"Michelle" wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a dozen rose bushes planted in a 3 foot high planter which runs
along the back wall of my yard. I live in Arizona (Zone 10 I think?)
and this summer was especially dry. I lost four bushes this summer
possibly because of the draught. Boo Hoo, I even lost my favorite
Double Delight! I was deep-root watering twice a day, but I'm not
sure it was enough.

You might try adding some of those moisture retaining
pellets in the soil around your roses. Most nurseries
plus Wal-Mart etc. carry the stuff. And since your roses
are in planters, why not buy a moisture meters? Wal-Mart
and other places carry them. They might not be terribly
precise, but when I have roses in pots getting ready to be
planted, I find the moisture meter invaluable for letting me
know when the soil is getting dry. Raised planters and
pots have some of the same problems - they dry out
quickly. I assume you mulch heavily?

I was told by a friend of mine, who seems to be a
rose guru, that the life span of those particular roses may have
expired. I have only had my rose bushes for 6 years. I thought roses
lasted a lot longer than that. I actually wasn't aware that they had a
life span at all. Does anyone know if this is actually true? If it is
true, does anyone have any suggestions for colorful, fragrant roses
that will last longer than 6 years in a planter? I am lazy and don't
like having to replant. I have roses because they are beautiful and
don't require a great deal of attention, except at pruning time.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions and info.

I'm not aware of reliable research on the lifespan of
roses. Some do seem to last a lot longer than others
(old garden and species roses are typically longer lived
than most modern roses), but I tend to look at
individual variation. I've had modern roses that didn't
last a year; the exact same variety, different copy,
still going strong after 7 years. If you have a
Botanical Gardens close by, that has a rose garden,
you might ask there about their experience with
rose lifespan.

Since your roses are in raised planters, it should be
easy to replace them when they die. Replacing a
rose or two once every 5 years doesn't sound like
too much of a chore to me! But then I have
150 roses and I consider myself lucky if I only have
to replace a few each year.

Gail
near San Antonio TX Zone 8