No-sweat way to fill yard with roses

 yellow tea Black spot, the scourge of many gardeners in the eastern U.S.,thrives in hot, humid, rainy weather. Powdery mildew likes the warm days and cool, humid nights common inspring and all season long in many coastal areas. Rust likes it mild and moist. Disease resistance is also relative.Under ideal conditions even the most resistant varieties mayexperience some disease. But, as a whole, landscape roses thrivewith little or no preventative or curative treatments. Though some old roses have many of these characteristics, it'smostly modern roses (defined as those introduced after 1867) thatconsistently provide maximum blooms with a minimum of care. Following are the three basic categories of landscape roses, withsuggested varieties that have proven reliable across the UnitedStates. Continue your research on the Web and in rose catalogs orbooks to find additional information on a variety's size, shape,proper spacing, and exact flower color and character. Keep in mind that plant size will vary depending on your climate.In areas with mild winters and long growing seasons, roses oftengrow much larger than the sizes given in catalogs. Roses can beriotously colorful, too, so choose carefully to make sure the onesyou select blend well with the overall colors of your home andlandscape. This is a catchall class of roses that groups together plantsvarying considerably in size and shape. Shrub roses can be used asinformal hedges and work well in flower borders. Many are sold aspart of a branded series of varieties, differing in flower colorand sometimes plant habit. At the head of this bunch are the Knock Out roses, which in amatter of just a few years have become some of the most popularroses grown. Other excellent series include Carefree and FlowerCarpet roses. Meidiland roses also include many excellent shrubroses, but most are quite vigorous and best for large areas wherethey can spread. For the coldest regions, select very hardy cultivars such as theBuck roses, the Explorer series (named after famous explorers), andthe Morden (or Parkland) series, many of which have survivedtemperatures below minus 30 degrees F. Among individual varieties, look for the exceptional 'Home Run'(red) and 'Sally Holmes' (white). Also consider 'Belinda's Dream'(pink), one of the first roses to receive Texas A&MUniversity's "Earth Kind" designation for its excellentdisease.