Roses

Roses in History - If you want to know what grew when, check out this series of pages.

Rose List - We have over a 100 roses and documented their appearance and hardiness in the humid South. Most are old garden roses as they seem better suited to our regime of benign neglect, although we have added some English roses for variety. For several years, we tried to grow Hybrid Teas, but after no luck and a lot of money, we gave up on the fussy Hybrid Teas and just grow old roses (more or less). Note: a lot of growers in our area are perfectly able to grow beautiful Hybrid Teas, although they all use horse manure to condition the soil every fall/spring and spray regularly. (Okay, you got me--I confess, I simply do not like Hybrid Teas.)

Neglect does work. In 2001, our shrub rose, Dortmund won Best-of-Show Shrub rose at the New Bern Rose show, and our Victorian-era rose, Mme. Alfred Carriere, won Best-of-Show Victorian rose. Many of the older roses got blue ribbons in 2001 and 2002. So you can garden organically. The birds really appreciate it, too. Cardinals and Mockingbirds are eating the rose hips (or heps, if you prefer). One pair of Bobwhite Quail are nesting at the base of our old Bourbon rose, Louise Odier. And we have over 24 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

For those who grow roses and live in the South (zones 7-8 or deeper into the south), you may profit from our experiences. Especially if your soil is basically gray, acidic clay.

Own-Root Roses: These are roses which are growing on their own roots, rather than the grafted roses you typically see at the hardware and grocery stores. Own-root roses have a lot of advantages. You don't get suckers (which are actually the root-stock trying to grow on its own). And, the plants are hardier if they are grown on their own roots. I have found they are also less prone to disease or to be carrying a disease such as rose virus.

Number 1 Recommendation: Buy "own-root" roses. There are a lot of varieties which will do well, including Gallicas, Bourbons, Portlands, Noisettes, Teas, Hybrid Musks or Chinas. Floribundas and Hybrid Teas can be found, but they will require a spraying and feeding regime.

Number 1 Rose for Beginners: Souvenir de la Malmaison. This rose is absolutely beautiful and very easy to grow. It has large white to pale pink flowers and a rich scent. If you can't find it, my second choice is Old Blush. Both of these roses bloom very well and handle the climate in the South easily. You will not have to do any pruning, except for dead wood, and very little spraying. I only spray with baking soda and horticultural oil, and I feed them with the formula on my main gardening page. They will bloom all summer, continuously, well into November. I often still have blooms at Thanksgiving or beyond.

Chinas: The two roses classes that seem made for the South are the China and Tea roses. Chinas are rather small, dainty roses and almost never need any spraying or pruning. They are all repeat flowering, and they are never without blooms from April through December. One lovely feature is that their blooms tend to get richer in color as they age, unlike most roses which fade. In the South, they can grow to be quite large, especially Old Blush and Mutabilis. Ducher is a superb white China that will bloom continuously until forcibly stopped by freezing weather.

Resources

For books and mail order sources, click here:

Rose List

Here are our roses and our observations. We have listed them in alphabetical order to make it easier to find a particular rose. Some of our roses were purchased as "orphans" (they were cheaper) where the grower did not know what they were because they had lost their tags. We have generally been able to identify them after several years of close observation and with the help of the books listed on the Resources page.

The photos and more information on the roses can be accessed by clicking on the rose's name. The photos included on these pages were all taken from our garden. I am attempting to photograph both the flower and the bush so that you may see what the overall rose bush looks like, although this is still a work in progress.

Rose Name	Variety & Year of Introduction	Comments
Abraham Darby	English 1990	Easy to grow and can be used as a small climber to about 8'. Flowers all summer. The roses are very double, pink blushed with apricot. Very good scent. Disease resistant but may have a little black spot occasionally.
Ambridge Rose	Shrub (English) 1990	Three inch blooms in lovely apricot/pink with a strong myrrh fragrance. Blooms almost constantly and forms a smaller bush (3' by 3').
Archduke Charles	China 1867	Easy to grow, wiry bush with the delicate leaves associated with all China roses. Continuous bloom. The lightly fragrant double blossoms start out with pink centers and crimson guard petals. As they age, the entire flower turns deep crimson-red. The flowers have a purplish cast to them. It can grow up to 6' tall in a warm climate and it has few prickles.
Ballerina	Shrub 1937	This graceful bush literally covers itself with small, single, light pink flowers with white centers. The clusters give the effect of hydrangea heads. Blooms repeatedly, after resting between each flush.
Basye's Purple	Hybrid Rugosa 1968	This shrub ia a little coarse looking and will spread by suckers, but it has richly purple single flowers all summer long that make it worth growing.
Baron Girod de l’Ain	Hybrid Perpetual 1897	This shrub is fairly tall (5') but has gorgeous deep red blooms with thin white edges. It does not suffer too much from disease and is tolerant of less-than-perfect growing conditions.
Baronne Prévost	Hybrid Perpetual 1842	Tall shrub with deep rose, double blossoms that smell of grapes. Dependable bloomer, but can get a little "leggy".
Betty Prior	Floribunda	Lovely pink, single, blossoms.
Boule de Neige	Bourbon 1867	The pure white blooms are very full and as they open, they form a densely packed ball of petals. This is a beautiful rose for borders or in a hedge. I have not found it to be especially vigorous, however, especially in the heat of summer.
Bow Bells	English 1994	Easy to grow and very charming pink flowers held in sprays. I love the flowers as they look like a bunch of pink tulips. The bush is vigorous and puts out a lot of flowers, so it is a pity it is not more widely grown.
Cardinal de Richelieu	Gallica 1840	A very famous Gallica rose, the Cardinal is a deep, rich purple, like a grape. It has little fragrance, but the color is extraordinary.
Carefree Beauty	Shrub	This is a tough little rose and it has beautiful pink flowers tending towards mauve, with very few thorns. It grows about 4-5' and is great for a border planting. It does require a lot of soil amendments and mulching, as well as some watering during July and August.

Celsiana	Damask pre-1750	Easy to grow with lovely grey-green foliage. The flowers are semi-double and a soft pink color. Strong fragrance. If you want to try starting a rose from a cutting, this is one of the easiest. It is once-blooming, but the gorgeous translucent flowers and rich fragrance make this an essential rose, especially for a spring garden.
Celine Forestier	Noisette 1858	This repeat flowering Noisette has fragrant, pale yellow blooms. It needs a warm spot where it will reach 6' or more in height. Given proper care, it will repeat all summer.
Champagne Cocktail	Floribunda 1983	This rose has beautiful semi-double flowers of yellow flecked with cherry red, but I have not found it to be an especially strong grower. It stays quite small at 3' tall.
Charlotte	English Shrub 1993	Charlotte is an absolute gem of a rose. It has fragrant, pale yellow blooms that repeat constantly all summer. It grows very well, yet stays compact and is an excellent shrub for use in perennial borders.
Charles Darwin	English Shrub 2001	Tawny yellow - beautiful flowers, but this is a new rose so I do not have a great deal of information at this point. It seems fairly healthy, however.
Chapeau de Napoleon	Centifolia (sometimes mistakenly classified as a Moss rose) 1826	Easy to grow with an enlarged calyx, similar to a Moss rose. The enlarged calyx gives the bud the appearance of a 3-cornered cockade hat, hence the name. Beautiful double flowers in clear pink. Strong fragrance. Another easy rose to propagate through cuttings. It is once-blooming.
Chaucer	English 1981	Absolutely beautiful clear, light pink flowers. Blooms continuously on a healthy bush. It can get blackspot, but it is generally vigorous and productive.
Chianti	English 1967	This rose was purchased without a tag, but we were able to identify it as Chianti. Gorgeous deep red double blossoms which darken towards purple as it ages. Blooms once a year in the spring. Lovely sweet wine fragrance. Its breeding includes Tuscany and the blooms look remarkably like this parent's blooms. It has very long, very thin canes here although elsewhere it may grow into a more manageable bush.
Cherokee Rose, Rosa laevigata	Species 1759	Very large, evergreen climber that grows up to 15 feet tall. Needs a warm climate. The single flowers are scented with clear white petals and bright yellow stamens. It only blooms in late spring.
Chevy Chase	Hybrid Multifloria 1939	This is a very vigorous climber in the south and although it can suffer from blackspot, it never seems to affect its vigorous growth. It blooms once in the spring, but it literally covers itself with clusters of crimson pom-pom blossoms. The clusters are very long lasting and make excellent cut flowers.
Colette Clemente	Hybrid Tea 1932	Orange blend, semi-double.
Comtesse du Cayla	China 1902	Small shrub with single flowers in shades of coppery-pink. The flowers have a sheen which makes them look like silk. Slight Tea rose scent. Beautiful in a border garden. Height about 3'.
Cornelia	Hybrid Musk 1925	Lovely pink flowers flushed with apricot tints. This rose is a trooper and blooms all summer-long despite the heat and the occasional bout with blackspot. This is a rose of exceptional beauty and is effective as a pillar rose or cascading over a wall or veranda.
Cramoisi Superieur	China 1832	Fragrant flowers in clear crimson, produced in small clusters. This small shrub looks fantastic in a border, especially with blue Sages and will tolerate clay soil very well.
Country Living	English 1994	Beautiful, pale pink flowers that are fragrant. The bush is delicate looking with light green leaves, but once established it is a lovely rose.
Cymbeline	English 1983	This rose is a little more difficult to get to thrive, but it has an unusual and beautiful color of greyish pink. It has a lovely myrrh fragrance and will attain a height of 4' if you plant it in fairly well amended soil and use a good mantle of mulch.
Dainty Bess	Hybrid Tea	One of the few single flower Hybrid Teas - has 5 petals.
Distant Drums	Shrub 1985	This rose has some difficulties in the South. The flowers are a very interesting color, though, as they are coral in the center and pinkish on the outer petals. It has only bloomed once for us, but if it gets going it should bloom all summer. It does not like root competition and is not particularly vigorous.
Dortmund	Climber 1955	Beautiful cherry red, single blossoms with white eyes. Very tough climber with shiny green leaves. Never suffers any disease and can take a little shade. Extremely vigorous.
Double Delight	Hybrid Tea 1977	Although the ARS gives this rose high ratings and says it is easy to grow, I have killed three bushes and have an awful time keeping this last, fourth bush alive. It is a pretty rose when it does bloom, however. But, it requires continuous care and is not appropriate for an organic garden.
Dove	Shrub (English) 1986	A very dainty, pale pink rose that blooms constantly and is quite beautiful in a white garden scheme. It never suffers from disease and is quite vigorous, although it retains its small size. This can be a big advantage in a border garden, however, as it will not overpower its neighbors.
Dr. Huey	Large-flowered Climber 1914	This is the rootstock for many roses and when the Hybrid Teas they supported died, the rootstock took over. These roses were present when we purchased our home. Deep maroon red double blossoms on a medium-sized climber or loose bush. Does get black spot, but this doesn't seem to bother it, except that it loses its leaves during the summer. It gets fresh leaves in the fall, however, and always blooms faithfully, once a year, in the spring.
Ducher	Hybrid China 1869	This hard working rose never quits blooming and has exceptionally graceful white blossoms, especially for a China.
Duchesse de Brabant	Tea 1857	Tea roses (not Hybrid Teas) actually do pretty well in the South. This little rose has beautiful rosy pink flowers which are very fragrant. It is a fairly strong grower.
Deuil de Paul Fontaine	Moss 1873	Very double flowers in deep purplish rose. A good, dark Moss variety, although it needs good soil to grow well.
Edith Holden	Floribunda	This rose was planted in 2001 and is still alive. The flowers are a lovely ochre red and it is fairly vigorous, despite bouts with blackspot. That's about all I know about it, so far.
Euphrates	Shrub 1968	This rose was planted in 2000 and was purchase in a bunch of orphaned roses that had lost their tags. It is actually a very pretty little rose and looks beautiful towards the front of a perennial bed. It is sprawling with very tiny leaves and small salmon colored flowers.
Flora Dora	Floribunda	Sturdy, medium sized bush with clusters of deep coral flowers.
Francis Dubreuil	Tea 1894	Deep, rich red blooms on a low shrub which remains short at about 3 feet. Perfect for smaller gardens, especially in the South. Does require good mulching, watering and care to perform well.
Golden Celebration	Shrub (English) 1992	Deep golden yellow blossoms on medium to tall bush.
Great Maiden's Blush	Alba Ancient	Upright bush with soft, grayish-green leaves. Beautiful soft pink, loosely double blossoms that are very fragrant. Blooms once in the spring.
Gruss An Teplitz	Hybrid Chine/Bourbon 1897	Crimson flowers borne in clusters. Needs good soil to thrive.
Henri Martin	Moss 1863	This red Moss rose blooms faithfully each spring for about a month. The blossoms are about medium sized, very neat, and are a lovely shade of red. The Japanese Beetles are not a problem because it has finished blooming before they are out and they do not find the slightly leathery leaves attractive. It does not need spraying.and is altogether a very healthy plant.
Hermosa	China pre-1867	Great rose. Looks somewhat like a Bourbon rose but is smaller and more delicate. It has small, lilac-pink flowers and will bloom all summer.
Hero	Shrub (English) 1983	Clusters of satiny pink semi-double blooms just cover this rose bush. The bush itself can be a little awkward and many find it better to plant it in groups of 3 so that it forms a medium sized nicely formed bush.
Immortal Juno	Shrub (English) 1992	This rose is not as vigorous as some, but it still does quite well in the South. The flowers are a rich, medium pink and it forms a bush about 4' by 3'.
Indigo	Portland 1930	Small bush with beautiful mauve blossoms. Stays relatively small so it is quite useful.
Innocence	Hybrid Tea 1921	White flowers with 12 petals (single). ARS rating 8.0
Irish Elegance	Hybrid Tea 1905	Orange blend, single flower with 5 petals. ARS rating 9.1
Irish Fireflame	Hybrid Tea 1918	Single flower (5 petals) Hybrid Tea. Beautiful orange/pink blend flowers. Strong grower for a Hybrid Tea. ARS rating 7.4
Kazanlik	Damask Very Ancient	This is a very vigorous rose the extraordinarily fragrant flowers. It is grown in Bulgaria for the production of rose "attar". The flowers are a beautiful warm pink.
Knockout	Shrub	This rose is advertised as very healthy and for once, the advertising is correct. It seems to be entirely disease free and impervious to most garden problems. The blooms are a hot, rich rose and are mildly fragrant. It blooms all summer long. If you are looking for a rose that does not require any care, this is the one for you.
Lady Banks Rose	Species 1825	This is one large bush that needs a lot of room to spread out. It blooms once in the spring, but is so covered with flowers that you can't see any leaves at all. It is a great bush because it stays green all year around and has no thorns so you can place it near a walkway.
Lady Luck	Hybrid Tea 1956	I purchased this because it was hybridized the year I was born! It is a pink blend Hybrid Tea with 38 petals and an ARS rating of 6.8.
La Reine	Hybrid Perpetual 1842	Large, double-blooms in rose-pink with lilac undertones. This is one of the shorter Hybrid Perpetuals and is an excellent garden rose.
La Ville de Bruxelles	Damask 1849	This rose was planted in 2001 and has not done much, yet. We still have hopes for it, although it is not very vigorous.
Lavender Pinocchio	Floribunda
L.D. Braithewaite	English (Shrub) 1988	Bright crimson flowers on a tall shrub. Dependable bloomer.
Leda	Damask pre-1827	This rose was planted in 2001 and during 2002, it took off. It is very vigorous with gorgeous white flowers edged in red. Although it is only once-blooming, the beautiful flowers are worth it.
Lilian Austin	Shrub (English) 1981	This rose blooms and blooms. The salmon-orange tinged flowers are silky and somewhat reminiscent of Comtesse du Cayla, except that they are larger and more fragrant. The bush can be a little floppy though, so you may want to let it hang over a rail or other supporting device.
Louis Philippe	Hybrid China 1834	Although this rose was only planted in 2001, it just blooms like crazy. It has mauvish crimson blossoms with pink centers, that age to deep purplish crimson. It is a great rose for the South.

Louise Odier	Bourbon 1851	One of the most floriferous roses of the old garden roses. This rose can tolerate some shade and if left unpruned, you can use it as a small climber or pillar rose. The huge pink flowers are exceptionally fragrant and have a hint of lavender on the center petals.
Mary Rose	Shrub (English) 1983	Small bush constantly in bloom with pink flowers.
Mme Alfred Carriere	Noisette 1879	This is a rampant climber with first rate pinkish white blooms that cover it in a continuous display over a long period during the summer. This rose won a Best-of-Show Victorian Rose award in the New Bern Rose show in 2001, and the rose bush was only one year old at the time.
Mme Isaac Pereire	Bourbon 1881	Huge deep rose-pink blossoms with a fairly reliable repeat performance. The flowers are exceptionally fragrant and this rose does very well even in poor soil.
Mme Ernest Calvat	Bourbon 1888	The roses are a beautiful pink. The blooms are cupped.and loose, and very fragrant.
Mme Plantier	Alba 1835	This is old rose can be used as a vigorous shrub or a climber. It is once-blooming, but has gorgeous clusters of white fragrant flowers.
Marie van Houtte	Tea 1871	Nothing stops this rose. It blooms from April through December with no food, no water, no pruning and no spraying. It is huge, our specimen is over 6' tall and I occasionally have to trim to keep it within bounds. There is not much scent, but it has lovely blooms in lemon yellow with pale pink edges that age to medium pink.
Marinette	Shrub (English) 1997	This is an extraordinarily graceful, low-growing shrub with beautiful coral-pink, semi-double flowers. It reminds me of a smaller and more delicate Lilian Austin rose in many ways.
Marchesa Boccella	Hybrid Perpetual 1842	Light pink, double blooms.
Mayor of Casterbridge	Shrub (English) 1997	This bush is exceptionally healthy and can grow exceptionally large. It has smallish, medium sized light pink flowers and blooms all the time.
Mermaid	1918 Hybrid Bracteata	A huge sprawling rose with very large, pale yellow, single flowers. Extraordinarily healthy.
Miss Alice	Shrub (English) 2001	Beautiful light pink blossoms on a smallish bush.
Mister Lincoln	Hybrid Tea 1983	Deep red blooms. Survives organic gardening methods but is prone to black spot.
Mrs. Oakley Fisher	Hybrid Tea	One of the few single flower Hybrid Teas (5 petals).
Molineux	Shrub (English)	Gorgeous deep yellow double flowers. A really outstanding bush, particularly since it stays small.
Mutabilis	China pre-1836	Excellent garden shrub. Will get really huge in the right location (over 8'). The single flowers are yellowish-copper and turn to crimson with age. It flowers from spring until winter.
Nuits de Young	Moss 1845	Moss roses are hard to grow in the south, but they are so beautiful it is hard to resist. This is one of the darkest of the Mosses and is a rich, deep purple. It tends to be a small, delicate bush and needs good feeding, but it is worth the effort. With good care, it can reach 5'. Suckers enthusiastically, rather like a Gallica. (Unfortunately, the picture I took is rather poor, so be warned.)
Noble Antony	Shrub (English)	Magenta-red, fragrant flowers. This shrub is very healthy and it stays relatively small, so it is very useful in most gardens where some roses may simply grow out of control. It remains about 3' tall.
Old Blush	China 1752	Very easy to grow in clay soils. Flowers all summer and fall. The roses are pink and loosely formed with a subtle sweet-pea scent. Very disease resistant. Excellent rose for beginners. You simply can't miss with this one. It starts blooming in March and continues through November, here.
Old Pink Moss	Moss pre-1867	Lovely Moss rose, but needs soil amendments and mulching to keep it going in our hot summers. The flowers are a beautiful rich pink and have a good fragrance. It has reach a height of about 4' in our garden. This variety may have been the original Moss rose.
Paul's Himalayan Musk	Ramber Late 19th Century	Very profuse blooming with small, double pinkish flowers produced in clusters that droop. Great for growing into trees. Blooms once in May in North Carolina.
Pretty Jessica	Shrub (English) 1992	This is a smaller shrub rose that is well suited to perennial gardens. It is always in bloom and very easy to care for as it is extremely healthy. Roses are medium pink.
Prospero	Shrub (English) 1982	This is another smaller shrub rose that is great for a smaller garden. The roses are deep red with mauve undertones. Dependable bloomer.
Quatre Saisons	Damask Ancient (pre-1867)	This is a very ancient rose and may have been the rose mentioned in ancient Greek writings. It is exceptionally hardy and does not require the least bit of care. The blooms are amazingly fragrant.
Queen Nefertiti	English 1988	Beautiful, delicate rose in apricot, with a good scent. Like all English roses, this rose needs some soil amendments and mulching to keep it going in the summer. For this extra effort it will bloom all summer.
Radway Sunrise	Shrub 1962	Orange blend, 7 petals with a soft fragrance. Repeats.
Rambling Rector	Hybrid Multifloria	Very vigorous climber with mildly fragrant white blossom. Blooms in the spring. It has entirely covered our chicken coop, which is 6' tall by 10' by 20'.
Red Pinocchio	Floribunda 1983	Healthy, large rose bush with large, medium red flowers.
Reine de Violettes	Hybrid Perpetual 1860	One of the most popular, still, of the Hybrid Perpetuals. Almost thornless shrub with double flowers in violet. Wonderful fragrance.
Reve d'Ohr'	Noisette 1869	Gorgeous climber with healthy foliage and always in bloom. Along with Old Blush, it is the first rose to bloom in March. Beautiful pale yellow flowers with a good scent, smelling somewhat of the tea scent you find with some Tea roses. The flowers show a faint touch of pink in the centers as they open.

Rose de Rescht	Portland 1950	Very small, neat bush with double flowers in purplish-crimson. It is fragrant and only grows to about 3' and it generally flowers once in the spring, sporadically during the summer, and again in the fall if it has enough watering and feeding. It is a healthy bush, however, and worth the effort.
Rose des Maures	Gallica 1947 (reintroduced)	This Gallica rose was reintroduced in 1947 and called Sissinghurst Castle. It is a beautiful deep-plum color with a moderate fragrance and vigorous growth. Suckers enthusiastically, so you can shovel prune and give specimens to your friends. This is by far my favorite dark colored rose, even though it is only once blooming. The blossoms look and feel just like crumpled pieces of deep plum-colored velvet.
Rosa Roxburghii	Species 1814	Better known as Chestnut Rose, this rose has beautiful buffy brown stems that flake and peel with age. The leaves are composed of 7-15 leaflets and look rather fern-like. The name comes from the prickly fruits that look like small chestnuts in their husks.
Rosa Rugosa	Species	Rugosas prefer sandy soil, so they can be a little challenging to grow unless you provide them with good drainage and lighten their soil with gypsum and maybe some sharp sand and peat moss. They are a great "beach" rose, though. They do have good, hips and wildlife like them. These would not be my first choice for a garden plant, but do very well in wilder areas. Rugosa roses are easily recognized by their crinkly leaves. They do NOT like to be sprayed.
Salet	Moss 1854	One of the few repeat-flowering Moss roses. Some say it has a coarse appearance, but I don't know what they mean as I find it to be a very attractive bush. It grows in any soil including clay and has double, pink flowers with a good fragrance. It is about 4' in our garden. It blooms a lot in the spring, then puts out flowers sporadically during the summer, and a more heavy flush in the fall. If you give it a lot of water, it will produce flowers fairly regularly all summer.
Scabrosa	Hybrid Rugosa 1950	One of the best of the Rugosa clan. This rose has beautiful, large mauve single flowers and generally blooms reliably all season.
Shailer's White Moss	Moss 1810	Very beautiful white Moss rose. About 4' tall, and once blooming. It needs a little soil amendment, but is worth it for the fragrant flowers. One of the most beautiful of white Old Roses. This is a difficult rose to get started and does not like shade or root competition. Our specimen pouted after being planted in our perennial border, but I have since moved it away from neighbors and it is growing strongly now.
Slater's Crimson China	Hybrid China pre-1867	This is the rose that introduced true red into the world of roses. Without it, there would be none of the romantic red Hybrid Tea roses. But, aside from the historical importance of this rose, it is a simply beautiful little garden plant that just covers itself with delicate, vibrant red roses.
Sally Holmes	Shrub 1976	This rose was planted in 2001 and really took off this summer. It has clusters of white flowers that begin as apricot colored buds. This rose often wins at rose shows and invariably gets at least a blue ribbon.
Sharifa Asma	Shrub (English) 1989	A smaller bush with lovely pale rose-pink flowers and a rich rose fragrance. Does require some care to perform well.
Sombreuil	Climbing Tea 1850	A great white climber for the South. Will not do well in the colder North. Pure white flowers adorn this climber.
Souvenir de la Malmaison	Bourbon 1843	As far as I am concerned, this is the most beautiful and easiest to grow rose in existence. It is a short shrub, about 3' tall, with delicate blush-pink double flowers which can be 5" across. Lovely fragrance. Reliably repeats. Has very few problems with disease. Plant this in groups of three in your border and you won't be disappointed. Even planting one is wonderful. To me, it is what the Hybrid Teas should have been and are not. It is the perfect rose.
St. Swithun	Shrub (English) 1994	This is a large bush with gracefully arching branches. The flowers are pale pink and very double, almost globular. Very fragrant.
Sydonie	Hybrid Perpetual 1846	Medium pink, very double blooms.
The Dark Lady	Shrub (English) 1991	Short to medium bush with rich pink-to-red flowers. The roses are red in cool weather. Needs a little care to perform well.
The Nun	Shrub (English) 1987	Tulip-like white flowers are always blooming in clusters on this rose. It is a beautiful specimen and well worth the garden space.
Variegata di Bologna	Bourbon 1909	Double flowers with stripes/splotches of purple on a white background. This bush is tall and rather lax, so it may need supports in the garden.
Veilchenblau	Climber 1909	Climber with pinkish lavender flowers. Very vigorous. Once blooming.
Winchester Cathedral	Shrub (English) 1988	Beautiful full flowers in white with a lovely fragrance. This is a somewhat taller rose, but is very effective when planted with other darker flowers.
Wife of Bath	English 1969	One of my favorite English roses. It is a small (3') shrub with warm pink flowers. It is very tough and disease resistant. The flowers smell of myrrh and repeat fairly well.
William Lobb	Moss 1855	Very large, vigorous rose with gorgeous dark-hued flowers.
Wild Spice	Hybrid Rugosa 2000	Very healthy, single white blooms with a wonderful spicy fragrance. Never needs spraying.
Dog Rose, R. Canina	Species	This rose was purchased without a tag and later identified as a white version of the common Dog Rose. Lovely single white blossoms in the spring, followed by an abundance of orangish-red urn-shaped hips in the fall. Some fragrance. Soft greyish-green leaves. Long canes which bend outwards in a becoming manner, to make the bush have a sort of weeping effect. Very few large thorns along the thickest part of the stems with none towards the ends. Stems are green.
Wise Portia	Shrub (English) 1983	This lovely, deep mauve rose is very difficult to photograph as the rich colors do not show well. This little rose blooms continually and is very healthy. Place it near the front of a border as it tends to stay low. Our specimen has never stopped blooming during the spring/summer/fall seasons, so it is too bad that it is not more widely grown.
Yolande d'Aragon	Portland 1843	Mauve, very double blooms.
Miniatures
Ain't Misbehavin'	Miniature 1990	Dark red, single blooms. ARS rating 7.2
Autumn Splendor	Mini-Floribunda 1999	Yellow blend with 26-40 petals. The flowers are a gorgeous deep yellow with orangey red edges.
Baby Austin	Micro-Miniature 2001	Pale pink with salmon overtones.
Dresden Doll	Miniature 1975	Light pink with 18 petals. ARS rating 6.9
Dr. John Dickman	Miniature 2003	Pink blend.
Fairhope	Miniature 1989	Light yellow, 16-28 petals. ARS rating 8.0
Feisty	Miniature 2001	Medium red.
Flip Flop	Miniature	Pink blend.
Fuzzy Wuzzy Red	Miniature Moss	Red, semi-double.
Halo Star	Miniature 1992	Coral pink with a dark red eye. Single (5 petals). ARS rating 7.1
Hoot Owl	Miniature 1990	Red, flower single (5 petals) with white center. ARS rating 8.4

Merlot	Miniature 2002	Red blend.
Mood Music	Miniature Moss 1977	Buff orange, double blooms in clusters, 45 petals.
Paintbrush	Miniature Moss 1975	Light yellow, fragrant moss, blooms held in clusters of 3 to 10 per branch, 8-10 petals. ARS rating 7.2
Pierrine	Miniature 1988	Orange pink, 40 petals. ARS rating 9.2
Rose Gilardi	Miniature 1987	Red blend, 12-15 petals. Flowers are medium red with splashes of pink. ARS rating 7.1
Soroptimist International	Miniature 1995	Pink blend, very double.
Strange Music	Miniature Moss 1986	White with red stripes/splotches, very double with 50 petals.
Sweet Hannah	Miniature 1998	Yellow, fragrant, pom-pom shaped blooms that open pale yellow and deepen in color as they age.
Toy Ballon	Miniature Moss 1979	Deep ruby red. Fragrant, with 48 petals.

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