Amity Awards

We're thrilled that many of today's hybridizers are listening to gardeners who want to grow roses without having to work very hard to enjoy healthy plants in their landscapes.  Since there are many claims and many catch-phrases to designate such varieties we have started our own list of the roses we carry which have been impressive to us, both in health and floriferousness.  Since "Amity" means friendly then it stands to reason that the Amity Award varieties are friendly to the gardener and friendly to the environment and all creation.

Our climate on the north coast of California is "classic greenhouse" - mild with high cool humidity - the stuff that seems to guarantee the formation of all fungi known to rosedom!   That said, we hear there are many different strains of rose fungi across the country and so, just because we've had good resistance we can't guarantee you will.  And, what we might consider "not overly distracting" might be way more "alternate leaf color" than you want in your garden.  As always, we recommend asking rosarians in your locale to find out what will work best for you, for the level of rose-care you want to perform.

Please remember that these guidelines are based on our experience with mature plants in good growing situations (sun, water, food, spacing, etc).  Once some varieties get established they are often more resistant than when they were young (which is why we've found we must spray to keep our coldframed salesblocks healthy for our customers; however, we're happy to share our famous Pacific Tree Frogs, who are proof that we remain gentle on their fragile ecosystem).  If you ever hear frogs croaking in any movie, they are our little tree frogs. 

* = Good disease resistance.  Some disease, but not overly distracting.

** = Great disease resistance.  Some occasional disease.

*** = Stupendous disease resistance.  As disease-free as they come...so far.  Great blooming, easy care.


Our Alphabetical Variety List denotes our Amity Awards at the end of each variety listed.  We were pleased to find there were just too many to list with photos on a separate page, so here we only highlight the crème de la crème ***.

About Face™(WEKosupalz - Carruth 2005 PPAF) Unique light orange with darker bronze reverse.  Fragrance of apples. 5 x 3 ft.

Belinda's Dream (Bayse 1992 int 2988)  Shrub/Floribunda.  Medium/light pink Hybrid Tea formed fragrant flowers on a large Shrub up to 6 ft.  Foliage has a blue green cast.  Blooming machine during the growing season and likes hot nights.  First variety to receive the "Earth-Kind™ Rose" designation so you know it's an easy-to-no-care rose.  Weeks actually states "black spot free" in their catalog... 3 - 6 ft, Z5

Brilliant Pink Iceberg PRObril PP12645 Floribunda, pink blend, disease resistant, Weatherly 1995, sport of Pink Iceberg.  It's just impossible to go wrong with any of the "Iceberg Family" so we've added one more! 4 x 3 ft Z6 ***















Burgundy Iceberg™ (PROsez PPAF) Floribunda, dark red/mauve/burgundy, fragrant, disease resistant, nearly thornless, Weatherly 2003, 4 x 3 ft, Z6

Charles Austin (AUSfather) (Austin 1973) Large, full, very fragrant, apricot-fading-to yellow blooms on arching and plentiful mid-green foliage. This tall shrub is a "must-have" for apricot rose lovers. Tolerates hard pruning between bloom cycles. Can also be trained as a climber or pillar rose, or pegged into arching canes. 8+ x 5 ft. Hardy to zone 4 or 5.

Cornelia (Pemberton 1925) Smallish apricot-pink to deep pink fully double flowers born in large clusters. Bronze-colored foliage. Moderately fragrant. Good repeat blooming. Good for use in a hedge even in partial shade. 5 x 5 ft.











Easy Going™ (HARflow - Harkness 1996 PP#10478)  Golden peachy yellow, fruity fragrance, disease resistant, sport of Livin' Easy so you know it's easy-care.  3 x 3 ft, Z6

Ebb Tide™ (WEKsmopur - Carruth 2006) Smoky deep plum purple.  I put this in an arrangement at the rose show and people were trailing behind me as I carried it in wanting to know what the rose of unbelievably dark purple was.  We think this rivals some of the older Gallicas (and perhaps may surpass them since it blooms all season long with large clove fragrant flowers).  4 x 3 ft.

Flower Girl™ (FRYyeoman - Fryer 2000 PP13268) cream flowers in large clusters.  Clean matte green foliage.  Near continuous bloom.  Rounded shrub, slightly spilling with the weight of the clusters. 3 x 3+ ft.  




 Flutterbye™ (WEKplasol) (Carruth 1996 PP9715) Masses of single multicolored yellow, coral, tangerine and pink clusters on this tall Shrub or pillar rose/Climber (the latter in mild climates).  Spicey fragrance with very glossy leaves.  Highly disease resistant. The shape benefits from light pruning.  6-10 ft.

Fragrant Lavender Simplicity® JACshlav - PPAF Shrub, lavender, very fragrant, disease resistant.  The quintessential hedge rose.  4+ x 3 ft

Frau Dagmar Hartopp (Hastrup 1914)  Clear silver pink petals in single flower form.  Pronounced yellow stamens.  Very fragrant.  Dark green rugose leaves.  Excellent in fall with large red hips.  3 x 4 ft.

Gros Choux d'Hollande (Centifolia/Bourbon, no date - very old)  Light pink flowers that are some of the earliest to bloom.  It never ceases to amaze with its "profusity" of blooms along every cane.  Very fragrant, vigorous and repeat blooming!  One out of all the thousands that we highly recommend if you have the room.  5-7 x 5 ft, Z5




Hot Cocoa™ (WEKpaltlez - Carruth 2003)  No other rose of this color on the market.  Described as smoky chocolate orange.  Depending on your weather it may be more chocolate or more orange too!  One of our best disease resistant varieties and the flowers have a moderate old rose fragrance.  We have lots this year so no one should be disappointed.  4 x 3 ft, Z5/6

Livin' Easy™ (HARwelcome, Fellowship - Harkness 1996 PP#9161)  Extremely "easy" care rose of apricot orange with blackspot resistant glossy foliage.  Moderate fruity fragrance.  AARS 1996, Portland GM 1998 Vigorous, floriforous and healthy!  (Southampton x Remember Me)  4 x 4 ft, Z5/6

Memorial Day™ (WEKblunez) (Carruth 2004 PPAF)  Hybrid Tea.  Orchid pink petals with ruffled edges.  Strong damask fragrance and clean foliage.  Few thorns.  Loves the heat! 4 x 3 ft.

Night Owl™ (WEKpurosot - PPAF Carruth 2005) Climber, mauve/wine purple, fragrant, very disease resistant, vigorous, 10-14 ft








Outta the Blue™ (WEKstephitsu - Carruth 2002 PP 13,449) Shrub, magenta changing to lavender, very fragrant, disease resistant, 4+ x 4 ft

Renae (Moore 1954) Climbing Floribunda, medium pink, fragrant, thornless, vigorous, 10+ ft,  with small glossy foliage that is quite healthy.  Perfect for pergola or arch and it's noted for being "self-cleaning" which means it drops its petals after the blooms fade (rather than hanging on to droopy browning flowers).  Z5/6


















Rhapsody in Blue™ FRAntasia - PPAF) Shrub, mauve/smoky purple, fragrant, disease resistant, likes cooler weather, Cowlishaw 2006, 5 x 5 ft Z5/6?


Roseraie de l'Haÿ (Cochet-Cochet 1901) A crimson purple/mauve very fragrant semi-double flower. Peter Beales says it's "one of the best loved of all the Rugosa hybrids". Loose flowers open somewhat flat on dark green semi-gloss rugose foliage. Shade tolerant as are all Rugosas. Continuous bloom, good autumn color, few hips. 6 x 5 ft.

Rugosa Magnifica (VanFleet 1905) Another wonderfully scented Hybrid Rugosa, this one by VanFleet. Deep pink/mauve, semi-double flowers bloom on a vigorous, low spreading shrub to about 4 x 5 ft. Good fall hips.












Rugosa Superba (Scabrosa) (Harkness 1950) Large single 5" mauve flowers exude a heavy fragrance.  Excellent for the coldest of climates and it produces good hips in the fall as well. Free-flowering and makes a good hedge.  6 x 5 ft.

Sky's the Limit™ (WEKprimsou - Carruth 2005 PPAF) Shrub/Large-flowered Climber, butter yellow, fragrant, disease resistant.  Good-bye Golden Showers, Hello Sky's the Limit! 10+ ft

Strike It Rich™ (WEKbepmey PPAF) Grandiflora, yellow/orange/pink blend, very fragrant, disease resistant, Carruth 2007, AARS 2007. 6 x 3 ft, Z5

Westerland (Kordes 1969) Apricot blend, excellent repeat, and fragrant flowers on a disease resistant dark-leaved plant. Large fantastic canes of clustered flowers.  The specimen in our yard sells a lot of this variety...  Up to 8 x 6 ft.









White Erfurt (unknown)  This sport of Erfurt is stunning.  One of Tracy's favorites now that it has reached maturity in our semi-shaded area of Hybid Musks.  Pointed HT-type buds edged in red open to white flowers with a pink blush.  Healthy dark glossy green leaves.  If ever there was a rose bush in full bloom that resembled a camelia, this is it!   5 x 4 ft.

Wild Blue Yonder™ (WEKisosblip - Carruth 2006 PPAF)  This AARS winner for 2006 is a real stand out.   Ruffled red-purple with a lighter lavender eye. Strong fragrance, clean leaves and vigorous growth.  Even deeper colors in cooler temps.  5 x 3 ft














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