More Space for your Roses

So you think that you’ve run out of space for roses in your garden but want more color in your yard?  Fortunately there is another option for rose lovers.  Containers can give you that color without taking up a lot of space and even allow roses to grow where you don’t have any dirt.  Weeks Roses has many beauties that are perfectly suited for growing in pots and other containers. 

Roses with more compact habits lend themselves as the best candidates for restricted spaces. So naturally we think of miniatures as being a perfect fit for placing in containers or tucking into tight spaces.

Add a splash of color with Lemon Drop, a lemonade yellow miniature that is a sweet addition to porches, patios and other small and sunny spaces.  Daddy’s Little Girl™ is a great little bi-color with rose pink petals and a hint of cream, adding just the right touch of character to this sweet little darling.  For mysterious color Coffee Bean™ brews up a rust and smoke concoction that subtly serves a warm pot of red hues.

With mixtures of orange, pink and a glowing yellow to bring in some sunshine, Tiddly Winks™ is game for pot planting with shapely deep gold buds unfurling to reveal the beauty of this bicolor.  For fragrance, Warm & Fuzzy™ releases a sweet juniper scent from her mossy buds.  Then gardeners get to enjoy a deep red color that lasts and lasts to the very end. 

It’s not only miniatures that get to enjoy the portability of pots.  Home Run® is a great shrub for using in a container when you really want to add some great bright red color to a space.  With a golden eye in the center of the flame red flower, you get to enjoy long lasting color as well as incredible disease resistance.  Seemingly always in bloom Home Run® really works well when used as a potted showpiece.  Teeny Bopper™ also likes to show off away from the landscape.  With bicolor scarlet and white blooms and a compact growing habit, she loves to have her own space.  Glossy deep green leaves help to showcase her color. 

Containers allow gardeners to match color and style to fit their yards.  Both contrasting and complementary colors can be used depending on your taste.  Consider placing containers on movable bases, allowing you to move them around your patio or porch as needed.  This way when entertaining you can shuffle your color around to best suit your personal whims.  Although we know our roses like sun, you can move them into a shady spot for an afternoon that keeps it out of the way of guests but still allows everyone to enjoy the color and fragrance.

There are some other considerations when using containers.  You’ll need to water and fertilize more often than with plants in the ground because the pots heat up from the sun and the soil will get much warmer and dry out faster.  Keep a close eye on the moisture.  This is especially true if you are using non-glazed terracotta pots which tend to wick moisture very quickly.  Check the recommendations of the potting mixture; many of them specifically state that they are not to be used in containers.  Others are made just for this use.

Make sure the pot is of ample size for the rose.  You’ll need a larger pot than you think.  Where miniatures may be able to fit in a smaller vessel, standard shrubs and floribundas will need more room for their roots.  Another advantage containers may provide is the ability to rotate the plant, allowing for more even light and growing characteristics. 

So when you think your garden is completely full and just can’t fit another rose, think inside the box… or actually the pot!