Rose Varieties

There are literally thousands of rose varieties available for those of us who love this plant. One of the ways I figure out which new plants to grow is by following the annual selections of the All America Rose Selections. The AARS member trial gardens across North America grow all the rose introductions and award the best of the best a AARS designation. Luckily there are only 4 plants given this designation each year so we get to know which roses are real winners.

2006 rose varieties include:

Julia Child’ is a floribunda that has excellent disease resistance. This butter-gold has a fragrance that is best described as licorice.
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’Rainbow Sorbet’ is a multicolored floribunda shrub rose that is winter hardy and disease resistant to black spot.
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’Tahitan Sunset’ is a vigorous growing plant to produce huge (5-inch diameter) flowers. Licorice fragrance is not overly strong.
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’Wild Blue Yonder’ is a shrub rose with a velvety wine-purple bloom and a strong spicy perfume.
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The 2005 rose varieties that won awards include:

’About Face’ is a grandiflora with an unusual 'backwards' bicolor whose light color of deep golden yellow is carried on the inside of the petals with a darker bronzy orange-red backside. It has a mild-apple fragrance. Vigorous growing plant.

DayDream is a landscape shrub rose only 2' tall that is hardy to USDA zone 4. Huge clusters of fuschia-pink-blooms are produced all summer. Very light scent but good disease resistance to blackspot.

’Elle’ is a hybrid tea with a strong citrus fragrance, a high-center classic rose shape in a shell pink with deep yellow tones. Big flower – 4-5 inches wide on long stems make this one ideal for cutting. Average disease resistance.

Lady Elsie May’ is an upright, spreading shrub with good disease resistance. The blooms are coral pink in clusters. Slight fragrance but good growth.

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