Knock Out Roses

'Rainbow Knock Out'

When we first bought our house several years ago, I had very limited gardening experience. I went a little nuts-o with our new flower bed installs and plant picks. Most of it worked out pretty well, but some of it was a steep learning curve.

My experience is only slightly less limited now, at least enough so that I have learned that the best way to garden is to find the right plant for the right spot. One of the things I won't do again (or at least, I'll try to control my plant envy enough to not do again) is to buy a rose, or other high-maintenance plant, that is not classified as extremely disease-resistant and fairly easy care.

Blooms from my 'Climbing Iceberg' last summer.
(They look nice with the diseased leaves stripped off)

Take my 'Climbing Iceberg' rose, for example. I picked this plant when we built our pergola and trellis. I researched climbing roses to find a very long-blooming and tall cultivar. 'Iceberg' is supposed to be moderately disease resistant, but mine is not. It loses all of its leaves at least once every year from black spot - even when I try to spray it every couple of weeks (but who has time for that, anyway?). Now I've decided to pull it up and plant it in the back corner of the yard where it can hang over the fence and look pretty from a distance - no one will know it's got black spot from back there.

Some smart rose purchases I made last year were 'Tamora', 'Sun Flare', 'Mardi Gras', and 'Dream Come True'. All are extremely disease-resistant and heavy bloomers. The latter two are AARS winners (All American Rose Selections - a title bestowed upon only the best performing and easy care roses). They all did really well and I didn't even have to do anything with them except to fertilize once or twice and snip some blooms whenever I wanted a fresh vase of roses from May - October.

'Double Knock Out'

My favorite online nursery, Bloomin' Designs, has several varieties!

But, for the most well-known low maintenance shrub roses, you should consider the Knock Out Rose series. They are prized for their performance, disease resistance, and low-maintenance attitude. They come in a lot of colors and forms. Matt and I bought a 'Blushing Knock Out' for my mother-in-law a year or two ago and it is simply gorgeous. She said she doesn't have to do anything with it. My mom bought a 'Rainbow Knock Out' last year at the plant sale, and I've got the original 'Knock Out' rose at home.

'Sunny Knock Out'

With our addition of several new flower beds last fall, I've got some more room for a few new plants - but I'm trying to take my time and choose wisely. This spring, I plan to move my gardenias from the front bed to the back (I hope they survive the move) and add a couple of new Knock Out roses next to them. I'm thinking that I might spring for two of the 'Sunny Knock Outs', which are a mix of white and yellow blooms for that spot.

Ahh... I can't wait for spring!