2020 Rose Review

by Jeff Garrett

As we anticipate the coming rose season, let’s start by taking a look back at how some of our roses performed the previous season. For this article, I will limit my review to standard roses that have been growing in our garden for three years or less. However, not all of these roses are new to the market.

Alfred Sisley - is a shrub named after impressionist painter Alfred Sisley. Bred by Delbard and introduced in the United States by Certified Roses, the eye catching blooms have orange-pink stripes with a yellow reverse. Our 2nd year plant improved significantly from last year and we got some very eye-catching blooms. Looking forward to seeing how it does in year three.

All Dressed Up – is a medium pink grandiflora bred by Christian Bedard of Weeks Roses. While our 3rd year plant did improve from last year, this variety just does not excite us and we will probably discard it. Our plant is not nearly big enough for a grandiflora and the blooms are generally small.

Arctic Blue – is a mauve floribunda from Christian Bedard at Weeks Roses. We are growing it in our ‘no-spray’ test area, where it has some blackspot but not enough to defoliate the plant. Our 3rd year bush is rather compact and the attractive lavender blooms have a nice white reverse with mild fragrance. If you don’t spray fungicides, you might want to check this variety out.

At Last – is an apricot blend floribunda introduced in the United States by White Flower Farm. We are growing this variety in our ‘no spray’ test area. After 3 years, we just can’t get this variety to grow. We have grown it on its own roots as well as on multiflora rootstock. The attractive apricot blooms have lots of petals, but it just will not grow. Time to discard and move on.

Bleeding Heart - is a red blend floribunda from Dave Bang. The blooms have attractive red and white stripes with generally good form. Our 2nd year bush improved some but it is still a pretty small plant. Since we love the blooms, we will continue to work with it in hopes that the plant vigor will improve and the blooms will get larger.

Bordeaux - is a medium red floribunda from Tim Kordes. Our 1st year plant produced an abundance of red blooms with lots of petals. This appears to be a good variety to grow in a container, as it is a compact grower. It is advertised as having good disease resistance, so we will move it to our ’no-spray’ test area this spring.

Burst of Joy - is a new orange blend floribunda bred by Tom Carruth. The hybrid tea form blooms have orange petals with a yellow reverse. Our 1st year plant grew well but we are not sure this variety likes our summer heat. The blooms are eye-catching, but time will tell.

Camille Pissaro - is a new floribunda bred by Delbard from France. It is being introduced in the United States by Certified Roses. All of the blooms are a different combination of yellow, red, pink and white. Our 1st year plant was medium height and produced some very attractive blooms.

Carmella Fairy Tale - is a medium yellow shrub bred by William Kordes. This vigorous plant is growing in our ‘no-spray’ test area. Our 2nd year plant did have some issue with blackspot and is very slow to repeat bloom. Generally nice blooms but certainly not enough of them.

Celestial Night – is a mauve floribunda bred by Christian Bedard. This plant is growing in our ‘no spray’ test area. The ruffled blooms have a nice rich purple color and lots of petals. The color is definitely better in cooler weather. Our 3rd year bush continued to show reasonably good resistance to blackspot.

Clair Elyse - is a wonderful hybrid tea from John Smith. New to our garden this year, the orange-red blooms are very attractive. They have good form with plenty of petals and good size. The plant grows well and throws nice long stems. Adding more of this variety.

Crazy Love (La Villa Cotta) - is a orange blend shrub bred by Tim Kordes. This is another variety that we have in our ‘no-spray’ test area. Our 2nd year plant is very vigorous and the blooms are nice and fragrant. So far, it has shown good resistance to disease while producing some very eye-catching blooms. Good variety!

Darcy Bussell – is a red blend shrub from David Austin Roses. In its 3rd year in our garden, this appears to be a rather compact plant that produces lots of nice clusters of deep crimson blooms with old fashioned form. This is a good plant for containers or where a compact bush is desirable.

Easter Basket - is a nice yellow blend floribunda from Alain Meilland. Our 2nd year plant produced lots of beautiful creamy white blooms that have a light yellow center and are blushed with a nice lavender-pink edge. We really like this floribunda.

Easy Spirit – is a white floribunda bred by Tom Carruth. We have grown this variety for 3 years and we think it is a real winner. It produces lots of clean white blooms with good exhibition form. The bush is medium height and is advertised as disease resistant. We haven’t had any blackspot issues with this plant.

Enchanted Peace - is a new hybrid tea from Meilland. The blooms are an attractive yellow with strong orange shading. So far, the form has been a little loose and generally lacks a nice high center. Our 1st year plant was a little slow to get started but the color combination is eye-catching. We will keep watching.

Fired Up – is an orange blend floribunda bred by Alain Meilland. The eye-catching blooms have about 10 petals. Bloom color is orange with yellow stripes which are striking. It took a few years, but this variety is finally growing and blooming well. It does seem to grow better on multiflora rootstock than its own roots.

Forever Yours - is a new red hybrid tea bred by Christian Evers of Germany. Our 1st year plant produced some nice medium sized blooms with decent form on long strong stems. Vigorous plant, especially for a 1st year variety.

Frida Kahlo – is a red blend floribunda from Christian Bedard and Weeks Roses. The ruffled red striped gold blooms finish with a red blush. This vigorous variety is a winner in our garden. It produces lots of striking blooms on a strong plant.

Fun in the Sun - is a new apricot blend grandiflora bred by Christian Bedard from Weeks Roses. The blooms are a light yellow with an apricot center. Our 1st year bush was somewhat short for a grandiflora, but the canes were strong and straight. The blooms have old garden rose form with lots of petals and good fragrance.

Golden Fairy Tale - is a yellow blend hybrid tea by Tim Kordes. The medium yellow blooms have a hint of red in cooler weather. Our 2nd year plant continues to be a vigorous grower and the blooms have a nice fragrance. Could stand to bloom a little more often.

Gypsy Carnival - is not new to the market, but it is new to our garden. This floribunda has attractive red blooms blushed with a yellow reverse. Our 1st year plant grew well and we do like the blooms. Glad we got it!

Heart of Fire – is a striking yellow blend floribunda from Dave Bang. It has taken 3 years for our plant to grow, but we are finally seeing some improvement in plant vigor and bloom production. The yellow blooms have a rich orange edge which makes them really stand out in the garden. Not an easy variety to grow, but the beautiful blooms are worth the effort.

Hot Prince - is a red blend hybrid tea from Donald Johnson. A cross between Gemini and Hot Princess, the blooms are similar to Hot Princess with more rich red coloration. Our 2nd year plant continues to produce some very nice exhibition quality blooms. We added another plant last year.

In Your Eyes - is a new yellow blend shrub bred by Tom Carruth. The relatively small blooms have only 4 to 8 petals. The blooms start out as yellow with a red eye aging to lavender pink with a deep purple eye. Our 1st year bush was very slow to grow and tends to be a spreader. We are hoping it will be more vigorous in the coming season.

Love at First Sight - is a red blend hybrid tea from Weeks Roses. The cherry red blooms with a lighter reverse have over fifty petals. Our 1st year plant died and we replaced it with one on multiflora rootstock. The new plant grew better but is still rather small. The blooms have outstanding coloration. Hopefully it will improve this coming season.

Maurice Utrillo - is a red blend floribunda by Delbard and offered by Certified Roses. Our 2nd year plant has a spreading growth habit. The red and white striped blooms don’t have many petals and are rather small, even for a floribunda. Not sure about the future of this variety in our garden!

Melania - is a new hybrid tea from Fred Wright. Our 2nd year plant on its own roots continued to produce some really nice coral cream blooms with exhibition form. We are adding more plants this coming season. Hopefully this rose will get on the market soon, as it is definitely one to watch.

Miss Shelby – is a pink blend hybrid tea from Fred Wright. The blooms are white with rich pink edges. Our 3rd year plant is growing and blooming well. The blooms are just a little small and can be a little flat.

Orange Crush - is an orange blend hybrid tea from the florist industry. The rich orange blooms really stand out, especially in the cooler times of the year. Our 1st year plant was a maiden on multiflora rootstock, so it took some time to get growing, but by fall it was growing and blooming well. Not yet sure about exhibition potential, but we are certainly looking forward to seeing more of this variety.

Pinkerbelle – is a pink blend hybrid tea from Meilland. The delicate white blooms are blushed with a pink edge. However, after growing this variety for 3 years we have decided to discard it as it just does not like our summer heat. The blooms are small and the plant sulks in the heat.

Polar Express - is a white shrub from Tim Kordes. Our 2nd year plant is growing in our ‘no-spray’ test area and has shown decent resistance to blackspot. The vigorous grower is a stingy bloomer and the blooms are very small. We will probably discard this variety.

Princess Charlene de Monaco - is an apricot blend hybrid tea bred by Alain Meilland. The blooms have 40 plus petals and are very fragrant. We like this variety so well that it has found a permanent home in our garden. This bush has good vigor and bloom power. The large blooms have old garden rose form and are fragrant.

Rio Samba - is a yellow blend hybrid tea bred by Bill Warriner. We have only had this older variety for 2 seasons in our garden. The yellow blooms with red edges age to red. The blooms are eye-catching and the bush is of medium height. While not particularly good for exhibition, this variety is still nice for the garden, as it draws lots of attention from visitors to the garden.

Rose of Hope - is floribunda bred by Tiim Kordes. The light yellow blooms are blushed with a hint of pink. The medium sized blooms have lots of petals. Our 1st year plant is a compact grower and looks to be a good choice for a container, as it blooms a lot. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this variety goes to help children with cancer.

Rosie the Riveter – is an orange blend floribunda from Christian Bedard and Weeks Roses. While the blooms do have striking color in the spring, the plant just doesn’t do much the rest of the season. We discarded this variety.

Scentuous - is a light pink shrub bred by Hans Evers of Germany. The old garden form blooms have lots of petals with a strong fragrance. Our 1st year plant had a nice bushy growth habit and produced lots of blooms.

Shirley’s Bouquet – is a white hybrid tea bred by Pierre Orard. Our 3rd year bush continues to be a rather compact grower, but does produce lots of small pure white blooms. We are on the fence as to whether we will keep this variety for another year.

South Africa—is a deep yellow grandiflora from Kordes. Our 2nd year plant continues to be a rather short grower and somewhat stingy bloomer. However, the rich deep yellow blooms are absolutely beautiful. This variety has won several awards and is a nice addition to the garden.

Sunny Sky - is a medium yellow hybrid tea bred by Tim Kordes. Our vigorous 2nd year plant continued to grow and produce lots of nice large blooms. This variety has good disease resistance also. This is a very nice garden rose.

Sweet Jane - is a dark yellow floribunda bred by Tim Kordes. The medium size blooms have 80 to 90 petals and a light fragrance. Our 1st year bush grew well but was a little stingy with the blooms.

Sweet Mademoiselle – is a pink blend hybrid tea from Meilland. The large and fragrant peachy pink blooms have old garden rose form with lots of petals. This variety grows and blooms well. This is a keeper in our garden!

Sweet Spirit - is a new red blend grandiflora bred by Alain Meilland. Our 2nd year plant is weak and not growing well. Not sure if we got a bad plant or this plant just won’t grow in our climate.

Twice in a Blue Moon – is a German rose bred by Hans Jurgen Evers and introduced by Tantau Roses. The attractive pale lilac blooms are borne on long stems and have a very nice fragrance. This past spring, we moved our plant from the potted area to a permanent spot in our garden. Our only issue with this variety is it is a little slow to repeat bloom.