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Rose Bush Flowers Made Easy

As Good As Grass editor:
Professional gardening knowledge and excessive dedication of time are no longer required to cultivate your very own roses. A new plant has been developed and it can be yours. If you are one of our artificial grass customers, why not start your own flower garden to add that special touch.

Just in time for Mother's Day, Vicki Smith, a lifelong Horticultural professional, www.LGYP.com has news about extremely low maintenance rose bushes that make adding these lovely multi-season plants a breeze.

Honestly, what comes to mind when thinking about a traditional rose bush? Fussy? Time-consuming? Hard work? All that and still have black spot and aphids?

"Not anymore," according to Smith. "The good news is about this latest group of landscape garden roses. They really should be thought of as low or no maintenance flowering shrubs or ground covers that just happen to flower with rose-shaped flowers. Yes, they are that good."

Speaking from personal experience over several years with earlier generation shrub roses related to this year's new offerings, all that was necessary was to plant the roses initially, assures Smith.

"That's all. Really," Smith said. "No spraying of any fungicide or insecticide has been done for at least 4 years, yet there is no black spot or aphids. While the soil they are planted in is great soil, there has been no additional fertilizer applied in 4 years, yet the roses bloom and bloom and bloom, right up to frost. Not even the first light frost stopped the flowering entirely. There have been several periods of relative dry, almost drought-like conditions and no supplemental watering has been given. The leaves stayed just as green and lustrous. How many plants can you say that about?"

As lovely as Forsythia is as a harbinger of spring after the long, dark winter; they only bloom for about 2 weeks. Fragrant Viburnums can't be beat for their intoxicating perfume, but only for 2 weeks. Azaleas and Rhododendron surely have their place in the home garden, but again they add their lovely colour for only about 2 weeks.

Consider these new roses as thoughts turn to what can be grown and flower all season. Not all roses are created equal, however. Putting the right trees and plants in the right place is still the key to success. Take care when selecting exactly which landscape rose hybrid you want to enjoy.

Smith's Suggestions include:
'Rainbow Knock Out' the latest in an popular group of Knock Out garden Roses. The coral pink blooms are nicely accented with a rich yellow eye. Compared to earlier Knock Out varieties, 'Rainbow Knock Out' is more compact and even more floriferous, a horticultural term that simply means flower-bearing. Winter hardy to Zone 4, this rose can now be included in landscapes throughout much of Maine and New England, through to Minneapolis and much of Colorado and the Rockies.

'Sunrise Sunset' has delicate two-tone blooms of fuchsia and apricot that add colour all summer long, with foliage that stays unimaginably clean. What is especially nice when thinking of these plants as landscape shrubs rather than just roses, is that the form on 'Sunrise Sunset' is dense and nicely spreading.

'Julia Child' rose was personally chosen by the famous chef, perhaps because the scent reminded her of Licorice and spices. This old-fashioned looking rose has a large bloom with many petals of rich buttery gold with a rounded, small to medium height with nice foliage and is hardy in zones 5 through 11.

'Flower Carpet Scarlet' grows even less high, reaching 3 feet with a spread as wide or wider. Dramatic by itself or as a mass grouping, this groundcover rose can have 2000 blooms per plant when mature, making quite a statement in the landscape. Surely that is more than is expected from a traditional rose.

'Red Drift' grows lower still, topping out between 18 and 24" with a wider spread. Also in this series are pink, white and peach. These compact plants can be utilized in non-traditional ways that people tend to think about roses for. 'Red Drift' works in hanging baskets, combination planters, and on hillsides or slopes. Incorporating them in front of larger growing plants is a nice way to add colour and different texture and keeping the garden low maintenance.

'Polar Joy' flowers deserve special consideration. Everyone wants a tree rose; they just look cool, don't they? Yet, most simply don't perform the way everyone hopes. Now, there is a tree rose, hardy up to Zone 4 (this covers more than 95% of the United States and much of coastal and southern Canada) that provides the vertical accent desired. With soft pink blossoms tumbling over clean foliage, this colour will blend with most any landscape application among other lower growing roses, shrubs, groundcovers, annuals or perennials. Lovely in containers on patios, stairs, by the front door and so on, it is only necessary to put the potted plant in a cool garage or basement over the winter. The plant, pot and all can be temporarily buried in the ground over winter to protect delicate roots that grow close to the pot's edge with time.

Remember that trees and plants in containers dry out faster than those planted directly in the ground. With just a few minutes' time several times a week, the home gardener can be rewarded with wonderful, fragrant, beautiful flowers that require little else.

Have some fun. Make someone happy. Make yourself happy. These plants will put a smile on any mother's face and keep it there since the plants and flowers so easily take care of themselves.

For more information about the hottest new flowers, trees and plants in the industry, check out www.HotNewPlants.com. Remember to keep the team at "As Good As Grass" up to date with all your lawn care and home garden tips! We always look forward to receiving another photograph of your latest garden design.