Oprah's Secret Rose Garden
Roses need lots of sunshine and water, no matter where live. Take a look at the varieties Oprah chose for her garden.
Brass Band
Oprah doesn't consider her teahouse's rose garden a collection. "I don't think of flowers as something material," she says. "Flowers come, and then they go back to where they came from. You can't hold them for long." And yet, the 600 rosebushes she has planted come in enough varieties to impress any aficionado.
Master rosarian Dan Bifano, who planned Oprah's garden, says, "Oprah likes [the Brass Band rose] because there's a hint of orange in it; I like the fact that it blooms a lot and is a vigorous grower."
French Lace
"One of the most feminine roses I've ever seen—a creamy, pale pink with ruffled petals. It's probably the number one rose chosen by brides," Dan says.
Sunset Celebration
According to Dan, these roses have "spectacular color that shifts from apricot to pink," frequently bloom, and are disease-resistant.
Yves Piaget
"It's intoxicatingly fragrant and so voluptuous—about 80 petals per flower—that it reminds you of a peony," Dan says.
Marilyn Monroe
"Close to ideal in terms of its color, and large and long-lasting bloom," Dan says.
Francois Rabelais
"A great Chinese red, and very feminine," Dan says.
Chris Evert
"This one is striking because of the bicolor petals: The tips are almost carmine," Dan says.
Roses need lots of sunshine and water, no matter where you live in the United States. To pick the best ones for your region, check with your local chapter of The American Rose Society, ars.org.
Master rosarian Dan Bifano concludes his tour of Oprah's rose garden by recommending three growers whose roses can be found at almost any nursery in the country: Weeks Roses, weeksroses.com; Jackson & Perkins, jacksonandperkins.com; and Star Roses, starroses.com.
The Places Where Oprah Lives
Oprah's teahouse
Go inside Oprah's Hawaiian retreat
Tour Oprah's library in California
From the
Spring 2008 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
