My 'Mme. Antoine Mari' at the foot of the terrace, close to the front door. An armful of mulch and an annual pruning to keep her contained and removed snow-smashed canes, and that's it. And she is glorious: vigorous and elegant, with the loveliest blooms. And there's a small group of mostly Gallica roses at the bottom of the garden, close to the ditch where they get abundant water and fertilizer, part shade and wind protection. Very healthy, very vigorous, very trouble-free. This group includes 'Belle Isis', 'Dumortier', R. gallica 'Splendens', 'Hyppolite', 'Petite Orleanaise', 'Mecene', and 'Violacea'.
My roses are very rewarding plants. Others are lavender, persimmons, flowering ash, mahonias, hellebores, and common privet, the last simply because it's nearly evergreen, is cheap and available, grows everywhere and is unkillable. Almost all broadleaf evergreen shrubs struggle here, and they're valuable in the garden.

Oh Strawbs, guess you have not heard of the UK 'hedge wars' and the dreaded Leylandii cypress - an interspecies hybrid of ENORMOUS vigour, reaching monumental heights in a few years, blocking light and leaching soil - neighbours have actually killed each other over high hedges. So much so, with our limited space and little gardens, that we had to have new legislation to limit the height of hedges - councils can now fine and fell with some abandon.....and not before time as these horrors have blighted surburban landscapes.
As for payback, well food is an obvious choice but nonetheless, my blackcurrants have been providing cordial and jam for my friends and family for the past 8 years. True, I winge and whine every July when the picking and jamming season starts but then, we help ourselves to big jugs of blackcurrant, after a day at the allotment, or spread a slice of toast in January with liquid summer, and all seems worthwhile.

Strawberry, you spruce hedge is the most oldfashioned Swedish country hedge for windy locations. I get sentimental when I see this hedge, a real heirloom, not often seen now. I would have loved to have had one when we moved here instead of our very ugly spiraea hedge. We must keep it against the street. We were amused to read the expert comments about Ulf Nordfjell's winning show garden at Chelsea 2007 about how "modern" his use of clipped spruces was. Thuja, beech or privet are preferred in today's gardens, or lilac, another oldfashioned hedging plant.

My best buy was the 60 cheap box plants we got 17 years ago. I am glad they were cheap as we are likely to lose them to box blight any time now, a disease that is creeping near us. Another dear plant is our pear tree, in part because we didn't expect much from it as this variety, Clara Frijs, is marginally hardy here. We had a glut of pears this summer, ate as many as possible and froze the rest in syrup.

Now that it's winter (well, okay, it's 70 degrees but you know what I mean) the rose that's been the most abundant in bloom and beautiful is Souvenir de la Malmaison. I put off getting this rose for a long time because the pictures of it just didn't enthuse me, and even in the beginning I couldn't figure out what the fuss was all about, but now that it's more mature I can understand its popularity. It never stops blooming, is healthy and bushy, and the blooms have finally taken on a gorgeous shape and color. It's paler in summer and probably would like more humidity than it gets here, but overall it's a joy now, and I'm really glad that I have two!

Ingrid

It's really hard to pick any one that has given the best payoff. I really like them all. Maybe the hydrangeas because they start to get their mop heads in early July and I don't dead head them so they stay lovely, just changing colors as they age, until first frost in October. That's a LONG bloom season! They were all Mother's Day plants we gave my Mom over the years that we just planted out in the garden after they started to droop in the house. Everyone said they wouldn't grow because they were hot house forced planced meant to be tossed out. Lol, some of them are 30 years old now!

For roses, it would have to be Belinda's Dream. Except for after a freeze, I always have enough of her big scented blooms for at least a small bouquet.

Amaryllis would be the biggest bang for the buck as far as bulbs go. They go off like fireworks here no matter how badly they're treated.

For annuals, it would have to be larkspur. So gorgeous in the vase and return year after year.

8 Eden climber roses in my cutting garden - I sell the flowers to 3 different florists for 2 dollars each.

probably my camellias. They cost a bit at first, but you let them hang out in the shade and water them a few times a week. You only need to feed them a few times a year. Cottonseed meal and later some flowering food and weak fish emulsion. Slowly they grow until 6-8 years later they are becoming small little trees loaded with the most spectacular flowers you ever saw. I call them my winter roses. They don't get bugs and leaf problems and hardly any pruning. Just a cleanup of flowers at the end. No thorns, no gloves no hassles. And it gets better every year as the plants get bigger with more flowers.

But I love my roses! As much work as they are they are worth it. The trimming, training, days of hauling mulch and deadheading. Expensive foods and gallons of water. Galls and bugs and fungus on the leaves that drive me nuts. Flowers that ball, proliferate and fry in the sun or shatter in the wind.

Now who's my best rose? Maybe my Francois Rabelais. He's got the best spot and gets the best of everything. Always looks fine like George Clooney going down the red carpet on Oscar night. The most fuss-free roses I have are my Gruss an Aachen, Irene Watts ( we call her "once upon a watts" because of the ongoing debate about the name), a superfine row of pink rosette and a nice big bush of pink parfait that never quits until you cut it back. Another no fuss performer is my own root Johann Strauss. The most showy rose I have for the money is the climber peach silk from Heirloom. That rose looks like a catalog cover every spring and holds the flowers a long time and reblooms decently after that.

I bought a small division of the white iris "frequent flyer" which has prospered so well. No matter how I give it away, I always have enough left to make a show that repeats through the year.

Hi Kitty, I enjoyed what you wrote, thanks for info. on Johann Strauss, Gruss an Aachen, and Irene Watts. Camellias are gorgeous - and I also like hydrangeas as Seil mentioned for partial shade.

I'm glad to hear from Neil, or cupshaped_roses. I enjoy Neil's post on Benjamin Britten (already ordered Ben for this spring). Thank you, Seil, Ingrid, floridaroses, Melissa, Marianne, and Campanula for all your feedbacks.

Fruits taste different on different soils. My soil is high in lime, and my peach tree gives sweeter fruits than the peaches that I picked from Michigan. In contrast, my pear trees' fruits are bad-tasting compared to my Mom's pear in Michigan. Pear tree lasts for more than 20 years, peach tree doesn't last that long.

The best pay-back are those appropriate for the soil. I never watered my Norway spruces, except for the first month. My white pines don't like my alkaline soil, and I wasted time watering them and they became more chlorotic (pale). This summer I tested my water and found the pH to be over 8, compared to the acidic pH of rainfall of 5.7 - so my watering white pines made them even more yellow.

Marianne, thanks for the info. about Norway Spruce as wind-breakers. I wished I had planted more of them, instead of native Heritage, and River Birch trees that poked my eyes as I trimmed them after a thunderstorm. With Spruce trees I never have to rake leaves, nor trim falling branches. Below is a link to info. about soil pH.

Here is a link that might be useful: Source of soil pH

Belinda's Dream, China Doll, and Summer Snow... never stop blooming and seldom BS... a close second is Don Juan, he does get some BS but not enough to stop him.. and don't forget Julia Child, she ranks up there w/Don Juan..... could have a whole rose-garden with just those 5, they are the back-bone....sally

Thanks, Ingrid, for reminding me of Souv de la Malmaison's tremendous worth. Right now, three weeks after a hard freeze, my 3 SDLM's are leafed out with flower buds (and sport Souv de St Anne's is doing likewise). Other roses are just beginning to sprout leaves (or not), so the difference is VERY noticeable. I'm looking forward to this spring now that they're 4 years old. Their flowers are magnificent to me, and now their flushes are quite huge. Love them!

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sally, is your Don Juan on Fortuniana? I have three on Fortuniana, but I'm not at all happy with them. They do bloom, but nothing like my other roses, and they are sparsely leafed.

My lemon tree, orange trees, fig tree and Santa Rosa plum. And the grapes are coming along quite nicely, too.

But I have very high hopes for the apples as they mature, also the persimmon, the pomegranates, and the asparagus.

The roses are lovely, too

Rosefolly

The 25 Taxus 'Hicksii' at $1.00 a piece that now form an 8' tall hedge screening us from the neighbors. The Montmorency cherry tree which in 30 years has only missed bearing a year or two (due to exceptionally late frosts) and has no insect pests. The Buxus suffrutcosa that I have propagated and now have as much as I want to harvest for Christmas for myself and anyone else I know. Daffodils which increase "in perpetuity" beaming sunshine all around the garden breaking the spell of winter drab. Daffodils bourne as gifts both cut and as bulbs. As for roses: Madame Plantier with no known pest not even black spot, with plenteous blooms even without fertilizer while sitting in sem-shade.

Cath

Yes, flarose, I try and get Fort. on all my roses, do have a few own-root but most are on Fort... and all my Dons are, some from Nelson's, some from K&M, some were Weeks and some from Cool-Roses, and most were 35-40 years old... but this last Fall half were lost due to Canker, never had this problem before... they were 10 ft. tall and huge canes, they would lost some leaves to BS in my no-spray garden but still kept blooming... I pull the canes horizontal and try and tie the laterals down also, and feed them heavily, and they reward me... I have 4 of my original Dons left now and they show some canker, but it has not girdled the whole cane so they still produce... I am gradually replacing them and want to get back to my original 10 Dons for that back-area of my garden... they are in the back, and I have the other roses in front stepped-down in height....sally

I'm with Cath on the 'daffodils that increase in perpetuity'. Especially my Ice Follies. This plant is a burst of joy in the dreary late Feb and early March days.

My trees with the best return are my desert willows (chilopsis linearis). I have them in lavender, white, and burgundy. The burgundy is huge for a flowering tree; it flowers from April to September and is loved by hummingbirds.

The best (sub) shrub or perennial for me has been the salvia greggiis. Along with annual (and sometimes perennial) lantana, it's bullet proof in my climate.

My best bang for the buck in foliage plants has been the upright elephant ear (alocasia). Makes the garden more interesting and increases each year. Also love the various ornamental grasses especially the very small ones. I've divided them over the years so, yes, I'd say I got more than my money's worth.

And then we come to roses. Tiffany is my favorite among modern roses. She just goes on and on with not much help from me and smells wonderful. I think she'll have competition for my affection from Belinda's Dream as the years go by. Among old roses, I think Mrs. Dudley Cross will take the cake with some competition from Mrs. B. R. Cant and Maggie (found).

But the plant that has garnered the most compliments from passers by has been the large grouping of canna Futurity Pink - dwarf with burgundy leaves. That one causes my doorbell to ring. However, last fall I took them all out because the coral tinted pink clashes with my blue-toned pink roses and oxalis. I'm looking for the perfect spot to put the cannas but haven't found it yet. I'm sure you know how cannas increase. May have to give some away. Lou

Another gem is winter aconite (Eranthis hiemalis). It and the Crocus ancyrensis, both bright yellow, vie to be the first to bloom in the new year. When the Eranthis seed pods begin to split, I sprinkle the seeds over the ground cover and if the weather is favorable, the clump increases. If not, the clump remains the same size. The Eranthis was planted in the front garden which is on top of the 2 story hill but a seed managed to find its way to the wooded back garden which is at the foot of the hill. There it has happily naturalized without any seed sprinkling, forming 2 clumps each about 8' across. From this I infer that it prefers a moist site. Because the Eranthis is so small, early, and ephemeral this spreading poses no problem only a blessing.

I agree the money spent on our potters clay has well been well worth it. Of course, compost is cheap. As far as roses; Heritage, Quietness, Eden, and Astrid Lundgren have done well for me over time. If you have the area and if the size of the roses match the 6-8' height of the orienpets such as Scheherazade, then they make a nice match. some of the older varieties are very reasonable.

I have to say that Tall Bearded Irises are the best bang for my buck in my native clay-ey soil. They are cheap from a local vendor (and I was given some free and found some others at a rummage sale cheap). I don't have to labor hard to plant them since they practically sit on top of the ground. And they are getting more abundant and bloom-y each year. They are a good companion to roses since they bloom for me at the same time as the big spring flush. And they don't require much summer water.

As for my raised beds with purchased soil, dahlias do the trick for cutting. The more you cut, the more they'll produce.

As for roses, my best as far as beauty of bloom, abundance, repeat and scent combined would have to be Louise Odier. Another beauty that almost has it all (the drawback being lack of scent) is Dublin Bay. I really like its red color that does not fade to magenta. Even petals on the ground stay red for a long time.

I will say that I have a lot of immature and very young roses and so if the same question is asked a few years from now, I reserve the right to change my answer.:)

Annabeth

Thanks, annabeth, for the info. I'll recommend Louis Odier for my sisters in CA. I like bearded irises too except half of mine died from our wet spring.

Strawberryhill, just curious, do your irises bloom in conjunction with your roses there in Illinois? Do you have any nice pairings of irises and roses? As for me, I'm working on it. I've got the peachy pink 'Annabelle Babson' TB iris planted next to the red Dublin Bay rose I mentioned. I hope that that combo will be appealing. We'll see (I hope) this spring. That iris variety was new to me last spring so I haven't seen the combo yet in real life, only in my mind.

Too bad about half of your irises dying-I'm sorry. Thanks for the interesting post.

Annabeth

Hi Annabeth - your iris-rose combo sounds great! Here in Chicagoland irises bloom first in April-May, then peonies in late May. When the peonies are fading, then roses last in June. If we have a harsh winter like the last 2 years, then Knock-outs don't leaf out until June 1st.

Someone mentioned in this forum that alyssum is a pest deterrent for roses. So I plan on that as companion plant. I planted purple alyssum in the past and it was not invasive, but I don't know about white alyssum as shown in Dave and Deb's garden on HMF.

I wasted money on perennials like Iris and they died either through flash flood in the spring, or a harsh winter. Roses are much tougher - it looks like my Knock-outs will live forever - I hope the same for my Austins.

Thanks, Annabeth, for the info. about dahlias for cutting. My neighbor planted them and they are better-looking than Knock-outs. Here we have to dig dahlias up in the fall, otherwise they die through the winter. If only dahlias have fragrance like roses!

Tough question right now, looking out at the garden and seeing only the first of the bulbs - daffodils, and lots of pruned rose bushes.

My pelargoniums are not the most elegant of flowering plants, but they are in bloom almost all year here and filling the garden with lavish color early spring through early winter, with absolutely no care other than to chop them back when they get too big. And the very best part about them - if I want color in a new spot I just cut a few stems and stick them in the ground where I want color, water and a few weeks later they are already blooming.

Planted my first 2 camellias last fall, trying to find something that would flower in a nice shady garden area I have. Both are starting to burst with blooms right now, and I have a feeling camellias will become a mainstay in my shade spots.

I started writing about the Dahilas because they are my favorite blooms outside the roses - but pay back - no, I work hard for those blooms - mostly against the snails that love them so.

But in the end, there is nothing at all that captures my heart like the roses. I still could have a garden with nothing but roses and be content.

Rose: 'Duchesse de Brabant'. Prolific bloomer (even in less than full sun), healthy, and needs no care at all if planted in organically enriched dirt and tossed a banana peel every once in awhile. Runners-up: Mrs. Dudley Cross, General Gallieni, Ducher, Renae.

Camellia japonica: 'Professor C. S. Sargent'. Exactly the same comments as above. Blooms are so evenly prolific it looks like a heavily red-decorated Christmas tree when in midseason. Hardier than most camellia japonicas. Wonderful foliage that works well in all sorts of bouquets. Runner up: Marie Bracey (aka Spellbound).

Camellia hiemalis (often sold as a sasanqua): 'Shishigashira'. Will bloom heavily in gorgeous little rose-like double flowers, whether planted in full bright shade or nearly full sun. Healthy, and blooms over a long period of time. Very hardy, and can extend its bloom season to several months' time. If it goes down into the low teen temperatures, it knows to hold onto those remaining buds... but then, in the first little temperature break, the buds start opening up again. Wonderful foliage and a perfect low evergreen landscape plant.

Daffodil 'Ice Follies'. We have maybe 15 different kinds of daffodils and I like them all. But Ice Follies will take a little more spring/summer shade than most, is perfect for naturalizing, and its crinkly wide cups are the most beautiful thing going. Other than planting with a little bone meal and allowing a nice leafy mulch to fall on their heads every year, we've never done anything at all to ours in the 30-40 years in all of our planting spots. They've multiplied and we've moved some.

The rose that most-generously pays us back is "Grandmother's Hat," blooming in quantity, over and over, through the year.

Most of the Teas here give her a run for her money, but I have a [name-lost] mite-resistant, vining fuchsia that blooms throughout the year in swathes of color. We can't find the name to purchase another, so we have propagated it.

And -- Iris ARE a great combo with roses. The very best place to see this demonstrated is in the Sacramento City Cemetery, in springtime.

Jeri

This one is simple. Old hardy Day Lily's that I dug up at an old abandoned country grocery store up in the N. GA. mountains not to far from my house. A couple of miles down an old back road. The place was falling apart but the lily's were in bloom and looked great. I took three 5 gal buckets and loaded them up. I gave everything a hair cut and planted them in three groups. They have come back every year (3) since I planted them. The whole neighborhood looks forward to seeing them every summer. The old timers have told me I have done a good thing. And you wouldn't believe some of the stories about that grocery store from some of the old locals (a still out back??). Anyway, that's the biggest bang for my buck I've EVER grown. As far as my roses go, SDLM (2 bush's) never stops blooming all summer long. Also the HT, Louise Estes is a great grower and producer of perfect cut flowers that last forever in a vase and have a great scent.

Ken, I really liked your story about the day lilies. I love stories like this.

I decided to think about this question in relation to roses, though earlier I answered this question about plants in general. For me, in my particular climate, the single most rewarding rose is simple old Marie Pavie. It cycles in and out of bloom about ten months of the year. Further more in my dry summer climate it is amazingly healthy.

And it wafts. Is there anything more wonderful than wafting fragrance?

Rosefolly

Ken, your story makes me homesick for the south.

Many years ago, my Dad used to walk along some unused railroad tracks at his lunchtime at work. During his walks he noticed an empty house, long abandoned, with the remnants of a garden struggling through the choking weeds. Over the weeks, he observed some peonies grow and flower. One day after work he dug them up and brought them home, planting them in front of our house. They turned out to be 'Festiva Maxima' and lived in their new location for forty more years. They may be there still if the new owner has not removed them. What a survivor!

I grow 'Festiva Maxima' peonies in my California garden today.

Rosefolly

the thyme I planted around my stones. I do nothing for it, it' thrives.

Also santa barbara daisies, I know some find them invasive, but I love them and they don't spread so fast that it's problem. In fact, they pop up in various spots and I'm happy!

daffodils. got them for like 30 for a $1 at Lowes past season. Shoved them in the ground unceremoniously, I do nothing for them, they come back every year. glorious. The best comebacks so far for me are the normal cheapo daffs and the erlicheer narcissus. :)

similarly, tall bearded reblooming irises. Rosalie Figge and Total Recall did really well for me this year actually getting rebloom! and they are so painfully gorgeous when they bloom. My yard is still a beginner yard, but when my neighbors compliment my yard, it's usually the irises they are talking about!

Here's this past spring with the irises around the roses
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My roses in general are really rewarding. A few have been PICKY, but most of them seem to love it here while other plants fade and die.
My favorite roses for pure ease of growth and give back so far/lately are:
Eden cl
MAC
Archduke Charles,
The Faun
Lyda Rose
James Galway
Mme Berard
La France cl.
Bermuda's Kathleen
Gruss an Aachen

sadly I have killed two SDLM, so I think I've given up on that one despite that everyone else loves her! :\

Hoping my Grandmother's Hat will start to take off this year! I think I'm going to finally get her in the ground this spring. Similarly, waiting for my daylilies to start to come into their own. :)

I'd like to add a vesuvius plum tree this year... and maybe a small citrus tree to keep in a pot. :)

and I'd like to shove way more poppies and alyssum in there to fill in some gaps.

and I'd like to add some boxwood for some evergreen green shapes.

and I really hope my clematis finally start to take off...!

Aimeekitty, which clematis do you have and how do you like them? If you put them with roses, which ones? I'm just about to dip my toe in the water and try some clematis, so I'd be very interested in hearing about your experiences.

If you like poppies as I do, my local botanic garden's native plant nurseries usually have them (in all sorts of colors and both perennials and annuals). One is in Westwood and the other in Claremont. I don't know if you are close to either one, but as for me I usually learn something new at every visit (and also discover some nifty looking plant I've never seen before that I think will look nice in my garden).

Melissa

Aimeekitty,

Those two mid-blue irises are stunning (and I don't usually care that much for bearded irises). Would you please name them for us?

Cath

There is a small coral bark maple tree that I have loved looking at all the grey winter long. Soon it will put out lime green leaves and will become just another nice small Japanese maple. But in the winter time, that tree has lifted my spirits often, simply by its color. I didn't plant it, but am getting more and more attached to it. It's worth all the watering it takes in the summer to keep it healthy.

Thank you, Daisy and Aimekitty for posting those gorgeous pictures. It's refreshing considering that we got 4" of snow and everything is white here. I love Daisy's pics. of the exotic flowers and apricot tree. My Mom had an apricot tree in Michigan, she dried them by leaving them inside the car parked in hot sun. But they got tough like leather and caused serious damage to one's teeth.

My sister in California had an apricot tree and she froze the fruits (they tasted bland). Another person chopped them up withh some sugar and froze them in orange juice (that's yummier).

Aimee: those Iris & roses are really nice. I have the same iris here, but won't grow anymore since my climate is too wet. I put Austin Rose "Happy Child" in my spring order since it can be grown in partial shade and tolerates wet feet. Thank you for listing the roses that do well for your area.

It's important to grow roses suitable for one's climate. I understand why the East coast likes Kordes and disease-resistant - I lived in Connecticut for a year and there was very little wind, and more humid than my present Chicagoland: windy, less humid, more rain and colder winter. We get less sun, but less rose diseases with winter-die back and strong wind.

Daisy - I just love the photo you posted of your Gazania. I googled it, trying to see what variety it is, and the closest I see to it visually is Sunbather's Sunset gazania - although your pedals are edged with yellow and the photos I saw of Sunbather's sunset have plain orange pedals.

Thanks for posting - I'll have my eyes out for Gazanias to add to the garden.

Tessiess, I haven't had super luck so far, but Jackmannii is pretty great! Most of mine are pretty young and they take a while, I suppose to take off? I was going to have my jackmannii climbing with my roses over an arbor.

Cath, I'm not at home right this minute, I'll have to check for you! But I'm like 80% sure that one of those irises is "Breakers", which is pretty well loved by most. :)

Thank you Aimeekitty. It is a beautiful iris.

Cath

Tessiess. I have found that a lot of the viticella clematis do very well in a warm climate.
I have planted viticellas Blue Angel, Kermesina, Minuet, Polish Spirit, Abundance and Clematis Perle d'Azur.
BUT, I have learned, that the subtle colours that worked well in England, become nondescript in the stronger light here.
With most of them, I don't even realise that they are flowering, until I go right up to them and peer.
The only two from that list, that look good here, are Clematis Perle d'Azur and viticella Polish Spirit.
Here is Clematis Perle d'Azur with rose Colombian Climber.
Daisy

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Thanks, Daisy, for that gorgeous pics. I like clemantis here since they add "blue" color, doesn't take up much space, and is not invasive. My neighbors have blue and purple clemantis climbing on their mailboxes.

just fyi! I ran outside, and the lighter iris is Breakers and the darker one is Rosalie Figge as far as I can tell, they're not blooming right now. :)

I think it must be Geranium 'Rozanne', which gives so much for so little effort. Perfect with roses.

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I really must agree Rozanne's vigor is really something, really amazing.

I spent about $15 on my plant of Climbing Clotilde Soupert and planted her beside my cedar arbor swing, along with Louise Odier on the other side. Best decision I ever made.

Every spring, summer and fall evening I sit and read, drink tea or watch my dog play while sitting on my swing and smelling the roses :D Even when they are not in bloom, I feel cozy and shaded :)

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Also: the 365 daffodil bulbs I planted last year. I hope they will multiply and give me a carpet of gold every Spring!

Hi Lovemysheltie: Thank you for that very pretty picture of pink climbing C. Soupert, is that low-in-thorn? That's a great idea to put climbing rose on the side of a swing! The tulips I planted 12 years ago are gone, but the daffodils multiplied many times.

The best plant-payback in terms of beneficial insects here is dill. My Mom gave me dill seeds ten years ago. I sprinkled them near trees' roots - they sprout and host beneficial creatures like ladybugs, toad, and praying mantis. Dill is not invasive since I can kill them in 10 minutes - versus digging up heavy clumps of invasive garlic chives (tested effective against aphids and spider mites).