‘BLANC’DOUBLE de COUBERT’ – This 4-5 foot bright white rugosa rose is super fragrant, blooming all summer long. Rugosa roses actually hate any chemicals sprayed on their shiny deep green foliage and deer don’t seem to like rugosas as much as their cousins; the modern roses. This is something to consider here in “deer country”.
‘KNOCK-OUT’ (left) – This series of shrub roses include ‘Pink’, ‘Double’ and ‘Rainbow’ ‘Knock-Out’ in addition to the original bright cherry red introduction. The bush grows to 3 feet tall and almost as wide. I stopped counting blooms last year once I hit 350 on just one bush. This series of roses is one of the best investments for your garden. Superb disease resistance.
‘HANSA’ – This is another 4 foot rugosa. ‘Hansa’ is a super fragrant (clove) magenta rose that also detests chemical sprays on it. It displays beautiful orange rose hips in the winter and is a joy to grow. ‘Hansa’ has been hangin’ around since 1905.
‘LIVIN’ EASY’ – This orange blend floribunda was introduced in 1992 winning the AARS award that year. It remains very popular because of its fruity fragrance and easy care.
‘MEMORIAL DAY’ – Another AARS winner from 2004 ‘Memorial Day’ is living up to the award. A lovely pink 5 foot hybrid tea that has that strong, classic old rose fragrance and foliage that is clean as a whistle. An application of Terosa ensures buckets of bloom.
‘MOONDANCE’- A white floribunda that was one of the AARS winners in 2007 and is proving to be one of the most disease resistant floribundas around. It would be perfect as a low maintenance hedge. The fragrance will remind you of raspberries.
‘OLYMPIAD’(left-middle) – This red 5 foot hybrid tea definitely lives up to its name. Once established it becomes a bloomin’ machine that is eager only to please. ‘Olympiad’ was an AARS winner in 1984 and remains one of the highest rated hybrid teas around.
‘SUNSPRITE’ – The first rose that bloomed in my very first rose garden when I was only 20 years old and just beginning my passion for rose growing. This compact bright yellow 3-4 foot floribunda has shiny dark green foliage with a strong fragrance. Winning the AARS award in 1977 was only one of its deserving awards.
‘TOURNAMENT OF ROSES’(Bottom left) – This medium pink grandiflora is covered with sprays of bloom all summer long. Winning the AARS award in 1989 was only the beginning. Many have discovered how easy and rewarding this rose is to grow.
‘WESTERLAND’ - I honestly don’t know how this fantastic apricot 10 foot climber does in all parts of the country, but in the Pacific Northwest it grows beautifully. Wonderful fragrance and frilly petals make this rose worthy for anyone’s garden. It can also be grown as more of a shrub than a climber if one would like.‘WESTERLAND’ climbing rose can be grown successfully with a clematis vine growing inside it.
AARS AWARD is the All America Rose Selections which are only given to newer roses after rigorous testing in gardens and thus different climates all over the country. The award is given based on over 15 important qualities such as disease resistance, fragrance and overall vigor to name a few. The roses that ultimately win this award have to perform well in all parts of the country therefore suggesting an exceptional rose on all levels.
Terri Hiatt works at Peninsula Gardens as a buyer, designer and rose expert. She teaches gardening classes all over the Pacific Northwest and also at Peninsula Gardens and at Tacoma Community College in Gig Harbor and is the creator of Terosa Ultimate Once A Year Fertilizers. She can be reached at terrihiatt@hotmail.com.
