Top Ten Roses for California Gardens

While a variety of factors need to be taken into consideration when selecting roses for a California garden, there are a few basic things to remember. You should always choose a spot for your roses in full sun with light afternoon shade. Prior to planting, be sure to soak the root in water for at least eight hours to rehydrate the plant. You should fertilize twice during the growing season, and make sure to prune any dead or dying blooms from the plant.

Here are ten varieties to try in your rose garden.

Alec's Red: This medium red hybrid tea rose has a huge, 45 petal, globular flower. It is quite fragrant, and intolerant of rain. As with most hybrid teas, the single bloom per stem makes it an excellent choice for cutting. The Alec's red needs sun and is disease resistant.

Boule de Neige: A white on white blend rose, this full blossomed flower exhibits a rich, milky white fragrance. The Boule de Neige flowers in clusters. This very hardy rose needs sun and dislikes rain.

Autumn Damask: A very fragrant medium pink rose that has a repeat growing season. The Autumn Damask, or Quatre Saisons rose is good for areas with poor soil, very hardy, and disease resistant.

Agathe Incarnata: This Gallica rose has a profusion of small, fragrant, light pink flowers. It can grow in poor soil and can also be cultivated in a container.

Baronne Prevost: A long lasting, medium pink, very fragrant rose, the Baronne Prevost needs sun.

Baronness Rothschild: This rose has a very large, 40 petal, light pink flower. The Baronness is quite fragrant and has a repeat growing season.

Mme. Legras de St. Germain: A medium sized, quite fragrant ivory rose, this alba is very hardy and adapts well to climate. A good flower for cutting, it is almost thornless, and will climb if trained.

Shot Silk: This very hardy yellow-pink blend hybrid tea has large blooms with 30 petals. While the Shot Silk may require winter protection in some areas, it is an excellent choice for hot climates.

Alba Maxima: A medium blossomed, sweet fragranced rose that is okay for poor soil, and tolerant of shade. This clear white colored rose is a good choice for hedging.

Alexander: A rose of the most popular variety, the hybrid tea, the Alexander has a very large, lightly fragranced bloom.

While one rose may be more suitable than another, it is always best to start with a rose proven in your area. Once you have some cultivation experience under your belt, however, it may serve you well to experiment. Good luck.