Mutabilis 

 Marie Daly

 Old Blush

Lady Banks

 Knockout

Belinda's Dream 

 Martha Gonzales

Roses are versatile, attractive, add fragrance and a touch of romance when they bloom. Now, I am not talking about the modern roses that are bred for showy flowers (exhibition quality), demanding, and need pampering to fight off diseases and insects.

What is an old garden rose? The American Rose Society classes an “old” rose as a rose introduced before 1867. For our purposes, we are going to be more lenient and talk about roses that are seventy-five years or older, or ones, through thorough testing, have exhibited typical old rose characteristics. Crowned the “Queen of Flowers,” roses come with a rich and noble history. The majority of them come from Europe and the Orient. Under the strict laws of nature only the strong survive. Many were planted in cemeteries dating back to the mid 1800’s. Their ability to perform in our growing conditions is a testament to the toughness of these plants.

Why old roses? Old roses are tough. They flourished long before garden hoses, sprinkler systems, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. They survived on old abandoned home sites and cemeteries for centuries, without any care or supplemental watering. They laughed at climate extremes and endured years of neglect. They are true survivors from lost gardens and have stood the test of time. These roses have been on trial for hundreds of years of droughts, heat, insects, diseases and have survived the test.

Not only do they respond favorably to a wide variety of soils, they are very versatile and fill a number of niches in the garden. Adding to their diversity, they climb, cover ground, ramble, trail and form hedges or bushes, large and small.

Modern roses, because of their need to be sprayed and fussed with, are usually by themselves in the garden. They are lined up like soldiers standing at attention. The goal is not a rose garden, but gardens that have roses in them. Antique roses add an extra dimension when blended with perennials, annuals, herbs and shrubs.

There are a few gardening practices that help produce healthy plants. Healthy plants are able to withstand our harsh conditions, using water more efficiently and tolerating drought conditions.

Good site selection. Sunlight is essential (5-6 hours), preferably early morning. Provide good air circulation.

Proper planting. Dig individual holes to accommodate the natural spread of roots. Incorporate organic material into the soil. This increases water absorption and holding capacity. Plants should set at approximately the same level at which they have been growing. Mulch with a coarse material, such as shredded bark, three inches to conserve moisture by reducing evaporation from the soil, suppress water-hogging weeds and moderate soil temperature.

Water Efficiently. Antique roses are drought resistant, once established and can usually exist on rainfall alone most of the year. After all, they have done it for years. If water is necessary, water efficiently with a soaker hose or drip irrigation to a depth of 6 inches.

Appropriate Selection. ‘Mutabilis’ is a good specimen plant that has flowers that darken with age from yellow to orange, pink and red. ‘Marie Daly’ is an easy to care for shrub rose that is very fragrant with double pink blooms. ‘Old Blush’ is a medium shrub with clustered light pink flowers, constantly in bloom. ‘Lady Banks’ is a fast grower and covers a large area with yellow or white sprays of flowers in the spring. ‘Knockout’ has electric cherry-red flowers that stand out against deep green foliage. The hotter the weather is, the better it performs. ‘Belinda’s Dream’ is a near perfect landscape rose with large, fragrant double pink blossoms. ‘Martha Gonzales’ is compact and ideal for low hedges with bright red blooms.