* Ballgown Romantica

Bolero

Soft pink

White

Strong( classic rose)

Strong( tropical fruit)

5 – 6 ' x 2 – 3 '

3 – 4 ' x 2 – 3 '

In the 1990s, consumer demand pushed breeders to develop roses that didn’ t require extensive spraying with an arsenal of synthetic chemicals. In 2000, the Knock Out family of roses was introduced and revolutionized the industry with their robust disease resistance, self-cleaning( no dead-heading required), and continuous blooming.

Roses introduced after Knock Out came on the scene tend to have better disease resistance than older varieties.

Look for varieties that are resistant to the common plagues of roses in Northern California:

• powdery mildew

• rose rust, and

• black spot.

While resistance isn’ t ironclad( with enough mistreatment, a rose can still fall prey to some of these diseases), but having these genetic resistances onboard makes a huge difference.

The table on the right highlights a few of my high-performing favorite varieties, all with excellent disease resistance:

Dee-Lish

Earth Angel Parfuma

Eden Climber

* Moonlight Romantica

Quicksilver Arborose( Climber)

Deep pink / fuschia

Cream / pink center

Cream / pink edges

Soft yellow

Lavender / fushia

Strong( verbena and citrus)

Strong( apple and champagne)

Moderate

Strong( sweet and peppery)

Moderate( sweet tea)

5 – 6 ' x 3 '

4 – 5 ' x 3 – 4 '

10-12 ' x 5 – 6 '

6 ' x 5 '

7 '+ x 4 '

Images by Zoe Davis, Ph. D. and Gilroy • Morgan Hill TODAY

What to do if despite a great location and hearty variety, your beautiful rose is looking blue?

* Sweet Mademoiselle

Pink / orange

Strong( sweet fruit)

5 ' x 3 '