In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

• Ask a question

« Late blooming Daphne | In the Garden front page | Masses of acorns »

November 11, 2007

Best roses for the Sacramento Valley

Warning that it wasn’t at all scientific, and that it garnered only a pathetic response (seven rose aficionados), Lance Walheim (author of “Roses for Dummies”) has come up with a list of tried-and-true, never fail, guaranteed to bloom and thrive roses for the Sacramento Valley.

The roses really are tough, top performers in the Sacramento Valley heat even if thelist isn't as representative of all rose lovers and all types of roses. Unfortunately, most of the respondents tended toward modern, exhibition type roses. That said, the top vote getter is an old fashioned-type single rose.

Here's the list:

1. Rosa Sally Holmes: A hardy, tough, shrub rose with single pale creamy flowers with a hint of pink at the tips. Makes a tall, robust shrub, can be trained up a trellis or arbor.

2. Moonstone: A hybrid tea with huge delicate looking flowers flushed with rose. Long stems for cutting. It is mildly fragrant.

3. Gemini: A hybrid tea, and a favorite for exhibition. Flowers, which are produced over a long season, are cream and coral. An All American Award winner.

4. Secret: A prize winning hybrid tea with a fragrance described as a combination of fruit and spice. Pink toned flowers, shrub grows to about four feet.

5. Grand Prize: A floribunda, it won a gold medal for best of class. Makes clusters of cream and pink blushed flowers that have a slightly spicy fragrance.

6. St. Patrick: A hybrid tea with large, soft yellow colored flowers. It blooms early summer, and again late summer, early fall.

7. Daybreaker: A floribunda with striking creamy orange petals surrounded by some that are pinker in color.

8. Let Freedom Ring: A lovely red hybrid tea rose, slightly fragrant. Makes a tall, upright shrub.

9. Veteran’s Honor: A hybrid tea with huge - up to five inches - red flowers. Also known as Lady in Red, City of Newcastle and Five Roses. Grows four to five feet tall, slightly fragrant.

10. Playboy: A shrub rose with single, orange/yellow and red flowers that are slightly fragrant. Blooms all summer and into fall.

Ask a question

Please use the form below to submit your question. Because there is a 100-word limit for questions, a word counter is located directly beneath the box where you enter the your question.