![A Dream Come True - Belinda's Dream Rose](https://txmg.org/hendersonmg/files/2023/11/2023-11-06-Belindas-Dream-Rose-300x241.jpeg)
Gardeners know there is no guarantee plants will live, but growing plants that do not need special care makes it easier to enjoy a beautiful landscape. Earth-Kind® is a designation given by Texas AgriLife Extension Agency. Plants which pass the Earth-Kind® tests need little to no fertilizers or pesticides, and are heat and drought tolerant. If your dream is to grow a beautiful garden with plants that can thrive without a lot of extra attention, you may wish to fill your landscape with Earth-Kind® plants.
The program started with roses. There are now at least 20 roses that have the Earth-Kind® designation. Some of the popular ones include Knock Out, The Fairy, Caldwell Pink, Carefree Beauty, Mutabilis, Climbing Pinkie, and New Dawn. After roses, the Earth-Kind® program expanded to other plants. Searching the Earth-Kind® index shows over 400 designated plants for the East Texas region. Flowering plants, ornamental grasses, evergreen shrubs, and vines are listed.
Belinda’s Dream was the first rose to be named Earth-Kind®. Belinda’s Dream is a large-flowered pink rose with up to 100 petals. It can grow over five feet tall and wide. As expected, it has a reputation for being disease resistant and easy to grow.
When I took the Master Gardener class, Master Gardener Cherie Tanneberger gave us instructions on propagating, then shared cuttings of her Belinda’s Dream rose for us to take home.
Although my cutting of Belinda’s Dream did not survive, I fell in love with the rose. Determined to have a Belinda’s Dream in my garden, I purchased one several years later. Unfortunately, the deer which visited my garden also seemed to love Belinda’s Dream as much as I did. They nibbled the poor rose night after night, pruning it hard for several years. During that time, not one bloom survived for me to enjoy.
I had just about given up on Belinda’s Dream when the deer changed their path and quit coming through my garden. Suddenly, plants which I had considered lost began to thrive again. Belinda’s Dream was just one of the many roses in my garden which could finally grow without restraint. And it did, throwing up new canes as though it were rejoicing. This fall, my Belinda’s Dream bloomed. And I fell in love all over again.
Whether you are new to gardening or just want to add plants you can enjoy instead of those that need continual babying and constant pruning, consider adding some Earth-Kind® plants. They may help make your gardening dreams come true.
For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected].
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