They flourish without the chemical arsenal, just as the old ones did. For practical reasons, they are presented here along with the old reliables. These roses are not immune to insects and diseases. In fact, many of them suffer the same mildew, black spot, thrips, and aphids that plague modern roses. The difference is that these survive, recover, and continue to prosper, growing despite the obstacles.
Gardeners have almost too many choices, but that is a nice problem to have.
Old Blush is always the first to bloom and the last to quit. The grandfather of all of our modern repeat-blooming roses, Old Blush arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, around the turn of the century. It does well in the South, according to Ruth Knopf of Sullivans Island, South Carolina, because it originated from a part of the Chinese mainland with a climate similar to that of the Southeastern United States. An upright shrub with slender, twiggy branches, Old Blush bears clusters of semidouble pink roses that are tinged with lilac in spring and fall. Smaller flushes of blooms appear almost year-round.