My name is Barrie (that’s me to the right washing up after a hard day in the garden). I am a landscape architect, having earned a Bachelor’s degree (1990) and Master’s degree (2006) in Environmental Design from the University of Georgia. While design is enjoyable, for me it has always been about the plants. As many gardeners do, I enjoy plants for their individual traits, as well as how they combine with other plants in the garden. Roses and perennials (and motorcycling, verbena, my family and greyhounds) are my own particular weaknesses, and in particular, the rose is fascinating for several reasons…

First, there are many varieties of roses, some born and some bred, with an incredible array of form, habit, and cultural requirements. This diversity allows us to utilize roses for many purposes, including ground covers, bedding plants, cut flowers, hedges, specimens - all with a stunning aesthetic.

Second, surely because of the beauty of their flowers, roses have been an integral part of the history of humans, both ancient and modern. Whether one harkens back to clashes between rival families in the War of the Roses or twentieth century roses such as Peace, spirited out of Paris in 1939, there are many tales to tell. Human beings may not need art in order to survive, but unquestionably we need art to inspire and lift us and inch us forward in our own quest for progress.

Third, and this is what this page is really about, roses are indeed examples of the best and the worst of us. On the positive side, responsible breeders have brought us roses which must be considered pieces of art in their own right; further, to plant a rose is to be able to enjoy this work of art in one’s own garden. Breeders such as Pemberton with his Hybrid Musks or David Austin with his English Roses (and many, many others) have showed us how art and science and hard work can produce masterpieces.

However, there are a couple of areas where there is room for improvement. Our search for specific rose characteristics has led us as sellers and consumers to accepting plants of lesser overall quality in the search for that one elusive goal, whether it be fragrance or remontancy or a blue colored blossom. While we should continue to seek to reach new heights (I for one would enjoy a blue blossom or two on a disease resistant, vigorous rosebush), we should not sacrifice certain qualities, especially disease resistance. Second, while chemicals are beneficial when used appropriately, we should limit their use when possible to selective types which shall not kill every living insect which crosses into the cross-hairs; in effect, we should use a marksman’s rifle rather than a shotgun when targeting insects. I personally have seen all things that flutter and fly and crawl disappear from my garden after I sprayed the roses for disease and insects. Japanese beetles are relentless in their assault during their annual pilgrimage to my garden. Do not mistake me for a zealot on this issue, as I do believe in the use of chemicals and inorganic fertilizer. However, balance is important in all things.

I have no quarrel with those who choose to include a rose here or there which needs special attention such as more frequent spraying for blackspot, but my hope is that the bulk of the roses chosen shall be of a tougher fiber. In this website, we include some varieties which are more susceptible to the usual diseases, but these are documented as such. Spray we must sometimes, but I do not want my own garden to look like a desert of green and gold, empty of all but my pampered plants. Many people regard roses as time-consuming, fussy plants. It is true that some hybrid teas are gawky, disease-ridden affairs best suited for the traditional rose bed, but there are many roses, including hybrid teas, which are beautiful plants, tough and hardy. My hope is that today’s consumers will insist on easy to grow roses and today’s breeders will focus on hybridizing roses for vigor and disease resistance.

There are insects which are beneficial to our gardens and there are insects which are harmful. Definitions of beneficial or harmful must be viewed from the human perspective, as without our help or hindrance, a natural balance will evolve that will allow survival of the hardiest species of flora and fauna. However, there is nothing wrong with viewing things from the human perspective, after all, everyone reading this document is probably human. We have a right to protect our art, our gardens.

It is our hope that you will find many roses to choose from. Some will need spraying; hopefully, most will not. Our endeavor should be to make the rose a citizen in every garden again.

Barrie
Athens, Georgia