Every year as our rose season winds down here in Windsor, Connecticut, I like to share with everyone a few roses that I believe are true Oscar winning performers! Here in my garden, I always feel that all my roses are stars, but some stand out and shout ‘Look at Me!!!’ Here are some that you may like to plant in your garden in the future.
‘Pure Posh’ was a new introduction by Jackson and Perkins this year. I fondly remember this rose from my years as an All-America Rose Selections judge. It has everything going for it! It is a tall and vigorous rose. ‘Pure Posh’ is a long-stemmed hybrid tea that is a luscious shade of lavender with a darker edge to the petals. Her fragrance wafts everywhere in the garden, although if you stick your nose into the blossom you’ll find out that the fragrance is richly rose-y and complex with a delightful fruitiness. Her foliage dresses the plant in rich, dark green. Her blossoms regularly exceed five inches in width, and she just might be the Queen you’ve been waiting for at the next rose show you compete in! I am frequently amazed with how fast this rose grows back after deadheading. You may want more than one of these, so I suggest you check out Jackson and Perkins on line and reserve yours for next spring! Don’t wait too long as this spring they sold out really early. Thank you, Dr. Keith Zary for creating this beauty!
‘Beverly,’ a Kordes rose from Germany has been introduced by J&P and is in their catalog. I’ve been growing this rose for awhile now…it was also in the AARS test garden years ago. ‘Beverly’ has amazing vigor! Sometimes it seems that she grows six inches overnight, and it is rare to see her out of bloom. She has deep, dark green, robust shiny foliage that has amazing disease resistance. Her blossoms are up to five inches across and she has a tendency to bloom in huge clusters with shorter stems. Once in awhile this lady will deliver a long stem that you can disbud to take to the rose show. I think this lovely girl makes an absolutely tremendous garden rose and I am so glad that she came to live with me. Jackson and Perkins has other Kordes roses in their Fall catalog. They are all worth trying because of their superior disease resistance, and they all have a lovely fragrance, as well. Their catalog is free for the asking, and when I went through it the other day I was just thrilled.
Star Roses has given us some wonderful gifts in the rose kingdom over the years. ‘Passionate Kisses’ is a floribunda that is electric salmony pink, and she blooms in huge clusters from the first of June until the ground freezes! She grows four feet high or maybe a little higher. She, also, has tremendous disease resistance and is a brilliant rose in the garden. Even on a cloudy day you almost need sunglasses to look at her. Plant this rose and have a season of color year after year.
‘Sunshine Daydream’ is also from Star. It was the next-to-the-last AARS winner before the company went out of business. There were over 20 test gardens for AARS all over the country. All the roses in the trials were evaluated in 18 different categories for two years; climbers for three because they take longer to establish. In order to win that coveted AARS award, the rose had to do extremely well in all areas of the country. Disease resistance was paramount. I knew the first year that this rose was a winner. She has been in my garden for a number of years now, and this year she has grown chin-high! She has no noticeable fragrance, but her foliage is lime-green and she is clothed right down to the ground. She blooms in enormous clusters of soft, moonlight yellow and she sparkles under the moon after dark. She is vigorous and full and always in bloom. Check with your local garden center and ask them to order from Star Roses for next spring.
One more from Star? Gorgeous ‘Mother of Pearl!’ This peachy-pink rose is registered as a Grandiflora, but I think of it more as a very tall floribunda because the stems are not usually long enough to cut for a vase. But, the huge clusters of beautifully formed roses that are 4-5″ across come on tall stems. One tall stem supports 5-7 beautiful blooms, and these sprays are like a rose parasol! ‘Mother of Pearl’ has stopped traffic on my street. My neighbors walk by and swoon at the sight of her. One more thing? Not only is she gorgeous, but she is squeaky clean. Mention her when you go to your garden center, too. With the disease resistance on these newer introductions, Star has proven that you can find a superior rose that LOOKS like a rose for your garden at home. I love mine! And, I’m hoping you’ll fall in love with these introductions, too!
