How To Use Roses In The Landscape
You can grow this iconic symbol of fragrance and love in your own backyard. There are several types to enjoy in the home landscape. Understanding the different types will help you find the perfect rose. Carpet roses are low and cover the ground with foliage and flowers. Shrub roses can be used in mass plantings. Hybrid Tea roses are used in higher maintenance cutting gardens. Let’s pick a sunny landscape area and learn how to use Roses In The Landscape.
Hybrid Tea Rose
The long stem rose that is given and received as a cut flower is called a Hybrid Tea Rose. They grow longer stems that make them perfect for cutting and arranging. Grow them in a cutting garden, perennial beds, or formal gardens as accents among boxwood hedging. They need a “little love” in the form of regular applications of fertilizer, systemic insecticides, and fungicides and of course, weekly watering.
Grandiflora and Floribunda Roses
grow large clusters of multi-petaled roses, “a bouquet on every branch” so to speak. Free flowering and showy, these hardy roses usually have fragrant blooms. With more blooms per stem, these are also a favorite garden plant.
Climbing Roses
Climbing roses take the color to greater heights. Growing long canes at a fast rate, they can be trained and tied onto garden structures. A trellis on the wall, a fence, or a pergola. With a little pruning , fertilizing and watering, these vertical accents will reward you with blooms for years to come.
Drift Roses
Drift roses are the low growing ground covers of the rose family. Often they don’t grow over 2-3’ tall and spread 4-5’ wide. They are covered with smaller flowers all summer and come in red, pink, white, and coral. They are great used in masses on slope or as a second layer of color in wide shrub borders.
Shrub Roses
Shrub roses have become the most popular rose due to their lower maintenance requirements. The most popular brand is called Knock Out Roses and they come in three colors: red, pink, and sunny yellow. They seem to rebound easily from insect and fungal attacks. If they should look a bit stressed just water a bit more often, fertilize , and trim off 8-12” of top growth. Within a few short weeks, they will make a dramatic rebound and be blooming their heads off until frost!
Tree Roses
Lastly we have Tree Roses. They are a popular accent plant for large containers or entrance gardens. Our tree roses are Knock Out Roses. The Knock Out Roses have been grafted to a strong straight stock. This puts the “ball” of foliage and flowers at 3′-5′ tall.
As you can see, there is a Rose for any landscape situation. As long as you have at least 6 hours of sunlight a day you should be able to use roses in the landscape. Enjoy the fragrance, flowers and the compliments. Mother’s Day is coming soon and MOMS LOVE ROSES! Visit Willow Ridge Garden Center in Oak Ridge, Tn. For your rose needs.