Roses aren't exactly on the radar screen of those devoted to native plants and sustainability, but well, I like roses. Maybe it's because my father always struggled with them before the advent of so many disease-resistant cultivars. In any case, I have a number of them in my own garden and love to cut them and bring them inside, and of course at times delight in the fragrance.
Here are some new ones this year that are quite eye-catching. And click on each firm's website to see all of their new roses.
From Star/Conard Pyle:
Look-A-Likes® BougainFeelYa
(Rosa 'Meicknava')
Yes, the flowers look like Bougainvilla blooms, only this is not a climber — instead, a bushy, rounded shrub that's about 4 feet high and 3.5 wide. It blooms continuously throughout the season, and the flowers are followed by hips in the fall. Said to be resistant to rust and mildew with a decent tolerance for black spot. Hybridized by Meilland International, zones 5-9. I have one that looks like a hydrangea, and it's quite a standout in the garden. This one would be as well.
Eyeconic® Lychee Lemonade
(Rosa "Sprolych")
Another in Star's series of hybrid Hulthemia roses (they're native to Iran & Afganistan and have a dark splotch at the base of the petal) bred by Jim Sproul. This is a small, compact, bushy rose at just 18 x 18 inches, and it also blooms continuously. Obviously a candidate for small gardens, or patio/deck containers.
Dee-Lish®
(Rosa 'Meiclusif')
And if you want fragrance, try this hybrid tea, with a very strong citrus and verbena scent. It's about 6 feet high and 3 feet wide, an upright form, and excellent disease resistance. Bred by Meilland International, this rose won multiple awards in Europe. zones 5-9.
From David Austin Roses:
Rosa 'Boscobel' (Leander Hybrid)
Named after Boscobel House, where King Charles II hid from Cromwell's forces in 1651 during the English Civil War, this rose has salmon blooms that fade to deep pink. It's an upright shrub about 3 feet high and 2.5 wide, with flowers that have a medium to strong fragrance of myrrh. Zones 5-9.
Rosa 'Royal Jubilee' (Alba Hybrid)
Named after Queen Elizabeth's 2012 Diamond Jubilee, the flowers on this rose are very deep pink, against a background of grey-green glossy leaves. It has a scent of blackcurrant, grows to about five feet high and three feet wide with with an airy growth habit. Zones 5-9.
From Weeks Roses:
'Coretta Scott King'
(Rosa 'WEKstohoco')
This grandiflora has a tall, upright, bushy habit with deep green foliage, creamy white blooms that blush coral-orange, and a moderate fragrance of tea and spice. It also has excellent disease resistance. It's parentage is Moonstone x Hot Cocoa, bred by Christian Bédard.
'Good as Gold'
(Rosa WEKgobafa')
This hybrid tea has yellow-gold blooms with a tinge of red, an upright, bushy form and deep green glossy leaves. It has good disease resistance and the blooms have a citrus scent. Bred by Tom Carruth from Goldern Beauty x About Face.
Leave a Reply