• Basic Rose Gardening Tips

•
•
• Carefree Wonder - Lighter reverse, pink blend, cupped, double blooms, mild fragrance
• Martha's Vineyard - Deep pink, double, small bloom
• Augusta - Apricot & apricot blend blooms, mild fragrance
• The Fairy - clustered, pale pink, double flower blooms
• Lady of the Dawn - Light pink, large, semi-double bloom blooms, apple fragrance.

WHAT
PROBLEM DISEASE APPEARANCE IT TREATMENT
DOES

Black spots Black Circular black Causes Remove

on leaves Spot spots with leaves infected leaves
fringed edges to and pick up any
on leaves. yellow. leaves around
Initially may Lower rose. For roses
appear as leaves already
yellowish spots. are infected, spray
affected Manzate or
first. Mancozeb
every 3 days
for 3 intervals.
For future
prevention,
spray with
Funginex every
7 - 10 days.

Young Powdery Fungal disease Leaves Spray Benomyl

canes are Mildew covering curl and or Funginex
stunted and leaves, buds turn every seven to
malformed. and stems with purple. 10 days.
white powder
spread by wind.

Underside Rust Orange-red Attacks Collect and

of leaves blisters that new discard infected
have turn black in growth leaves in fall.
"blisters" or fall. in Spray Benomyl
orange spring. or Funginex
spots Is able every seven to
to 10 days.
survive
winter.

Stunted or Aphids Small soft- Suck Spray with

malformed bodied green, plant malathion or
foliage and brown or red juices diazinon.
blooms. insect clustered from
under leaves tender
and flower new
buds grown
and
buds.
 Mottled and Spider Tiny, green, Suck Apply Isotox or
weak mites red or yellow juices Orthene.
leaves. Tiny spiders on the from
white webs underside of leaves.
under leaves.
leaves.

Flowers Thrips Slender, Suck Cut and discard

don't open brown-yellow juices infested
or they insects with from flowers. Apply
open fringed wings flower malathion or
deformed. nesting in buds. Orthene in
petals are flower buds. spring before
flecked with buds have
brown. developed.

Canes are Cane- Insect and Bore Cut cane off

hollow or borers larvae difficult into below the
appear to to spot as they cane infection. Or
be rotting. live inside the and lay prune back to
rose cane. eggs. expose wood.
Check canes for Larvae Seal wounds
external eat their and entry
damage. way points with nail
down polish, glue or
through prune
the compound.
cane.

Shrub Roses
Hardy and Colorful Shrub Roses Create New Gardening
Opportunities
by Karen Dardick

What Makes a Good Shrub Rose?

• Profuse and continuous bloom

• Pest and disease resistance
• Hardiness in most climates
• Only light or infrequent pruning needed
• Attractive and functional plant shape
• Tom Carruth, research director Weeks Roses, Upland, California

There's been a revolution in the world of roses, and it's good news for gardeners.
There is a renewed interest in roses of all kinds, and a more liberal sense of their
landscape possibilities. No longer confined to the rose garden, these roses are
freely integrated into the landscape, according to their size and shape. Much
more so than just a few years ago, I see them used as garden plants -- in
perennial borders, aligned in rows for colorful screens or borders, spilling out of
hanging baskets, blanketing fences and posts and massed for ground cover.

Please keep in mind that all roses are, technically, shrubs. Furthermore, the
terms "shrub rose" or "landscape rose," are loose designations and can include
rose varieties from almost any class. Those I focus on here all grow into healthy,
well-shaped shrubs without much attention to pruning or training required.

You can buy and plant container-grown roses now, or order bare-root roses now
and plant this fall or early next spring. Many nurseries sell blooming shrub roses
in containers, just like any other landscape plant.

Shrub Varieties Proliferate

Many kinds of shrub roses have been introduced in recent years, especially the
so-called "ground covers," such as 'Cliffs of Dover', 'Flower Carpet' and 'Jeepers
Creepers'. These are ideal for slopes and large vistas. In smaller gardens, try
them as specimens in containers and hanging baskets.

There are also new shrub roses that are reliably hardy in cold climates. The
Morden and Explorer series are hardy to -25oF, and there are repeat-blooming
varieties of Rosa rugosa that are hardy to -30oF.

At the other end of the spectrum are David Austin's English roses. Although
lacking the ironclad constitution of the sturdiest shrubs, these new roses combine
the fragrance and shape of old-fashioned roses that bloom once per season with
a modern reblooming habit.

Finally, there are numerous roses that don't easily fit any existing category or
group. These include 'Iceberg', 'Lady of the Dawn', 'Simplicity' and 'Festival
Fanfare'. Officially classed as floribundas (shrubbier versions of a hybrid tea),
these roses meet or exceed all requirements of a shrub rose. Another example is
'Magic Carpet'. Classed as a large-flowered climber, it serves beautifully as a
ground cover.

Older roses that fit the shrub category include the Kordesii, musk and Buck
hybrids, ancestors of some of the new shrubs listed here. Kordesii hybrids
include the eight-foot-tall 'Dortmund'. It's hardy to -15oF and is very disease
resistant. The nearly everblooming musks like 'Buff Beauty' and 'Kathleen' grow
five to 10 feet tall and produce two-inch fragrant flowers in clusters; plants are
hardy to 0oF. Buck hybrids, such as 'Apple Jack' and 'Prairie Princess', grow
three to five feet high and are hardy to -15oF.

To be honest, I love hybrid teas, and I will probably always grow them. No other
type of rose offers such beautifully shaped flowers on long, cuttable stems, and
many are highly scented. Many modern shrub roses, products of the
environmental awareness of the early 1970's, don't require spraying, and that's
good. But notable exceptions (such as the David Austin's) aside, I've noticed that
few offer much in the way of fragrance, or make extra-long, elegant stems.

Buying and Planting

Shrub roses are sold in the traditional ways. If you purchase your roses mail
order, they will arrive bare root. Most mail-order nurseries ship in early spring,
and the roses should be planted immediately -- don't let the roots dry out. If mail-
order source can be persuaded to ship in the fall, planting then will give roses a
head start in the spring. Be certain to cover canes of fall-planted roses with soil
prior to freezing weather.

All the shrub roses listed here need at least eight hours a day of full sun for
maximum flower production and well-drained soil.

Once you've selected a site, dig a hole wide enough to extend the roots of a
bare-root plant without bending them. Spread the roots over a low cone of soil in
the center of the planting hole. Backfill with the soil removed from the hole,
firming it in place with your hands.

If you buy your plants at a nursery or garden center during the growing season,
they will be growing in containers. The advantage of buying this way is that you
see the plant in leaf or even in bloom. When transplanting a potted rose to the
garden, dig a hole that is twice the width and about the same depth as the
container (see "Hardiness" below for exceptions). Use a utility knife to cut the pot
away so that the roots are disturbed as little as possible.

Roses need water, although once established, shrubs require less than a hybrid
tea. If you live where rainfall during the growing season is slight or nonexistent,
give the young plants a deep, thorough soaking once or twice weekly through the
summer. For optimum growth, fertilize in early spring, late spring and early fall
with either organic fertilizer, fertilizers formulated specifically for roses, or both.

Most shrub roses are "self-cleaning," meaning faded flowers drop and plants
generally look neater. Deadheading or cutting off faded blooms is not necessary.
Prune to shape or to cut flowers for indoors any time of year. In spring, remove
dead wood, and if necessary, shorten two- and three-year-old growth or extra-
vigorous growth by one-third to one-half.

Hardiness

If you live where winter temperatures are 20oF or above, plant at the container
depth or so that the bud union of grafted roses (the swollen area between the
roots and where the plant branches) is at soil level. Unless otherwise noted, most
roses die to ground level at temperatures around -20oF. Where winter
temperatures range between 20o and -20oF, set the bud union deeper, two or
more inches below the soil surface.

In climates where winter temperatures reach lower than -20oF, chose nongrafted
roses grown on their own roots. "Own-root" roses are more likely to survive and
regrow after severe cold. Several are available. These include the Morden and
Explorer series, and specific varieties, such as 'Simplicity'.

Plant own-root roses at the previous soil line, indicated by the color change on
the thick shank above roots. (All of the hardiness figures offered here are based
upon a healthy, vigorous rose. Weak and poorly growing plants are less cold-
tolerant.)

Climate has another important effect on rose performance. Roses growing in

sunny, temperate regions tend to become larger than stated in some catalogs.
For instance, 'Sally Holmes' and 'Lady of the Dawn' are essentially climbers in
warm, southern regions, but are medium-sized shrubs in the North.

Experts Picks

I polled rose experts throughout the U.S. to create the following list. Roses are
arranged by height, beginning with the low-growing ground cover kinds. Because
of distinctions other than size, own-root, rugosa and David Austin roses are listed
separately. All are widely available, low-maintenance, profuse bloomers that are
rarely bothered by pests or diseases.

The brief descriptions include some shorthand words: "single" flowers have five
petals and showy stamens; "semidouble" flowers have five to 15 petals; and
"double" flowers have 20 to 50 petals or more. Flower size is the diameter of a
fully open blossom. All are self-cleaning, except those noted as "ND," which
means the faded flower need deadheading. Hardiness temperatures are
approximate, mostly because other factors in addition to actual temperature
affect hardiness; exceptions from norms are noted. (You might also factor into
your calculations that yellow roses of all types are usually less hardy than other
colors; 'Aicha' is a notable exception.) Plant dimensions, also approximate, are
given as height followed by width.

Ground Cover Roses

Mass these low-growing roses to cover banks or large areas, or accentuate their
trailing

White

• Jeepers Creepers: Flowers semidouble, 1; plant 1/2' by 4'.

• Sea Foam: Flowers double, 3; plant 1-1/2' by 3'.
 • Snow Shower: Flowers double, 1; plant 1' by 3'
• White Meidiland: Flowers double, 2; plant 1' by 3'.

Pink

• Flower Carpet: Flowers double, 1; plant 1' by 3-1/2'. Hardy to -30oF.

• Happy Trails: Flowers double, 1; plant 1' by 3'.
• Natchez: Flowers double, 1; plant
1-1/2' by 2-1/2'.

Red

• Ralph's Creeper: Flowers double, 3; plant 1' by 4'.

Yellow

• Aspen: Flowers single, 1-1/2; plant 1-1/2' by 3'.

Blends

• Augusta: Flowers single, 3; plant 2' by 5'.

• Central Park: Flowers single, 2; plant 1-1/2' by 4'.
• Magic Carpet: Flowers semidouble, 1-1/2; plant 1' by 3'.

Medium to Tall Roses

These medium to tall roses produce single stems or canes that grow four to 10
feet tall. Use them to anchor perennial borders, as specimen plants and to make
informal hedges. All are repeat bloomers and most are hardy to -15oF.

White

• Cliffs of Dover: Flowers single, 3/4; plant 2-1/2' by 4'.

• Iceberg: Flowers double, 3, ND; plant 3' by 4'.
• Lace Cascade: Flowers double, 3, ND; plant 4' by 5'.
• Sally Holmes: Flowers single,
4-1/2; canes to 18'.

Pink

• Astrid Lindgren: Flowers double, 2; plant 6' by 4'.

• Baby Blanket: Flowers double, 2; plant 3' by 4'.
• Bonica: Flowers double, 2; plant 5' by 5'.
• Boy Crazy: Flowers semidouble, 2; plant 3' by 2'.
• Camille: Flowers double, 4; plant 5' by 4'.
• Cape Cod: Flowers single, 2; plant 3' by 4'.
• Carefree Delight: Flowers single to semidouble, 1-1/2; plant 3' by 5'.
• Carefree Wonder: Flowers double, 4; plant 4' by 4'.
• Lady of the Dawn: Flowers semidouble, 4, ND; plant 5' by 4', canes to 15'.
• Lavender Dream: Flowers semidouble, 1; plant 4-1/2' by 4'.
• Martha's Vineyard: Flowers double, 2; plant 3' by 5'.
• Newport: Flowers double, 2-1/2; plant 2-1/2' by 3'.
• Pink Pollyana: Flowers double,
2-1/2; plant 3' by 2'.
• Queen Margrethe: Flowers double, fragrant, 2-1/2; plant 2' by 2'.
• Rosy Cushion: Flowers single,
2-1/2; plant 4' by 7'. Hardy to
-25oF.