I love roses, especially the ones that are hardy and disease-resistant. Three groups of roses in my garden meet these criteria. Rugosas - Most of these are old-fashioned roses although a few new varieties have been introduced. Most grow on their own- roots (that means they aren't grafted) and thus are more winter-hardy. It also means you can take cuttings from them and start new roses. Canadian Roses - The Explorer series. These are own-root roses and are very winter-hardy. Some roses I like are William Baffin, John Cabot, John Davis, and Alexander McKenzie. I have a pergola (a series of arches in a row) that are covered with these roses. It's wonderful when they bloom in late May/early June. Buck Roses - These are roses bred especially for the Midwest by Dr. Griffith Buck. They are very winter-hardy and disease resistant. I love Country Dancer; it is bright pink and blooms throughout the summer. Make sure that your roses have lots of sun. Most roses won't bloom unless they have 4-6 hours of sun a day. You can see the roses in my garden during our spring and fall garden tours in Hermann - the fourth weekend in May and the fourth weekend in September. I also do private tours of Hermann gardens for groups of 20 or more by appointment.