Rose Garden
Bradford Research and Extension center currently has over 150 rose plants, and about 115 different varieties. Why do we have roses at an agricultural experiment station? Roses have received a bad name over time since some roses are notoriously fussy, and difficult to grow. Even with this bad reputation there is still a temptation to plant roses because of the bloom. It can’t be beat, and there’s nothing finer than the scent of a heavily perfumed rose.
The goal at Bradford is to show home gardeners that roses can be grown with success, even in the harshest environment. It’s all about selection! Bradford roses receive some of the harshest exposures: baking sun all day long, unrelenting winds, and dry summers. If Bradford doesn’t get rain, more than likely, the roses don’t get rain. We occasionally water them in heavy drought. To sum it up, if these roses make it at Bradford, they will most likely make it at your house.
We have a few roses planted with shelter near the building. Some are the same roses out in the testing field. Visitors can see what a little protection will do for the same rose--some are four times the size of their counterpart in the testing field!
Newly added is a garden of hardy Buck roses. These roses were bred at the Iowa State University in the 1970’s and ‘80’s by Dr. Griffith Buck. Dr. Buck has since passed away, but his roses live on, and are finally being recognized for the gems that they are. He bred and grew the roses in Iowa and they are exceptionally hardy and beautiful. While he was at Iowa State University, he bred more than 90 named varieties. We have just started a collection of his roses and are looking forward to adding more as they are commercially available in the next few years.
Another collection is the old fashioned garden roses. These roses are the predecessors of the roses we see commercially available today. Many are valued for their intense fragrances and cold hardiness. Some date back to the Roman Empire.
A side-by-side study is being conducted in one of our plots for cold hardiness of grafted rootstock versus own-root roses. There are thirty plants total, five varieties, with three of own root, and three of grafted rootstock being tested. These roses are evaluated in spring for winter kill.
Please feel free to come out and see Bradford’s bountiful rose garden any time!
Inventory of Bradford Roses
Heirloom Beds:
Cabbage Rose, Centrifolia
Pompon Debourgong, Centrifolia
Marie Pavie, Polyantha
Cecile Brunner, Portland
Louis Philipee, China
La Reine, Hybrid Perpetual
Frau Karl Druschki, Hybrid Perpetual
Baronne Prevast, Hybrid Perpetual
Red Henry Martin, Moss
Salet, Moss
Alfred de Delmas, Hybrid Perpetual
Apothecary’s Rose, Gallica
Rosa Mundi, Gallica
Tuscany Superb, Gallica
Semi Plena, Alba
Blush Hip, Alba
Mme Plantier, Alba
Louise Odier, Bourbon
Mme Isaac Pereire, Bourbon
Reine Victoria, Bourbon
Reine Des Violettes, Hybrid Perpetual
Quatre Saison, Damask
Laville de Bruxelles, Damask
Own Root vs. Grafted Study:
(3 each of grafted and own root plants)
Graham Thomas, David Austin English
Heritage, David Austin English
Memorial Day, Fragrant Hybrid Tea
Gruss An Aachen, Floribunda
Livin’ Easy, English Legend
Variety Trials In Beds South of Building
Full Exposure to elements:
Sea Foam, Shrub
Madame Hardy, Damask
William Baffin, Climbing Hybrid Kordesii
Apple Briar
The Fairy Pink, Polyantha
The Fairy Red, Polyantha
White Rugosa
My Hero, Shrub
Macy’s Pride, Shrub
Pink Genome, Shrub
De Montarville, Hybrid Kordesii
George Vancouver, Shrub (2)
Harrison’s Yellow, Hybrid Foetida
Fuschia Meidiland, Shrub (2)
Pierette Pavement, Shrub
Mordon Centennial, Shrub
Prairie Harvest, Hardy Buck Shrub
Morning Has Broken, Shrub
Tropicana, Hybrid Tea
Nearly Wild, Floribunda
Hansa, Hybrid Rugosa
Belle Pointevine, Hybrid Rugosa
Dart’s Dash, Hybrid Rugosa
Root Stock Example Rose--unknown
Rosa Carolina, MO native
Lyda Rose, Shrub
Earth Song, Grandiflora (2)
Knockout, Shrub (2)
Carefree Beauty, Shrub (2)
Hawkeye Belle, Hardy Buck Shrub
Winter Sunset, Hardy Buck Shrub
Sharifa Asma, David Austin English
Aunt Honey, Hardy Buck Shrub
Therese Bugnet, Hybrid Rugosa
Morden Snowbeauty, Shrub
Carefree Sunshine, Hardy Shrub
Variety Trials In Beds South of Building
Full Exposure to elements continued...
Starry Night, Shrub
Meidiland
Gertrude Jekyll, David Austin English
Serendipity, Hardy Buck Shrub
Morden Sunrise, Shrub
Funny Face, Easy Elegance
Golden Wings, Shrub
Abraham Darby, David Austin English
Sophy’s Rose, David Austin English
Tahitian Sunset, Grandiflora
Queen Nefertiti, David Austin English
Roses in Ornamental Beds around
and near Buildings:
Honeysweet, Hardy Buck Shrub
Golden Wings, Shrub
Prairie Harvest, Hardy Buck Shrub
Serendipity, Hardy Buck Shrub
Tropicana, Hybrid Tea
Sierra Sky, Easy Elegance
Livin’ Easy, English Legend (3)
Sharifa Asma, David Austin English
Hot Wonder
Winter Sunset, Hardy Buck Shrub
Preference
Harrison’s Yellow, Hybrid Foetida
Fuschia Meidiland
Nearly Wild, Floribunda
Aunt Honey, Hardy Buck Shrub
Pat Austin, David Austin English
Tamora, David Austin English
Perdita, David Austin English
Abraham Darby, English
Just Joey, Fragrant Hybrid Tea
Mr. Lincoln, Fragrant Hybrid Tea
Gruss An Aachen, Floribunda
McCartney Rose, Hybrid Tea
Ambridge, David Austin English
St. Patrick, Hybrid Tea
Amazing Grace, Shrub
Hardy Buck Rose Garden
(newly installed early summer 2006):
El Catala
Griff’s Red
Queen Bee
Polonaise
Princess Verona
Applejack
Aunt Honey
Carefree Beauty
Country Dancer
Iowa Belle
Malaguena
Hawkeye Belle
Quietness
Summer Wind
Honey Sweet
Serendipity
Pearlie Mae
Golden Unicorn
Golden Princess
Folksinger
April Moon
Prairie Harvest
Prairie Star
Winter Sunset
Silver Shadows
Blue Skies
