I have a small garden and would very much like to plant some antique roses. Not every antique rose is a tall-growing shrub. In fact, there are several classes of old garden roses whose members naturally form tidy, compact plants. Many of these smaller types are also repeat bloomers, making them especially suitable for gardeners with limited space. Smaller roses for smaller gardens.
Many old roses are tidy, compact plants suitable for less-spacious gardens.
The lilac-pink 'Comte de Chambord' and the glowing cerise 'Rose de Rescht' are two reliable and deeply fragrant Portlands that deserve space in any smaller garden. Both are winter-hardy to at least USDA Hardiness Zone 5. Similar in habit to the Portland roses is the little moss rose 'Alfred de Dalmas', known in gardens since 1855 and hardy to Zone 5. It reblooms somewhat reliably and stays at a very manageable 2 feet tall. Even smaller, though less cold-hardy, is the little China rose 'Irene Watts', which dates from 1895.