Ask Chris
by CHRIS WINSLOW
What are the best varieties of roses for the Austin and central Texas area? I always try to choose a rose that requires the least amount of care and provides the greatest amount of beauty in the landscape.
My choice most often is an old-fashioned or antique rose. Unlike the modern hybrids, these old garden roses have stood the test of time. Many of the varieties have their origins dating back to the 18th century. Often they were found along roadsides, abandoned homesteads or cemeteries. Without care, they have flourished through the ages.
Often these old garden roses come with a history. For example, Souvenir de Malmaison, dates to 1843 and was found at the Empress Josephine’s estate in France. Another great old-fashioned rose is Old Blush which dates to 1752. Also known as Common Monthly and Common Blush China, this rose has great repeat bloom qualities and extraordinary disease resistance.
There are tons of these old garden roses to choose from. Some of my favorites are Louise Phillipe, Caldwell Pink, Kirsten Poulson, Mutabilis, Champneys Pink Cluster, Cramois Superior, Archduke Charles, Mermaid, Marie Pavie and Martha Gonzales.
These “no fuss–no muss” roses perform with little attention. Most don’t require the weekly spraying with fungicides to combat common rose diseases like black spot and powdery mildew. Planted in good garden soil blended with rich compost and given an airy, sunny location, these roses will reward with showy, repeat flowers.
It is also worth considering some of the more modern roses, such as Knockout. This hybrid was introduced in 2001, and it has rapidly risen to become a star in the world or roses. It is compact and tidy, resistant to powdery mildew and black spot, and blooms a vibrant fire engine red in the spring, and cherry red in the heat of the summer.
Foliage is dark purple-ish red though spring and summer, and turns burgundy in the fall. The flowers are seven-petal singles with a slight tea fragrance.
Also, amazingly, Knockout is a “self-cleaning” rose: you don’t have to ‘deadhead’ it (remove spent flowers and seed pods) to get it to re-bloom.
On top of all this, the incredible Knockout is believed to have the longest observed bloom cycle recorded to date for a rose plant. We planted Knockouts at the Fergus entrance to Plum Creek in 2003 and they have been blooming ever since. Knockout has also shown great shade tolerance but can also stand up to our full sun exposures.
If you have ever wanted to grow roses in your garden but have had bad luck, please do yourself a favor and give these roses a try.
If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to [email protected]. Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 www.itsaboutthyme.com
