Is it too late to buy roses for containers

[Wobblycogs]

Hi folks.

I would like two bush roses in containers in front of my south facing front porch.

The containers are plastic, about 50 litres capacity, (I think)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073MPDD36/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Of course the front of my house gets full sun for 90% of the day. (Unless it's raining! )

Can any enthusiasts suggest suitable varieties; bearing in mind I don't want them to grow much higher than a metre.
I prefer medium to large blooms. Should I have two identical varieties, or maybe two different ?
Any thoughts would be welcome and I thank members in anticipation.

Wobbly. (John)

 

[alp]

I saw tons of roses reduced to £5 or £10 in my beloved nurseries, but I had neither room nor money. Some were from Peter Beale and some from David Austin.. Never too late. Grab yourself a healthy bargain .. My tenner of Arthur Bell is showing rust. and down below there is a sucker. You win some and lose some. If you like it and the price is reasonable, let your heart rule!

 

[Wobblycogs]

Many thanks Alp.

I have to make a narrow platform of decking fist, to get a horizontal, level stand. (My drive slopes away from the house quite markedly.) Still, I could check what's available locally, and buy something nice; keeping them cosy while I do the construction.

Obliged for the response.

Wobbly

 

[alp]

You're welcome! Go to some posh gcs but make a beeline for the reduced corner. I'd love to have one Austin Rose or Peter Beale's - I haven't had any. Or key in AGM and see what they have going. They came with at least 3 to 5L pot so if you buy wisely, it could be a perennial source of joy! Look out for rust though or the bargain is only good for the bin.

 

[marlingardener]

Wobbly, roses at your entryway will look stunning! I don't know what roses are available in the UK, but if Knockout roses are at nurseries, you might consider them. They bloom a lot, and depending on the type, have single or multiple petal flowers.
David Austin roses are magnificent. Some get really large (we have a Lady Hillingdon that is currently at 6') but Tamara is only 3' at maturity, very scented, and lovely blooms.
Bengal Tiger is a multicolored rose and short; Delightful Phyllis is cream colored and short; Sophie's Rose is red and short but wide; and Caldwell Pink gets wide. Of course, with judicious pruning a rose can be kept in bounds.
Personally, I'd have two different roses. If one doesn't do well, you won't have to run all over town trying to find the matching variety.

 

[Sheal]

The containers you have in mind John are much to shallow for shrub roses. I would suggest you find containers at least twice the depth of those.

The website below will give you an idea of which roses to choose, you can also select different roses for different situations. For you it would be tubs/pots etc. You also need to make a decision on which variety, whether you'd like blooms on individual stems - Hybrid T's, or possibly Floribunda's, multiple flowers on stems etc.

https://www.styleroses.co.uk/

 

[Wobblycogs]

Thanks again folks.

The choices are bewildering, but my idea seems to fit with 'floribunda' varieties. I would like plenty of blooms, with a good aspect from wherever they are viewed. (I was thinking of putting the containers m on 'Lazy-Susan' turntables so I can turn them to give the plants as much full sun as needs be. Two of my favourites are Peace and Ena Harkness, but whether or not they are suitable, I know not!) )

There is a cat among my pigeons though, over the containers I've chosen. It looks like I will be buying something more suitable next month. No problem really as I have containers in other parts of my garden. I just wanted something nice for the front of the house.

What about these containers Sheal?


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Terracotta...srs=8955800031&ie=UTF8&qid=1529223052&sr=8-49


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Byzantine-..._rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=9QMJ2243V8VQ031TB37D

Many Thanks again.

John

 

[Sheal]

Floribunda's are hardy John so will put up with low temperatures. The two roses you have chosen are both hybrid T's and tend to grow one flower to a stem although they will produce other blooms through the season as those die off. Both 'Peace' and 'Ena Harkness' are popular roses.

Below are a handful of the Floribunda's that I grew in my previous garden. They put on the sort of display I think you're looking for. With deadheading during the growing season they will repeat bloom right through to early winter with the right conditions.

'Blue For You'

'Brushstrokes'

'Lucky! '

'Rob Roy'

I realise you are looking for something attractive pot wise, but when it comes to roses you have to be practical.They are strong rooted and if at any time they need to be removed from their pots ( although they prefer not to be disturbed) it would be best to select something straight sided. For example your second choice above would make it difficult to remove the root ball from the shoulders of the pot through the narrower neck. I would also choose pots that have at least a depth of 60cm. Roses need room for root expansion and enough soil for them to take up nutrients and water. Sorry, I say this quite often....they are hungry and thirsty plants particularly in pots.

Alternatively there are patio roses, smaller shrubs but with smaller blooms.

 

[marlingardener]

Sheal is right. I have a rose that wasn't doing well in a container and I've been nursing it back to health for two seasons. Most nurseries will label roses as "container" or "patio" roses. Believe them--they don't want unhappy customers!
In my previous post I didn't mention Rise 'n' Shine which is a miniature rose, very adapted to containers, lovely and frequent yellow blooms and very hardy.

 

[Wobblycogs]

Thanks again to everyone.

One thing I have discovered; Why my Lady Wife could never get much joy from an Ena Harkness, which a dear pensioner gave us in 1965. No matter what my wife did, she could never get it to flourish. I have just discovered it is a climbing rose, and Jean had been trying to grow it as a bush rose! I have one rose left now, a pale peach colour, which is in a shady spot, and which is over-reaching for the light. Now my wife is in full-time care; clearly the job falls to me, so in September I shall have to move this rose.

I have been looking for deeper containers, but the deepest I can find is nowhere near 60cm. So I will have make cedar-wood planters myself. I'll fill the two pots I bought with bulbs for next year; layer planted for succession of bloom.

Thanks again for all the sound advice. I am not a bad gardener, it's just that my wife loved it, and usually only let me do the digging and other grunt-work! Wise woman!

 

[Mike Allen]

Actually I think this is a good time for the average gardener to buy roses. You have the rose, all potted up and usually have some blooms also. This is so different from buying bare root plants. Yes the latter are perhaps so much cheaper but. What have you got? Not only the condition of the plant but sadly so many gardeners buy bare rooted roses only to find late that the name is wrong, at least by paying that little bit extra, a potted plant with foliage and flower. So you like the flower and the scent, who cares waht it's called.

 

[Sheal]

If bare root roses are bought from a 'respectable' grower/retailer Mike then there shouldn't be a problem with labelling. All mine except one (because they didn't have it) came from a well known rose supplier in Essex, England.

 

[Mike Allen]

Thanks Sheal. Eight years ago this month I lost my wife to heart disease, we'd been married for fortynine years and never had a row. As we were both rose lovers, I redesigned the garden mainly to a rose garden in her memory.

I ordered a section of bare root roses from a well known Hertfordshire rose grower to the sum of nearly £300.00 Upon reciept of the roses, I wasn't very happy. Several had only a single graft/bud that had taken, very poor indeed. I contacted the grower immediately complaining, followed by several follow-up complaints. Not a word. In the end I wrote it off as a bad deal and planted them all. Needless to say most died or never came to anything. Now I will make use of the GC's

 

[Mike Allen]

Hi John aka wobblycogs. My late wife Valerie loved the rose. Ena Harkness. You know. In the rose world, Ena Harkness is still considered the best Red rose ever. Yes it's an oldie now but still worth having in a collection. Sadly Ena Harkness is loved for it's colour and scent but, sadly 'she soon hangs her head'. The neck of the stem just simply droops. John getting back to your containers etc. 60cm depth is OK. If planting a bare root rose. You can pune the roots, mainly the heavier ones.
Your choice of roses is upto you but, I think you might do best wit a couple of Florabundas. You will get more flowers for a start. I wish you all the best.

 

[Sheal]

Mike I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your wife. I'm also sorry you had a bad experience with the roses you bought. Unfortunately we sometimes make the wrong choice of grower/retailer and that tends to mar our future dealings with similar places.

I have used three different rose growers around the country all of which have supplied what I've ordered in perfect condition, properly labelled and well packed for delivery. I'm happy to pass on the names of these nurseries if you are interested.