Easy, enjoyable Flower Carpet roses
Roses are almost everyone鈥檚 favorite flower. But many people avoid growing them because they think roses are too difficult or they鈥檝e had a bad experience with them in the past.
That鈥檚 a shame, because 鈥� if you choose the right rose 鈥� the experience can be . A good example is the family of . They pretty much act like an ordinary flowering shrub: Plant, water, occasionally fertilize, and reap bundles of blooms.
And, instead of flowers just once a year as on with most shrubs, provides them throughout the summer and fall. Lots and lots of them.
The other thing that sets these roses apart is the size of the bush 鈥� typically, about two feet tall and with a spread of three to four feet. I鈥檝e found that this can vary some, depending not only on which rose you're growing but on where and how it鈥檚 grown 鈥� climate as well as conditions.
Since this group of plants is often called 鈥済round cover roses,鈥� some people are surprised at the two-foot height. But the plants form a nice little mound.
And almost anyone has room for a rose that size. I grow them in large containers, where they do beautifully and .
I had my doubts when these roses were first introduced. But I grew one 鈥� and haven鈥檛 been without at least one in my garden ever since.
This year it鈥檚 鈥� everyone who has seen it in my garden has been wowed 鈥� and , which promises up to 2,000 two-inch flowers during the growing season.
Mostly, the Flower Carpets I鈥檝e grown have been disease-free. In hot humid climates, some may experience occasional blackspot, but it hasn鈥檛 been serious enough for me to consider spraying.
They may need in Zone 5, winter temperatures usually fall no colder than minus 20 degrees F. (I wouldn't recommend them for Zone 4, where winter temperatures can fall to minus 30 degrees..)
I do cut my Flower Carpet bushes back a bit in spring. Just use hedge shears to remove about one-third. I think it makes them look better. But I'm sure there are many who don't do it at all.
I鈥檓 sorry that the flowers aren鈥檛 more fragrant (usually there鈥檚 a light scent) 鈥� but these roses have so many other virtues that it鈥檚 a trade-off I don鈥檛 mind making.
All in all, Flower Carpet roses are helping to improve roses鈥� sweet reputation.
