Originally Published In The Deseret News -- Thursday, March 21, 1996
More Blooms Take The Prize This Year Than In Any Recent Year, And There's Not A Red One In The Bunch.
Larry Sagers Is A Horticulturist With The Utah State University Extension Service.
Although everything is not yet "coming up roses," All-American Rose Selections has announced more winners this year than in any recent year. The honorees are a diverse group, without a red rose among them. Each winner is truly unique. Rosarians have tested them throughout the country and found all to perform well under many growing conditions.
I think the name "Mt. Hood" is outstanding for a new rose. One of the most beautiful of all rose "pictures" I have ever seen is the spectacular sight of roses growing in Portland, Ore., a city aptly named "the City of Roses."
As early as the 1890s Portland established an annual Festival of Roses. A horticultural society called the Mystic Order of the Rose gave out free cuttings to homeowners and public gardens throughout the area to promote rose growing. Portland's 41/2-acre international test garden is beautiful. The wonderful snow-capped peaks of Mt. Hood in the distance add to the spectacular setting. And that makes Mt. Hood an appropriate name for a lovely rose that is among this year's All-American Selections, which include three other varieties.
- Mt. Hood has a soft, white color with a hint of apricot. The rose conjures images of a ruffled white eyelet and lace with its romantic old-fashioned white blooms. The rose is tall and combines well with Dusty Miller and pastel shades of delicate, sweet allysum.
- Carefree Delight, another AARS winner, would be excellent for an English-style cottage garden. The plant is covered with beautiful five-petaled carmine-pink blossoms. It is a free-flowering prolific shrub rose that is easy to grow with few pest problems. It makes a beautiful privacy screen or a casual hedge to screen unsightly views.
- Livin' Easy will light up your garden with a profusion of apricot-orange blossoms. Group them with golden-orange poppies at their base for a sunny treat. The large, full blossoms will enhance any garden.
- St. Patrick is a trend-setting new color. The rose is covered with daring chartreuse flowers. Although not as dark as an Irish shamrock, the color makes it a sure head-turner in the garden. The rose pairs well with salmon-pink flowers for a flattering contrast.
This year's winners have been specially selected to be low maintenance. This makes them the perfect choice for the "gardening-challenged." The reputation that roses sometimes have as fussy, delicate prima donnas is sometimes undeserved. I find that given the right growing conditions, most roses are reasonably problem-free.
Plant them where they will get at least six hours of full sun each day. All roses need well-drained soil. If your soil is less than perfect, add organic matter such as compost, mulch, sawdust or other amendments. Your roses will also thank you for a layer of mulch several inches deep around the established plants. This helps moderate soil temperatures and keeps the ground moist while discouraging weeds. As the mulch decomposes, it adds nutrients to the soil.
Producing all those flowers requires plenty of fertilizer. Fertilize roses several times each season. Make the first application as they begin to leaf out and again after each flush of blooms.
In our area, powdery mildew is the most serious disease. Planting rose beds in areas with good air circulation is the best control. Persistent problems may require treatment with Funginex of Halts. Insect problems include aphids, mites and strawberry root weevils. Washing the plants with a strong stream of fresh water often controls aphids and mites. Insecticidal soaps are also effective against these pests. Use pesticides only if problems become very severe, as pesticides often kill the beneficial insects.
Strawberry root weevils are more persistent pests that cause notched edges on all of the leaves. They are more difficult to control and usually require a pesticide such as Orthene or Lily Miller Pestkill Rose and Rhododendron Dust. Parasitic nematodes are also effective.
If you would like more information on growing roses, including a list of rose varieties tested by the Utah Rose Society and found to do well in Utah, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to me c/o Deseret News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.
- LANDSCAPE CLASS: Tuesdays, March 26; April 2, 9, 16, 23; May 7; 2-4:30 p.m. Teaches how to design or renovate your landscape, selecting plant materials, and how to integrate time, water and money-saving techniques. Designed for new homeowners or for those with existing landscapes that they would like to improve. Includes a landscape design handbook and a personal consultation on your landscape design at the end of the class. Enrollment is limited. Cost is $25 for materials. Call 468-3170 for registration information.
- UK UTAH CELEBRATION - During a visit to Utah, Adrian Bloom, a world-renowned perennial gardener, will speak in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the University of Utah campus on Saturday, March 23, 7-9 p.m. For more information, call 581-IRIS.
- THE UTAH ROSE SOCIETY will present a rose-pruning demonstration at the garden center in Sugarhouse Park on Saturday, March 30, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. There is no charge. Consulting rosarians will be on hand to answer questions.
- DAFFODIL DAYS for the American Cancer Society have been postponed because of severe weather on the West Coast. Originally scheduled for March 18-22, Daffodil Days will now be March 25-29. For more information, contact your local American Cancer Society office.
© 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.