Starting on Sunday, April 10, our roses will be available for purchase for the first time this season!
If you want to learn about roses, talk to Richard, Tagawa’s Rose and Perennial Supervisor. Then just stand back, listen, and soak up the depth of information and passion this man has for the plants in his care.
That’s what I did when I asked him to pick some of his favorite roses for gardening in our routinely dry and unpredictable climate. Not surprisingly, most of his recommendations are for rough and tumble shrub roses, but there are a few others.
Here are his suggestions, along with his pictures, of the roses he chose and why he likes them.
“Coral Cove”
Richard and I both belong to the Coral Cove fan club. Gorgeous color is just one of its many wonderful attributes.
Richard’s favorite things about Coral Cove:
- Two colors, coral and soft pink, on three-inch blossoms
- “Not at all demanding; right at home in our climate”
- Especially disease resistant
- Self-cleaning, once the petals drop, the peduncle will turn black and drop off naturally, no deadheading necessary
- 2′-3′ tall and wide
“Como Park”
The blossoms on Como Park are sometimes described as “radiant!” They certainly do “pop!”
Richard’s thoughts on Como Park:
- Very cold hardy; easy rose for beginners
- Densely pinkish-red flowers against dark green foliage
- Blooms in clusters throughout the growing season from top to bottom of the bush
- Heat and drought tolerant
- Compact and upright; 3′ x 3′ tall and wide
“Head over Heels”
Can a rose be mistaken for a dahlia? Apparently so, if it’s Head over Heels!
Richard is especially drawn to Head over Heels because of its “great smell.” But there’s plenty more to love about this plant!
- Big sprays of medium- to light-pink two-inch blossoms
- Reblooms continuously
- Hardy and disease resistant
- Good in containers
- Upright growth; 3′ tall and wide
“Music Box”
Music Box is another shrub rose that has so much going for it!
Why Richard likes Music Box:
- “Every single flower is a little bit different”
- Reblooms two-inch flowers of buttery yellow and delicate pink blooming head to toe delicious sweet fragrance
- “Plants look natural without much effort;” i.e. not much pruning
- Has beautiful rose hips for fall interest
- 3′ to 5′ tall x 3′ to 4′ wide
- extreme heat and drought tolerance and a solid zone 4
- self-cleaning
“Winnipeg Parks”
For the toughest rose from Richard’s Colorado-friendly list, look to Winnipeg Parks.
Richard’s favorite traits of this rose:
- Very cold hardy; developed to withstand harsh winters in Canada
- Sometimes described as “almost indestructible;” has had “wonderful success in our area.”
- Vibrant dark pink flowers
- Resistant to blackspot, mildew, and rust
- 2′ to 3′ tall and wide
“Drift” roses
Richard doesn’t mince words when it comes to the Drift series of roses. He says they’re “phenomenal!”
Drift roses are groundcovers, creating a beautiful sprawling way to dress up your landscape. What else does Richard admire about this plant?
- It’s especially easy to care for
- Comes in a variety of colors… pink, peach, red and white
- Double blossoms
- Ground-hugging habit
- 1′ to 2′ tall x 2′ – 6′ wide, depending on variety
“Austrian Copper”
To me, Austrian Copper has a very wild-rose look… just a bit untamed and ready to “sucker happily,” as Richard describes it.
Richard says Austrian Copper is “a very cool old garden rose.” As he sees it, the plant’s attributes include:
- Bicolored flowers; scarlet/coppery petals with yellow centers
- Will occasionally produce fully yellow flowers
- Extremely cold hardy zone 2
- Drought tolerant
- It’s a big shrub rose; 6′ to 8′ tall x 6′ wide
- one time bloomer but large tangerine-colored hips that adorn the shrub in the fall and winter (tasty too!)
“Distant Drums”
If you’re the kind of gardener who loves something a little different now and then, Richard suggests that you check out Distant Drums.
Richard is a big fan of the rather unique coloring: bronzy petals shading out to mauve.
What else does Richard like about Distant Drums?
- Uniquely-colored blossoms are big, about 3″ to 4″ across
- Double blossoms are long-lasting and cup-shaped
- Continuous bloomer, great in a container and wonderful for cut flowers
- Flowers have the fragrance of myrrh
- Compact shape, 4′ tall x 3′ wide
“Grandma’s Blessing”
Grandma’s Blessing is a grandiflora rose described as a “hybrid-tea-like rose without all the work.”
Why Grandma’s Blessing makes Richard’s list:
- Tight upright stems give it a hybrid tea appearance
- Beautiful rich pink flowers over very dark foliage
- High disease resistance
- Plant has a vase-like form suitable for containers
- 3′-5′ tall x 3′-4′ wide
So what are you waiting for?
Richard and his crew in our Rose Department will be bringing in hundreds of varieties of roses as we move farther into spring. Starting on Sunday, April 10, roses will be available for purchase for the first time this season!
Come see our selection and bring your smartphone to photograph your favorites! And don’t forget to help yourself to the many free handouts available in our Rose Department. Our handouts… and our staff… can help take you to the best rose-growing season ever!
And to get that best-ever season started, claim your ticket to Roses with Paul Zimmerman on Sunday, April 10! To purchase your ticket and get more info, click here.
