For success in the garden, nothing beats asking the experts for their
picks – and that’s just what Canadian consumer gardening magazines have
done this season. Canadian Gardening, May 2006, asked six Canadian rose experts to name
some of their favourite award-winning roses that do well in their
respective areas.
Experts Share Top Garden Choices
For success in the garden, nothing beats asking the experts for their picks – and that’s just what Canadian consumer gardening magazines have done this season.
Canadian Gardening, May 2006, asked six Canadian rose experts to name some of their favourite award-winning roses that do well in their respective areas.
Claire Laberge, Montreal Botanical Garden horticulturist, sites Whisper (Rosa ‘DICwisp’), a fragrant, hybrid tea with luminous creamy white blooms; and Eureka (R. ‘KORsurflabe’), a vigorous, well-shaped floribunda with large, amber yellow flowers with apricot reverse as two of her favourites. Both are All-America Rose Selections (AARS) 2003 and hardy to Zone 6 (Zone 3 with good winter protection.)
Retired chief horticulturist for Sheridan Nurseries, Ontario, Larry Sherk named Blue River (R. ‘KORsicht’) (Baden-Baden Gold medal GM 1984), a fragrant mauve hybrid tea, Zone 6 (to Zone 4 with winter protection) and ‘John Cabot’ (Portland GM 2004) a medium red hybrid kordesii shrub, hardy to Zone 3.
Article author Wendy Downing, past president of the Canadian Rose Society, named ‘New Dawn’ (World’s Favourite Rose 1997), a hardy, repeat-blooming, fragrant climber with hybrid tea-shaped soft pink blossoms; and Iceberg (R. ‘KORbin’, a.k.a. Schneewittchen) (RHA Award of Garden Merit, 1993, World’s Favourite Rose 1983, RNRS GM 1958, Baden-Baden GM 1958) a fragrant, white floribunda with long, pointed buds in clusters that open to large double blooms. Both are hardy to Zone 4.
Rachel Flood, president of the Canadian Rose Society, whose own garden has more than 1,500 roses, named ‘Grandpa Dickson’ (Syn ‘Irish Gold), ( Portland GM 1970, Belfast GM 1968, Golden Rose of The Hague 1966, RNRS President’s International Trophy 1965) a yellow hybrid tea, for its clarity of colour and spiral petal arrangement; and ‘Alec’s Red’ (R. ‘COred’) (ADR 1973, Belfast Fragrance Prize 1972, RNRS President’s International Trophy 1970, Edland FA, 1969), a disease-free, fragrant, early-blooming, red hybrid tea. Both are hardy to Zone 5.
Robert Osborne, owner of Corn Hill Nursery, Petitcodiac, New Brunswick picked ‘Blanc Double De Coubert’ (RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993), a fragrant old rugosa hybrid with pure white blooms; and Snow Pavement (R. ‘Schneekoppe’), a relatively new, very fragrant rugosa hybrid with pale lavender blooms. Both Zone 3.
Brad Jalbert, owner of Select Roses, Langley, British Columbia, included Fellowship (R. ‘HARwelcome,’ a.k.a. Livin’ Easy) (AARS 1996, RNRS GM 1990), a reliable orange floribunda with little fragrance; and, Sunset Celebration (R. ‘FRYxotic,’ a.k.a. Warm Wishes, Chantili, Exotic), (AARS 1998, Golden Rose of The Hague 1997, Belfast GM 1993), a tall, fragrant hybrid tea with long stems and apricot/pink blooms. Both Zone 4.
Gardening Life, Spring 2006, features Botanical Editor Karen York’s Top 10 annuals and perennials for 2006. Annuals on the list are:
Zinnia elegans ‘Zowie! Yellow Flame’ with multi-hued magenta and yellow petals that change to red and gold as they mature, an All-America Section for 2006.
Eschschoizia californica ‘Tropical Sunset,’ a California poppy custom mix by Renee Shepherd of Renee’s Garden in shades of red, carmine, flame and tangerine.
Nigella papillosa ‘African Bride,’ a dramatic white variation on the usual blue love-in-a-mist, that blooms all summer in full sun to part shade.
Salvia forinacea ‘Evolution,’ a sturdy floriferous mealycup sage with non-fading lilac/purple flowers, that’s heat and humidity tolerant. Another AAS winner.
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Double Click,’ a mixture of frilly double flowers over lacy foliage, ranging from white to pink to deep carmine, which blooms all summer in full sun.
Perennials on the list include:
Gaillardia ‘Oranges and Lemons’ sporting 75 blooms at a time on each bushy little plant. Tolerant of heat, humidity and poor soil, this plant thrives in full sun. Zone 6.
Echinacea ‘Harvest Moon’ has full golden daisy-type blooms with wider, slightly reflexed petals and an orange cone. Requires full sun. Zone 4.
Hemerocallis ‘Purple d’Oro’ offers pinkish-purple blooms with deeper toned veins and a buttery throat. Sibling ‘Ruby Stella’ is a rich red with similar golden throat. Both bloom in waves from summer to fall in full sun to light shade, offering alternatives to the small ever-blooming yellow day lily ‘Stella d’Oro.’ Zone 3.
Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans,’ a relative from China of coral bells (Heuchera) with deeply lobed leaves turning from bronze green in spring to bright red in late summer, and small, bell-shaped flowers in early spring. This plant will spread slowly to form an unusual ground cover. Zone 4.
Geum ‘Fireball’ from York, England, has an explosion of orange-yellow ruffled blooms with a faint red edge. It needs fertile, well-drained soil and full sun. Zone 5.
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