Great New Roses For 2009

In December we described the 2009 All America Rose Selections, ‘Cinco de Mayo’, ‘Pink Promise’ and ‘Carefree Spirit’, which were introduced on the Bayer Advanced Float in the 2009 Tournament of Roses. But the New Year offers so much more than just those. Here are more of this year’s exciting new roses that caught our eye:

‘Burgundy Iceberg’ is the newest addition to the excellent family of ‘Iceberg’ floribunda roses. Large clusters of violet-burgundy bloom all season long and have a strong honey-like fragrance. The blooms are darkest in cool weather but the disease-resistant plant performs well in all climates.

‘Kimberlina’ is an exceptionally vigorous floribunda bearing large clusters of soft pink flowers with a light, spicy fragrance. Upright with glossy green, disease-resistant foliage.

‘Legends’ is a gigantic, ruby red hybrid tea personally selected by Oprah Winfrey to pay tribute to the wonderful women honored during her Legends weekend. Long-stemmed, with massive, ruffled petals, ‘Legends’ is a beautiful cut flower with moderate fruity fragrance.

‘Port Sunlight’ is a new David Austin English rose with old-fashioned, bright apricot flowers with a strong, classic rose fragrance. The blooms are flattened, slightly quartered, and the outer petals are lighter colored. A tall, upright plant with good disease resistance.

‘Shockwave’ is a free-blooming, yellow floribunda that holds its glowing color until all the petals drop. An excellent landscape shrub with glossy green foliage and rounded form.

Follow This Path to Beautiful, Healthy Roses

Roses are not as difficult to grow as you may think. Here are the steps to growing beautiful, healthy roses:

Choose locally adapted varieties. Do some research to make sure you plant the best roses for your area. Not all roses grow well everywhere. In certain areas, some varieties are more susceptible to insects or disease. Others don't bloom well under particular temperature regimes. Even the color of a rose can be slightly different depending on where it's grown. Local chapters of the American Rose Society are a good source of rose information. Public rose gardens are also a great place to learn exactly how roses grow in your area.

Plant in full sun. Most roses need a minimum of six to eight hours of direct sunlight. Less sun means fewer blooms and more disease problems. For more on planting roses, click here.

Water and mulch. In midsummer, most roses do well with one good, deep irrigation per week during dry spells. Newly planted roses may need more frequent irrigation. In hot-summer climates like the desert southwest, watering twice a week may be necessary. Water early in the morning and try to keep the foliage dry. Drip irrigation is best to water slowly, thoroughly and deeply without wetting foliage. Mulch with compost, bark chips or other organic matter to conserve moisture and reduce weeds.

Fertilize. Roses are heavy feeders and need regular applications of nitrogen fertilizer to keep blooming. Feed every four to six weeks from early spring until late summer to early fall.

Prune and deadhead. Roses need annual pruning during dormancy to keep them healthy and vigorous. For more information, see the rose care page. To keep roses blooming during the growing season, remove faded flowers (deadheading), cutting stems back to the first leaf with five leaflets. Varieties that bloom in clusters, such as floribunda and shrub roses, can be lightly sheared to remove spent blooms.

Control insects and disease. Insects, including Japanese beetles, aphids and whiteflies, can be serious pests of roses. Diseases like black spot, powdery mildew and rust can be even more troublesome. To control insects and diseases and fertilize at the same time, use Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate. (View demonstration to see how it works.) One application applied to the roots feeds and protects for up to six weeks. If you prefer a granule product for your roses, try Bayer Advanced™ 2-in-1 Systemic Rose & Flower Care Granules. It feeds and protects against insects and mites with one application. Just sprinkle around the base of the rose bush and water in. To control insects, diseases and mites, use Bayer Advanced™ 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control Ready-To-Use. For those needing only disease control, use Bayer Advanced™ Disease Control for Roses, Flowers & Shrubs Concentrate. It controls major fungal diseases that harm roses, flowers, trees and shrubs. The rainproof protection won't wash off once it's dry. Always read the label and follow the directions.