Buck Roses
Common wisdom has it that the most beautiful roses
are grown in England, or in Portland, Oregon, or in other mild climates--not
too hot, not too cold, and plenty of moisture. Griffith Buck, a professor
at Iowa State Univerisity, determined to develop roses that could thrive
in Iowa's tough summers and tougher winters. He developed more than 80
roses in the days before professors routinely collaborated with business
interests. Only two of his roses, 'Carefree Beauty' and 'Prairie Princess',
became widely available. Sadly, after his retirement, little effort was
made to market his roses or even to maintain the stock. But the word gradually
got out that Buck roses are special, and as his family had many of the
roses growing, stocks are now being propagated. However, as stocks increase
only gradually, supply cannot always meet demand.
Most Buck roses are hardy to zone 4 or colder,
sometimes with dieback to the snow line on unprotected shrubs. Hot summer
sun does not discourage them, and their foliage is among the healthiest
of the modern roses. They usually have large blooms that are similar in
form to hybrid teas. Colors are usually bright and often are blended. Rebloom
is very good, with one round of blooming following another on most of the
varieties. Shrubs are sturdy, either spreading or upright, and many
have large thorns. Pruning can be done spring or fall, cutting back to
4 to 6" and removing old or damaged wood.
Applejack
One of the better known Buck roses, this has
blossoms in a pink blend, stippled crimson, with a clove fragrance. They
repeat intermittantly. Good hips may be produced. Abundant foliage is leathery,
healthy, and apple-scented. The shrub is upright and can grow to 6'. (1973)
Aunt Honey
Lovely, high-centered, rose-pink blooms have
a damask fragrance and are freely produced from June until frost. Foliage
is olive green on a 3 to 4.5' bush. (1984)
Country Dancer
One of the favorite Buck roses at Orion Farm,
'County Dancer' is fragrant and bright pink, or rose red, or medium pink
with a slight peach shading, depending upon exposure and weather. Blossoms
are double and cupped, last well on the shrub or in the vase, and drop
off cleanly. Plants are spreading, 3' x 3', and exceptionally healthy.
(1973)
Country Music
Clusters of pale rose, double, cupped flowers
are darker on the reverse; they open from large, oval, deep rose
buds and have a clove fragrance. They last well before the petals drop,
leaving a clean bush. Blooming is profuse and intermittent throughout the
summer. Mounded plants are 3' x 3' whose tips freeze back in winter. (1973)
El Catala
Bicolored buds open to nicely formed, crimson blooms, that appear
silver on the reverse. A spectacular sight, the flowers may be darker red
in the heat of summer. Blossoms have a light fragrance and repeat well.
Foliage is healthy on this grandiflora that is upright and 3.5'. (1981)
Folksinger
Fragrant, yellow blossoms with pale peach overtones
are double and form a shallow cup. Borne singly or in large clusters, these
roses seem to be always in bloom. Foliage is glossy, mid-green with copper
overtones. The bush is upright and produces well late in the year. (1985)
Golden Unicorn
With roses of a magnificent, golden yellow color,
this short, spreading 2.5-3' shrub is a winner. Buds are orange with red
edges and open to double, shallow-cupped, sweetly fragrant flowers. (1985)
Habanera
Large blooms of cardinal red age deep rose-pink and have a lovely,
open-cupped shape. Lightly fragrant blooms repeat until late in the
summer. Medium green foliage tolerates fungal disease. This shrub-floribunda
is bushy and erect; it dies back somewhat during winter. (1976)
Hawkeye Belle
This rose is often described as 'honeysuckle white' which seems to
be creamy white with some pink shadings. In some weather conditions, the petals are
all a light pink. The roses are double and high-centered, fragrant, and
the shrubs have good, dark green foliage. 3.5' (1975)
Pearlie Mae
This Grandiflora rose, new to Orion Farm this year, was named for
Pearl Bailey. It has buds of a pink/yellow blend what open to a shallow-cupped
rose of similar coloring. The attractive olive-green foliage is disease-tolerant.
3.5' (1981)
Polonaise
Purple buds open to double, lightly fragrant flowers of deep rose
which age a lighter shade of rose. Healthy foliage is dark green with red
veins, and rebloom is good. A good all-around rose, it is bushy and 3.5'
(1984)
Prairie Clogger
Red, bright red clusters of medium-large, single blossoms are a real
standout in the garden. Abundant blooms and sweet fragrance round out the
flowering attributes on this healthy, vigorous, freely branching 3-4' shrub.
(1984)
Prairie Harvest
This upright, 4' shrub seems to be always in bloom with straw-yellow,
double blooms that reflex as they age. They have a pleasing fragrance and
the shrub is hardy and healthy with dark green foliage. (1985)
Prairie Lass
These lovely flowers are light rose with darker stipples and carmine
on the reverse. They are double and have a spicy fragrance on a nicely-foliaged
bush. Canes may die back the snow line in winter. (1978)
Prairie Star
This rose is something of a chameleon. It is described as a light
yellow rose with pale pink shadings. In some conditions for us, the blossoms
are snow white or, in the fall, white with pink. They are almost always
present, and they have an apple fragrance. The shrub is bushy, and would
make a good landscape rose. (1975)
Serendipity
A most lovely combination of light orange over buttercup yellow, the
blossoms mature a pale, blended pink. Long, pointed buds open to high-crowned,
double flowers which later open wide. The shrub is healthy and the flowers
apple-scented. (1978)
Summer Wind
A mounded shrub covered with very pretty, single, orange-pink blossoms--a
most pleasing shrub for the right spot. The flowers have a spicy, clove
fragrance and repeat well. It is rated at 5', but it seems rather slow-growing
for us and perhaps could be kept smaller. (1975)
Virginia Reel
A beautiful flower, this is pale red aging to
rose, has a sweet fragrance, and blooms well all summer. Foliage is dark
green on this 3' upright shrub. (1975)
Copyright © 2000 Orion Farm
