Roses used to be easy. But then they got all fancy-dancy and found themselves unnaturally displayed in rows, needing lots of coddling and chemicals. Hybridized to death, roses ended up looking like women from the 1950s who couldn’t wait to get home to strip of their girdles. A common complaint among all gardeners is the (apparent) dearth of carefree plant choices that provide continuos color.
Traditional roses gardens require lots of coddling and chemicals
This problem is compounded in the south, where summer’s extreme heat and winter’s cold snaps limit what will bloom year round. If you are looking for replacements for your fussy, frost bitten shrubs, consider roses. Until recently growing roses in the south was a dispiriting pursuit, success coming only after incessant chemical spraying.
'Easy Does It' is so Easy
Good News! New carefree roses, tailor made for the 21st Century
The good news is that roses are easy again. Carefree roses are now available for our modern casual lifestyles. Leave the uptight, over-hybridized, chemically-laden roses for the florist and plant some easy going roses in your yard.
If you are looking for a blast of low-maintenance color in your garden that will last for years, try Drift roses or Knockout roses. Drift roses are the more compact of the two, a groundcover rose that are a result from the crossing of miniature and groundcover roses. For a larger sized flower, try ‘Easy Does It’ roses.
Who is behind these new rose introductions?
Drift Coral
Love and Peace
The Conard-Pyle Co has been instrumental force in the American rose market, introducing the Peace Rose to the revolutionary Knock Out and Drift Roses. They have been a pioneer in the field of plant development for more than 100 years.
The rose industry is hard at work introducing new roses. The ‘Disneyland’ Rose, introduced in 2004, is a vibrant Floribunda rose with colorings of apricot, orange and a touch of pink. Unfortunately, it’s susceptible to black spot. A good replacement would be ‘Easy Does It’.
‘Easy Does It’, the 2010 AARS award (All American Rose Selection) winner was introduced by Weeks Wholesale Rose Grower. Weeks is one of the largest rose growers in the United States. The ‘Easy Does It’ Rose has garnered rave reviews in Australia, South Africa, Japan and the U.S.A. It is preforming incredibly well here on my sun scorched front yard in Florida. Any plant that can take Florida’s sun and humidity and not melt into a pool of blackspot deserves a medal!
Some people grow roses for sentimental reasons
Transplanted northerners to the south might come across a rose their mother grew and find it hard to resistant, like the world renowned ‘Peace’ Rose. My mother had the climbing variety, a rose to swoon over. A better choice for the ‘Peace’ Rose might be ‘Love & Peace’, introduced in 2002, by Bailey Nurseries. It was created from a blend of the ‘Peace’ hybrid tea rose and an unknown seedling. It has more resistance to black spot than it’s predecessor, but beware it’s not carefree. ‘Love & Peace’ could have been named ‘Love at first sight’– mesmerizing for it’s fruity scent and looks.
For more info on the new carefree roses stay tuned for our upcoming articles on:
Drift Roses, Knock Out Roses and Easy Does it Roses
I remember that Peace Rose! How we’d wait for, and swoon over, those (few) gorgeous blooms! But they’d break your heart every time. Thanks for highlighting these new, sturdier varieties.
Knockout Roses! I know that they are really common and the colors are limited but wow! I had not grown roses in many years because I hate to baby plants – and hybrid tea roses are babys! The worst thing is that you have to grow them in their own area – away from other plants so you can give them air circulation and do the spraying. I put in 25 single pink KOR’s last summer. They are spread throughout the garden. They get watered in the evening with everything else. I leave them unsheared so they look carefree and natural. They are amazing. No black spot, no insects, and tons of blooms until Halloween!
Knock out Roses have been criticized as being the McDonalds of the rose world but I see nothing wrong with easy care beauty. Who wants to fuss over hybrid teas and the like. Give me fast, fun and foolproof any day.
Especially with these crazy temps and arid conditions certainly open to how to add color to the landscaping – thanks for this great suggestion….These ain’t your granny’s roses no more!
I definately want to try the Easy Does It roses. The name is reassuring and the color’s divine..but I swear, If I have to go outside very often I’m afraid something bad will happen to them. I feel like all the plants around my house are crying right now, and I’m a terrible benefactor. Rain! Please?
I love the color on the “Easy Does It”; I have plenty of pinks and wish I could find Florida-friendly roses in a more yellow-to-peach palette. “Love and Peace” might make a nice substitute for my long-lost “Double Delight” that finally succumbed to various Florida fungus perils. Looks similar in color and if it’s anywhere near as fragrant as DD was, I’m in.
Siobhan – are there any climbers in these new hybrids?
Holly- If you are looking for climbers that will work well in the south, try Lady Banks Rose.
If you are going for an informal look – the “single” knock out roses look more natural. My pink single KORs look wonderful among echinacea, yarrow, hyssop, spirea, Japanese maples, red barberrys, and crape myrtles…
@Siobhan: thanks! That clinches it; I’ve been eyeing yellow Lady Banks. I think it’s only a once-a-year bloomer but when it blooms, it’s gorgeous.