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Larry Sagers Horticultural Specialist Utah State University Extension Service Thanksgiving Point Office © All Rights Reserved
To see pictures of these roses log onto www.deseretnews.com and go to my column in yesterday's edition.
With Valentines Day just around the corner, roses, both indoor and out are on the menu. These extraordinary flowers are both old and new. The first fossil records of the rose are thought to date back 35 million years and new roses reach the market each year.
Selecting a champion is not easy. As judges evaluate the entrants, they check the striking colors, the profuse blooms, exceptional disease resistance or an unusual sweet fragrance? For the past two years, these appraisal conducted in test gardens across the United States have been tabulated and now the winners are available.
This year, four roses are proudly announced as champions. ‘DayDream’, ‘Elle’, ‘Lady Elsie May’ and ‘About Face’ are the best new roses of the next growing season according to the AARS judges.
‘DayDream’ is following a new trend for low-growing compact landscape shrub roses. Part of the appeal is that it is highly disease resistant. It also has a moderate size, reaching just 2’ in height and has a neat round habit so it reduces the need for extensive pruning.
Part of its aesthetic appeal is the unique color in the shrub category. Look for massive clusters of lightly scented, fuchsia-pink blooms that grace the plant all summer.
Utah gardeners will love the fact that the rose is crown hardy to Zone 4. The glossy, deep green foliage make this an appealing rose for any landscape. Ping Lim hybridized ‘DayDream’ and is introduced by Bailey Nurseries of St. Paul, MN.
‘Lady Elsie May’ is the second shrub rose in this year’s winners. This upright, spreading plant has a vigorous, uniform growth habit and like most other shrub roses has excellent disease resistance.
Unlike most other shrub roses, ‘Lady Elsie May’ has an abundance of flowers that bloom in clusters on strong 12-20 inch cutting stems. Each flower is approximately 3 ½ to 4 inches wide and with only 12 –14 petals. The dark green foliage is and rugged and attractive and the blossoms are slightly fragrant. ‘Lady Elsie May’ was hybridized by Reinhard Noack and is being introduced by Angelica Nurseries of Kennedyville, MD. This variety will make an outstanding addition to you landscape or rose garden. ‘Elle’ is described as “Chic as a Parisian fashion house and sleek as the world-renowned supermodel.” This hybrid tea rose produces shell-pink flowers with deep yellow undertones. It has strong spicy, citrus fragrance in a high-centered classic rose bud. Look for dark glossy foliage with a nice contrast to the soft, non-fading flower. ‘Elle’ offers above average disease tolerance to mildew and blackspot. The powdery mildew resistance is particularly important to growers in Utah.
‘Elle’s’ flowers form on 10-14 inch stems with 4-5 inches wide blossoms that have 50-55 petals. ‘Elle’ was developed by Meilland International and The Conard-Pyle Company/Star Roses of West Grove, PA are introducing the rose into this country. Last but certainly not least is ‘About Face’. This is a grandiflora rose that has a novel ‘backwards’ bicolor flower. Look for the lighter colored, deep golden yellow tint that is carried on the inside of the petals while the darker bronzy orange-red is on the backside of the petal.
One of the most appealing characteristics is that the plant is super-vigorous compared to other roses. It combines that vigor with abundant long stemmed roses with full old-fashioned blossoms. The flowers are up to 5 inches in diameter and draw attention throughout the life of the showy bloom.
The mild fresh apple fragrance is delightful and is beautifully complemented by lush, green leaves. Tom Carruth hybridized ‘About Face’ and it is being introduced by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower of Upland, CA. Look for these outstanding roses at better local nurseries or from specialty rose growers around the country. The AARS testing and introduction program is one of the most successful and highly regarded of its kind.
Over the years it has bought to the forefront such roses wonderful favorites as ‘Peace’, ‘Mister Lincoln’, ‘Knock Out’, and ‘Bonica’. AARS operates a nationwide network of 20 official test gardens that evaluate roses on all 15 characteristics consumers want in a garden plant.
DayDream, Elle, Lady Elsie May, and About Face will be available for the 2005 planting season through selected catalogs and at retail garden stores nationwide. Additional information about the 2005 winners and past AARS winners, along with photos, is available at the Rose Resource web site at www.rose.org.
The AARS winners complete an extensive two-year trial program in these gardens located throughout the country and representing all climate zones. The rose varieties in the trials receive care similar to an average home garden to guarantee that the winners will thrive in your garden.
Rose Pruning workshops at Thanksgiving Gardens are Saturday March 19 from 10:00 AM-12:30 PM or Monday March 21 from12:30-3:00 PM. Quit guessing and learn how to prune your roses right! Come prepared for a hands-on session and bring gloves, jackets, and pruners. Register online at www.thanksgivingpoint.com or call (801)768-7443.
