Q: While on vacation in Maine we loved seeing beach roses They smelled beautifully. Would these roses grow here?

A: I’ll bet you were seeing rugosa roses. The leaves have a characteristic corrugated surface. They would be very happy growing anywhere in the northern half of our state. They are rarely affected by disease and sport colorful seed pods in winter. I think we don’t see them commonly in local gardens because they only bloom once a year and they tend to be large and gangly. If you have space for them, rugosa roses are well worth planting.