In the Garden Articles

New 2007 Roses

by Joan S. Bolton

The best roses ever.

Every year, that's the word from rose breeders about their newest crop. It may sound like nothing more than a sales slogan. But there is merit to the message. In times past, breeders focused on creating gorgeous blooms. Now many have shifted their attention to better disease resistance and longer bloom times.

The result? Gorgeous roses that are easier to grow.

As for how to find them: start with All-America Rose Selections winners. These roses typically represent the gold standard in beautiful blooms and less maintenance. The 2007 winners -- Rainbow Knock Out, Moondance and Strike It Rich -- are now being released.

Rainbow Knock Out

This bushy, round shrub rose is a pink version of its popular parent, the cherry-red Knock Out, a 1997 AARS winner. It grows about 3 feet tall and wide, and bears small, simple flowers composed of five petals, yellow centers and tall, plump stamens. The flowers appear all over, from top to bottom, on short stems above dark green, semi-glossy leaves. The look is somewhat like a camellia.

Rainbow Knock Out resists the big three: black spot, powdery mildew and rust. The flowers aren't fragrant. But the petiole, where the leaf stalk is connected to the stem, is supposed to smell like a moss rose when crushed. Rainbow Knock Out is also said to bloom year-round in mild climates. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Chicago Botanic Garden rosarian William Radler hybridized Rainbow Knock Out -- and the original Knock Out. The Conard Pyle Co. of West Grove, Pennsylvania, is launching the introduction.

Moondance

This upright floribunda rose bears creamy white flowers with a hint of yellow at the centers. The spicy-scented, 3-inch-wide flowers are composed of about 25 petals each, and are born on stems up to 18 inches tall. Like Rainbow Knock Out, it was bred to resist black spot, mildew and rust.

One of Moondance's parents is the ubiquitous and amazingly prolific Iceberg rose, which was introduced in 1958. It will be interesting to see if Iceberg can really be improved upon, given its terrific track record. Perhaps those longer stems, making Moondance an excellent candidate for bouquets, will tip the scales.

Keith Zary of Jackson & Perkins hybridized Moondance, and it's being introduced by the Medford, Oregon, company.

Strike It Rich

This upright grandiflora rose also has a famous parent: Sutter's Gold, a 1950 AARS winner.

The fragrant flowers bloom in an orangish-gold, with a touch of deep pink or red at the tips, and measure up to 5 inches across. Each maintains a classic rose form and bears about 30 petals. I received a "sneak preview" shrub last year that grew about 4 feet tall. Based on catalog descriptions, it should reach 5 to 6 feet tall this year. The stems are an unusual dark red, and at full height, can be expected to grow up to 2 feet tall, making Strike It Rich a perfect bouquet rose. .

I planted mine with yellow coreopsis, but the flower colors were too similar, and the single rose felt a little lost. I'll transplant it in front of my Mexican bush sage in the next few weeks. The contrast with the sage's velvety purple plumes should really make Strike It Rich pop.

Tom Carruth of Weeks Roses hybridized Strike It Rich. His Upland, California, company is handling the introduction.

Other New Prospects

AARS roses are scrutinized for two years in more than 20 test gardens across the country. But they're not the only worthy candidates for the Central Coast.

Close to home, just about any introduction from California-based Weeks Roses is bound to grow well here. Tom Carruth has hybridized 12 AARS winners since 1996, including Sunset Celebration, Scentimental, Fourth of July, Hot Cocoa and my newest favorite rose, the buttery yellow Julia Child.

For 2007, Weeks is releasing 10 new roses. Along with Strike it Rich, they include Burgundy Iceberg, which is said to behave just like Iceberg, except with dark purple-red flowers and nearly thornless stems; Vavoom, which bears eye-popping orange flowers; and Sky's the Limit, a reblooming yellow climber.

Jackson & Perkins, out of Oregon, is another good source. Over the years, I've found disease resistance to be a little hit or miss. But the flowers are always beautiful.

For 2007, J&P's self-proclaimed "Rose of the Year" is Sheer Magic, a tall hybrid tea with fragrant coral and cream buds that spiral as they open.

J&P's other 16 new roses include Bishop's Castle, a plump, raspberry-pink English-style rose with an amazing 80 petals per flower; Cinnamon Twist, with ruffly petals in an orangish-coral; Happy Chappy, a low-growing ground cover with 5-petaled flowers that bloom in shades of pink, apricot and orange; and the three 2007 AARS winners.

Culling Roses

With so many new wonderful roses every year, you may need to yank out fussy or disappointing old-timers to make room.

However, removing old roses may not be easy. Most modern roses are grafted onto vigorous root stock. Even the teensiest bit of root left behind is more than happy to spring forth by summertime. The roots typically produce long, thorny stems and small, muddy red or dark magenta flowers.

In the heavy clay in my garden, the roots tend to snap off, leaving many remnants. It can take several years to eradicate an old rose.

My worst experience has been with French Lace. The flowers were a beautiful creamy white. But the leaves suffered an endless stream of disease. I should have dug out the plants after their first miserable year. But I waited four years. Now, six years after that, I'm still struggling with suckers.

Removing old roses in loose, sandy soil may be easier. But as a precaution, don't plant a new rose in the same hole as an old one. instead, shift a foot or two to one side. If suckers do arise, you'll have better access to dig them out.

Seeds of Wisdom

If you can't plant your bare-root roses immediately, keep their roots moist with damp paper towel, sawdust, sand or mulch, along with a loose, plastic wrap.