Basics on Rose Selection
By Tony Silva
(November 2001 Rhode Island Rose Review)
We, as members of the Rhode Island Rose Society and the American Rose Society, are doing in our time what emperors, artists, writers and poets did for centuries before our time. We celebrate the rose as the “Queen of Flowers”-- a symbol of perfection.
My first experience with roses was as a teenager when my mother coaxed me to prune the many rose bushes which had been planted by long-ago previous owners of our family farm in Dartmouth. There were climbers meandering up trellises, along walls and fences and there were old garden roses and hybrid teas in berms, beds and borders. I didn’t know one class or variety from another, but I do remember one particular rose because it was a challenge to prune due to its overgrowth. That rose was ‘American Pillar’, a climber.
Most gardeners are overwhelmed when they first become interested in growing roses. It is to them that this article is addressed. There are various classes, on the basis of ancestry, and many, many cultivars, or varieties, in each class based on size, color, shape and flower form and plant habit. As a novice, you must first decide what class of roses you will be interested in growing.
Are you interested in growing them as landscaping plants or are you interested in growing them for cutting or exhibiting at rose shows? If your interest is in landscaping, floribundas fit the bill best. They have clustered blooms with a maximum choice of colors. They are compact and bushy and are very hardy and disease resistant.
Floribundas are best planted en masse in berms, beds or in borders for the enhancement of your landscape with a large array of color. A few of the many varieties that are excellent choices are:
Iceberg Sunsprite Playboy Nearly Wild Sarabande Betty Prior Angel Face Simplicity Playgirl
I name these varieties because I’ve had excellent results with them, but there are many more. Of course, they can be planted as specimen plants at strategic spots in the garden, but they serve best as eye-catching splashes of color when planted in groups of three or more at an entrance, along a walk or driveway, in a bed in the middle of a lawn or in a background.
A planting of seventeen bushes of ‘Nearly Wild’ along a wall at the edge of my lawn provides a mass of color during the entire summer and into the fall. I originally chose this variety because in addition to its plant habit and clustered blooms, it also blends in well with the natural surroundings. This was my first rose choice as a novice, but I’m still very happy with it. The blooms are pink, have five petals, and bloom in clusters. The plants grow 2-3 feet high, are bushy and look like the wild rose ‘Rosa carolina’ that grows naturally in our locale. ‘Nearly Wild’ was very well-named. It was hybridized by Brownell Nursery of Little Compton, Rhode Island. These roses have been wind-blown, have been flooded with hurricane tides and have always survived beautifully.
Another group of landscaping roses are in the Shrub Class, which also bloom in clusters but are more spreading than floribundas and can grow from 5-15 feet or more. The David Austin English roses are included in the Shrub Class. A few varieties that I have excellent luck with are ‘Carefree Wonder’ and ‘Pink’Meidiland’, ‘Red Ribbons’, which is a good ground cover, ‘Fred Loads’ and ‘Dortmund’, both of which grow like climbers. ‘Knockout’ is a good specimen plant.
Another class of landscaping roses are the climbers and ramblers. They are planted for upward or outward growth along a wall, a pillar, a fence or arbor or against building walls. They need to be tied to the structure they are planted next to.
Good choices are:
Blaze America
Altissimo New Dawn
Handel Golden Showers
Hybrid teas are the most popular class of roses because of their classical blooms. They bear long straight stems, usually with a symmetrical bloom with a high spiral center. These characteristics make hybrid teas the favorite roses for cutting, arranging and for exhibiting at rose shows. They are upright in habit, growing from 3-6 feet high.
Most rosarians grow them in special beds since most are not bushy or clustered and thus not the first choice for landscaping purposes. The beauty of the individual hybrid tea bloom is what first attracts the eyes of a visitor to a garden; the second attraction, of course, is the fragrance.
Hybrid teas come in every color of the rainbow except true blue. Many are fragrant and most bloom repeatedly. Most require winter protection in New England. It is best to check the hardiness of any variety before you purchase to determine the extent of winter protection required.
Before selecting any variety it is advisable to visit public or private rose gardens when they are in bloom. You get a better picture of the color and other characteristics of the bloom and also of the growing habit of the bush. Also speak to members of the Rhode Island Rose Society for their opinions.
Some of the top rated hybrid teas that I have had good luck with are:
Touch of Class Elina Olympiad Double Delight Dublin Keepsake Peace Suffolk Pascali Paradise Louise Estes Barbra Streisand Chicago Peace Gemini Joyfulness
This is a short list of the best, but there are many more excellent varieties. I suggest that you review a rose book such as Ortho’s All About Roses, which is widely available in garden centers, or a rose catalog. My favorite catalog is “Edmunds Roses” because it tells it like it is. Most catalogs gloss over negative aspects, such as disease resistance, or lack of it, hardiness or floriferousness. Your final check should be with a Consulting Rosarian who grows the varieties you are interested in.
The grandiflora roses are in a class which is a cross between hybrid teas and floribundas. They are large and vigorous plants that flower in small clusters of hybrid tea-like blooms. They are excellent for a show of color, as a specimen or for cutting. Two favorite varieties are ‘Queen Elizabeth’ and ‘Gold Medal’.
Miniatures are the small roses. The average height of the miniature plant is about fifteen inches. They are very hardy. The flower form and foliage are miniature versions of the hybrid teas and floribundas. Some have the classical form of the hybrid tea. They are excellent for beds, borders, containers or hanging as they are free-flowering. Their elfin size makes them ideal plants for that small space in the garden.
Excellent varieties are:
Minnie Pearl
Linville
Jean Kenneally
Hot Tamale
Fairhope
Miss Flippins
Starina
Behold
Rainbow’s End
Snow Bride
Scentsational
Cupcake
A good aid in the selection of roses is the American Rose Society “Handbook For Selecting Roses.” It is derived from the triennial survey by rosarians. It is published yearly and distributed free to members of the American Rose Society. The scoring system used runs from “best” (9.3 to 10.0) to the “not recommended (0.0 to 6.0). It describes the color, classification, petal count and score. Membership in the American Rose Society entitles you to a monthly magazine full of information on growing roses including planting, fertilizing, pest management, general care, winter protection and pruning.
Membership in a local rose society, such as the Rhode Island Rose Society, is a must for up-to-date lectures on rose care and, of course, hands-on instruction in the Victorian Rose Garden in Roger Wiliams Park. In addition, the yearly spring rose show is an event full of anticipation and satisfaction. You will see first hand what the show judges are looking for in the perfect rose. The competition is exhilarating and encourages you to continue your search for the best horticulture practices so that your roses will win trophies.
Like most rosarians, you, too, will become a rose enthusiast.