GardenBanter.co.uk - miniture roses

(catherine) wrote in
om:

My garden is all cracy pathed, I like to plant some miniture roses in
my garden, will they be planted in the pot?

What zone are you in, if I may ask? It might make a difference.

My ground space is limited because I'm in an apartment. Though I have a
front and back entrance, I have to be careful how much ground I dig up so
the landlord doesn't get suspicious. :-) As a result, the ground is
reserved for my bigger roses (climbers, bourbons, etc.) and pots serve
miniatures and polyanthas, mainly.

I got into minis by accident, having been given them by an exhibitor who
was culling her collection, and I find them to be an excellent contrast
in the landscape to larger-flowered varieties, and are especially well-
balanced in limited space areas.

If I could recommend one thing with minis it would be to suggest they be
planted in larger pots than you think they'll need. Though the labels of
some indicate conservative heights (12-18 inches, for instance), almost
all mine have grown to 1.5 - 3 feet, equalling or exceeding my polys. I'm
not complaining, I like it. But they can have that potential in the right
climate (such as where severe frosts don't occur) and I think it's a nice
bonus. In my experience they like the same potting mix and exposure as
any other rose---again, presuming your climate will accommodate them---
and certainly the same feeding as their bigger brethren.

I have two minis that are in smaller pots, but their habit is more micro-
mini than otherwise: Tom Thumb and Oakington Ruby. I continue to be
impressed with roses' root systems, in general; they appear to love all
the room they can get.

I have only one mini in the ground, a semidouble burgundy whose name was
lost long ago; it's not as happy as it ought to be, probably because I
have it crowded near Gruss an Aachen (a floribunda) and Nearly Wild (a
shrub rose). Perhaps I really ought to consider moving it....

----