Easy elegance roses

To recreate the gardens of your ancestors, include the old garden roses. These date back for centuries, are hardier, and include a large variety. They fare well in poor conditions, are the easiest type of rose to care for, do best in rich soil that drains well, and continue to bloom for years.

Some types of the old garden rose are Mary Queen of Scots, Sweetheart Rose, American Beauty, Awakening, and Belle Amore.

The Butterfly Rose is an ancient hybrid from China, introduced in 1932. The blooms change colors from soft orange to pink to carmine, which makes it a delight to observe.

What classifies a rose as an old garden rose? According to the American Rose Society, these are plants introduced before 1867. They prefer light fertilization, a light feeding schedule, and patience. They bloom only when they are ready to bloom.

Judging seminars are held because it is a challenge to judge the old garden rose; therefore, the judging for it is not set in stone. Fewer judges are familiar with it than with the newer modern roses.

If your goal is to show your old garden roses for prizes, you'll have to pay a bit more attention to them and prepare them properly for the shows. Things to look for include strong, vibrant blooms, leaves, and stems. They should have good color. Remove damaged petals (trim if necessary). The foliage should be clean. The less side growths you have on your canes, the better. A stem-on-stem condition is considered impairment. This is when new growth starts where old growth had stopped.

A national show was held in Dallas, Texas, in October of 2006. There are district shows and local shows around the country as well. If you are interested in competing in the rose shows, you might consider joining the American Rose Society. Through such a group, you can obtain a wealth of information and contacts.

Plenty of garden groups and clubs exist for rose enthusiasts. A short list of some of these clubs are as follows:

American Horticultural Society, Arlington Rose Foundation, Phoenix Rose Society, Potomac Rose Society, Arizona West Valley Rose Society, and Humboldt Rose Society.

If you would enjoy traveling around the United States in search of gardens to view the various old garden roses, among other types, you could try the following places:

The Pageant of Roses Garden, Whittier, CA, Washington Park International Rose Test Garden, Portland, OR, Inez Parker Memorial Rose Garden, San Diego, CA, The Gardens of the American Rose Society, Shreveport, LA, Tyler Municipal Rose Garden Center, Tyler, TX, and the Zilker Botanical Garden, Austin, TX.

If traveling the United States is not an option, try the local yellow pages in your area or call or visit the Chamber of Commerce in your town to get information on local gardens, clubs, and events that feature old garden roses.

Hot Wonder The Easy Elegance® Garden Jubilee® Hot Wonder rose, Rosa 'BAInder' (PP15,740), has hot pink, florescent blossoms which cover this rose all season long, giving it tremendous flower power. Glossy-green, disease-resistant foliage and compact, upright stature guarantee there is room for this vigorous, hardy grower in nearly any garden setting. An Easy way to a beautiful garden The Hot Wonder rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses. Bred for natural disease resistance and hardiness, the Hot Wonder rose will continue to bloom throughout the season, giving you long-lasting beauty and unparalleled ease of care. The Hot Wonder rose provides for: Easy care, low maintenance - no complicated pruning required Rich color all summer long - continuous blooms provide long-lasting beauty Environmentally friendly - no chemicals are required to maintain health.

Centennial The Easy Elegance® Garden Art® Centennial rose, Rosa 'BAIcent' (PPAF), has clusters of high-centered blossoms that are held on long, straight stems on this dynamic new rose. The exhibition-style blooms are apricot to soft yellow, fading gradually to creamy white, a vivid contrast to the bronze-tinged foliage. The Centennial's reblooming qualities make this rose a valuable addition to the mixed border. An Easy way to a beautiful garden The Centennial rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses. Bred for natural disease resistance and hardiness, the Centennial rose will continue to bloom throughout the season, giving you long-lasting beauty and unparalleled ease of care. The Centennial rose provides for: Easy care, low maintenance - no complicated pruning required Rich color all summer long - continuous blooms provide long-lasting beauty Environmentally friendly - no chemicals are required to maintain health.

Grandma's Blessing This beauty is so sweet it is named after Margaret ‘Grandma’ Bailey. Grandma’s Blessing has a symmetrical, vase-shaped form and dark-green, disease-resistant foliage. Stunning color combines beautifully with many perennials and also makes an elegant low hedge. An Easy way to a beautiful garden Grandma's Blessing rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses. Bred for natural disease resistance and hardiness, Grandma's Blessing will continue to bloom throughout the season, giving you long-lasting beauty and unparalleled ease of care. Grandma's Blessing rose provides for: Easy care, low maintenance - no complicated pruning required Rich color all summer long - continuous blooms provide long-lasting beauty Environmentally friendly - no chemicals are required to maintain health.

Kiss Me The Easy Elegance® Garden Art® Kiss Me rose, Rosa 'BAIsme' (PPAF), is one of the most fragrant roses in the Easy Elegance Collection. Kiss Me bears clusters of large, double, clear pink blooms, reminiscent of English roses. It flowers all season, and is especially attractive in the perennial border. The Kiss Me rose highly disease-resistant foliage adds to its appeal as a cut flower. An Easy way to a beautiful garden The Kiss Me rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses. Bred for natural disease resistance and hardiness, the Kiss Me rose will continue to bloom throughout the season, giving you long-lasting beauty and unparalleled ease of care.

Macy's Pride™ Lemon-yellow buds open fully to creamy-white and age gracefully with a hint of pink. Disease-resistant foliage is red-rimmed when immature and ages to a beautiful semi-glossy, medium green. The Macy's Pride™ rose was the New England Rose Society Award Winner in 2002. An Easy way to a beautiful garden The Macy's Pride™ rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses. Bred for natural disease resistance and hardiness, the Macy's Pride™ rose will continue to bloom throughout the season, giving you long-lasting beauty and unparalleled ease of care. The Macy's Pride™ rose provides for: Easy care, low maintenance - no complicated pruning required Rich color all summer long - continuous blooms provide long-lasting beauty Environmentally friendly - no chemicals are required to maintain health.

Sweet Fragrance The Easy Elegance® Garden Art® Sweet Fragrance rose, Rosa 'BAInce' (PPAF), has hybrid tea-shaped buds in tropical tints of coral and orange with a deep yellow base that swirl open to full, sweetly fragrant, apricot blossoms. Each bloom matures to salmon-pink adding interest with the range of color. The Sweet Frangrance rose contains clusters of buds and blooms that are held on sturdy canes making them perfect for cutting. The Sweet Fragrance rose is a vigorous, upright grower with excellent disease resistance. An Easy way to a beautiful garden The Sweet Fragrance rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses. Bred for natural disease resistance and hardiness, the Sweet Fragrance rose will continue to bloom throughout the season, giving you long-lasting beauty and unparalleled ease of care.

Yellow Submarine The Easy Elegance® Garden Art® Yellow Submarine rose, Rosa 'BAIine' (PP16,659), has clusters of bright lemon-yellow blossoms that age to soft yellow and finally to white, creating a spectrum of yellows on one plant. This beautiful rose has an upright habit and highly disease-resistant foliage. An Easy way to a beautiful garden The Yellow Submarine rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses.

Great Wall This shrub rose literally looks like a wall of bright pink blossoms with warm pink undertones, making it a remarkable hedge. The biggest flower display is in early summer with a strong repeat. An Easy way to a beautiful garden The Great Wall is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses.

My Hero The Easy Elegance® Lifestyle Garden® My Hero rose, Rosa 'BAIhero' (PP15,400), is a self-cleaning rose that has bright red blooms, which turn to deep pink as they mature. Massive displays and continuous blooms are quite attractive against the satiny, light-green foliage. The My Hero rose provides for: Easy care, low maintenance - no complicated pruning required Rich color all summer long - continuous blooms provide long-lasting beauty Environmentally friendly - no chemicals are required to maintain health.

Snowdrift Gorgeous, full, cup-shaped blossoms are creamy white with just a hint of apricot in the center as they open. An Easy way to a beautiful garden The Snowdrift rose is part of the Easy Elegance® Rose Collection which makes it easy for everyone to grow beautiful roses. Bred for natural disease resistance and hardiness, the Snowdrift rose will continue to bloom throughout the season, giving you long-lasting beauty and unparalleled ease of care.

Little Mischief With its glossy green foliage, low-growing habit and disease-resistant foliage, the Little Mischief rose is a wonderful companion plant in a border planting, hedge plant or it is a star performer in a decorative container.