Three Easy Care Roses for Zone 7

Growing up my mom would clip red roses that grew on the side of our garage for my sisters and me to wear on Mother's Day. I can not tell you the name of the rose. I do not remember paying much attention to it. That one act, though, instilled in me a love of roses.

When I bought my first home, I dreamed of having my own roses in my front yard. I would pin them on my dress for Mother's Day or maybe stick one behind my ear. In my dreams, roses would line my driveway and float in mason jars on my kitchen table.

There was just one problem - I had never grown anything in my life. Aren't roses supposed to be tough to grow? Still, there had to be a way. After all, my mom is a notorious brown thumb and that garage rose thrived.

The solution I discovered was to choose the right roses. I would need easy care roses. Prima donnas had no place in my yard. Plus, I needed easy care roses that thrived in the red clay in Georgia.

As a kind of experiment, I decided to neglect my roses for the first year. The first year they would get no pampering. They were not fertilized. They were watered only by whatever rain fell.

Here are the roses that not only survived, but thrived in my yard:

Belinda's Dream Rose - This was my first ever rose. I went to a rose nursery and asked for a pink rose that smelled good and that I couldn't kill. The gentleman referred me to Belinda's Dream Rose. I planted it in red clay and waited.

The saying that first year - sleeps, second year - creeps and third year - leaps certainly held in this rose. Six years from the time I put it in my yard, I have nicknamed it my attack rose. It spills onto my porch giving me armfuls of cut roses.

There is no easier care rose. It is great for cut flowers, is a repeat bloomer and smells wonderfully, just like a rose is supposed to smell.

Remember my mom? The one with the brown thumb? I gave her a Belinda's Dream Rose as a birthday gift. I think it is the only plant she has not killed.

Mr. Lincoln - The nice gentleman at the nursery told me that I could not kill Mr. Lincoln. He referred to the red rose as hardy. Introduced in 1964, he said that it was a tried and true rose. If it were not, it still would not be selling.

I was a bit concerned about this rose. Unlike Belinda's Dream Rose, this one is a hybrid tea rose. Hybrid teas are known for being temperamental and needing lots of attention. Still, I decided to take the man's advice.

Wow, I have never been so happy to be wrong in my life. It has a beautifully strong scent and gorgeous. When you think of red roses, this is what you think of. It would be a perfect Mother's Day rose if it would bloom on time. It only produces one or two roses at the time. That just makes me appreciate it more, though.

Nearly Wild - What if you don't want cut roses? What if you just want some color for your yard? Nearly Wild is your rose. It is the definition of an easy care rose. I bought my Nearly Wilds at the end of the season when they were on sale. They bloomed their hearts out.

Usually used for hedges, Nearly Wild roses are a favorite of landscapers. These are the rosebushes you will find off the side of the road. You do not have to do a thing to them and they look great.

Be careful, though, these are very thorny plants. I hate pruning them. The only other drawback is that you will get tired of them before they die.

So, if you have always dreamed of having roses in your yard, give Belinda's Dream Rose, Mr. Lincoln or Nearly Wild a try. You will not be disappointed.