GARDENER'S READING ROOM
Roses

What's New in the Rose Garden?

'Graham Thomas'

	'Fair Bianca'

I’m very excited about our 2007 rose selection, and equally excited to announce that Sky is hosting Luke Stimson of David Austin Roses on June 9, 2007. Luke will give some history and growing tips, answer questions, and help you select the perfect roses for your location. Luke has also worked with us to choose the best Austin roses for the Puget Sound climate, such as new ‘Janet’, with peachy-pink blooms overshot with hints of copper and yellow and a potent tea fragrance; ‘Carding Mill’, with rich apricot mixed with pink and yellow and a strong myrrh fragrance; and ‘Queen of Sweden’, soft glowing pink with hints of apricot and exceptional disease resistance.

	'The Dark Lady'

Oldies but goodies include ‘Abraham Darby’, ‘Graham Thomas’, ‘Fair Bianca’, ‘The Dark Lady’, and the improved ‘William Shakespeare 2000’ - plus many more. So please mark your calendars for June 9th, for it will be special.

Here are a few of my own favorites among the many other introductions. In the hybrid teas we have: ‘Gentle Giant’, huge buds and blossoms of vibrant pink with a golden glow; ‘In the Mood’, a vivid true red; blackspot-resistant ‘Sheer Magic’, J.& P.’s Rose of the Year, coral flowers edged in cream. The AARS grandiflora winner for 2007, ‘Strike it Rich’, is a deep golden yellow blushed with ruby with wonderful fragrance and disease resistance, while ‘Mother of Pearl’ has great disease resistance and a perfect shape. ‘Moondance’, the floribunda AARS winner for 2007, is a fragrant pure white. Other great floribundas are ‘Topsy Turvy,’ brilliant scarlet with white reverse, a mounding shrub that’s early to flower and fast to repeat; and ‘Cinnamon Twist,’ whose fragrant flower is not orange, not quite coral, but smoky variations in between, tipped in gold at the base.

'Abraham Darby'

	'Strike it Rich'

In the shrubs, we have added the newest disease-resistant ‘Knockout’: 2007 AARS winner ‘Rainbow Knockout,’ coral blooms with rich yellow at the base. New climbers include vigorous repeat-bloomer ‘Night Owl,' with huge wine-purple flowers with yellow centers and a good fragrance, and ‘Crimson Sky,’ whose fire-engine red blooms are early and unfading. For you rugosa fans, we have new ‘Raspberry Rugostar’ with deep pink blooms and light clove fragrance. In groundcovers, I’ve got a very fun new one called ‘Happy Chappy’ with unique apricot and yellow flowers constantly covering a compact, weather-tolerant plant. We will also have a new rose tree form called the double decker. It’s on a 36” standard, but instead of just one rose on top you also get one grafted in the middle. Very fun - come and see for yourself, and browse Sky’s several hundred other rose selections!

'Mother of Pearl'	'Night Owl'	'Queen of Sweden'

By Deborah Abbott
Skylights Spring 2007 Vol 22, No. 1

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