You Bet Your Garden!

Mike McGrath, host of the public radio show of the same name, recently provided tips for chemical-free rose gardening and a list of disease-resistant roses to choose from.

His primary source for information was Dr. Tommy Cairns, past president of the American Rose Society and author of Ortho All About Roses.

Some general tips:
* To prevent diseases always plant roses in open areas with lots of airflow and sun.
* Prune off dead, damaged and diseased canes in the spring as new growth appears.
* Clean up and discard the old mulch under your roses and add an inch of compost.
* Roses with waxy leaves rather than papery leaves tend to be more disease-resistant.

Not surprisingly, the list of carefree roses begins with the popular Knock-Out roses but most of the others, including a couple of hybrid teas, may be less familiar to casual rose growers:

Hybrid teas: Kardinal, a red rose that lasts long as a cut flower; Cabana, an orange-yellow rose from Jackson & Perkins; pale yellow Elina and Ronald Reagan, a deep red rose.

Floribundas: Julia Child, a yellow with a spicy scent; apricot Amber Queen; Passionate Kisses, neon pink; and Bolero, Moon Dance and Fabulous, all white roses. Moon Dance is a 2007 ARS winner.

Grandiflora: Wild Blue Yonder, a deep purple with citrus fragrance.

Shrub roses: Roses in the Easy Elegance series especially Fiesta with its explosion of pink and white blooms; Macy’s Pride, creamy white with hint of pink; Snow Drift, white flowers with 50 petals on each;

Climbers: Showtime, a clear red with bright gold stamens and Eden Rose (also called Pierre de Ronsard), a medium pink climber with old-garden type cabbage roses. I found this photo of the Pierre de Ronard by Googling and think it is now my new favorite rose.