Head Over Heels Over Roses  Love tends to sneak up on you when you least expect it. How was I to know that a stint working at a local garden center would rekindle my love affair with roses? Over the last few months as I've watched my own reactions to the various roses, I've reached several conclusions. Hybrid Teas Have a Place At the garden center, hybrid tea varieties predominated, and probably three out of four customers have wanted hybrid teas. One key to successfully growing hybrid teas is being very picky about which varieties you choose. Some of our favorit hybrid teas are: Tahitian Sunset, Elle, and Memorial Day. Try Organic Methods Consider trying organic pest control techniques. First and foremost, that means siting the plant correctly and preparing the soil well with compost and manure. No matter what, some roses will require some pest control. The best of the safest include a modification of the Cornell University horticultural oil and baking soda formula, the Bordeaux mixture of copper sulfate and hydrated lime, and neem oil products.   continued
The Right Rose The key aspect with choosing the "right" roses is a matter of expectations. Perhaps more than with any other garden plant, to really enjoy growing roses, you need a clear idea of what you want. Because there are thousands of varieties, with a broad spectrum of plant size, growth type, and flower color and form, it really helps to know exactly what role you want roses to play in your garden. You also need to know what level of care you're willing to provide, as well as what level of "perfection" you want and at what price. One of the best ways to decide which roses to plant is to visit as many private and public rose gardens as possible to see what kinds of roses appeal to you as well as which individual varieties stand out. Talk to as many rose gardeners as possible, too. Of course one person will tell you that XYZ rose is great, and the next person says it's awful. Still, you'll eventually see some trends. Favorites, Old and New Recently, a garden magazine had an article with roses recommended by gardeners from different areas of the country. It was interesting that even with the thousands of roses from which to choose, two names showed up as being good for disparate parts of the country. They were Carefree Delight and Knock Out. 'Carefree Delight' is a 3-foot shrub rose in bloom all summer long with vivid pink, semi-double flowers with a light fragrance followed by lots of rose hips in the fall. 'Knock Out boasts disease-resistant foliage and continually blooming, single to semi-double cherry-red flowers on a 3-foot shrub. Evaluate your needs carefully, then look for a rose that fits the bill. You'll be glad you did!  back to Regional Gardening Guide