Roger Williams Rose Garden

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

We visited the Roger Williams Park Victorian Rose Garden where we joined Mike Chute, a co-founder and past president of the Rhode Island Rose Society. Mike told us that while most people think of roses as hard to grow, in this first episode of a two part series, he would show us some newer varieties that are lovely and require minimal care.

The first rose we looked at was called 'Knockout'. 'Knockout' is a hardy rose that is resistant to most diseases, and tolerant of drought and heat. Because of its compact, dense habit, "Knockout' would look great in a mass planting or in even the most manicured landscape. 'Knockout' does well in partially shaded areas (with at least 6 hours of sun per day), and will bloom throughout the summer.

'William Baffin'

The 'William Baffin's one of the hardiest in the "Explorer series," a group of roses that were developed by Agriculture Canada and are capable of flourishing in their cold, northern climate. A shrub rose, 'William Baffin' requires a large growing area and blooms in a beautiful dark pink and fuchsia.

'John Franklin'

The John Franklin is a hardy rose that is shade tolerant and mostly disease resistant. Generally the plant reaches over 4 feet in height with clusters of fragrant blossoms.

'Cuthbert Grant'

This is another rose developed for the "Explorer Series" in Canada. The flowers on the 'Cuthbert Grant' have a strong fragrance and are semi-double, crimson red, and about 4 inches in diameter. 'Cuthbert Grant' has excellent resistance to powdery mildew and blackspot.

'First Light'

'First Light's' most noteworthy attribute might be its compact (some might say tiny) size. 'First Light' displays clusters of five to seven-petaled light pink flowers with prominent purple stamens on 18-inch tall plants. These will work nicely for tucking into small spaces where other roses might not fit. Look for this shrub rose to bloom all summer.

'Dortmund'

The 'Dortmund' is a climbing rose plant that produces a flat, brilliant red bloom with a yellow stamen. This rose is hardy and disease resistant. It is vigorous, shade tolerant, and can be trained to climb.

'Baby Love'

This beautiful shrub produces a medium yellow flower and can reach to about 3 feet. 'Baby Love' is a disease resistant shrub that blooms throughout the whole summer.

Make sure you watch during the week of June 15th when the Plant Pro will again visit with Rhode Island Rose Society's co-founder Mike Chute. They'll provide tips on caring for cut roses from the garden and show more beautiful and low-maintenance roses for your landscape.

Written by James Proctor