I think my tallest rose right now is about .. (not including climbers) 2.5' tall due to cutting back for winterkill. I think I got everyone in the front yard completely pruned down to green growth. The average height of my roses right now is probably between 8-12". It's gonna be a SLOW start to my season this year.
That being said, I can definitely tell you who's NOT hardy. Sterling Silver, Stainless Steel, Blue Girl, Lagerfeld. I've tried those many many many many MANY times and each time, croaksville. Which is a damned shame because those are my absolute favorites.
Who *does* survive well here in my zone 5 for the mauves? Blue Bayou, Intrigue, Heirloom, Perfume Melody, Singin' the Blues, Angel Face. I'm going to claim those as being #1 as far as extreme hardiness as they're not overly protected from the elements (especially Blue Bayou.. that one is in the middle of the yard with no protection from the winds/snow). Now, I have a bunch of blue roses in my pond area that I am going to say are a bit more protected as they're on the east side & don't get battered by the winds AS bad as some of the other areas of my yard. There is Midnight Blue, English Perfume, Tardi Gris, Poseidon, Neptune, Florence de Lattre, Barbra Streisand, Moody Blues, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head. They've all survived the winter here (multiple winters for most of them.. only Moody Blues, Neptune, & 1 other I can't remember is new 2012.) and are growing in nicely. Oh, Lavender Simplicity... I'll take a look at my back yard tomorrow & take note as to who's alive & who's not (I have to take stock of who survived this nasty spring anyways. I know I lost quite a few with that last cold snap we had :().
