Antique roses are divided into classes or families of roses. These include: Chinas, Noisettes, Polyanthas, Musks, Old Europeans, Bourbons and Teas.

Each division has unique characteristics, but still offers a wide variety of color and bloom. If you are new to the antiques, visit your local nurseries and see what is available. Visit the local rose growing societies, and visit with gardeners who have them. Then experiment. Some possible starters include:

"Mermaid" which is a vigorous and thorny plant. It blooms from late spring until frost with large, single yellow flowers. It grows quickly, blooms long, but does have big thorns.
 
"Old Blush" is a common old rose, with again, a long blooming period. It blooms profusely with double light pink blossoms in the spring, then slows down a little during the hot dry summer, and bounces back in the fall. This vigorous shrub rose gets five to six feet in height and spread.
 
"Zephirine Drouhin" is a wonderful climber with thornless stems. It is extremely fragrant with semi double dark pink flowers primarily in the spring, with a smaller show occasionally in the fall. The growth habit, coupled with thornless stems makes this one a winner.
 
"Cecile Brunner" is an all-time favorite. Both bush and climber varieties are available in this durable and long blooming plant. The flowers begin as a pink bud and open to a cluster of light pink flowers. The profusion of blooms in the spring is followed all summer by a few blooms all summer and again a show in the fall. Highly disease resistant, it can't be beat. The climber is tougher and a better plant I think than the bush form.

"The Fairy" has been available and popular for a long time. This sprawling bush gives off hundreds of sprays of tiny double rose pink flowers, which fade with heat, giving you a white bloom. It begins blooming in late May but will continue to bloom provided it has ample moisture.
 
"China Doll" is a small border or edging rose, growing no taller than eighteen inches. It begins blooming late in the spring and continues through fall, with clusters of pink blooms. It has a nice compact growth habit and has good disease resistance.
 
"New Dawn" has pale pink flowers which bloom heavily in the spring, scattered blossoms in the summer with another show in the fall. It is a wide growing rambler rose, and bears the distinction of being U.S. Plant Patent No. 1, the first rose patented under federal regulations. It has been touted as good hedge material.

These are just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of old roses out there. While most roses perform best in full sun, there are some antiques that tolerate light shade. Good drainage is important, and preparing your soil prior to planting can insure success, as with any other planting. Find out the eventual size of your roses when you plant them. If they have the potential to spread fifteen feet, allow for it. Give them time to grow and fill in. Allow a little air space around them for better air circulation to help with diseases. If you have a fence or need a living arbor, plant climbers that can spread, but give them their support from the beginning.

Antique roses are not as demanding as the hybrid teas for fertilizer and water — many will do well with little fertilizer and once established, may be drought tolerant, but especially with the ever bloomers or repeat bloomer, you will have more flowers if you pay attention to watering and fertilize occasionally.

Diseases and insects usually don't plague these plants much, but as with any plants in your yard, nothing is resistant to everything. Monitor them occasionally for problems, and catch them early. They will not require the weekly sprays of other roses. For pruning, you need to know the growth habit of the plant and its season of bloom. For spring only bloomer, treat them like azaleas, and prune after bloom. For ever bloomers, shape as needed before growth begins.

The tropical hibiscus or Chinese hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), has the most prized and showy flowers, but it isn't winter hardy, so must be moved indoors for winter protection, or new plants purchased each year. These have become a popular addition to our gardens each summer, and have become readily available statewide. Flowers range in color from pinks, to reds, yellows to orange, with single flowers or doubles available, all with shiny, evergreen leaves.

Plants range in size from small 4 inch pots to standards or even braided topiary specimens. This plant has been widely cultivated, and there are hundreds of cultivars world-wide. They make excellent container plants or nice annual color in a hot, sunny spot in your garden. Each flower usually only lasts a day, sometimes two, but a healthy plant should have constant bloom. They prefer a well drained soil, and frequent application of fertilizer in the summer to keep blooming well.

Flower buds may drop if the plant is moved to a different climatic area-such as indoors to out, or vice versa. They may also drop buds if the soil gets too dry. Whiteflies can be a problem. If you do choose to overwinter your hibiscus plants indoors, give them a cool, sunny room, and allow them to stay on the dry side. Prune them back one third to one half in late January or early February, to keep them full and bushy.

The perennial Hibiscus moscheutos — our common rose mallow or marsh mallow can be found statewide in swampy areas. Large white flowers are the norm, on this tall growing plant. Numerous cultivars have been released as ornamental perennials, giving us the "Disco Belle" series of two to three foot tall plants, to the larger "Southern Belle" with six foot plus stalks. These plants bloom from June through early fall, with flowers as large as dinner plates. Colors range from white, to pink to maroon, with some bi-colors thrown in.

While the plants do form large woody stalks, they die completely to the ground during the winter. They don't begin to grow in the spring, until the soil temperature has warmed up. Give them room to grow, since they can be quite large, over time. The more sunlight the better, and they do much better in a moist environment with high organic matter. The large, coarse leaves often are chewed on by various leaf eating insects. Unless it really takes away from the beauty of the plant, it doesn't hurt the flowering ability at all. Woody seed capsules appear after bloom. They can be planted in the spring, but often benefit from soaking overnight before being sown. You can also scatter seeds out in the fall, and allow them to come up in the spring.

Another perennial hibiscus, is the red blooming Texas Star or Hibiscus coccineus. Deep red, funnel shaped flowers are borne on this tall growing plant. Growing six to eight feet tall or higher, this plant can be identified by its lobed leaves. It also performs best in full sun, and in moist conditions, but can tolerate drier sites in partial shade. Crosses between this species and other perennial species have resulted in the "Lady Baltimore" and "Lord Baltimore" species which have pink flowers with red centers and vibrant red flowers respectively on four to five foot tall plants.

The last perennial hibiscus that is not as commonly grown, but worth growing, is the Confederate Rose or Hibiscus mutabilis. It has the potential for being the largest of the perennial hibiscus, growing 15 feet or more in one season. While not 100% winter hardy except for in the southern part of the state, this hibiscus has powderpuff-like blossoms, which open either white or pale pink and turn a darker shade late in the day. It blooms in the fall only, but is a show-stopper when in bloom. It too dies back to the ground, but in moderately hardy areas, you may want to take cuttings before frost hits.

Another member of the hibiscus genus is the common, old-fashioned Rose-of-Sharon or althea, Hibiscus syriacus. This deciduous shrub can be grown statewide in full sun to partial shade. Single flowers or doubles are available. It blooms from summer through frost, in good soil or bad. While the old fashioned plants were limited to lavender, white or pink flowers, many new selections are available today, with salmon flowers and bi-colors. It blooms on the current season growth, so pruning should be done in late February, prior to new growth beginning. It can be kept in shrub form, or pruned into a small tree.

Regardless of which hibiscus you choose, they all have something to offer, and for the most part, are easy to care for. Most of these plants should be available now at your local nursery. If you need some extra color (and who doesn't) add some hibiscus plants to your collection.

When you consider adding flowering shrubs to your landscape, many people consider spring as their primary bloom season, planting azaleas and forsythias. Yet there is a group of plants that can give you flowers from fall through winter, when we desperately need some extra color. Camellias can give you those blooms. While camellias are considered a true southern plant, if given the proper location, they can survive the winters with ease.

Camellias are synonymous with southern gardening, yet they are not native to the south. Originally from China and Japan, there are approximately 65 wild forms of camellias, of which over a dozen forms are in cultivation. In the United States there are three or four commonly grown varieties, or hybrids thereof.

Surprisingly, one of our most common beverages, tea, comes from a camellia — Camellia sinensis. It is one of the leading crops in India and Ceylon, growing up to 50 feet in height. The processed young leaves offer us tea. It is also grown as an ornamental in the deep south, as a much smaller plant, usually 5 – 6 feet. It would need to be brought into a greenhouse or given extra winter protection. There are a few of these plants in the north, but are more common further south. It blooms fragrant white flowers in September and October.

Depending on the variety of camellia, you can have blooms from early fall to early spring. Some varieties are hardier than others, and the further north you live in the state, the more limited you are in selections, and the more winter protection you may need.

Camellias need conditions for growth similar to azaleas, an acid pH, excellent drainage and protection from hot afternoon sun. They grow as an understory plant in their native environment, and therefore, prefer an eastern or northern exposure. They must have some sunlight during the day to set flower buds. They like plenty of moisture, but suffer from root rot in heavy soils or poorly drained soils.

The two most popular types of camellias grown are Camellia japonica, commonly called japonica, and Camellia sasanqua. The japonica varieties are not as winter hardy as the sasanquas. Japonicas are a zone 8 plant, with a preferred low temperature between 10 and 20 degrees. Sasanquas can tolerate temperatures between 0 and 10 degrees with no damage.

Sasanquas typically bloom earlier than japonicas. Most varieties of sasanquas bloom from mid to late October through early January. Japonica varieties typically begin bloom in early to mid January and continue until spring. Severe winter weather, especially cold winds, may cause some dieback, and can cause flower bud damage on those buds showing color. The bloom period on japonicas is often determined by our winter weather. In mild winters they can begin blooming in early January, and in cold winters it may be delayed until March.

Japonica varieties will need more protection and benefit from more shade than the sasanquas. They can grow to a height of 15 feet or more. They have a nice pyramidal growth habit and larger leaves, and larger flowers than their counterpart, the sasanqua. Because of their uniform shape, they require little pruning. Give them room to grow to at least 8 to 10 feet. Repeated heavy pruning can cause damage to the plants. The past few years have shown little winter damage to these plants, but they did suffer heavy damage in the mid-1980's when we had two back-to-back cold winters. Offer them extra protection with sheets, burlap, or Remay, when temperatures are expected below 10 degrees.

Plant camellias on the shallow side, in a well-drained acid soil. Give them plenty of moisture, especially when it is hot and dry. Give them filtered or morning sun, and a little winter protection in extremely cold years, and you will be blessed with a showstopper in your landscape.

They come in various flower colors, with both single and double blooms, as well as peony, rose and anemone forms. Colors range from white to various shades of pink and red. Some varieties include: "Bob Hope" with large, semi-double deep red flowers; "Covina" – semi-double to rose form, rose red blooms; "Debutante" large peony type flowers, light pink, early bloomer; "Mathotiana Supreme" extremely large double crimson flower with bright yellow stamens; "Nuccio's Pearl", double blooms in white petals blushed in a soft orchid pink; "Nuccio's Gem" with large double white flowers; and "Swan Lake", extra large, glistening white blooms.

Camellia sasanqua is a more carefree plant. It will tolerate colder temperatures and more sunlight. It is still recommended for a morning sun situation, or filtered light in mid-day. In the north, winter protection will be needed when temperatures fall below zero.

Sasanquas have small glossy leaves, and can grow to a height of 15 feet or more, however most are kept in the six to ten foot range. They have a freer growth habit, and will tolerate more pruning than the japonicas. Since they begin bloom in the fall, they give us some color at a time when other plants have played out. Heavy frosts can damage open blooms, but will not affect the unopened buds, which will open over a period of several weeks. With ideal conditions, they can be in bloom for 6-8 weeks.

Probably the most popular variety is "Yuletide", a brilliant fiery red, single bloom with a bright yellow center. Other varieties include: "Apple Blossom" white petals with pink edging; "Bonanza", a semi-double peony form with scarlet blooms; "Chansonette" brilliant pink, double blooms with ruffled petals; "Cleopatra", a rose pink, semi-double bloom; "Usi beni", a pink flower; and White Doves (also called Mine-No-Yuki) with a white semi-double bloom.

Camellias come in a variety of forms. The most common, of course, is the container with one gallons, three gallons and five gallons available in most cases. Some varieties are available as a "tree", which means the lower limbs have been pruned off, and it is shaped as a single trunk with the foliage at the top. Other varieties come espaliered, where they are grown one-dimensionally on a trellis. While these are quite attractive, they do require more maintenance, than the traditional potted forms.

Camellias are not heavy feeders. They can be fertilized once a year in the spring with an azalea/camellia food. If the pH gets too high around these plants, they will show signs of iron chlorosis, just like azaleas. This can be prevented by maintaining an acid pH, or corrected with iron chelate. Any pruning which is needed should be done in the spring, after all blooms are gone, and when new growth has begun. But pruning should be kept to a minimum if possible. Also like azaleas, they occasionally will suffer from leaf galls, the waxy-like deformed leaves in cool, wet springs. This is more of a nuisance than a life-threatening disease.