Wowza!
Doesn't the photo of the above rose make you smile? What delicious color! You can almost taste the raspberry and orange sorbet swirl. Yum. And the irresistable ruffled petals practically beg to be touched.
Meet 'Easy Does It,' the only rose to win the coveted All American Rose Selections title for 2010.
What are All American Rose Selections?
According to the home web site, http://www.rose.org/, AARS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the introduction and promotion of exceptional roses. For the past 70 years, gardeners from all over the United States have tested roses in their gardens and reported their results. Each year the most outstanding roses are chosen to become winners, and are promoted as such in nurseries and garden centers.
What does all this mean for you?
As a home gardener with a passion for roses, I can say that an AARS tag on a rose means it will undoubtedly be among the best performers in your garden. The complete list of past winners can be found on the web site, and there are also lists of the best performers in various regions. For myself in Ohio, I find the Midwest list of interest. I already grow 'Carefree Delight' and 'Knock Out' with great success; I'm thinking of adding 'Julia Child' and perhaps 'Bonica' or 'Cherry Parfait.' I've seen them growing in other Ohio gardens and they always are impressive.
About 'Easy Does It': as a floribunda, the rose will undoubtedly bloom profusely all summer long. It will hold a nice rounded shape. The flowers will be good-sized and somewhat fragrant. In addition, the reports say 'Easy Does It' has excellent disease resistance. I think I'll be on the look-out for this one in the garden centers come spring.
Check out the AARS winners recommended for your area. It's a great place to start your search for new roses to plant when spring finally makes its arrival.
