Okay, here as promised are my selections with photos:
1. Carefree Beauty
I
love this rose! It was bred right here in Iowa by Griffith Buck, whose rose creations are only now becoming more widely known, unfortunately long after he passed away. Buck introduced this rose in 1977. My mother-in-law planted it in her garden in 1979. The garden is now ours, and Carefree Beauty continues to amaze me. It flowers continually throughout the season, is bone hardy (here in zone 5), immune to blackspot (at least in our garden), not particular to soil or growing conditions. Just to give you an example, this summer we had severe drought conditions and a heavy infestation of Japanese beetles. Not once did I provide it with supplemental water, and it continued to bloom. The beetles did some damage, but not as much as on the rugosas. So why am I getting Carefree Beauty if I already have it? Because I've been wanting more pink roses for our gardens. This one is simply one of the best pinks out there.
2. Ispahan (aka Pompon des Princes)
The obvious reason: It's pink. I don't yet have any damask roses and this one is hardy in our zone, producing cupped, double, scented flowers. It's long-blooming and I love the gray-green leaves. Being a history buff, its history intrigues me. It was introduced in Europe during the 13th century crusades and grows wild in the hills of Iran still today. David Austin loves this rose, so it comes highly recommended.
How's this for a coincidence: My wife's nephew is named Mike Shoup.
