On this site I'll publish pictures of roses from my own garden on an island in Vasa, Finland less than 300 miles south of the Polar circle. It is rather a grim environment for roses and not many of them are supposed to survive the winters up here. Yet, I have about 400 different varieties in my garden. Some visitors have commented that it feels like visiting in an English garden when roaming about among my roses. 

So what's the secret? Obviously my winter protection methods. I'll write about them as we move along from winter through spring, summer and fall. Some are related to what in the US is known as the Minnesota Method but with many simplifications and some additions. Other methods I use are tailored to the specific needs of other roses. My conviction is: give every rose the winter protection it needs and you can grow just about any rose you want also in very cold environments. They not only survive - they thrive!