Bred from Knockout roses, Home Run rose is extremely disease resistant and in my mind one of the best new red roses for the garden, should you be comfortable with single roses (which hopefully you will be). Knockout roses, both the original and offspring such as Pink Knockout roses, are extremely disease resistant and a laugh (in more ways than one) to grow. It says something about the toughness of Knockout roses when highway departments begin planting them…see this photograph of some ridiculously healthy knockout roses as proof. Home Run roses share the basic good qualities of Knockout Roses, but also offers up lovely lovely red roses of single-form. Five scarlet petals surround bright yellow stamens. True red in the landscape is always welcome.

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Technorati Tags: Knockout roses, Home Run roses

Blue roses are nearly always in fashion, although there is no true blue rose. Blue roses tend to be lavender or magenta (magenta is also the color of many red roses as they age). Which leads us to the modern antique rose Outta the Blue (aka Out of the Blue). If modern antique seems an oxymoron, we have David Austin to thank and this is a sincere comment on my part.

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Recently, I wrote a briefish introduction to Knockout roses, and with the introduction of Pink Knockout roses and 2007’s Rainbow Knockout roses, there is ample evidence of hybridizing efforts aimed at toning down the brash color of the original Knockout rose while maintaining the vigor and good health charactistics of this line of shrub roses. Excellent roses for beginners, although I heard an interesting point of view from a nursery woman I greatly respect that suggests Knockout roses may end up being a victim of their own success.

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Abraham Darby is one of the most widely grown David Austin English roses, and with good reason. Abraham Darby is a shrub with classic flowers that also has the desired qualities of wonderful fragrance, excellent re-bloom, strong growth and disease resistance. Abraham Darby is the kind of result David Austin had in mind when he began his search for the new English Rose. Large blossoms can vary in color from soft peach to pink to apricot, and each perfectly formed flower is truly lovely. More, the fragrance is rich and memorable.

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Knockout roses have been the rage in recent years. Introduced in 1999 by Star Roses, and an AARS winner, Knockout roses have been the subject of some controversy (the ‘why’ in a bit) within the rose community. Truthfully, I had to conduct some soul-searching of my own about this rose. Even my mother started a crusade to get some type of answer out of me with regards to the Knockout rose. After much consideration, I have to (surprisingly to those who know me and even to myself) give the Knockout rose an enthusiastic thumbs up. A little late perhaps, as it seems the market has already spoken. So what exactly is the deal with Knockout roses?

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Of limited availability, David Austin English rose Sir Walter Raleigh is best suited for experienced gardeners, largely due to the cultural demands required to ensure success. The blossoms, outstanding in form and fragrance, are produced somewhat stingily throughout the season. The blooms are a warm pink, and have been described as being similar to a peony. Watch out for mildew and rust in areas where these maladies are prevalent.

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Another David Austin English Rose, The Pilgrim offers the soft texture of pale yellow on flat, quartered blooms. Re-bloom is good, with two to three strong flushes of bloom during the growing season. Flowers are produced in sprays of three to seven, and The Pilgrim has an unusual habit in that flower stems may emerge from the main stem (in addition to the normal leaf joints).

Growth habit is strong and healthy. Blackspot may make an appearance from time to time, but The Pilgrim shrugs it off without missing a beat. I have never coddled The Pilgrim with sprays, and it marches merrily on. Foliage is shiny and holly green. Habit is upright for the first four to six feet, but as canes lengthen they begin to arch over into the classic old rose vase shape.

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A sport of Red Coat, David Austin English Rose Dapple Dawn bears large, four to five inch blooms of single-flowered form. Warm pink petals move to a creamy white color towards the center of the bloom, and prominent yellow stamens add to the relaxed character of the blossoms. Due to the informality of the flowers, Dapple Dawn makes an excellent choice for the informal or cottage garden. Growing to a robust eight feet, Dapple Dawn does best at the back or middle of the border. Dapple Dawn’s flowers are borne continuously throughout the entire season; often the shrub will be covered in a mass of bloom. Despite a general healthy and vigorous demeanor, Dapple Dawn is slightly susceptible to blackspot.

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Susan Harris over at Garden Rant did her usual exemplary job in an article on garden roses. Tons of information in the Rant’s direct style, of which I am a huge fan. Susan took the time to recommend roses that have a bit of shade tolerance. So…here’s a recommendation in homage to Susan’s article. Shrub rose Scarlet Meidiland is somewhat shade tolerant (all things being relative). It would be accurate to say that Scarlet Meidiland is more tolerant of shade than many of its brothers and sisters, but this should not be received as a recommendation to plant it in the middle of one’s fern garden. Oh, and it’s almost infallibly disease resistant.

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David Austin rose Perdita bears clusters of flowers which move through a range of color as they mature, starting as creamy buff buds which change to soft peach or apricot as they open. Repeat bloom is good. David Austin’s penchant for focusing on fragrant roses is borne out with Perdita. Fragrance is excellent indeed, as Perdita was awarded the Royal National Rose Society’s Henry Edland Medal for Fragrance in 1984.

Perdita takes a couple of years to become well established in the garden, maintaining an open habit until the center of the shrub begins to fill in. Growth habit is slightly arching.

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