Unique Colored Roses

Story by: Will Funk - Photos by: Gene Sasse

While there is nothing wrong with traditional red and pink roses, sometimes you might want a rose that stands out from the rest.  You may also be seeking to compliment other flowers in your landscape or even the color palette of your home.  Weeks Roses has introduced many varieties of uniquely colored roses ranging from petite miniatures to towering climbers.

Earth tones
Quickly becoming a favorite of homeowners and landscape designers for Spanish Style buildings or in gardens where subtle earth tone hues compliment the home, roses like 2003 All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winner Hot Cocoa will warm the landscape and compliment the home.  The large, chocolaty velvet blooms look equally as great in mass plantings or scattered around the landscape.

If lighter shades suit your tastes (and garden) then consider Honey Dijon, a grandiflora with unique golden brown flowers and a sweet fragrance.  Only have a small space but desire these earthy tones in you home?  Add the richness of Coffee Bean to a spot in your garden.  With parentage from Hot Cocoa you know this bi-colored beauty will have cups of warm colors. 

Lavenders
Colors that eluded roses for years, lavender and blue tones, are becoming vibrant additions to gardens everywhere.  The Barbara Streisand rose is a rich lavender hybrid tea that looks great in the garden or cut and displayed in the home.  Another lavender rose with shades of purple is Neptune.  Abundant blooms and a sweet rose scent on this hybrid tea make this another good choice for gardeners looking to a subtle touch of lavender to their yards. 

If you are looking to make a bolder statement with a deep purple then Weeks Roses has several choices for you.  Soaring above the crowd is 2006 AARS winner Wild Blue Yonder.  A wild rose with a camellia form this rose has it all; clusters of ruffled red-purple blooms, clean green leaves and a vigorous habit makes ‘Yonder’ welcome in the garden or cut and displayed in the home.

Crashing in on this new wave of color is Ebb Tide.  A fragrant clove scent adorns this dusky deep plum purple rose.  Consider letting these colors flow through your garden this season. 

What about a more subtle rose but keeping with the lavender spirit?  Blneberry Hill is a lilac colored floribunda with bright yellow stamens and a sweet apple scent.  This rose allows you to compliment other colors without overpowering the garden.

Need to cover some space or a trellis?  The wine purple flowers on Night Owl will gladly fill your garden with vigorous growth and repeat blooming even in the first season.  With bright yellow stamens and a rich color that holds until the end you now can choose a lavender rose to climb your walls.

You don’t need a large space to enjoy these unique colors.  Midnight Blue is the perfect shrub to tuck into plantings where larger roses just won’t fit.  Not only do you get clusters of dark purple blooms but you will also enjoy the spicy clove scent as you wander the pathways of your yard. 

Striped Roses
Can’t decide on a color and want to add a unique look to your garden?  Weeks Roses produces several striped varieties including AARS winners Scentimental and climber Fourth of July.  Both of these roses feature a combination of white splashed with red swirling stripes.  Even the compact plants get into the act with the red, pink and white Rockin' Robin and very unique brilliant orange striped in yellow Oranges n' Lemons or George Burns.

For climbers new introduction Candy Land displays clusters of large rosy pink striped with ivory yellow blooms on a background of crisp, glossy green foliage.  For a more traditional pink rose color mixed with creamy white consider pouring Berries 'n' Cream over one of your trellises.

Another climber with ever-changing pinks, yellows and creams is Soaring Spirits.  The low petal count flowers repeat bloom on both new and old wood.  Not exactly a striped rose but definitely one with loads of blossoms and constantly changing color, Jacob's Robe is a vigorous growing, disease resistant climber.  With a mixture of pinks, reds and yellows this rose is sure to cloak you garden in color.