Container Garden Guide

Roses have been a favorite of gardeners for many hundreds of years. Roses first came to prominence in the wonderful gardens found in southern Rome at the height of the ancient Roman Empire. During the 17th Century the bloom became incredibly popular in France due to it’s amazing flowers, excellent scent and suitability for formal gardens. Even today the garden rose remains one of the most popular garden plants and most gardens have at least one example of the great many types available.

Roses make excellent display flowers and over the centuries the various colors of the blooms have become closely associated with a number of widely varied meanings. Of course most people know how romantic it is to purchase a bunch of roses for a loved one but there are many other messages that can be said in flowers! Of course, when it comes to Valentines Day, few men can resist the urge to buy their partner a bunch of red roses but, sometimes, a single red stem can be equally as romantic.

Black roses are becoming increasingly popular but did you know that a black rose is not truly black? Black is such a difficult color to create that such blooms are often extremely dark shades of red, blue or purple. When creating a border of roses you are literally spoilt for choice. Using various shades of the same color can create a spectacular sight but often using contrasting colors can create dramatic effect. Planting white roses amongst black is a powerful contrast but a white rose will go well with virtually any color!

Roses are incredibly versatile plants and as well as the wide choice of color there is also a selection of different types of rose available. Possibly the most popular types are the Floribunda and Hybrid Tea types of roses. Telling the two types apart is rather easy as the Floribunda rose will produce it’s blooms in clusters whereas the Hybrid Tea type will produce a single bloom on a single stem.

As an alternative to the usual HT and Floribunda types of rose you may be interested in the type known as “full standards”. Full standard look as though they are small bushes on a pole and are often seen in containers on decking and patios. They are created by grafting around three strong stems onto one long stem of around 1m in height. The effect is dramatic and such flowers are highly suitable for use as a focal point, even in the smallest of yards.

Climbing roses are, most probably, the most versatile type in that you can allow your imagination to run riot. Commonly they are seen growing over garden structures such as arches and they can add interest to an otherwise bland wall or fence. Personally I like to train climbing roses up around some of my larger trees and I also have a couple in containers trained up a small trellis which can be used as a moveable screen!

Finally a more unusual type of rose is the miniature rose. As miniature roses only grow to about 25-40cm they can only be used in certain circumstances as they are easily swamped by other larger and more vigorous plants. Usually miniature roses are used at the front of borders or in containers and they are available in a reasonable range of colors which include pinks, reds, lilacs, yellows and white.

Growing roses can involve a little more effort than is usually required for common garden plants but the rewards more than make up for it. Nothing beats wandering around your garden and suddenly being hit by a wall of fragrance which can be easily brought into the home in the form of the most beautiful cut flowers available. If you are thinking of growing roses I strongly advise that you investigate how to care for them before you proceed as there is nothing more depressing than losing a named floribunda due to lack of care.