The Garden Club May 31, 2007

Fragrant, Highly Disease-resistant, Shade Tolerant and Deer-Proof
Rugosa Roses are some of the toughest and most handsome shrub roses available. They are fragrant, black spot and mildew resistant and are vigorous growers - blooming recurrently throughout the season. Rugosa Roses can be distinguished from other roses by their tough, textured, deeply veined foliage and erect spiny stems. In contrast to their foliage, the blooms of the Rugosa Roses appears very fragile, almost like silk that has been crinkled.

Rugosas prefer light, sandy soil in full sun, making them especially suited for seashore planting. Rugosa Roses tolerate shade, salt and drought. Rugosas require no spraying for disease and little fertilization. Unlike other roses, deer never touch Rugosas. In autumn Rugosas have beautiful, orange-red hips, rich in vitamin C, which attract wildlife and are useful for jelly. Rugosa Roses are ideal for hedges and planted in masses for erosion control, especially in sand dunes.

Originally from China, Japan and Korea, Rugosa Roses come in a variety of sizes and colors - white, several shades of pink and red to almost purple. This week we are featuring the most disease resistant Rugosa of them all - a rose with single, pastel pink blooms on a neat compact plant - 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup.'

'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' - The Most Sought After Rugosa Rose
Created in Denmark in 1914, 'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' is loved for its abundance of cherry red hips in the fall and its elegant pink blooms that emit a sweet clove-like fragrance. Its blooms will reach two to three inches across and repeat exceptionally well throughout the season and it has the unusual ability to display hips and blooms concurrently. The rich, green foliage will turn maroon and then gold in the fall. 'Fru Dagmar' will reach only four feet tall and wide. A lovely addition to any garden.

Planting and Care

For best results plant in spring or fall.
Prefers a light, sandy soil in full sun to partial shade. Remarkably tolerant of shade and heavy clay soil. I have seen Rugosa roses prosper in heavily shaded areas.
Fertilize with Rose-tone.
Rated as deer resistant.
Hardy in Zones 3-9.

'Fru Dagmar Hastrup' Rugosa Rose

Garden Club Questions and Answers

Question: I know you are supposed to cut your mums back half way around Memorial Day. Is the same true for asters? Mine always get tall and floppy.

Answer: Mums get cut back half way around Memorial Day and then pinched lightly around the 4th of July. Asters usually only require one cutting - half way sometime between Memorial Day and the middle of June.

Question: If I apply Grub Beater now will it prevent this year's beetles or next year's?

Answer: To be absolutely sure to prevent the grubs now in your lawn from turning into beetles this year, use Dylox now. To prevent grubs this fall and next spring (which will turn into beetles next summer) apply Grub Beater immediately. However, I have seen some new studies showing that Grub Beater will kill existing grubs. To me these studies are not conclusive, but they are quite persuasive. Unless the current grub population is very heavy, I think it is worth a try to apply just the Grub Beater now, attempting to kill two generations of Japanese Beetles with one application.

Question: Our front yard faces southwest and we have full sun all day long. Is it possible to have a colorful landscape with colorful foliaged shrubs rather than perennials and annuals? What plants do you recommend?

Answer: Yes; you can use plants that have red leaves, blue needles and yellow leaves, as well as those that are variegated and green. Some of my favorites are the dwarf blue spruces, the red leaved Japanese dwarf maples, Sambucus Black Lace and red leaved Smoke Bush. Consider also the gold foliaged spiraeas, gold thread cypress, and the Crippsii Hinoki cypress.

Question: I come to your garden center pretty frequently and I listen to your radio show regularly. I have observed that there are certain plants that you don't like and that you try to steer people away from. Would you please list these plants and tell me what you have against them.

Answer: Often times I dissuade people from buying a certain plant because it won't do well in their site. But you are right-there are some plants I discourage purchasing for any site. Eight plants come to mind immediately.

- Evergreen euonymus because it is prone to scale insect.
- Hemlock because it is prone to wooly adelgid insect.
- Leyland Cypress because the Green Giant and Steeplechase Arborvitaes have many fewer problems and in my opinion they are much more handsome.
- Three plants because of the difficulty of culture. Daphnes, Franklinia tree and Mountain Laurels.
- Bradford Pear Tree because it is prone to breakage.
- Purple Leaved Plum Tree because it tends towards short life, is insect and fungus prone and is weak rooted.