Beginner's Rose Garden: Low-Maintenance Varieties for Armloads of Blooms

Think a rose garden is fussy? Not with low-maintenance roses that deliver armloads of flowers. Choose a site with full sun (6+ hours direct). Less sun = poor flowering, more pests.

Plant List

A. Don Juan Climbing Rose (Rosa 'Don Juan') – Zones 5-9. Velvety red blooms, 10' tall, 6' wide. Alt: Blaze Climbing Rose (Zones 4-7, 12-14' tall).

B. Carefree Wonder Rose (Rosa 'Meipitac') – Zones 4-7. 1991 AARS winner, semi-double pink, prolific, orange hips, 4'x3'. Alt: Betty Prior Rose (Zones 4-9, deep pink, 3-4'x4').

C. Mary Rose (Rosa 'Mary Rose') – Zones 5-9. David Austin English rose, many-petaled pink, Damask fragrance, spring to fall, 5'x5'. Alt: Pearl Sullivan Rose (Zones 5-9, white-blush pink, 4-6'x4').

D. The Fairy Rose (Rosa 'The Fairy') – Zones 4-9. Vigorous shrub, pink clusters, 3'x3'. Alt: China Doll Rose (Zones 5-9, double pink, fragrant, 18"x2.5').

E. Therese Bugnet Rose (Rosa 'Therese Bugnet') – Zones 3-7. Hybrid rugosa, recurrent pink, gray-green, nearly thornless, 5' tall. Alt: Gertrude Jekyll Rose (Zones 5-9, large pink, fragrant, thorny, 4-5').

F. Iceberg Rose (Rosa 'Iceberg') – Zones 4-9. Fragrant white with coral touch, clusters, nearly thornless, 3'x3'. Alt: White Meidiland Rose (Zones 4-9, white clusters, 2.5'x4').

Companion Perennials

G. Cranesbill (Geranium 'Johnson's Blue') – Zones 4-8. Blue flowers May-Sept, 15-18". Alt: Catmint 'Blue Wonder' (Zones 3-8, lavender-blue, 12-15").

H. Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) – Zones 5-9. Lavender-blue spikes, silver foliage, sage fragrance, 3-4'. Alt: Boltonia 'Snowbank' (Zones 4-8, white daisies late summer, 48").

I. Meadow Sage (Salvia 'May Night') – Zones 4-7. Violet-blue summer, 18-24". Alt: Speedwell 'Goodness Grows' (Zones 3-8, blue spikes, 14").