A gardener's love is a red, red rose (or a white or a pink)

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (MCT) — Mother's Day and roses naturally go together.

Maybe it's because early May is when roses begin to bloom best. Maybe it's because a red rose symbolizes the beauty of motherhood. Regardless, the blooms on a rose are always a joy to see.

For Cindy Dunlap, roses remind her of her mother — and father — who like nothing better than puttering in their garden.

"My parents, who live in Texas, have always been avid gardeners," says Cindy, 61, who lives in Yorktown, Va. "Dad was an American Rose Society judge for years and is past president of the Fort Worth Rose Society and Fort Worth Botanical Society. My mother was on the board of both organizations. So, I was surrounded by beautiful gardens all my life."

As an adult, Cindy continued to garden but roses joined her plant pals only about 10 years ago.

"I always was fearful that my efforts wouldn't produce the results that I so loved in the gardens of my youth," she says. "But, then, my dad encouraged me and I got my toes wet, and now I am in love with every bloom in the garden."

Cindy cares for about 60 roses in her yard — all kinds including climbers, long-stemmed hybrid teas and bouquet-like grandifloras and floribundas. Lately, she's interested in miniatures — they have such wonderful names like Bee's Knees, Rise n' Shine, Cupcake and My Honey, she says.

"Of course, I have Knockouts," she says. "How easy can you get? During Hurricane Isabel, my Knockouts, which had gotten large, fell over with their roots out of the ground. After the hurricane, I stood them up and tamped down the earth around them. They are as lovely as ever today."

If you are a newcomer to roses, Cindy suggests you start with Knockouts because they are no-fuss roses that always look good. She likes the red, double red and pink colors.

"You will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride and a feeling that you made the world a bit lovelier by caring for these remarkable plants," she says.

From there, venture into other types of roses, she says. Some of her favorites include Veteran's Honor with showy red flowers on long stems, McCartney with pink roses that smell nice, Just Joey with scented cream-yellow blooms, the climber Ballerina with clusters of tiny flowers and Fragrant Cloud with a heavenly fragrance.