Question
QUESTION: I hear that Roses have a difficult time growing in North East PA. Need advise. Would like to start a rose garden and have not a clue where to begin and when to begin. Please help.  I read your profile and I did not even know you can grow roses from seeds...

ANSWER: Hi Vicky! I'll need a bit more info about your property in NE PA.  How
much room do you have to work with?  There are a number of beautiful, easy to care for roses that will grow in the region you speak of.

Look forward to hearing from you!
Let's work out a rose garden for you!
Eirinn

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello! Thanks for replying! I live on a nice size hill. My home faces south. I get real nice morning sun on most of my front yard but have some shade under my cluster of 4 oak trees. They are not big but still have some shade. The area that gets most of the son is about 1/8 of an acre and recieves wonderful afternoon son as well.(front of house)  There is alot of drainage since we are on the side of a hill, but the lawn a primarily flat with slight slope. Grass grows real well. My home is a bi level and the downstairs has windows near the ground that I would like to plant roses in front. I get alot of light there as well. I have a perenial garden of some wintergreens, daffodil, and tulips in the shaded area that gets that morning son and I would like to put climbing roses there. But do not know if they would survive but they recieve alot of morning light. WE have a couple of bear in the neighborhood. Rarely see deer. Lots of bunnies. They never eat my plants . Neighbors have gorgeous gardens and they survive the animals, but I do not see many roses. We get a lot of breeses. Not harsh. Not too hat in the summer due to breese. Hope it helps!

Answer
Hello again, Vicky!  The additional info definitely helps. In the area in the front where you have the partially shaded perennial garden, there's several climbing roses I can recommend, though I'm not sure what colours are your favourite.
Climbing roses that can take partial shade and your region:
Non-climbers, but bush types to plant at the base of your climbers.  (Sometimes climbers' leg, or lower, canes can get leggy or bare-looking.): Try to stay away from Hybrid Teas; you'll waste lots of money, and spend lots of time caring for most of them, with few exceptions.
-All old European roses
-All Rugosa/Rugosa hybrids
-Most Hybrid Perpetuals
-All Albas
-'Aloha'
-'Betty Prior'
-All musks and hybrid musks
-C鑓ile Brunner
-Gr黶s an Aachen
-John Franklin
-Any of the Poulsen rose
-Lafter
-Marie Pavie
-Nearly Wild
-Rise n Shine, a miniature
-Sitka
-The Fairy
-White Pet
-The Gift
-LaMarne
-Sally Holmes
-Rosa alba semi-plena - aka The White Rose of York
-Species roses: Rosa woodsii, R. nitida, R. moyesii, R. davidii, R. nootka, R. X hibernica (Wild Irish Rose), R. foliolosa, R. villosa,
R. eglanteria (apple-scented foliage), R. wichuriana 'Poteriifolia
'
Some Climbers:
-Altissimo
-All Albas - ex. Madame Plantier
-Magic Dragon - a miniature red climber
-Red Cascade - same, only larger, more flowers
-Veilchenblau
-Zepherine Drouhin - thornless
-Climbing Pinkie
-R. mulliganii
-Dorothy Perkins
-Moonlight
Hope this helps.  If you have trouble finding any of these, let me know; I have most of them.  Also, for planting under and around your roses, try these:
Gooseneck Loosestrife
Lilies
Columbines
Caryopteris
Sedums
Johnny-Jump-ups - they self-sow
Catmint
Catnip
Siberian Irises
Lily-of-the-Valley
Campula or bellflowers
Lamb's Ears
Daylilies
Yarrow
Forget-Me-Nots
Snap Dragons

Have a great gardening season!
Eirinn