5 Exotic Rose Colors for a Beautifully Different Garden
I know we all love our pink, red, yellow and white roses, but sometimes it’s interesting to step out of the norm and go a little bolder with color — or a bit funkier. How about a few lavender, peach or caramel, or roses with a hint of black? Perhaps you have gotten your attention now? Most of these exotically colored roses begin with the more typical pink, red or white colors but have added durability which makes them almost otherworldly. Here are a few of my favorites — most are tree roses, however, remember to search for different kinds, such as climbers or miniatures, for different components of your backyard.
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1. Peach. These flowers vary from peachy pinks to orange and bronze-red.
A glorious one to attempt is ‘About Face’, winner of the 2005 All American Rose Selection. It grows up to 6 feet tall, with blooms ranging from 2 to 4 inches in diameter, from summer to the autumn. Best grown in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9,’About Face’ is simple to take care of and disease resistant, and boasts a scent of fresh apples.
Other peachy roses to attempt are ‘Livin’ Easy’,’Day Breaker’ and ‘Sedona Coral’.
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2. Purple. Search for flowers in tones of lavender, purple and bluish reds if you would like to bring a few offbeat charm to your backyard.
‘Purple Rain’ is a hybrid tea rose that provides a saturated purple-pink double blossom for anglers in zones 6 to 9. Although it’s a small bush (2 1/2 feet tall) with small blooms, it packs a punch with strong fragrance and a very long bloom period from spring through summer. It also tends to be quite pest and disease resistant, so that you can spend more time admiring your purple flowers than fussing with them.
Other grapey colors to search for include ‘Rhapsody in Blue’,’ ‘Melody Parfumée’,’ ‘Sweetness’ and‘Burgundy Iceberg’.
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3. Black. There aren’t really any true black roses (or many truly black blossoms ), however in this color family, you are choosing the deep crimsons and the purple-blacks — anything using that inky undertone that produces instant drama and intimate darkness.
Have a peek at ‘Midnight Blue’, with 2 1/2-inch blooms saturated in a stunning purple-crimson. It grows up to 3 feet tall and wide in zones 6 to 10. Look for flowers from spring to summer, with repeat blooms later in the season. The spicy clove fragrance makes it even more exotic, and also its own pest and disease resistance makes it even more desirable.
Other choices include ‘Black Magic’, ‘Traviata’ and ‘Black Cherry’.
4. Chocolate. I really like any flower that reminds me of meals, don’t you? Chocolate roses, clearly, aren’t really brown — they’re earthy colors of orange and cream, resulting in hot or caramel-colored blooms.
‘Hot Cocoa’, for example, owns a tasty mix of smoky chocolate and orange colors. It grows up to 5 feet tall and wide, with large 3 1/2-inch ruffled flowers that repeat their bloom throughout the entire year. Gardeners in zones 5 to 9 will grow this attractiveness.
Other choices include ‘Laura Bush’,’Cinco de Mayo’,’ ‘Cinnamon Girl’ and ‘Honey Dijon’. Now aren’t you getting hungry?
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5. Two-color. Add a small exuberance to your backyard with bicolored roses. Some have stains , others have stripes, and others sporting coloured petal edges.
Check out ‘George Burns’ using its creamy petals striped with cheery pink and red — such as its namesake, this rose evokes an awareness of tongue-in-cheek humor. It stays smaller and compact, 3 feet by 3 feet, with large doubled blooms offering a fruity odor. It’s excellent for anglers in zones 3 to 9, has excellent disease resistance and reblooms through this entire year.
More enchanting two-color roses comprise ‘Gemini’,’Scentimental’,’Hot Tamale’,’Rio Samba’,’ ‘Love and Peace’ and‘Cherry Parfait’.
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Revealed: ‘Cherry Parfait’
More: Expert Pruning Keys for Exquisite Roses | How to Grow a Rose Garden in Pots