Lavender Lass, I've done a little research since you started asking about once blooming OGRs in your zone 4 climate. There used to be a very good Rose Nursery in Grand Forks, B. C. which is probably 4 hours north of your area. I've got one of their catalogues from 1998 and have had a look at the OGRs they sold and the temperatures they state they can take without winter kill. I've also provided a link to another Canadian nursery, Corn Hill Nursery in New Brunswick, Canada. The roses they sell are hardy to at least -30C ( -28F ). My old catalogue from "Hardy Roses for the North" list Alba roses as being the hardiest, good to zone 3. So any Albas that strike your fancy will probably work for you. Gallicas are zone 4 with the exception of Alain Blanchard and Alika, whiich are both listed as zone 3. Two repeat blooming Pimpenellafollias that are good to at leat zone 3 are Karl Forster and Stanwell Perpetual. Centifollias are listed as zone 4. Damasks as zone 4, if your temperatures don't go much below -30C you might want to try Ispahan which has a long blooming season. The repeat blooming OGR's; Portland Damasks, Bourbons, HPs, Mosses, will all get cut back hard and/or need winter protection in zone 4. If you want some hardy Austins, then I recommend the following: St. Cecelia, probably the hardiest Austin, winter hardy here in zone 4; Saint Swithun, Charles Rennie MacIntosh; Mary Rose, Redoute, Winchester Cathedral, Crocus Rose, The Mayflower. All quite hardy, healthy, and with good rebloom. Plant them deep, bud union 4 or more inches below soil level. The ones mentioned, other than St. Cecelia and probably the Mayflower, will die to the ground or snow line, but come back very well and give you lots of bloom. I personally cut mine back to 18 inches in winter and cover with straw and they grow and bloom very well for me. I've also heard good things about a moss rose called William Lobb, a rose that several forum members in Minnesota grow and say does well there. There you go, at least some cold climate OGR data to get you started. Good luck with your project, hope it goes well. PS: I cover lavender with straw, just like my roses and manage to get it to grow here. Cheers, Rideau Rose Lad Here is a link that might be useful: Cornhillnursery

Okay, as I sit here today, going through rose books, I've decided...my "potager" is going to be a garden for roses, herbs and some annual flowers like sweet peas and morning glory. I really want a "girly" garden and I think this will be it. I should call it my "big girl" garden since I also am designing a "fairy garden" for my nieces :) With all the mud out here and snow, for most of the year, I've decided to move the vegetables to another location and concentrate on pretty and fragrant flowers. However, I am practical enough to make sure they help the bumblebees and butterflies. The birds have all kinds of plants in the pasture and I don't want them too close to the barn kitties. Any more suggestions for roses? Loved ebb tide and will include it in the garden. This area will have to be mainly for smaller roses, about three to four feet wide, although height is not really an issue. I hope to put the larger damasks and albas in front of the lilac hedge and surround them with deer-resistant perennials and lavender. Vegetables are great, but with my short growing season, I have about three and a half months without frost. This means everything has to be planted almost on top of each other, so I think a bigger area would be a better idea. This way I can have a working garden and a pretty area to sit and have tea :) The fairy garden is really a pastel butterfly garden with lots of little surprises for the girls. I have gallica roses that change color from pink to fuscia to lavender to purple and little bridges that the "wee folk" might use. They love Tinkerbelle and I think this will spark their creativity and give them a garden they will enjoy. Also will have small apple trees, three foot high and smaller blueberry bushes and alpine strawberries in this area, behind the flowers. This is all non-toxic, so no lily of the valley, but violets and pansies are okay...you probably get the idea :) Any ideas on this garden are great too!

Potagers are small, often raised gardens that combine edible plants with ornamentals. It's a great way to grow a lot of plants in a small area. I'd consider adding a couple of large containers as well for larger shrubs or trees to provide some screening and height. There is a Potager forum here at GW that could be helpful. Also a number of books available, as this is becoming a very popular garden feature. I've attached a link to amazon.com that outlines several. The first one listed is excellent. Here is a link that might be useful: potagers and kitchen gardens

It is so easy to get overwhelmed. Afterall, I have a full time job, and when I get home at night I have dinner to cook and housework to catch up on, and I do want so relaxation time... But I find that I get a renewed burst of energy when I have half an hour to garden. Here are my little tricks for staying on top of gardening.... 1. Prep Time. When dinner is simmering on the stove, I pour a glass of wine and go to the garden for 10 minutes to pull a couple of weeds, plant a pack of seeds, or pick a few veggies... as the season demands. This is when I notice what needs doing most after dinner. 2. After Dinner Drink. When the dishes are done, I set aside half an hour for watering or another project like pruning, digging in compost or planting something I bought on the drive home. 3. Rescue. I always keep a watering can full of water nearby for quick rescues on the way to work, or when I first arrive home and find the eggplants wilting. 4. Prioritize. If I can fit a bigger project into one evening, I make sure I have supplies and a list of priorities handy. This means you have to plan ahead to have a bale of peat moss etc. but when there are 10 things that needs to be done yesterday, keeping a list helps get me started quickly when I have a moment instead of wandering aimlessly thinking how hopeless it all is! 5. Procrastinate. Save big projects like fencing, freezing/canning or major weeding for the weekend. You just won't get them done in one evening, so use that time for something else. So... for the most part, gardening can be handled in 30-45 minutes a day plus 4 hours each weekend. If things still get out of control, They do sell veggies at farmstands and you can always use your efforts for compost!!!