Grow ‘em in a pot


Ok, I promise, this is my last rose post. For a while. I am impelled to write more on roses—even though I really don’t have many—by the impressive performance of my two container roses. One is the Blush Noisette, about which I posted before. Nuff said. The other is a mystery rose. It was billed as Gloire de Dijon, and of course I bought it, sucker that I am. From Home Depot, no less.


Of course, it’s no such thing (close-up above), and I have no idea what it is. The blooms are light apricot and come quickly, followed by lovely seedheads. What I love about it is that it, like the Blush Noisette (which IS a Blush Noisette), has assumed somewhat of a standard, tree-like form. I suspect they’d both like to be climbers, but that isn’t really allowed, as I have to bring them both in for the winter. This year, they stayed in the garage, but they should be in the root cellar. Their plastic pots are kind of crummy, but there’s no chance of re-potting them. They’re too damn big. Anyway, a ceramic pot would be too heavy. I guess a resin pot might work. What I do is plant them with sweet potato vine, which nicely covers the pot, completely by mid-July. I also have some vines trailing up them, which you can’t see: Black-eyed Susan and an unusual clematis. It remains to be seen how both do.

The point is is that roses work very well in pots. You will probably have to protect them in winter, at least in my zone, but the pot seems to help them avoid many of the common rose problems. And in my experience they seem to bloom better. You have to use a water-soluble fertilizer—the slow-acting ones are not good for pots.

Comments

Hmmmm Maybe the problem I have with roses could be solved by growing them in pots. I have never done that before.

Your apricot rose is lovely no matter where it came from.
Claire Uncorked said…
I also love the apricot rose, but I have no idea what it is. I guess it doesn't matter!

I've thought many times about growing a couple of roses in pots. It's something I'd like to do, so I just need to do it!
Anonymous said…
Wow! Your roses look great in pots. I may have to try that! I especially like the annuals planted around the roots of the plants.
Anonymous said…
That is a gorgeous apricot rose. I don't know the name, sorry. I've never grown roses in pots, but that is a great idea.
Annie in Austin said…
Your roses look wonderful, Elizabeth - and it would be nice if someone could identify the apricot one. It's true that you can enjoy it without knowing the name, but any readers that now covet that rose will need the ID.

Your sweet potato companion vine is a cool idea.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Anonymous said…
Your roses are, well... intoxicating.

I never considered roses in pots. I may have to try that.
Anonymous said…
The Apricot kinda looks like the noisette crepuscule.

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