Someone once said, “The love of flowers is really the best teacher of how to grow and understand them.” It is easy to love the rose. The rich fragrance, the sumptuous clusters of silky petals, the extravagant color, the rewarding bouquet in the vase on the kitchen table…
It is also easy to be frustrated by the rose…the powdery mildew, the black spot, the aphids, the “little green worms”, the pale dull foliage, the sparse blooms…
In the maritime Northwest with our cool summers and our wet winters, the rose may feel like somewhat of an unwelcome guest, unless we consider its needs and comforts as good hosts always should. Our latest Expert Advice Article, “Planting Roses”, will help you navigate the pitfalls of growing in our Maritime climate. Also, Genevieve Schmidt at North Coast Gardening has a great post on Disease-Resistant Roses for the Pacific Northwest.
Hybrid Rosa rugosas are sturdy and disease resistant. Look for those with a “neat” or “tidy” growth habit to limit suckers.
