Cold hardiness of Gertrude Jeckyl and Constance Spry

I was wondering what people’s experience has been?
I’ve read:
-Constance Spry was tip hardy in zone 5 (Paul Barden or Henry Kuska)
What did people find in zone 4?
_ Gertrude Jeckyl dies to the ground but comes back (zone 3b? Or 4)
But how cane hardy is she? Zone five? Zone four?

I’m trying to plan for crosses with my F1 seedlings: some to gain more cold hardiness, while others to reinforce old rose look and Fragrance without losing too much of cold hardiness gained.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Duane

4a Canadian “near” Rocky foothills.

My 2 Gertrude’s only survive in a sheltered spot. Usually cut canes down in spring to first new leaves - good year about 6” to 12”. Been flowering for 10-15 years. Other two planted in colder windy spots passed on long ago.

Constance did not make it - nor did any of the scores of Austins tried and not planted in a shelter spot, including the rugosa hybrids.

Thanks for that!
Duane

Here is 1 of 2 Gerties today after spring pruning of dead canes. Been in ground for 10-15 years and bloom every year - as mentioned sheltered south exposure. Grow canes anywhere from 2 to 5 feet +/-.

Hail thrown in for free today, as is Snow White’s rodent deterrent scare crow behind the fence as last line of defence.
45028ECF-639F-441D-95AE-B79951F228C4.jpeg

Thanks for the update! It is the duration of years I am really interested in. So many others manage to pull off a couple winters, but they dwindle each season and then die.
Whatever allows Gertie to come back year after year seems to set her apart, if only it could be passed on to offspring.
You are so e 4a, so is that 3a in U.S. ?
Thanks!
Duane

Sorry “so e” was “zone” when I typed it. I need to be more careful to reread, as autocorrect despises me, or perhaps the other way around.
Duane

Zone 4a Canadian - use to be 3a then made 3b. But spot is south exposure and sheltered from northerly - westerly - easterly winds. At one time l thought it was zone ~3 US. But last read, read like one can’t directly translate - because some different variables in use between the two.

I used some web blog gardening guide awhile back whose author wrote about buying perennials vs sticker zone designation for US and Canadian products. Remember US as a lower number when compared to this area’s Canadian zone value.

I had Constance Spry in zone 5a and it usually died back around 50% to 75% each winter. It never really seemed happy. By contrast, I had James Mason next to it which was unstoppably vigorous.

Thanks for the input, both of you.
It makes me wonder if I should have grabbed James Mason instead of Tuscany Superb, which was sitting right beside it. Perhaps next time.
Has anyone had experience breeding with James Mason?
Duane

In a funny coincidence I have ‘Constance Spry’ and ‘James Mason’ growing next to each other; but they are in zone 6 (and getting warmer). ‘James Mason’ is a real wandering man, now after a decade and more it is a huge thicket, but ‘Constance Spry’ seems to stay in one place. I can offer some cold hardiness info on ‘Constance Spry’ since I have had it growing in upstate NY in zone 4 for a couple of decades. It grows very well and flowers profusely against a south wall protected from the wind. It is a great plant. This is a vacation cottage so ‘Constance Spry’ gets little attention.

Thank you! Seems like wind protection may be important for Constance. I will keep that in mind. Our snow would protect it for three to five foot (depending on winter), but I would love to grow it as a climber. Might need a protected wall for it.
But it does sound more hardy than other Austin’s I’ve grown, aside from Gertie of course.
Has anyone found cold hardiness pass from Gertie to offspring?
Duane