Rugosa Rose 'Hansa'

After yesterdays post, and all the mention I made at the end of Rugosa roses, and my favorites in that species, I decided I had better make a more detailed post of them.
I have specifically chosen to single out 'Hansa' which is a double pink rugosa which makes beautiful hips that can be used for jelly making or cooking. Roses are, by the way, in the same family as apples, and so their rose hips taste a whole lot like a tart apple. Some don't have much of a flavor at all, but they pack a lot of vitamen C and are therefore good for you too!
'Hansa' is suppose to be one of the tastiest. I have grown 'Hansa', but I have not had the pleasure of tasting it's fruits. One complaint against this plant is its size. They can get rather large, up to 7'x8' and they do have a tendency to suckker. So for formal beds they may not be a great choice, but in more relaxed settings, they will certainly fit right in.
'Hansa' also is an heirloom rose that has the wonderful spicy smell of the rugosa species, and couples well with other smelly good plants like lavender, catmint, and lemon balm. Ok, so all of those are in the herb family, but they go well with the spicy scent of the rugosa, which is likened to that of cloves.
Last little plug for the plant is its hardiness. When you think Rugosa, think rugged. They are tough, disease resistant as long as they are in proper light conditions, and pest free for the most part (I have never seen any rose slugs on the leaves to be sure). This rose can also take part shade, which most roses cannot. Note, though, that in part shade they do not bloom as profusely, but still stay a nice green.
Another draw back that some do not like about this particular variety, they are as stickery as all get out! Not a friendly plant to prune or brush up against. Still, I think prickly plants have some merrit. I had a friend once who was sick of the neighbor kids running through her yard to go to each others houses, and so she planted barberry shrubs (very unfriendly) as a hedge on both sides of her yard. Stopped those little kids in their tracks. I think Rugosa 'Hansa' would be another good deterrant in such a situation.
Happy Gardening...I guess I should save that one for April...uh, Happy Garden Planning...that's better.