The rose is a perpetual favorite among gardeners and these shrubs bloom all over the United States. There are rose lovers and rose enthusiasts, but more than that there are also those who are passionate about these flowers. They not only grow and enjoy them but spend their lives seeking the finest and most beautiful, carefree plants.

Enter the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) — a nonprofit association that fits the mode of passionate rosarians. The organization seeks out promising new varieties of roses, tests them across the country for disease tolerance, ease of care and beauty. Those shrubs that it deems exceptional earn the AARS designation.

AARS Winners are labeled with the AARS red rose seal of approval to distinguish them from other plants in the nursery.

In addition, you can go to their Web site at www.rose.org and click the link to Regions Choice. There you can select the link to the Intermountain area and find other roses they recommend for areas such as Tooele Valley. The roses they recommend are sturdy enough for our cold winters and also disease resistant. Disease resistance is always a plus anywhere, but we are fortunate that our very dry climate discourages rose diseases. Unless we run amuck with the sprinklers, our roses are seldom affected by most diseases. The one exception is sometimes our roses get powdery mildew — a disease that does not require humidity to thrive.

This year three roses fit the criteria to receive the AARS seal of approval.

Pink Promise blooms amid lush, dark green foliage atop stems long enough to cut for bouquets. It is highly fragrant with a sweet, fruity scent. It is resistant to disease and flourishes in cooler climates.

This hybrid tea grows on a large, upright plant with a wide spiraled flower form. The blossoms make a very visible statement by expanding to as much as 5 inches in diameter. They are formed by 20 to 30 wide petals.

The beautiful pink color inspired the National Breast Cancer Foundation to choose this rose as a symbol this year. In addition, a portion of the expense of every Pink Promise plant that is purchased will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for research, early detection and education about Breast Cancer.

Pink Promise was hybridized by Jim Coiner and introduced by Coiner Nursery of Lavern, Calif.

Cinco de Mayo picks up its south-of-the-border moniker due to its masses of mixed colored blooms. The flower is not red, orange or lavender, but instead is a mixture of the three. The multi-colored clusters of blossoms grow against glossy green foliage. The plant provides an extra color bonus with its dark red new growth. The flowers last well, rebloom quickly and carry the scent of fresh-cut golden apples.

It is exceedingly disease resistant and performs in climates all across the country with little or no care. Its parentage comes from the 2006 AARS award-winning Julia Child. This floribunda rose grows to a medium height as a round, bushy shrub that is well adapted to borders and hedges.

Its clean, round habit is ideal for use as a hedge or in a border with mixed perennials.

The flower bud is long and pointed atop a long stem and it opens to a spiral and double form up to 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

Cinco de Mayo was hybridized by Tom Carruth and is introduced by Weeks Roses of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Carefree Spirit is aptly named for its low-maintenance personality. It was named for its parentage Carefree delight, which also won the AARS designation in 1996. The offspring is one up on the parent, which is an excellent growing choice here, with better disease resistance and blossoming power.

As part of their testing, in 2004, the AARS stopped spraying fungicides on all of its shrub roses across the country. This was a devastating decision for some roses but not for Carefree Spirit. It is the first and only shrub rose to endure this “acid” test and it came out victorious.

The rose grows in a mound producing deep red masses of single blossoms with white centers. The ovoid buds open to 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide and they gradually turn from red to a deep pink as the hot summer days pass. The flower grows among masses of dark green glossy leaves.

Although it can be attacked by blackspot in some areas of the country, it’s totally resistant to rust. However, we seldom see either of those diseases here. The good news for Tooele Valley is that it is also totally mildew resistant.

Carefree Spirit was hybridized by Jacques Mouchotte, director of research at Meilland International and introduced by Conard-Pyle Co. of West Grove, Penn.