Regional Growing Guide: Pacific Northwest

Planning a Rosy Future

Often called the Queen of flowers, roses have played a starring role in gardens for centuries. And it's no wonder. What other plant can possibly compete with the fragrance and beauty of a rose?

However, roses also have the reputation of being difficult to grow, especially in cool, moist climates like the Northwest. But rose breeders have leveled the playing field by introducing varieties that tolerate less-than-perfect growing conditions. And because these varieties are more adaptable, even gardeners with challenging growing conditions can be successful. In the Northwest, the key is to start with disease-resistant varieties.

AARS Winners
Because the incidence and severity of diseases such as black spot and rust tend to be worse in wet weather, it's important to research a variety's resistance before making a purchase. For example, the following AARS award-winning roses have recently received a rating of "excellent" with regard to disease resistance:

• Carefree Spirit - vigorous landscape rose whose blossoms begin as deep cherry red with a white eye, and finish deep pink
• Cinco de Mayo - floribunda with an indescribable blend of rust-red & lavender-smoke blossoms and a moderate fresh apple fragrance
• Pink Promise - fragrant hybrid tea with graceful long stems and elegant pink blossoms
• Dream Come True - gradiflora that produces flawlessly formed yellow blossoms, blushed with ruby-red at the tips
• Mardi Gras - floribunda with flamboyant blooms in a novel blend of pink, orange, and yellow, and a delightful peppery scent

When to Plant
There are two traditional planting times for roses; late winter, and early fall. Bare-root roses, which are available in late winter, are dug from the field during their dormant stage. The roots are plunged into a box or bag filled with sawdust, and the canes are dipped in wax to prevent premature growth or drying out while in transit and storage. In some ways, purchasing bare-root roses is an act of faith; their dormant stage belies their glorious potential. On the other hand, bare-root roses are convenient little packages. They're relatively inexpensive, and you can fit a lot of them into the trunk of your car!

Container-grown roses take a lot of the guesswork out of choosing roses for your garden. You can see the flower color and size and inspect the canes and foliage for pest problems prior to purchase. Container roses may be set out almost any time of the year, but early fall is usually the best time to buy them.

Growing beautiful roses isn't a matter of luck, but by choosing disease-resistant AARS varieties and giving them the right start, you'll be on your way to achieving success.