When thinking of images representing love, people often rank mothers and roses high on the list. Mothers, after all, are known for the unconditional love and untiring care they give their families. And roses, well, the rose has long been the symbol of love — whether it be romantic love or a simple “thank you” kind of grateful love.

So, it is a perfect fit to discuss the last two All-America Rose Selection (AARS) winners today on Mother’s Day. These winning roses, Hot Cocoa and Cherry Parfait, possess two qualities we associate with mothers — generosity and forgiveness. Both flowers will provide your garden with a long parade of delightful blooms and interesting color combinations.

Like its name, Cherry Parfait dishes up great scoops of red- and white-colored flowers that repeat throughout the season. This 2003 AARS Grandiflora winner is very shrubby looking and grows to 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. The blooms of this flashy rose have white petals edged in red that are nestled among dense, glossy foliage. Cherry Parfait has cup-like blooms of 35 petals, producing two to five blooms per stem and a wonderful light fragrance. The plant is very clean, with fast regrowth so that it remains a garden standout in the fall. It also has excellent disease resistance.

This bicolor rose works well as the centerpiece of the garden because of its unusual color combination. It is perfect for someone growing roses for the first time. Cherry Parfait was hybridized by the famed French House of Meilland and is being introduced in the United States by The Conrad-Pyle Company. It should be available this growing season.

The last of the AARS winners is Hot Cocoa. There’s no other rose color like Hot Cocoa. It will cause a commotion in the garden with its sensual chocolate brown color that is washed with smoke on the top side and a deep clear rust color on the underside. If the color isn’t enough to tempt you, how about pointed, shapely buds set upon highly disease-resistant super glossy, dark green foliage that reflects the amazing colors of this bicolor Floribunda?

CHERRY PARFAIT blends red- and white-colored flowers. The plant is clean with a fast regrowth so that it remains a garden standout in the fall.

The buds open to reveal beautiful double-ruffled, four-inch blooms with petal counts of 25 to 30. The fragrance of Hot Cocoa is described as moderate fruity. This Floribunda is a medium tall, rounded and bushy plant that grows 31/2 feet by 41/2 feet. It is best planted in groups or used as a border. Plant it with yellow- and orange-colored flowers and watch how they show off its unique and novel color. Hot Cocoa is sure to become the centerpiece of the garden.

Let your love of roses bloom in your garden by planting one, or more, of this year’s AARS winners.

— Carol Boncella is education coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and home and garden writer for the Journal-World.