I have one of Ralph Moore's roses, Red Fairy, growing in sandy soil, near the road where it receives plenty of road salt all winter and, alternately, has plowed snow packed on top of it. When I fertilize and water it, it rewards me with clean, beautiful green foliage covered with small light red flowers all summer and into the fall. When I completely ignore it, it still flowers but not quite as much, and develops black spot. But the plant still comes back each spring as though it received the best of care.

Jeanne La Joie is another carefree rose for me. Mine was planted where it received full sun all day. It grew straight up before gracefully arching at the top, giving the plant a graceful urn shape. This rose does appreciate some fertilizer once or twice a year to give its best performance, but then can put up with almost anything, having great disease resistance. (I lost mine to voles one fall.)

I have had Red Cascade growing on a sandy mound of soil far from my house where is does not receive much attention, for more than 10 years. It continues to grow and flower, with few problems. In this area I have seen this plant 8 feet across (4 feet each way from center), I have seen it run over by a tractor-trailer truck and not care, I have seen it as a perfectly mounded plant growing near 18 inches high and probably near 3 feet across and just covered with those little red flowers. I love this plant for its ease of care.