'Belinda's Dream' Rose

Roses in Houston can be very challenging.  Our humidity makes Blackspot, Anthracnose, Powdery Mildew, and Black Sooty Mold an almost guarantee.  These things usually send people running away from Roses in their landscape.  I can't blame them.  Constantly having to battle bugs and diseases with chemicals is not a way of having fun in the garden.  That said, there are ways of enjoying Roses in Houston without all the fuss.

Texas A&M has done extensive studies of rose varieties to find the best roses that need minimal care.  The winners of the trials have won the title of Earth-Kind and are now sold at local retail nurseries.  The title of Earth-Kind does not come easily.  The test roses go through years of state wide trials before they are crowned with the title of Earth-Kind.  Only the best roses make the cut.  The roses on the list have proven themselves with outstanding landscape performance.  The roses are not immune to pest problems but they rarely require the use of chemical pesticides to control them.  This is great news to those of us who have fought many battles with roses in the past.  Chances are if you have given up on roses, an Earth-Kind rose will redeem your fears and doubts against them.  More information and a full list of Earth-Kind roses can be found on the Earth-Kind website.

I have many favorites on the list, but my favorite today is 'Belinda's Dream.'  I fell in love with this rose my first year in college when a friend of mine gave me one.  The pink rose is composed of hundreds of petals, making it a very full rose.  The scent is to die for sweet and heavenly, making this rose very desirable.  'Belinda's Dream' is a shrub rose reaching 4-5 ft tall and wide, prefers full sun in a well drained spot.  This shrub will thrive in your garden with minimal care.  Give her a try, she'll be kind to you!

This plant made my day!  How 'bout yours?