They need at least six hours of sun and decent soil that drains well. If you have heavy clay soil, amend it at planting time with homemade compost or a bagged, composted product such as Espoma Raised Bed Mix, FoxFarm's Happy Frog, or any number of excellent soil amendments we offer.

They bloom roughly every five to six weeks from early spring to November, and don’t require deadheading because they’re pretty much self-cleaning. Of course if you’re a neat freak you can certainly remove the faded flowers, but I’m guessing you probably have better things to do.

Your call. Fact is, they don’t require pruning, though they can be sheared in late winter to a height of eight inches or so. I suggest you grow them a year or two before deciding if they actually need to be pruned.

They don’t require fertilizer, but a blast of Espoma Rose-tone every six weeks during the growing season can’t hurt. Just don’t fertilize after August; doing so may encourage tender new growth that might be subject to freeze damage.

They’re pretty darn resistant to powdery mildew, rust, and black spot. They occasionally (though rarely) succumb to Cercospora leaf spot, a fungus characterized by small brown to purple circular spots that causes leaves to yellow. Copper fungicides, especially when used with Bonide’s Revitalize (a bacterial fungicide), have been shown to be highly effective at controlling or eliminating the fungus.

They’re drought-resistant after their first year in the ground. Water newly planted roses at planting time, and twice a week through the spring and summer. Afterwards, water maybe once a week or so, especially during really dry summers.

They grow great in containers. Choose a container that’s at least twice the size of the rose, and plan on watering more frequently. Use a good quality potting mix -- we have several -- and fertilize every three weeks or so because nutrients are quickly leached out of container plantings.

One of the best ways to use Drift roses is in front of larger shrubs -- Abelia, Nandina, Spiraea, just to name three -- to create a layered look. Yellow- and red-flowered varieties look especially cool in front of yellow-tinged conifers, while every color pops in front of green conifers. They also look great in front of classic roses. Use them at the front of beds as a border or let them trail over walls, containers, even hanging baskets. And for erosion control on sloping ground, they’re ideal.

As much as I love Drift roses, there’s no getting around the fact that the classics are far more popular, especially among rosarians. And we've got your favorites, most of which are flowering beautifully, but they’re selling fast.

Whether you call them Althea or Hibiscus or Rose of Sharon, you really should consider planting at least one of these beautiful and tough plants, which is why I’m highlighting next week.