Hi, Ruth.

I haven't tried New Dawn myself, and I don't know anyone who grows it around here. On the various rose forums, some zone 5-ers have good luck with it and some don't.

You may want to experiment with New Dawn. You can be our guinea pig, lol. I've been tempted to try it, but never got around to it, especially having been disappointed by the so-called climbing roses from back when I first started experimenting with roses. You know, those "climbing" roses that you buy from a local nursery -- they get them from the warmer west coast or down south, where they really do climb -- and they're usually grafted on Dr. Huey which, in our climate, is a really lousy rootstock.

If you do decide to purchase one, try to order it from a reputable vendor. If Pickering Nurseries has it, I'd try getting one from them. That may be your best shot, as their roses are grafted on multiflora and I've never been disappointed in the performance of the roses I've purchased from them; they have all thrived here (near Albany, at the feet of the Helderberg mountains).

I suppose you could try an own root ND from a vendor who offers them. I haven't been all that thrilled with own root roses around here, except for very hardy varieties.

There are some R.Laxa varieties that may do well here. Haven't tried them, so I can't testify to that. High Country Roses in Colorado offers a rose called "Victorian Memory" that I've been interested in trying. It's been identified as Isabella Skinner and has R. Laxa parentage. However, this rose doesn't seem to be a climber, but is more of a really, really big shrub.

Sigh, maybe MadGallica can offer better guidance; she's been growing roses for a very long time and seems to have tried many.

I only have about 40 roses myself, and have thrown out a good 15 or so in the past because they weren't all that great.

Let us know how it goes.

Thank you, lionheart, for the excellent input. I think I will try ND. I think I have an excellent placement for it to give it a decent shot. I'll keep everyone posted.

Hi Ruth -

I have a New Dawn and it grows okay. It's still a baby so I'm hoping to see some good growth in the next year or so (my Don Juan took 2-3 years to really take off and become a beautiful climber).

I'd be interested in sharing notes with you when you get yours.

-Rini

Hi Ruth,

Just wanted to let you know that I have a four year old and a three year old New Dawn and they are consistently the most healthy, floriferous roses in my garden, with hardly any die back, even in our coldest winters. Probably my easiest rose. Just be prepared for it to get really big.

Good luck!