Roses are the most widely planted and loved shrub in America. That being said, they are a bit of a challenge here in Lake County as deer also love them. They perform best in spring/early summer and autumn, as our heat and dry air can crisp any flowers that emerge in July and August. Most people who can keep the deer away consider them worth it. I like to mix them in with other shrubs and perennials. I also prefer the landscape shrub varieties and Florabundas for their bloom numbers. Flower arrangers prefer the Hybrid Teas for their classic single stem flowers. Roses come in a variety of growth habits, from ground covers to climbers vigorous enough to eat your house. The only color they do not come in is blue. Due to our drier climate, rose diseases are usually kept to a minimum, and aphids in the spring are the biggest insect issue. Feed after every flush of bloom, mulch well, and water regularly. Keep your bush renewed by pruning in winter, removing older canes if you have fresher new ones along with dead or unhealthy looking wood. Make cuts at outward growing leaves or leaf scars. Remove any remaining leaves as much as possible to force your rose to rest. Besides, overwintering leaves get diseased.
We get most of our roses that we will have for the year as bare-root and pot them up ourselves. It is possible to get them bare-root and save money, but the window for doing that is only a couple of weeks here. Weeks Roses and Star Roses are in-stock now, and here is the list of what was ordered for 2021.
Hybrid Teas
| Barbra Streisand | Brandy | Dark Night | Dolly Parton |
| Double Delight | Eternal Flame | First Prize | Fragrant Cloud |
| Henry Fonda | Just Joey | Loves Promise | Memorial Day |
| Mister Lincoln | Neptune | Over the Moon | Parfuma Bliss |
| Peace | Perfume Delight | Perfume Factory | Rio Samba |
| Sterling Silver | Sugar Moon | Tropicana | Veterans Honor |
| Voodoo | Apricot Candy |
Grandifloras and Floribundas
| Barbra Streisand | Brandy | Dark Night | Dolly Parton |
| Angel Face | Burgundy Iceberg | Cinco de Mayo | Colorific |
| Doris Day | Ebb Tide | George Burns | Gold Medal |
| Iceberg | Intrigue | Julia Child | Ketchup&Mustard |
| Marmalade Skies | Poseidon | Preference | Queen of Elegance |
| Scentimental | Silver Lining |
Climbers
| Above All | America | Don Juan | Eden |
| Fourth of July | Golden Opportunity | Joseph’s Coat | New Dawn |
| Sally Holmes | Skys the Limit | Tropical Lightning | Iceberg |
| Quicksilver | Tangerine Skies |
Landscape Shrub Roses
| Oranges and Lemons | Burgundy Iceberg | Iceberg |
| KnockOut Dbl Red and Dbl | Pink Drift Apricot, Coral, Peach, Popcorn, and Red | Sunblaze Miniature Amber, Cherry, Mandarin, and Yellow |
18 and 24 inch Tree Roses
| Angel Face | Burgundy Iceberg | Julia Child | Iceberg |
| Ketchup and Mustard | Marmalade Skies | Preference | |
| Sunblaze Autumn | Sunblaze Yellow | Sunblaze Rainbow |
36 inch Tree Roses
| Brandy | Ebb Tide | Mister Lincoln |
| Perfume Delight | Pope John Paul II | Rio Samba |