Roses For Beginners: The Top Five

Carefree Sunshine

Over the last ten years, new easy to grow rose varieties have been introduced to eliminate the intimidation factor of growing these beautiful plants. If you’ve tried to grow roses before without much success, take heart and give them another try. These varieties have been bred to be hardy and disease resistant. You can expect a season of color and reward without much fuss!

Here are my recommended “Top Five Roses for Beginners”:

1. Knock Out Roses - These hardy and prolific shrub roses are show-stoppers all season long. They now come in seven different colors ranging from red-pinks to coral-yellows. Developed to withstand the hot, humid summers and cold, blustery winters of the Midwest. The best-selling roses of all time.

2. Flower Carpet Roses - Compact and ever-blooming this series was started in Germany in the 1990′s. These are considered groundcover roses and are very popular with landscapers due to their easy to maintain attributes. Available in many different color variations.

3. Carefree Roses - These beloved shrub roses are very disease resistant. They grow 3 – 5 ft. high and are easy to please. I have ‘Carefree Beauty’ (rosy pink) and ‘Carefree Sunshine’ (sunny yellow) thriving in my rose garden.

4. Rugosa Shrub Roses - Known for their extreme hardiness, their alluring spicy scent and attractive foliage. They are grown on their own roots and do not need winter protection. One of my favorites is ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’ with her pure white blooms that absolutely glow. Elegant and easy to grow!

5. Oso Easy Shrub Roses - These gorgeous charmers are new to the landscape rose scene. They are tested to be very resistant to black spot and powdery mildew – the most common rose diseases. They are also self-cleaning and ever-blooming. Winning rave reviews! I just purchased ‘Oso Easy Peachy Cream’. I love some of the other names too: ‘Cherry Pie’, ‘Honey Bun’, & ‘Strawberry Crush’ among them. I’m getting hungry just typing them! ; )

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