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| Photo Credit: Jodi Torpey |
| ‘Dr. Huey’ is a climbing rose often found at abandoned homesteads throughout the West. At Fairmount Cemetery’s Heritage Rose Garden, the rose stands about 10 feet tall and is covered with dark red, semidouble blooms each spring. |
In the 1800s, when pioneers headed west in covered wagons, they left behind family, friends and many of their prized possessions. They knew they could live without fancy furniture, delicate China and other treasures, but they couldn’t leave behind the roses they had lovingly tended. So they carefully stuck their rose cuttings into raw potatoes (to maintain their moisture) and brought them west.
If you know where to look, you can find some of these treasured roses still alive today. One of the best places to find them is on the grounds of Denver’s Fairmount Cemetery. Fairmount is one of the oldest cemeteries in the area, and it’s home to at least 300 antique garden roses of almost 60 different varieties. The fact that the majority of these roses are over 100 years old is a testament to their hardiness. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: Jodi Torpey | | When you grow Rosa × alba ‘Semiplena’, you’re growing beauty, fragrance and ruggedness along with those delicate, white flowers. |
In addition to their long and rich history, old roses have many benefits over many of the modern hybrid varieties found in today’s gardens. Like the hardy settlers who brought them here, these beauties are able to thrive under difficult conditions – and for good reason. You see, old or antique roses grow on their own roots, so they can tolerate winter’s freezing temperatures. In fact, they’re often referred to as “subzero roses.” Additionally, old roses are drought-hardy and easily stand up to hot summer sun and drying winds – once established.
If you’ve had difficulty growing roses because you live in a climate known for its weather extremes (like USDA hardiness zones 3, 4 or 5), old garden roses are the perfect answer. They certainly don’t need as much care as hybrid tea roses, and most are naturally disease-resistant. They simply need a sunny spot in well-drained soil and about 1 inch of water per week during the hottest months of summer.
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