The Best Mountain Roses of 2020 Show Off Color, Fragrance, Ease of Care, and Long Bloom Cycles
By Lisa Watters-Lain, Arizona’s Garden Gal
The mountains of Arizona are famous for easy-care roses. Thanks to the dry air and alkaline soils, we grow a better, brighter, more fragrant rose without the disease and insect issues that plague gardens in high-humidity states. Every garden deserves at least one rose bush, whether in the ground, a raised bed, or a container.
Winners of Watters Garden Center’s Best Mountain Roses for 2020 are those with fragrance, ease of care, long bloom cycles, and fadeless colors. The roses described below are by no means the only roses you’ll find at Watters Garden Center, but they are the winners. Roses are listed in alphabetical order, not in order of popularity. Enjoy reading about this year’s list of the best mountain roses.
Arctic Blue (double ruffled lavender blossoms – floribunda). Pointed buds slowly unfurl to reveal spiraled flowers of lovely lilac-pink, fading to lavender-blue with a cream reverse. The petals hold their color well, remaining attractive right until they are finished.
Falling in Love (blushes of clear pink – hybrid tea). This rose makes your heart pitter-patter with its showy, fragrant flowers of warm pink and porcelain white. Each long-lived blossom is regally carried atop a sturdy stem, just waiting to be cut and enjoyed. Destined to garner its share of awards, we’re confident you’ll swoon over Falling in Love.
Frida Kahlo (fabulous jeweled rose – floribunda). World-acclaimed painter Frida Kahlo once said, “I paint flowers so they will not die.” Frida, the rose, is a lively reminder of her enduring spirit. The colored swirl of this rose intensifies as the flower ages, adding a red blush as the final touch. If you are one of Frida’s followers or merely a rose lover, plant this rose for a striking show of vibrant flowers on a compact, vigorous bush.
Good as Gold (sunset gold – hybrid tea). Some might say “orange,” some “gold,” some, “amber,” or, “double-dipped yellow.” However you perceive it, we guarantee it is bold and beautiful, especially with the kiss of red on the finish. This beautiful bushy bouquet fills your garden with loads of long-stemmed roses. Warning: Good as Gold is not for the lovers of pastel!
Happy Go Lucky (pure yellow – granda flora). BIG fragrant and full old-fashioned blossoms of pure yellow have all the charm of an English rose, born on this side of the pond. It easily bests the disease resistance of any English variety, hands down. This vigorous rose blooms with abandon well into the season without sprawling in the landscape. You’ll be happy you planted this bush for seasons to come.
Head Over Heels (pink cloud-like flowers – shrub). Full, fluffy, light pink flowers repeatedly bloom through the season. A straightforward rose used along driveways right to the front door or planted in comfortably elegant containers.
Kiss Me (double clear pink – shrub rose). Decidedly, the most fragrant rose in the Easy Elegance Collection, Kiss Me bears clusters of large, bright pink blooms, reminiscent of English roses. It repeatedly blooms through the growing season and is especially attractive in a perennial border. Highly disease-resistant foliage adds to its appeal as a cut flower.
Lady in Red (large ruffled old-fashioned red – climber). These large ruffled flowers will take your breath away. You will fall in love with this study, fast-growth plant covered in classic red flowers. No other climbing rose shows off masked in red like this lady.
Neptune (aquatic lavender – hybrid tea). You’ll idolize the big blossoms of luscious lavender tinged with just a touch of purple. This new rose is sure to garner awards. The abundant blooms arrive on a praise-worthy plant with large glossy green leaves, good vigor, and energetic vitality — best bloom size in colder temperatures.
Paint the Town (everblooming red – shrub). Wonderful clusters of red flowers carpet this rose from head to foot, painting your town red. Super dark-green foliage perfectly accents the red and highlights the incredible flowers all season long. Highly disease resistant.
Radiant Perfume (citrus yellow – grandiflora). The boldest yellow rose with an intoxicating citrus fragrance! The long-stemmed flowers are perfect for gardens and bouquets full of blooms! The combination of dazzling color on long-stemmed flowers and the irresistible lemon scent makes Radiant Perfume a favorite.
Screaming Neon Red (single red with yellow dash – shrub). This shrub is sure to be a standout in your garden, with vibrant flower power and repeat blooms throughout the season. Remarkably rich, disease-resistant foliage provides the perfect backdrop to neon-red blooms. Foliage turns a stunning burgundy-red in autumn.
Tropical Lightning (fast sunset purple growth – climber). No other rose comes close to this extraordinary color blend. Her tropical warmth comes in the form of vibrant sunset oranges with dazzling streaks of light cream. The effect is accentuated by a layer of purple smoke creating a burnt orange combo, perfect for a stormy sky! New growth shows in dark burgundy for an endless tropical storm of fragrant rosy blooms!
There you have the roses you’ll find mountain gardeners talking about this year. With more than 700 roses showing at Watters Garden Center, the variety of fragrance and colors means you’ll find the perfect rose for any garden.
View all 29 rose winners for 2020 at www.Pinterest.com/WattersGardenCenter.
Watters roses are ready to plant for Mother’s Day and will produce waves of flowers for cutting for the important women in your life.
Until the next issue, I’ll be helping local gardeners pick just the right roses here at Watters Garden Center.
Lisa Watters-Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Road in Prescott, or contacted through her web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter.