Pick roses for traits beyond the blooms
By Carolyn Parker
IN LATE SUMMER, while on a plant jaunt with my friend Mary, we were looking over the potted roses at Garden Valley Ranch in Petaluma. Mary spotted a gorgeous bloom of COLOR MAGIC and asked me if it was a good rose. I told her it’s one of the most photogenic roses, but the bloom far outranks the shrub it grows on. After years of dealing with its overactive and ungainly growth habit, I finally removed COLOR MAGIC from my garden.Mary is often frustrated by my rose value judgments. Later, while we were having dinner at a Greek restaurant on the Petaluma River, she told me that I should write a column on the best roses in each color category. I thought, well, I could only do that from my own experience. Since I’ve been planting and removing roses from my garden at a fairly high rate for the past 20 years, I thought I’d give it a try, with your help.
The roses in my garden are planted in layers and color sections. Climbers form a backdrop for medium and large shrubs, and Miniatures and Polyanthas often border the shrubs at the front of the rose beds.
White Roses
LAMARQUE and MANCHESTER GAURDIAN ANGEL are vigorous and good repeat blooming climbers. However, the latter is quite thorny. HONOR and SNOWBIRD, both Hybrid Teas, WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL, an Austin rose, and ICEBERG, a Floribunda, are good in the 4’ to 5’ range. LITTLE WHITE PET, FLOWER CARPET WHITE, and PAQUERETTE are excellent at the front of the border.Ivory Roses
I just want to mention two roses here, because they are so similar in color and look great together––SALLY HOLMES , a climber or large shrub, and the Floribunda, FRENCH LACE.Pale Pink Roses
RENAE is a great, almost thornless, climber. TOURNAMENT OF ROSES is an always-in-bloom Hybrid Tea. PINK GRUSS AN AACHEN, an exquisite Floribunda, looks gorgeous planted next to Austin’s BELLE STORY. Minis, STACEY SUE and JENNIFER, are good at the front of the pale pink border.Deep Pink Roses
ROSA ROXBURGHII, a Species rose, grown as a climber behind the Hybrid Tea YVES PIAGET, makes a stunning picture mixed with Floribunda ESCAPADE, Austin rose GERTRUDE JEKYLL, and the Bourbon rose MAGGIE. ELFINGLO, a petite Miniature rose is charming as an edging.Red Roses
DON JAUN, and the five petaled ALTISSIMO are standouts as red climbers. The Hybrid Tea OKLAHOMA and Austin’s L.D. BRAITHWAITE are spectacular together in the mid-sized category. BABY DONNIE, a medium sized Miniature rose, while not great up close, makes a rich color statement at the front of the border.Peach Roses
CREPESCULE and WESTERLAND are lovely climbers behind Hybrid Teas, JUST JOEY and MRS. OAKLEY FISHER. Austin’s ENGLISH GARDEN and his PAT AUSTIN are also great companions in the peach story, bordered by the delectable Miniature rose BRASS RING.Yellow Roses
Austin’s rose, THE PILGRIM, grows well as a climber behind GRAHAM THOMAS, another Austin rose, GOLDEN WINGS, a modern shrub rose, and Floribunda JULIA CHILD. YELLOW BUTTERFLY, a Ralf Moore rose, works well in the front of the border.Reader Favorites
Readers sent in mostly Hybrid Teas for their favorites.TIFFANY, GRAND SIECLE, MC CARTNEY, and ROYAL HIGHNESS are the pink choices. Red favorites are DUET, CHRYSLER IMPERIAL, and DOUBLE DELIGHT. ALBERIC BARBIER, a once blooming, pale yellow Rambler and the peach climber named POLKA were other favorites. After researching it on the internet, I’d like to add POLKA to my peach section.Hopefully the roses listed here will be an inspiration as you think about what you’d like to plant for spring 2007. To research the above roses go to www.helpmefind.com/roses for numerous pictures of each rose and more information.
Rose Reference Book
An exceptional reference book on roses is the Vintage Gardens Book of Roses. Information about 3600 roses is listed, and handy illustrations show the size and form of each bush in relation to figures of people. Vintage Gardens is also a mail order nursery–log on to http://www.vintagegardens.com/.Local nurseries stock bareroot roses in December and January. Regans, in Fremont, begins taking special orders in November. http://www.rosesfromatoz.com/selecting.html
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