Roses for Commerical Landscapes

We know that roses easily adapt to many uses in our gardens.  From formal rose grounds to mixing it up with perennials around the yard, roses are a versatile source of color, fragrance and beauty.  Roses also work well in this role around commercial landscapes.  With an ever-increasing selection of disease resistant, low-maintenance plants, options abound for keepers of gardens around various types of businesses.

The “go to” rose for years for mass commercial uses has been Iceberg, and for good reason.  With a vigorous growing habit, abundant repeat blooms and easy to care for plant, Iceberg is a natural choice.  The problem was the lack of color choice: white, white or white.  This all changed with the introduction of two new ‘bergs’, Brilliant Pink Iceberg and Burgundy Iceberg™. 

Both of these roses feature the same characteristics as the classic but add bold colors to the landscape.  Brilliant Pink shines with a blend of cerise pink and cream and has all of the same benefits as her white sister.  The darker Burgundy Iceberg™, with a purple-red burgundy hue, features a cream reverse adding another dimension to the planting.

Consider mixing the classic white with either tone to add an additional element to the area.  If the landscape calls for additional height the Icebergs are also available as trees and even as Twofer™ trees.  The Twofer™ trees, unique to Weeks Roses, feature white Iceberg and either Burgundy Iceberg™ or Brilliant Pink Iceberg together on the same tree.

Thanks to new introductions from Weeks Roses in the past decade, designers can look beyond Iceberg for plantings.  Julia Child has become a favorite, used everywhere from single plants to large areas where color and easy to care for beauty is desired.  With buttery gold blooms and incredible resistance to pesky diseases, this All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winner in 2006 allows the use of a stunning yellow in the landscape.

Another great performer that’s a seedling of Julia and also an AARS winner (2009) is Cinco de Mayo™.  With a totally different color tone, featuring smoky lavender and rusty red-orange hues, Cinco de Mayo adds warmth to an area making courtyards and walkways inviting and comfortable for visitors.  Not overwhelming in color, this rose works well with Mediterranean and Spanish style architectures, adding a subtle color that’s easy to grow and care for.

There are other warm tones available such as Hot Cocoa™ and Easy Does It®, both showcasing more subdued yet rich tones.  Hot Cocoa is a smoky chocolate orange floribunda that thrives in the heat.  Mix with lighter toned flowers for a bicolor treat.  Easy Does It® is a lighter mango, peach and apricot toned floribunda that also adds a rich, fruity scent to the area.

Weeks’ Easy-to-Love™ roses (which includes many of the roses mentioned above) features roses with qualities that make them a favorite choice in commercial landscapes.  All of the roses in this collection have a natural resistance to disease, making your job of maintaining them easier.  They are also all show-offs, flowering through the entire growing season.  Plant them in a sunny location, add some water and occasional fertilizer, and let visitors to your business enjoy the color.  From amusement parks to zoos and every type of business in between you can find a rose in this collection that will make your property more appealing for visitors (and employees).

Another way to hit it out of the park with color and resistance to diseases like black spot and powdery mildew is with Home Run®.  This flame red, wide open flower just blooms and blooms all season long.  You can even place this showy hitter in containers on the property.  Home Run® is now available in a velvety warm pink. Pink Home Run® sports all the same benefits as her red brother.

When we talk about “commercial landscapes” don’t think that it has to be a massive planting with dozens or even hundreds of plants.  Even small business owners can get into the act by adding some of the long-lasting color and evergreen foliage offered by good roses.  Even if you don’t

have much room, many roses work well in containers or can even be tucked into small spaces.  Consider miniatures for these uses or even tree roses where you want to add some brightness closer to eye level. 

Weeks Roses also offers many shrubs to choose from.  These can give you a different type of ground cover that looks great thanks to green foliage that makes the colorful roses stand out.  They even offer a clean, green look without blooms.  And don’t forget climbers.  This is a great way to add color to a wall or trellis using only a single plant.