During hot summer days, roses that hold their shape and colour have firm, even stiff petals that last much longer than the softer petalled perfumed roses.
The downside is that most stiff petalled blooms are not scented but they make up for that by being long-lasting garden flowers that also last well in the vase. They can be planted in the sunniest part of the garden, whereas roses with softer petals do better with morning sun and afternoon shade.
These garden toughies are ideal for the kind of high temperatures that we are now experiencing. Most are disease resistant too with leathery green leaves that are not susceptible to black spot and which shade the stems, keeping the plant cool.
‘Bonfire’ is a compact, hip high flora tea rose that keeps on producing florist quality medium sized blooms with an exciting two tone colour combo of golden yellow and deep apricot. A good garden rose that is suitable for containers.
‘Pandora’ has long lasting star-shaped hybrid tea blooms that are carried mostly on candelabra type stems. Unlike other still petalled roses it has a distinctive fruity fragrance. The neat bush grows to shoulder height and is disease resistant.
‘Vera Johns’ (named after a Miss South Africa) has been a long-time favourite with many gardeners around the country for its performance as an outstanding garden rose. Its star-shaped blooms are good for picking and the plant is a well branched, medium to tall grower with hardy, disease resistant leaves.
‘Curro Rose’ is a vivid vermillion ‘stamina’ rose that grows to hip height, with bushy but neat growth. It has strong roots, disease resistant leaves and needs less water than traditional hybrid tea roses. The abundance of short-stemmed flowers have strong petals that hold their shape and don’t fade, even under the hottest sun. This rose stands out when planted in groups or with other ‘warm’ coloured roses.
‘The Yellow’ withstands heat and rain, producing large shapely blooms with firm petals of a true, virtually unfading yellow. The shoulder high bush is covered in glossy deep green disease resistant leaves and produces long lasting blooms on sturdy stems with few prickles.
‘Union Schools’ is a hardy floribunda rose that flourishes in the Karoo and other drought stressed regions. The blooms are shapely and firm, carried as candelabras or on single stems that are consistently produced from the base of the bush. The result is a dense, leafy bush that is useful as a border plant or chest high hedge as well as for containers.
‘Red Intuition’ stands out because of the dark red stripes and flecks splashing over the lighter bright red petals. The buds are a classic urn shape opening into full, romantic blooms. This hybrid tea is vigorous and tall growing, producing long straight stems that last well in the vase.
‘Forever Delight’ is a floribunda version of the classic ‘Double Delight’. Although it is not fragrant, it produces blooms almost non-stop; with new buds developing as old blooms fade. Plant the roses as a group to make a statement, or in a container, or with other fragrant roses.
‘Pink Polo’ produces strong pink blooms on tall, proud stems that easily reach shoulder to head height. The intriguing shape starts off as a classic hybrid tea and opens to a side plate sized quartered rosette with a delicate rose fragrance.
‘Bravo Babylon Eyes’ is a knee-high single rose that attracts bees and is lightly fragrant. Unlike other single roses that don’t stand up well to hot sun, this Persica hybrid has stiff petals that stay firm. Ideal for containers or borders.
For more information visit Ludwig’s Roses, or view the rose catalogue here.
Text and images: Alice Coetzee.
