Proven Winners Has Put the Fun Back into Roses & Shopping for Valentine’s Day 

Valentine’s Day is here accompanied by a slight dose fear of finding the perfect gift for your sweetheart. Candy is always the first thought quickly followed a vase of beautiful roses. The Garden Guy has another idea, how about a gift that keeps giving every year, and that is precisely what you will by planting Proven Winners roses.

When the first spray opened up in my Oso Easy Peasy^® rose, I thought wow they have captured the essence of a fine heirloom. This was like a breath of fresh air as I had fallen in love with antique and heirloom roses when becoming the Director of the American Rose Society years ago.

Oso Easy Peasy^® however is one of 15 landscape rose being brought to us by Proven Winners but there is a connection to the American Rose Society as it was selected as an Award of Excellence Winner in the no-spray division. This means exactly what the name says, it can’t get any easier than this rose for the landscape.

Oso Easy Peasy^® is relatively new in garden centers and The Garden Guy is lucky in that I had an early shot at it and for 2 years it is been just what the doctor ordered giving me beautiful flowers though I have offered it a big dose of neglect.

Finally, I did give it some nice partners. Those glorious those hot pink-magenta flowers are born at the base of an 8-foot tall, windmill palm and combined with Royal Hawaiian Maui Gold elephant ears. The lime green and hot pink rock!

This shows you the versatility of Oso Easy Roses, they excel from large sweeps or drifts in the landscape, incorporating with perennials in the cottage garden and yes, even with tropical plants if it’s your heart’s desire.

Oso Easy® Paprika

Oso Easy Italian Ice®

One of the most memorable mixed containers I have ever photographed featured Oso Easy^® Paprika a wonderful orange and yellow blend and Beyond Paradise copper plant. A topical combination of incredible warm colors.

I relished the trials for the Award of Excellence when I was director of the American Rose Society as it was reminiscent of university trials and in some ways more rigorous. At the time they were geared mostly for miniatures but now incorporates miniflora, today’s landscape shrubs.

Oso Easy Peasy^® isn’t the only winner Proven Winners has from the American Rose Society as the red-hot Oso Easy^® Urban Legend^® is also a winner. Vibrant red with a crown of yellow stamens makes this one of the most sought-after roses for the landscape. Of course, as with Award of Excellence winners it is packed with disease resistance and performance.

Making their debut this year is a collection of three Reminiscent^™ roses. That name says it all the look and smell as if they came out of Empress Josephine’s Garden, at Malmaison. But they are new remarkable breeding from Serbia and therefor new to US gardeners. Seeing the cupped petals of my Reminiscent Coral took me back to my favorite heirloom roses. There are also pink and cream selections

Roses need six to eight hours of direct sun each day. Morning sun is essential, but a little afternoon shade is tolerated. Good air movement helps the dew and rain dry quickly, further enhancing the inherent disease resistance, so space about 3 to 4 feet apart depending on your variety.

Before you plant your roses, get the beds prepared by incorporating three to four inches of organic matter and tilling to a depth of 8 to 10-inches. The ideal soil pH for roses is between 6-6.5. Planting on raised beds further maximizes good drainage. By all means, finish your bed or planting with a good layer of mulch.

Feed your roses with a slow release or controlled release fertilizer per formula recommendation. Apply at the start of spring growth and again in mid-summer. I like to prune

In the landscape, your options will seem to be endless. Be bold - plant enough to make a landscape impact using them with your favorite perennials and a few splashes of annuals. Don’t forget mixed containers too! Proven Winners has put the fun back into growing roses and shopping for Valentine’s Day. Follow me on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more tips and photos to inspire.