Members' Favorite Roses

First, it's important to point out that a rose lover's favorite rose may vary depending on the day you ask! With that caveat, here are some of our members' favorite roses.

In Martha's Garden:

Gold Medal is a dark yellow grandiflora with pink edges and medium green leaves. I have two plants and they bloom from May through October. They grow to be 6 feet tall in my yard. Every 4-5 inch bloom is perfect in form with a lovely rose smell. Last summer was the first time I ever had any disease on these plants but usually I have no disease on these two plants. This is a great rose for beginners. I planted my first rose garden in 1990 and these two plants are still going strong.

Bill Warriner is a pink/apricot colored floribunda with dark green glossy leaves. It provides me with blooms from May through October. I have only one plant. It grows to about 3-4 feet in height. The 2-3 inch blooms have good form and a light fragrance. I have never had a problem with any rose diseases with this plant. This is a great rose for beginners.

Tournament of Roses is a medium pink grandiflora with dark green glossy leaves. It begins to bloom a little later than my other roses (June) but when it does it is a mass of blooms. It grows to be about 5 feet in my yard. The 2-3 inch blooms have good form and a light fragrance. I have only one plant and it has never had any disease problems. This is a great rose for beginners.

In Ellen's Garden:

Ingrid Bergman: I call it my "Christmas Ribbon Rose". The dark red color and great substance is like a very good quality velvet ribbon. The fragrance is rated as moderate but it's plenty for me and the "Old Rose Fragrance" that I love. It lasts 1-2 weeks in the vase too. Lots of blooms, one of the first in the spring and last in the fall (this last fall I went out to defoliate it and found a perfect 5 1/2" bloom buried down in the middle, what a treat on my table right in front of me) and seems to bloom continuously thru the entire season. Mine is about 4 1/2 - 5' and 3 1/2' across, lots of dark green foliage and very disease resistant. What more could you want?

Gertrude Jekyll: Bright pink to rose, perfect fat buds opening to flat blooms.
As with most shrub roses they don't last more than 5 days in a vase but there are plenty to keep the vases full. I have 2 bushes against a chain link fence and tie up the long canes horizontally like a climber for even more blooms.
I read somewhere that it is the first rose to be used commercially for perfume in 240 years and you don't need many to fill a room with its wonderful fragrance. The bush is about 4'x4', fairly disease resistant, and pruning is optional. I just prune to shape, out with the dead and any crossing over and rubbing on another cane.

In Margaret's Garden:

When I am asked what my favorite rose is, I don't have to hesitate a moment - it is "Double Delight". This rose could not be more aptly named as it does delight us twice, once with its beautiful blend of red and creamy white colors and again with its spicy fragrance. We have three bushes of this rose in our home garden, and what a treat it is to fill a vase with the lovely (and long-lasting) blooms. Also, when giving away a bouquet, I always try to slip in at least one "Double Delight" with the mix; folks are always quick to comment on its unusual blend of colors and fragrance.

Obviously I am not the only rosarian who feels the same way about this rose. It was an AARS winner in 1977 and was elected to the "Rose Hall of Fame" as the most popular rose of the last 25 years. It is a vigorous grower with beautiful deep green foliage and is a prolific bloomer. Although it is of medium height, it is a "spreader", so needs plenty of room. It does do best in full sun to develop that full red color and can mildew, although we haven't noticed that in our garden. The ARS rates this hybrid tea at 8.5, (10.0 is perfect) - what more could we ask for? If you haven't one of these beauties in your garden yet, please consider treating yourself to one (or more).

Just for the record, "Double Delight" was hybridized by Swim and Ellis and introduced in 1977. Its parents are "Granada" x "Garden Party". Among its many awards is the most prestigious fragrance award - the James A. Gamble Rose Fragrance Medal - in 1986.

In Gracie's Garden:

Baby Blanket: Nestled in the lower bed of my rockery, the soft pink flowers of this rosebush are a sweet addition to my rose garden. With rich green, disease-resistant leaves, the two-foot tall bush is covered with blooms from June through October. Its stems grow to about five feet in length and droop down over the edge of the rocks in a beautiful pink fountain and cascade up and back into the level above. An easy-to-grow rose, this is an excellent choice for the beginning rose grower.