Interesting article! I would like to visit Columbus Park after reading your description!
My Cape Diamond rose has gotten HUGE! It is at least 6 feet tall and 8 or 9 feet wide, and it is dense! It has not stopped blooming since June. No disease whatsoever, and for some reason, the grasshoppers have not bothered it. My garden is 100% organic, no spray of any kind, and actually this year I didn't do any feeding either. And very little watering other than rain. Pardy Hardy is not nearly as big.
I'm surprised the garden centers did not recommend Scarlet Carpet. That one gets almost 4' tall here. It's a non-stop bloomer with terrific disease resistance Sparkle and Shine is another on the short list of constant bloomers with no disease. The Oso Easy series, Easy Elegance and Drifts are all readily available here.
There are quite a few more that are descendants of Knock Outs that have improved flower form; it could be that your area is a better zone for growing roses so your nurseries have not had to seek them out. Since so many of the European countries and Canada have banned the chemicals Americans take for granted, the gardeners and hybridizers in those areas have paid more attention to disease resistance. Palatine nursery in Canada sells many of these disease resistant roses, and their website is a good resource for finding roses that have won awards for performance under no-spray conditions.
The Weeks catalog for next season lists a few new lovely roses that come from the Knock Out bloodline, so I wouldn't give up hope just yet.
to ATP and the Rose Forum!
