Tough love in the garden

16 days ago

Some roses enjoy only the best perfectly drained, consistently moist, fertile soil with loads of organic matter. Other roses serm to thrive on under less than ideal conditions. For instance, I have read that Bonica does best under vinditions that would stress other roses. Having previously grown hedge of Bonicas with little supplemental water in thin, rocky soil with plenty of root competition, I can attest to this. I am looking to identify other extra tough roses like this. I heard Flamenco Rosita requires no pampering and so far this seems accurate. Caldwell pink has also shown surprising tenacity. I’ve heard really good things about Lemon Fizz and plan to try to find and add it.

Do you all have any other stand-outs that thrive in sub-par conditions?

picture is Caldwell Pink.

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fig_insanity Z7a E TN

16 days ago

last modified: 16 days ago

I have a lot of roses too new, as in less than three years old, to pass judgement on. Even so, I don't grow many of the newer introductions. But the single most important issue with me is black spot resistance, since in my garden it can debilitate a rose to the point it grows backward and dies. I will spray if it's a favorite, but otherwise I prefer not to. The next most important characteristic is vigor. I don't have time to coddle wimps. Out of almost 200 varieties and a total of almost 300 roses, these are the ones that pretty much take whatever I and Mother Nature can throw at them, in no particular order (as they come to my increasingly decrepit mental faculties). Climbers are marked with an *.

Flamenco Rosita/Ivor's Rose (one of my favorites)

New Dawn* (New D*mn...the stories are true)

John Davis

Ghislaine de Feligonde* (spotless. Period)

Monsieur Tillier ( a true tea, so hardiness is a factor north of here)

Old Blush (takes some shade, too!)

Isabella Skinner*/Victorian Memory* (hardiest climber I know of, to Z3)

Renae*

Livin' Easy

Easy Going (sport of Livin' Easy)

Marie Pavie

Cape Diamond (kinda gangly, but bullet-proof)

The entire Freedom Series, from Spring Hill

Ping Lim roses:

Yellow Submarine

True Inspiration

Yellow Brick Road

Kashmir

There are more (when I can think of them), but heck, you're going to be busy looking up this many already, lol.

I could make a list a mile long of once-blooming old roses that will thrive with "tough love", or no love at all, but I kept the list to only remontant roses, as well as BS resistant and vigorous. But I will say that if you don't have Paul Barden's Marianne, then get it.

John

EDIT: Dang it, I forgot to mention the Freedom series. They're only available from Spring Hill, but they have been spotless, going on five years now. They are Zary/Bedard hybrids, are verrrrry healthy, and if given a modicum of care, can be quite the bloom machines. They come as "Red Freedom", "Coral Freedom", also Orange, Yellow and Pink. I have them all. Not the most beautiful blooms, but extremely robust plants.

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