Blushing beauty - Flower Girl shrub - Brief Article

Sunset, Dec, 1999 by Sharon Cohoon

Flower Girl', a new shrub from Weeks Roses, is like an ingenue among dowagers. In its presence, other roses look a little stiff and dowdy. Its leaf color - an innocent apple green - has something to do with it. So does the youthful vigor with which it kicks out flowers. Though its soft pink blossoms are small (about 2 inches across), they unfurl in pendulous clusters (30 or more flowers are not uncommon); at times they nearly cover the shrub. The heavy flower clusters on light canes make it weep gracefully.

'Flower Girl' has all the attributes of a great landscaping shrub - attractive habit, disease-resistant foliage, and modest size (about 2 1/2 feet tall). It also comes in 3-foot and 5-foot standards. As for cold-hardiness, 'Flower Girl' stood up to the frigid Minnesota winter in field trials there.

Look for plants in nurseries and garden centers. If you have trouble locating one, try a mail-order source such as Regan Nursery (510/797-3222 or www.regannursery.com) or Michael's Premier Roses (916/369-7673 or michaelsrose. com). - Sharon Cohoon