Some roses have it made in the shade, the Rose Whisperer says
When we first start planning and planting our gardens, I wonder how many of us think about what may happen down the road.
I know I didn鈥檛.
As someone who has moved around quite a bit, I never really had to consider what my yard might look like in 10聽 or 20 years.聽 Now that I鈥檝e been in the same location for a good while, I鈥檝e made an amazing discovery: Trees actually grow! Which means some of my beds that once basked in the sun all day don鈥檛 catch as many rays anymore.
Not only did our ugly 鈥渟wamp鈥� maples get bigger, our neighbors鈥� trees expanded, too, overshadowing much of my husband鈥檚 little veggie patch and a number of my favorite roses.
It鈥檚 not all doom and gloom, however. The tomatoes don鈥檛 like it, but there are many roses and climbers that don鈥檛 mind a bit of shade at all.
According to Paul Zimmerman of , most roses prefer full sun but many can do well in dappled light, especially if they get a few hours of morning sun. He notes that certain classes of roses do better in partial shade including and . Singles (roses with eight or fewer petals) are also good choices.
Hybrid musk roses are excellent garden shrubs, and many are useful as climbers or pillars. They generally have beautiful foliage, vigor, and an unforgettable fragrance. Lavender Lassie (see photo above right), , and Ballerina are three of the best.
Polyanthas are overlooked garden gems. They are forerunners to today鈥檚 floribundas and miniatures, but certainly deserve a place in more gardens (and deserve their moment in the sun in an upcoming posting of The Rose Whisperer.) Many gardeners are familiar with , but there are a number of other superb polyanthas that will also bloom prolifically and perform in just about any location.
As Paul suggested, roses with fewer petals are have a better chance to thrive in low light conditions. Knock Out, Blushing Knock Out, and Rainbow Knock Out are all recommended for partial shade.
Of course, we all admire Knock Outs, but sometimes we yearn for something a bit flashier. Bonica, James Galway, Aloha, Cecile Brunner, New Dawn, Playboy, Jude the Obscure (second photo above), and are also good bets for shady positions.
In my garden, Teasing Georgia聽 (which sports 110 petals; see first photo above) lives with only a couple hours of morning sun, but blooms from late May till November. She may be a shady lady, but when it comes to coping with less-than-perfect growing conditions, Georgia really shines.
Psssst: Disease resistance and good drainage are two important factors that can spell the difference between success and failure with roses in lower light situations.
To read more by The Rose Whisperer, click here and go to the links at the bottom of the post.
Note: You have only a few more days to enter the Monitor鈥檚 first monthly garden photo contest at the site on Flickr. All photos posted on the site by the end of Monday, June 15 will be judged by our photo staff. We hope to announce the winners by the end of next week.
