Roses are a polarizing plant. Admittedly, we’ve been a little afraid to mess with them. They can be a wonderful, season long bloomer or a nightmare of fungal problems.
They are also consistently top the list for best selling shrubs, with hydrangeas right behind. When they are in the right spot, roses are fantastic additions to the garden.
In 2024 we tried numerous new rose cultivars and enjoyed all of them for their fast growth, long bloom time, and general low maintenance. All of us particularly enjoyed the new fragrant varieties, At Last and Reminiscent Crema.
At Last was the favorite. All of the staff ended up taking one home.
We found that they flushed out full of blooms, then would look shabby for a bit before they flushed out again, similar to Knockouts. The one we planted had blooms on it all the way through October.
What about leaf spot? While it wasn’t immune, we found it similar, or perhaps a bit more resistant than Knockouts. Like all roses, try not to drench the plant when you water and plant it in an area with good air circulation and lots of sun. For those perfectionists it’s also helpful to spray every couple of weeks with a fungicide labeled for leaf spot.
One word of caution: Keep in mind that our experience with them is limited to one season. There are reports online of weak stems, spindly growth, and short lived flowers. That wasn’t our experience but time will tell!