In 2000 after many years of unsuccessfully growing
mainly fussy and tender Hybrid Tea roses in zone 5,
I found information on the web on hardy and easy
to grow roses. I have experimented with over 200 roses 
but I've eliminated the ones that didn't thrive or were
disease magnets. Currently I grow around 50 -60 roses.
There are indeed carefree and hardy old fashioned roses
referred to as "Old Garden Roses" that will thrive even in
zones 2-4, as well as modern shrub roses that you can grow. 

Make sure to not over look once blooming (ob)
roses which are some of the most hardy, intensely
fragrant and prolific roses that I appreciate 
more and more with each passing year.
I highly recommend trying Alba's (ob),
Canadian Explorer,  Morden/Pavement,
Ramblers (ob) and Rugosas (repeat bloomers/rb)
for very easy to grow roses.
Modern but old fashioned looking (rb)
David Austin English Roses such as
'Constance Spry'(ob), 'Mary Rose'
'Winchester Cathedral' & 'Heritage'
which do especially well in cold zones.

My favorite mail order sources for quality
roses are:
Pickering Nurseries  (for grafted virus free roses)
Roses Unlimited  (for own root roses)
Resist buying cheap wax coated roses.
The little extra investment in money and time
its takes to purchase quality roses will give you
years of pleasure.

Most roses take 3-4 years to get established
and should not be judged by their
1st - 2nd growing seasons.

How roses grow...
~First year they sleep
~Second year they creep
~Third year they leap

To view photos of some of my favorite roses
click here...June 2005 Roses
Once there, if you hold your cursor over
the photo the roses name will display.
Click on photo to enlarge it.

June bouquet on the right made of
English  Roses, Albas, Ramblers
& Peonies

Alba 'Pompon Blanc Parfait' with Sebastopol goslings/2005

To read an article on "cane hardy " roses with
links to other websites on hardy roses
Click Here

To go to my gardening link page
Click Here

Recommended Reading:

"Growing Roses in Cold Climates" by Jerry Olson & John Whitman
"Roses for Michigan" by Nancy Lindley

You might also want to visit The American Rose Society website

Photo Info:
Photo top right is a collage of roses I grow
which features mostly Alba roses.

The photo of the peach rose middle left is
Dr. Griffith Buck rose "Prairie Sunrise"