Tea roses, floribundas, hardy roses ….there are so many options when it comes to choosing the perfect rose! Here are some guidelines and tips to help you make the best selection for your needs.
Hardy Roses
If you want your roses to survive the winter and come back every year with minimal effort, hardy roses are your best choice. This means they are suitable for surviving winters in Central Alberta’s Zone 2 and Zone 3 winter temperatures. These include the Explorer Series, with names such as Champlain, John Cabot, William Baffin, and John Franklin; the Parkland Series which was developed in Morden Manitoba and includes Winnipeg Parks, Morden Ruby, and Morden Blush; and various rugosas and shrub roses such as Hansa, Prairie Joy, Grootendorst and Therese Bugnet. There are close to 100 hardy roses to choose from!
Tender Roses
Gardeners wanting that perfect specimen rose, fragrant and ideal for cut flowers, should look for tea roses. Closely related are floribundas. While tea roses have one large rose per stem, floribundas have clusters of smaller roses but are slightly hardier and sometimes less fragrant. Popular red roses include Chrysler Imperial, Oklahoma and Mister Lincoln. Fragrant pink roses include New Zealand and Tiffany. The best yellows are Oregold, Gold Medal and Midas Touch. Mauves and purples include Neptune and Paradise. There are hundreds more varieties in all colours of the rainbow!
Planting and Care of All Roses
Start with a rose that is already growing in a large pot, rather than in a carton. Plant them at the end of May or throughout the summer. Tea roses are usually grafted onto hardy root stock. You will see a large knobby part where the plant meets the roots. Make sure this “graft” is planted 2-4 inches below ground level. (This is not necessary with “own root” hardy roses.) Make sure your soil is of good quality (compost or manure are good additions) and add a cup of bonemeal . Give your plants a thorough soaking whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Fertilize with an all-purpose fertilizer such as 20-20-20 every week. Aphids love roses, but are easily eradicated with Safer’s Soap. Check buds regularly as this is where these critters love to feast! Make sure your roses get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day and space them well to allow good air circulation. To avoid powdery mildew, water your roses at the base and try not to wet the foliage in the evening. At the first sign of mildew, spray with Defender or a solution of baking soda (1 tsp), water (1 litre) and a drop of Sunlight dish soap. A rose that is treated properly at planting and throughout the summer is much more likely to survive the winter. The most important step is to “water in” your plants before the ground finally freezes solid. If we have a warm, dry fall, this can mean giving your roses one final good drink at the end of October or even at the end of November! Do not cut your roses back until Spring. The branches help trap good snow cover. Come spring, the hardy roses will start growing on the old branches. Wait until they are leafed out and prune any dead branches at this time. Tea roses should be cut back to one foot high in the spring before they start to grow.
Extra Protection for Tea Roses
Tea roses and floribundas require some extra effort to overwinter. After the ground has frozen (not too early in the fall) mound one foot of peat moss around the base of the plant. Also, try to ensure good snow cover. This will prevent early thawing and refreezing. Remove this cover when the poplar trees start to leaf out.
Some gardeners grow their tender roses in pots all summer and overwinter them in a root cellar or an insulated, unheated garage that is kept a degree or two above freezing.
But let’s not get too hung up on “overwintering” tender roses. You will pay the same price as for a bouquet of cut roses or a pot of regular annuals which never overwinter! So go ahead and treat yourself to a beautiful potted rose!
