Contrary Mary's Specialty Plants

Contrary Mary’s favorite rose,
‘Double Knock Out’ in full glory at the farm!

Contrary Mary’s is EXCITED to announce that we are now offering super-hardy, disease-resistant, absolutely GORGEOUS roses!! As you all probably know, I do not generally agree with using chemicals on ornamental plants & if they are so picky and chemically-dependent, they have no place in Contrary Mary’s garden. There are certainly enough natives and tough hybrids/cultivars to choose from so that we shouldn’t have to make our gardens toxic and unfriendly to the rest of the creatures that share our green domain! Anyway, with that being said, I love roses but was unwilling to compromise on my “drug-free” stand—now I don’t have to!

The following are all very hardy (at least to zone 5), own root roses that have high disease resistance (although not immunity). Many of them are also very “wildlife friendly” because they develop beautiful, nutritious rose hips in the fall.

OSO Easy Fragrant Spreader

A great resource that “rates” roses is the American Rose Society. They put out a yearly rose-rating guide called Handbook for Selecting Roses in which members of the Rose Society are invited to participate in a review of the new rose introductions. They are evaluated for three consecutive years and assigned from the following scoring system:

9.3-10		One of the best roses ever! (seldom awarded)
8.8-9.2		An outstanding rose (the top 1%)
8.3-8.7		A very good to excellent rose (one recommended without hesitation)
7.8-8.2		A solid to very good rose (well above average)
7.3-7.7		A good rose (a little to somewhat above average)
6.8-7.2		An average rose
6.1-6.7		A below average rose
0.0-6.0		Not recommended

Some of the roses which we are offering have not yet been rated because they are so new, but I have confidence they will achieve a high score! We are also planting the majority of them in our display beds so that you can judge for yourself their worthiness! Just remember, roses don’t always look “perfect” & the weather is a deciding factor on a lot of “cosmetic” diseases or pests, so sometimes you just have to be patient!

Also, a couple of more tips:

1	Don’t ever cover these roses with rose cones! You run the risk of “smothering” them, and also they are all hardy and don’t need covering (a light mulch is fine!).
2	Wait until spring to prune back your roses (the Morton Arboretum also recommends this). Otherwise, you may be trimming off stems that would have survived the winter (making the plant smaller and causing more die-back in the process).
3	Make sure you select the correct site for your roses. They need a well-drained site (no soggy feet!) that has good organic material and gets a minimum of six hours of sun per day. It does not have to be continuous sun; in fact, some roses like morning sun, a little mid-day shade, then sun again in late afternoon. Some roses such as “alba ” and “hybrid musk ” types do tolerate more shade.
4	Choose a good fertilizer that is formulated for roses, and don’t fertilize too late in the year (not past late summer so they don’t have a flush of new growth that is prone to cold damage). Also, wait until your newly-planted rose has bloomed once before fertilizing. Make sure you follow the directions on whatever type of fertilizer you’re using (too much and you won’t get any flowers!).
5	Deadheading needs to be done on repeat blooming roses. On an established plant, cut on a diagonal just above the first 5-leaf stem; on a young plant it’s better to remove fewer leaves, so cutting above a 3-leaf stem (or even just above the flower) is fine. Stop deadheading about one month before the first fall frosts so no new, tender growth is encouraged.

The above are just general guidelines—I would recommend joining the American Rose Society or a local rose club if you want the advice of real experts in this area! Anyway, have fun with these “new additions” to our continuing list of “gotta haves!” Just a reminder—varieties may not be available at the same time and occasionally the sizes listed may not be available.

Our complete selection of hostas and peonies are now available for mail order! However, because we sell larger, more mature plants, we are unable to ship plants on this page , so please come visit us our farm! Also, plant availability, sizes, and prices are subject to change, so check with us if you’re coming for something in particular.

Plant Name	Size	Container	Price
All the Rage	2 ½-4’	#2	$28.00
A NEW beauty in the Easy Elegance series, this everbloomer has buds that are coral, opening to apricot blossoms with glowing yellow centers. The flowers then age to a sweet pink before dropping cleanly off (dead-heading not necessary!) So new, she doesn’t have an ARS rating yet! ALL roses in the Easy Elegance series are now guaranteed for two years (up to two plants) by the introducer. For more details, visit easyeleganceroses.com.
Blushing Knock Out	3’	19 cm	$16.95
This 2004 sport of the famous and HIGHLY touted ‘Knock Out’ rose is actually my favorite of the Knock Out siblings! The color of this everblooming shrub rose is described as shell pink, but I’ve found that it runs the gamut from nearly white to a lovely flush pink. A subtle bouquet all on one plant! Of course it’s disease resistant and self-cleaning and the blooms are lightly fragrant. ARS rating is 8.3!
Centennial	2-3’	8"	$16.95
This Easy Elegance rose from the Garden Art Series has apricot to soft yellow blooms that fade to white and bronze tinted foliage. A Grandiflora that is a recurrent bloomer, it is too new to have an ARS rating yet!
Champlain	3’	#2	$28.00
This hybrid kordesii (a form of shrub rose) is from the Explorer series in Canada, so ya know he’s one tough cookie! He’s everblooming and has 3” double velvety-red flowers with golden stamens that appear in large clusters, with lovely orange rose hips in fall. With an ARS rating of 8.5, how can you resist?!
Cupcake	18”	#1 #2	$13.95 $28.00
A miniature rose that has medium pink, very full, adorable little roses! Its ARS rating is an 8.0!
Cuthbert Grant	3’	#2	$28.00
This shrub rose from the Parkland Series has clusters of very dark red, fragrant blooms often compared to hybrid teas. It is a recurrent bloomer with an ARS rating of 7.6.
Deep Velvet	12-18” ht (mini)	#1	$13.95
This very floriferous mini rose has copious amounts of deep velvety red blossoms and an ARS rating of 7.3. Adorable!
Double Pink Knock Out	3-4’	19cm	$21.95
WOW, this is the one we’ve been waiting for!!! Sure to sell out fast, this is the double PINK form of Contrary Mary’s favorite rose! You don’t have to waste time removing old flowers from this blooming machine. Hardy, drought tolerant upon establishment, this rose is a carefree, show-stopping star! Need I say more?!
Double Knock Out	3’	#1 19 cm	$13.95 $21.95
Another ‘Knock Out’ sibling, this beauty features DOUBLE cherry red flowers almost all season. This is by far and away Contrary Mary’s FAVORITE rose (‘Morden Sunrise’ is a very close second though!) You should see ours in the display bed-it looks ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS all season (up until a hard frost) with no supplemental watering and no real attention at all (except admiration of course!). It bloomed continually from late spring to hard frost with very minimal deadheading and the gorgeous bronze tinted foliage had not one iota of mildew or blackspot. We sell out of this very early, but you can always come and drool over mine!! A Contrary Mary Top 10 Honorable Mention!
Grandma’s Blessing	1½’	#2	$28.00
What better rose to find on Gram’s farm??! This diminutive doll from Easy Elegance will add charm to any sunny area with dusty pink blossoms that resemble a hybrid tea and keep coming intermittently most of the season. No ARS rating yet, but she’s bound to score highly as she also has dark green, disease-resistant foliage. See our gorgeous one in our display bed!
Hope for Humanity	2-4’	#1 #2	$13.95 $28.00
This Parkland Series rose from Manitoba, Canada (so you just KNOW how tough it is!) is an everblooming shrub rose with deep wine-red buds that open to blood red flowers in clusters of four to five. Its ARS rating is an 8.0 and its foliage is lustrous and highly disease resistant. Wow!
Kashmir (Easy Elegance)	2.5-3’ ht	#2	$28.00
This classy new Easy Elegance rose has 3” very full deep red velvety blossoms that resemble a hybrid tea and are awesome as a cut flower. A recurrent bloomer, with no ARS rating yet!
Knock Out	3’	#1 19 cm	$13.95 $16.95
This AARS 2000 winner truly lives up to its name! This shrub rose is one of the most disease-resistant ever, and blooms copiously from mid-Spring up to frost! It has cherry red flowers and foliage that is tinged slightly with burgundy—in the fall, the foliage turns a deeper burgundy and bright red-orange hips appear. At a height of 3’, it fits in fabulously in most sunny gardens, and has an interim ARS rating of 8.6! It was also voted the ARS Member’s Choice, making this yet another “gotta have”!
Morden Blush	2-3’	#1 #2	$13.95 $28.00
This Parkland series rose is one of my favorites! Its official color is light pink, but it has creamy ivory blooms that are blushed with different shadings of pink and cream, finally fading fully to ivory. It has very full and very fragrant recurrent blooms, and will get orange-red hips in the fall. Very attractive foliage rounds out this gorgeous shrub rose, ARS rating 8.0!
Morden Sunrise	3’	#1 #2	$13.95 $28.00
A Parkland Series rose from Manitoba, Canada, you just KNOW this baby is tough enough for us!! A pink-blushed, single-yellow ever-bloomer, it also has glossy, disease-resistant foliage. A VERY strong grower with ARS rating 7.8. This one is Contrary Mary’s second favorite rose (came in very closely behind ‘Double Knock Out’!). The plant in the display bed was a STUNNER, continually blooming from late spring to hard frost with no extra care at all! The flowers are almost indescribable as they seem to mimic a sunrise with ever changing hues, and its fragrance is to die for..smells citrusy and good enough to eat! We sell out early (I wonder why??!).
My Girl	3-4’	#2	$28.00
Another Easy Elegance beauty, this shrub rose is a recurrent bloomer with very full, 2-3” flowers of deep pink. No ARS rating yet.
Mystic Fairy (Easy Elegance)	3-4’ ht	#2	$28.00
This charming shrub rose from the Easy Elegance Collection has clusters of 3” double red flowers that have pink undertones and is an everbloomer…she just doesn’t quit! Great foliage too that is glossy red when it is new and ages to a shiny deep green. No hips are produced, and no ARS rating yet!
OSO Easy Cherry Pie	2-3’ ht	#1	$13.95
Yummy candy-apple red, single flowers with yellow stamens are produced all season on this vigorous new intro in the “OSO Easy” series. All of the roses in this series that we have tried here on the farm truly live up to their name, so I’m SURE this one will meet our expectations too! Magnificent shiny foliage is an added bonus (and it sure doesn’t hurt that its named after Contrary Mary’s FAVORITE dessert!)
OSO Easy Fragrant Spreader	1-2’ ht	#1 #2	$13.95 $28.00
A NEW class of roses that were bred to be highly resistant to mildew and blackspot. Practically a no care landscape rose! This one is a low-growing groundcover with highly fragrant, single pink flowers that bloom all summer. No ARS rating yet. See how ours roams in our display bed!
OSO Easy Paprika	1-2’	#1	$13.95
This is lovely rose sold out quickly last year, but good thing I grabbed one for the display bed first! A really remarkable color (reminds me of my 2^nd favorite rose Morden Sunrise), has incredible glossy, disease resistant foliage, and blooms its little heart out with AWESOME fragrant flowers. If you want a low-mounding blooming machine, get one fast! And, Oso Easy Paprika was recently awarded the Gold Medal for Best Groundcover Rose at the Rose Hills International Rose Trials!
OSO Easy Peachy Cream	1-2½’	#1	$13.95
Great name for a great rose…peachy pink double blooms age to cream and look good enough to eat! Flowers are self cleaning and foliage is glossy dark green and disease resistant. No ARS rating yet!
Paint the Town	2-3’ ht.	8" #2	$17.95 $28.00
This Garden Path rose is literally COVERED with hybrid-tea shaped vivid red roses all season! An everbloomer, it has a spreading habit and no ARS rating yet.
Pink Gnome	1’	8” pot	$17.95
This new little rose from the Garden Path Series is aptly named - it only gets 1’ tall! An adorable little everblooming shrub rose with single light pink, cup-shaped flowers with white centers, it makes a great groundcover. The ARS rating is not yet available.
Pink Pearls	1-2’ ht.	#2	$28.00
This NEW Garden Path rose has a tight, compact habit and is festooned with tiny, fluffy, deep pink flowers with white eyes and golden stamens. A recurrent bloomer with no ARS rating yet. See our little treasure in our display bed!
Purple Pavement	3’ ht	#2	$28.00
This hybrid Rugosa is beautiful and a real tough cookie to boot! She has bright green, highly disease-resistant foliage and 3” semi-double intensely fragrant flowers that are a purplish-red with yellow stamens. Also gets gorgeous dark red hips in the fall! What more could you want?!
Red Leaf Rose	5’	#3	$28.00
Rosa glauca, also known as the “Red-leaf rose”, was first cultivated before 1830 and is a species rose. Although most roses are primarily grown for their flowers, this one is unique in that it is the foliage that is most highly prized! The foliage has a blend of blue, green, plum and red that blends exquisitely in its waxy leaves. The leaves then turn yellow or orange in the fall, and are borne on arching, graceful, almost thornless canes. The flowers are simple but beautiful, with star-like blooms of deep pink with a white center. They then produce bright purple-red rose hips in the fall that may last until spring. This rose has an incredible 8.8 ARS rating—yep, you guessed it, ANOTHER “gotta-have”!
Rosa rugosa	4-5’ht	#2	$28.00
This species rose was cultivated before 1846 and has an almost unbelievable 9.1 ARS rating! She produces intensely fragrant 2-3” single flowers that vary from the palest pink to deep rose to white, and gets incredible fall color and bright red rose hips. Can’t get much better than this one!!
Snow Pavement	2½-3’	#2	$28.00
This hybrid rugosa is a recurrent bloomer with flowers that start with pink buds, then open to bright white flowers with a tinge of pink. Flowers are semi-double and measure about 3”, and stand out against the dark green rugosa foliage. An added bonus (for us and wildlife!) are the large bright red hips. No ARS rating yet.
Starina	12-18"ht	#1	$13.95
This precious miniature rose has orange-red flowers continually throughout the summer. With an ARS rating of 8.3, can’t you fit this little star into your garden?!
Sunrise Sunset	2-3’	8"	$17.95
Another stunning new rose in the Garden Path series that reminds you of the Florida sunset - always changing and always awesome! It is an everblooming shrub rose with semi-double flowers that have pink blend petals that change to apricot with a blush of yellow near the centers. It has blue-green foliage that is disease resistant and has a dense spreading habit that makes it an ideal and vigorous groundcover. No ARS rating is available yet on this new beauty!
Super Hero	3-5’	#2	$28.00
A NEW Easy Elegance rose that is a floribunda and everbloomer, it has medium red, full 3” flowers with dark green, satiny foliage. No ARS rating yet.
Sweet Fragrance	2-4’ ht	#2	$28.00
This grandiflora is an everbloomer with hybrid tea shaped buds of coral and orange that open to apricot blossom. Highly fragrant (who’da guessed?!), it’s perfect for cut flowers. No ARS rating yet. Enjoy her intoxicating scent in our display bed! A Contrary Mary Top 10 Honorable Mention!
Yellow Brick Road	2-3’	#2	$28.00
Another Easy Elegance rose, this recurrent blooming shrub rose has full, 3” flowers of deep yellow. Now, how can you resist something that is named after one of Contrary Mary’s FAVORITE movies, AND is in the Contrary Mary color??! Great blackspot resistance, no ARS rating yet.
Yellow Submarine	2-4’ ht	#2	$28.00
O.K., we had to grow this one ‘cause Contrary Charlie is a HUGE Beatles fan. This one more than lives up to its possibilities! It has very full flowers in clusters that start out lemon yellow, then age to soft yellow and finally become white. A whole bouquet on one plant! Recurrent bloomer, no ARS rating yet (but I bet it’s a good one when it happens!) See our absolutely fabulous one in the display bed, and get yours early ‘cause they torpedo out of here quickly!

Top of Page

Contrary Mary’s Plants and Designs 2735 Route 52 Minooka, IL 60447
Ponds and Water Gardens (815) 577-7800	Perennials, Shrubs, and Trees (815) 521-9535
contrarymary@contrarymarysplants.com