Roses That Don't Require Trimming

Ancient Garden Roses

• Most ancient roses grow into dense, graceful bushes, some growing 10 to 12 feet tall. The oldest of these, a group called the Gallicas, were grown by the Persians as early as 1,200 B.C. and, later, by the Greeks and Romans. Varieties available today include "Apothecary Rose," "Rosa Mundi" and "Complicata." The group called Albas were widely grown in the Middle Ages for their medicinal value and are exceptionally disease-resistant and tolerant of adverse conditions. Varieties available include "Queen of Denmark," "Celestial" and "Semi-Plena." Most ancient roses bloom only once, in June, but the profusion of flowers makes up for the short season.

Modern Hybrids

• Many low-care hybrid shrub roses have been developed in the last fifty years. Some have the advantage of continuous bloom all season, others are particuarly hardy, needing no special care in the cold-winter areas of the United States. Most are shorter and more compact than old rose varieties.These roses blend into most landscapes well so you can use them in mixed plantings of perennials and roses or with other shrubs such as lilacs and Weigelia. Look for these roses under group names such as "David Austin Roses," "Sub-Zero Roses," "Canadian Explorer Roses," "Parkland Roses" and Kordesii Roses." A red hybrid rose, "Knock Out" was an All-American Rose Society winner in 2000.

Rugosas

• Rosa rugosa is an exceptionally tough rose species native to northern Asia that has large single bright magenta flowers, attractively wrinkled foliage and prominent orange hips in fall. It grows well in sandy, seaside soil but will adapt to garden conditions as well. If magenta isn't your favorite color, there are other varieties to choose from. "Polareis" has pink, double flowers, "Alba" has white single blossoms, and "Will Alderman" is a double rose-pink with a tidy growth habit. All rugosas are both cold- and drought-tolerant.

Species Roses

• While many species have small pink flowers that are more appropriate to a wild garden than a modern landscape, some are worthwhile anywhere. If you want a climber, Rosa gentiliana will send up canes as long as 15 feet in a single season. R. dumalis is an arching shrub, growing to 6 or 7 feet, with blue-green foliage and pink blossoms. R. glauca has insignificant pink flowers, but the deep bluish foliage is reason enough to grow it.