Hot Weather Performers

During spring, gardeners often enjoy the mild temperatures in the air as the weather transitions from the chill of winter into the warmer months of summer.  As we move toward summer the mercury in many regions rises far above what would be considered temperate.  For some it’s the dry heat of an area in the Southwest; for others the humid warmth in perhaps the Southeast awaits their roses and other plants.  No matter which warm state you hail from Weeks Roses has a selection of roses that thrive in these conditions.

Some of the roses introduced by Weeks Roses are great performers in both types of heat, whether it’s dry or moist.  You don’t need to look any further than Weeks’ Easy to Love collection for a sizable list of award winning beauties that love all kinds of heat.  With four All-America Rose Selections award recipients in this list including the earthy and subtly beautiful tones on the 2009 winner Cinco de Mayo, the buttery gold petals of Julia Child, the smoky chocolate orange blooms of Hot Cocoa or the apricot orange Livin’ Easy, hot climate gardeners have a great place to start with this collection of easy-to-care-for roses.  Another rose on the list, Easy Going, can also be paired with Livin’ Easy on a Twofer tree to create a swirling blend of oranges and yellows atop a 36” tree.

As for miniatures, the scarlet orange, long lived blooms on the tidy mounding Gizmo will fit nicely into compact spaces in your garden.  Coffee Bean is a smoky rust orange miniature that can heat up a garden, even if it’s hot already.

For hot regions with a high level of humidity the big lavender blooms on Neptune are a good choice for the yard.  The Iceberg trio including Burgundy, Brilliant Pink and traditional white also make for a good choice in this region with their built in disease resistance.  Another spectacular rose with superb resistance to black spot, powdery and downy mildew is Home Run.

This rounding shrub displays open, flame red flowers and with a grand slam of stunning beauty and natural disease resistance Home Run is a great choice for steamy summer climes.  If you are seeking a unique white that stands up to moist, hot summers then Lime Sublime is up to the task displaying white flowers with a hint of chartreuse.

For big, beautiful blooms in hot and dry regions Legends is a great choice with her huge, ruby red blossoms that hold their color.  If you need a rose with a smaller habit then Warm and Fuzzy is made for the sun.  With color that lasts throughout the hot, bright days of summer this Christmasy red miniature also supplies the sweet scent of juniper to your yard. Moonstone, a buxom white flower with a hint of pink, is another great hot weather performer shining her best as the temps heat up.