'll use it). It has gotten so well established that it has trunks instead of stems now.

For me there have been two tips that seem to work. Full sun from at least mid morning until late afternoon, and, for roses in amongst other flowers, keep some breathing space around the rose to allow moisture to evaporate quickly. Alyssum is allowed to grow up to the plant's drip line, and garlic is planted in the alyssum, but nothing bushy or floppy is allowed close enough to touch the rose leaves. That's why I'm bringing some daisies to the fall swap - they are encroaching.

I also like my new Buttercream rose, but it's only in its second year, so I don't know how it will develop.

For very hardy and unusual roses, contact these people. I have one of their pink climbers, Bon Bon, I think it's called, and although it was small when it arrived, it has done very well. I thought it was hardy to zone 4, so I've never covered it, and it has tripled in size in three years. It blooms several times each summer.

Two roses that are not making it in my garden ~ Helen Trabel - she blooms once in the spring and then faints from the effort. The other is a two-tone red and white rose whose name has been lost, but it has only survived - nothing pretty about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Uncommon Rose

I have a Nearly Wild shrub rose on the east side of my house. The only thing I do to it is trim it back every couple of years. It's gotten very large and we actually moved the sidewalk rather than disturb the rose. Blooms it's head off from May through frost, no disease or pest problems. Smells nice too. I don't do anything special for winter prep and I don't even cut it back.

Cricket

Folksinger,a peachy grandiflora. It's a Dr. Griffith Buck rose developed at ISU. If you're ever over in Ames go to Reiman Gardens near the stadium and check out the Dr. Buck roses to see which ones you like. We ordered ours from the net but I no longer remember from where. I've also seen some of them for sale at Country Landscapes off old hiway 30( aka Lincolnway) east of Ames near the pasta factory. Dr. Buck spent his career developing cold hardy roses that do well in Iowa. If I had more room I'd put in some more.
Maria

Thanks everyone for the recommendations! I will have to look into Folksinger and nearly wild. I didn't realize nearly wild was a rebloomer and fragrant, I will have to get that one. Maria, does folksinger rebloom for you? Right now I am growing many roses and will be shovel pruning a few. I have a couple of rugosas that preform quite well (therese bugnet, and hansa), am trying william baffin (looks great so far) alchemist, cecille brunner, and a couple of new dawns which also look good given the fact that they are positioned where it's very hard to reach with the hose. I'll try to keep everyone posted on what does well with my usual brand of chunk it in and forget it!
Leslie

Leslie,
Yes, Folksinger reblooms although this time of year the color fades out somewhat. Its also nicely fragrant. We also have Hansa, Therese Bugnet and Wm Baffin. Wm Baffin has done very nicely for us. At the back of my husbands office he has a rose hedge. People have been known to cut down the alley just to look at it when its in full bloom. Also, Sir Thomas Lipton named for the tea guy is a pretty white rose. My Cecille Brunner winter killed so I'm afraid to try New Dawn and Alchemist (What a pretty thing that one is!) Another Souvenour d' Doctor Jamain --this isn't spelled right. A very deep deep red hybrid perpetual tends to ball up in the humidity though. I'm not as fond of my nearly wild but I neglect it too much and the Hansa is overtaking it. If I can ever figure out how to down load and post my pics I will. I also do not have the temprement or time to fool with finicky hybrid teas. The rose I have that does the best is some unnamed ancient thing that I mow to keep confined. Looks like its got some moss rose blood in it.

Maria

Some that I have found to be hardy and very easy (no spraying) New Dawn, Hansa, Therese Bugnet, Nearly wild, Carefree Beauty (Buck rose), Knockout, The Fairy, Carefree Sunshine, Morden Blush and my personal fav Shafira Asma (Austin rose) All bloom nicely in spring and repeat through out the summer.

Michelle

Michelle, I have an own-root Sharifa Asma for the first summer in a 5 gallon pot. I also love the flower form, fragrance and prolific bloom. I have had a lot of Blackspot, however, and because I keep pulling the infected leaves, it is about 50% defoliated. This is in a pot with sterile pottingsoil!

I am worried that it is too stressed to grow up well. I will move it to the garage in winter to help it through that, but please, do you spray your roses? If not, what do you do about BS?

Look for Griffith Buck roses! He developed them at Iowa State and they're old-fashioned and superhardy. I got mine from Sam Kedem http://www.kedemgarden.com/ . They arrived beautifully packaged and have been thriving in my garden for a decade now w/o special treatment of any kind.