Think you can't grow roses without a lot of fuss?
Think again.
More specifically, think Earth Kind Roses.
The brainchild of Texas A&M landscape horticulture specialist Steve George, 11 designated Earth Kind Roses are among the toughest varieties you can put in your garden.
The 11 are among 117 roses tested statewide in a five-year study conducted by A&M horticulturists and funded by the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association. The Earth Kind program seeks to identify the toughest, most environmentally responsible high performers for Texas gardens.
In the study, which banned chemical treatments, fertilizers and pruning, the Earth Kind 11 flowered spring to fall, showed outstanding disease and insect resistance, defied the heat, and proved drought tolerant.
The results were enough to make a grumpy gardener grin.
Finding easy-care roses is a priority for many gardeners, says rosarian Gaye Hammond, who during the past two years has conducted several surveys among the 2,500-member Houston Rose Society and others to determine interest in rose topics.
Hammond, active on many rose fronts, sees Earth Kind Roses as an answer for those who wish to spend more time enjoying their gardens rather than maintaining them.
The 11 Earth Kind selections -- `Belinda's Dream,' `Caldwell Pink,' `Climbing Pinkie,' `Else Poulsen,' `Katy Road Pink,' `Knock Out,' `Marie Daly,' `Mutabilis,' `Perle d'Or,' `Sea Foam' and `The Fairy' -- grew under adverse conditions, but home gardeners will see even better results when these roses are given a good start in a raised bed of organically enriched soil, receive six to eight hours of sun and are watered and mulched.
The Earth Kind Roses include old and modern roses. `Mutabilis,' which dates to before 1894, is perhaps the easiest of these easy roses. `Mutabilis,' as one A&M expert put it, is the radish of the rose world. Anyone can grow it.
`Knock Out,' on the other hand, a 2000 All-America Rose Selection, has shown the highest tolerance of black spot.
Given our humidity and often wet climate, all roses, it seems, have some susceptibility to black spot, a fungal disease. Tolerance varies among varieties, but those designated as Earth Kind have been rated tolerant to highly tolerant. They drop affected foliage, whether a few leaves or more, and put on new growth.
Ask your nurseryman about the availability of these Earth Kind Roses:
Belinda's Dream,' circa 1992
Plump, high-centered fragrant pink blooms are carried on this 4- to 6-feet-tall by 5-feet-wide shrub; tolerant of alkaline soils; black-spot resistant and immune to powdery mildew.
Caldwell Pink,' found rose
Touted as the best summer bloomer by many, this old rose found in Caldwell carries clusters of double lilac-pink blooms on a plant 4 feet tall and wide. Black-spot resistant; immune to powdery mildew.
Climbing Pinkie,' circa 1952
Nearly thornless, this rose offers semidouble fragrant pink blooms on 8- to 12-foot climbing canes, or it can be allowed to grow as a large, cascading shrub. Immune to powdery mildew; it does get some black spot, but this old rose sheds affected leaves and continues with the show.
Else Poulsen,' circa 1924
Slightly fragrant, these faded pink semidouble blooms with dark-pink reverse grow on a plant approximately 3- to 5-feet tall by 3- to 5-feet wide. Maximum sun and air circulation will aid `Else Poulsen' in fighting black spot. Powdery mildew is not a problem.
Katy Road Pink,' found rose
Popular among many gardeners, this rose found in Katy produces fragrant, large, semidouble pink blooms with showy yellow stamens on a shrub approximately 5 feet tall by 4 feet wide. Not picky about growing conditions; black-spot and mildew resistant; produces large orange hips.
Knock Out,' circa 2000 --
The slightly fragrant, nonstop semidouble cherry-red blooms of this All-America Rose Selection have caught the attention of home gardeners and professional landscapers. The 4-by-4-foot plant is disease resistant.
Marie Daly,' date unknown
Fragrant semidouble pale pink blooms cover this small-statured rose ideal for smaller gardens and containers. Mature plant size is approximately 3- to 4-feet tall by 3- to 4-feet wide. Give this Texas Superstar sun and excellent air circulation to help prevent black spot. It has few thorns.
Mutabilis,' prior to 1894
The silky, single blooms on this wonderful old rose change from yellow to orange to pink to crimson, and so the 6- by 6-foot plant often is covered in multiple colors. Also known as the Butterfly Rose, `Mutabilis' can grow even taller in the Houston area.
Perle d'Or,' circa 1884
The highly fragrant blooms of this old rose begin as elegant, nearly orange buds that open to an apricot-peach pompom. Rarely out of bloom, the heat- and disease-tolerant plant is 3- to 4-feet tall by 4-feet wide.
`Sea Foam,' circa 1964 -- Clusters of fragrant double white blooms cover the 3-foot tall and 6-foot wide disease-resistant rose, suitable as a climber or a trailer.
The Fairy,' circa 1932 --
Steve George is removing `The Fairy' from the EarthKind list for Houston gardeners until it has been determined if Cercospora leaf spot is a problem here. Many here do grow this black-spot resistant rose, enjoying the clusters of double pink blooms on arching shrubs 3 feet tall by 4 feet wide.
Since 2003, more roses have passed the Earth Kind test:
Ducher
a China rose introduced in 1869, produces double ivory blooms with a fruity tea fragrance. Add it to a calming, all-white garden or use the luminous blooms to enhance other colors in the landscape. Because the average mature size is 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, it's an excellent choice for a container.
Georgetown Tea
was found by author and rosarian William Welch in Georgetown. The dark salmon-pink double blooms fade to lilac pink and have a strong tea fragrance. This upright, bushy repeat bloomer will mature to 4 feet in height and width, and likely more with mild winters.
Duchess de Brabant
introduced by Bernéde (France) in 1857 and named for The Duke of Brabant, who was a Belgian prince. President Teddy Roosevelt was very fond of this rose and often wore a bud or flower as a boutonniere. This cultivar has large, pink, extremely fragrant flowers and blooms continuously throughout the growing season. The flowers are very double with a unique cabbage-like appearance.
Spice
is classifi ed as a Bermuda Mystery rose due to its unknown parentage.But there’s no mystery about its performance. Spice produces wave after wave of blush pink, double blossoms that have a tea-like fragrance. In fact, many knowledgeable rosearians believe that Spice is the true ‘Hume’s Tea Scented China,’ (1809) and along with Parks Yellow teascented China (1824) parented a long list of modern cultivars including hybrid teas.
article by Kathy Huber
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