How does one go about planning a cream of the crop dream garden? It is very much the same as planning any garden in your situation. You choose the plants you would like to grow based on your hardiness zone, sun or shade, soil conditions and amount of available water. Then you start looking for the lists of prize winners among these plants.
There are societies dedicated to almost any plant group that might attract your interest. Some of the most beloved have large, active groups that offer loads of information and have tested and rated the best of their best. Consider roses. So many people love them that the rose has been named our national flower. The American Rose Society (ARS), with tens of thousands of members, publishes a list of roses with the results of member ratings. Here is a link the the list of roses that rated 8.5 or better (out of a possible 10). The members who rate the roses are from all over the country and many from outside the U.S., so the ratings don't reflect northern hardiness. Any good rose catalog should be able to tell you what the hardiness zone is for those that interest you. Do remember that most modern roses need major winter protection in zone 4. If easy care is an objective in your dream garden, choose from the hardy shrub roses or old garden roses that are hardy in you zone.
The All America Rose Selections (AARS) are based on extensive testing in trial gardens around the country. Here are the local ones where you can actually see the roses of your dreams growing in local conditions.
