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. 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.

"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

In article ,
says...
Hi Michelle,

I think roses can live for many years with the right care.

Well over 100, IIRC. Go check out some old midwestern and eastern
cemeteries :-).

--
Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

In article ,
says...
Hi Michelle,

I think roses can live for many years with the right care.

Well over 100, IIRC. Go check out some old midwestern and eastern
cemeteries :-).

--
Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

Michelle wrote:
... 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.


Michelle, this writer has something useful to say about growing roses in
Arizona:
http://www.allwoodwork.com/article/g...the_desert.htm
including the statement "In Arizona, where delicate hybrid roses often
have a short life span or require constant care, my roses are almost
seven years old and virtually carefree."

That, of course, is one gardener's experience in Arizona.

There is always the example of that fabulous, fabulous specimen of Lady
Banks Rose that is in Tombstone, AZ, that is stated to have been planted
in 1885, and thrives full well and famously to date. Its 119th blooming
will be celebrated this April, and it will be well worth the visit:
http://www.tombstone.org/events/rose.html
Here is an article including its photo and the tid-bit that Robert
Ripley himself dubbed it the world's largest rose plant in 1937, and how
that is undisputed to date, etc.:
http://www.mediterraneangardensociet....Tombstone.cfm

Here is further info on Lady Banks:
http://www.ph-rose-gardens.com/00108.htm

I have Lady Banks Lutea, the yellow double version and absolutely love
this rose. In my area, it is one of the earliest roses to bloom in
spring, and coincides with one of the kinds of Wisteria (Chinese or
Japanese, I am not sure which, I always get them mixed up) blooming. It
is an explosive (and I really mean that - absolutely explosive) once
bloomer here, as is the white Lady Banks:
http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/garde...es/001027.html

I have heard tell that the White Lady Banks (and perhaps also the
single-flowered yellow Lady Banks, may be, but this one I hear is hard
to find?) has 3 to 4 repeat bloom cycles (smaller in size than the first
one, but definite bloom cycles) after the initial explosion in Southern
California. If your climate mimics in anyway what happens in Santa
Clarita Valley, I bet it will rebloom for you too. Here is something on
both the white and yellow Lady Banks:

http://www.napagarden.com/pages/Roses/roses15.html

I read a long time ago in Rosemary Verey's book 'The Scented Garden' that
Zephirine Drouhin is a very long-lived rose, spanning centuries. So, I
planted it for that reason as well as for the love of its thornless
canes and cerise pink blossoms. I do love this rose to excess, it does
very well in my climate and here are some links to Rosemary Verey's book
and to Zephirine Drouhin pictures:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/bibli...2-0394579909-1
http://roses.toytrains1.com/zephirine_drouhin.htm
http://home.hiwaay.net/~oliver/zepherine.html

According to this article, the rose Golden Celebrations is well known
for its longevity, but note that the article seems addressed to
gardeners in the Pacific Northwest and heaven knows how things work out
for this rose in your climate:
http://www.rosemagazine.com/pages/davidaustin1.asp

I too like growing perennials in general and roses which are also
perennials for much the same reasons as you cite. So, I understand your
parameters indeed! All the best in all your roses coming up roses.

--
Radika
California
USDA 9 / Sunset 15

Radika wrote:
Michelle wrote:

... 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?

Michelle, this writer has something useful to say about growing roses in
Arizona:
http://www.allwoodwork.com/article/g...the_desert.htm
including the statement "In Arizona, where delicate hybrid roses often
have a short life span or require constant care, my roses are almost
seven years old and virtually carefree."

I suspect their "short life span" has more to do with the rigors of the
climate than to their natural longevity.

There is always the example of that fabulous, fabulous specimen of Lady
Banks Rose that is in Tombstone, AZ, that is stated to have been planted
in 1885, and thrives full well and famously to date. Its 119th blooming
will be celebrated this April, and it will be well worth the visit:

Sure, it's big but only 120 years? In his book "The Rose", Peter
Harkness tells the following story:

"Links between the rose and religious practice persist, as the story of
Charlemagne's successor, Louis the Pious, demonstrates. While out
hunting he had lost a jewelled cross containing a precious relic. After
much searching it was found caught on the branches of a rose bush, and
in thanksgiving Louis founded a church on the very spot. There today
stands Hildesheim Cathedral, with a rose growing along its walls.
Archaeologists date the foundations of the building to 818 AD, but it is
hard to believe that the rose, a form of R. canina, has been climbing up
the stonework ever since. Yet local records mention it as a well
established feature in 1573, and no oher rose can claim a documented
history to compare with that. It is often referred to as 'The
Hildesheim Rose' or 'The Thousand Year-Old Rose Tree'." (Page 18)

Wisteria (Chinese or
Japanese, I am not sure which, I always get them mixed up)

James Wyman gives the following for distinguishing between these two:

W. sinensis (Chinese Wisteria) - flowers before leaves appear and twines
by climbing left to right.

W. floribunda (Japanese Wisteria) - flowers appear with the leaves and
twines by climbing right to left.

--
Henry

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 15:19:41 -0800, Radika
wrote:

Michelle wrote:
... 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.


Michelle, this writer has something useful to say about growing roses in
Arizona:
http://www.allwoodwork.com/article/g...the_desert.htm
including the statement "In Arizona, where delicate hybrid roses often
have a short life span or require constant care, my roses are almost
seven years old and virtually carefree."

That, of course, is one gardener's experience in Arizona.

There is always the example of that fabulous, fabulous specimen of Lady
Banks Rose that is in Tombstone, AZ, that is stated to have been planted
in 1885, and thrives full well and famously to date. Its 119th blooming
will be celebrated this April, and it will be well worth the visit:
http://www.tombstone.org/events/rose.html
Here is an article including its photo and the tid-bit that Robert
Ripley himself dubbed it the world's largest rose plant in 1937, and how
that is undisputed to date, etc.:
http://www.mediterraneangardensociet....Tombstone.cfm

Here is further info on Lady Banks:
http://www.ph-rose-gardens.com/00108.htm

I have Lady Banks Lutea, the yellow double version and absolutely love
this rose. In my area, it is one of the earliest roses to bloom in
spring, and coincides with one of the kinds of Wisteria (Chinese or
Japanese, I am not sure which, I always get them mixed up) blooming. It
is an explosive (and I really mean that - absolutely explosive) once
bloomer here, as is the white Lady Banks:
http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/garde...es/001027.html

I have heard tell that the White Lady Banks (and perhaps also the
single-flowered yellow Lady Banks, may be, but this one I hear is hard
to find?) has 3 to 4 repeat bloom cycles (smaller in size than the first
one, but definite bloom cycles) after the initial explosion in Southern
California. If your climate mimics in anyway what happens in Santa
Clarita Valley, I bet it will rebloom for you too. Here is something on
both the white and yellow Lady Banks:

http://www.napagarden.com/pages/Roses/roses15.html

I read a long time ago in Rosemary Verey's book 'The Scented Garden' that
Zephirine Drouhin is a very long-lived rose, spanning centuries. So, I
planted it for that reason as well as for the love of its thornless
canes and cerise pink blossoms. I do love this rose to excess, it does
very well in my climate and here are some links to Rosemary Verey's book
and to Zephirine Drouhin pictures:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/bibli...2-0394579909-1
http://roses.toytrains1.com/zephirine_drouhin.htm
http://home.hiwaay.net/~oliver/zepherine.html

According to this article, the rose Golden Celebrations is well known
for its longevity, but note that the article seems addressed to
gardeners in the Pacific Northwest and heaven knows how things work out
for this rose in your climate:
http://www.rosemagazine.com/pages/davidaustin1.asp

I too like growing perennials in general and roses which are also
perennials for much the same reasons as you cite. So, I understand your
parameters indeed! All the best in all your roses coming up roses.

I have a rosebush in my front yard that the recently deceased elderly
woman across the street claimed had been there since he was a small
girl (she recently died at the age of 93). However, since I've
determined that it is an Aloha, which wasn't invented until the late
40s, she was mistaken. However, others in the neighborhood have
confirmed that it has been there for decades (it's a pretty impressive
display when it blooms for the first time).

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 15:19:41 -0800, Radika
wrote:

Michelle wrote:
... 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.


Michelle, this writer has something useful to say about growing roses in
Arizona:
http://www.allwoodwork.com/article/g...the_desert.htm
including the statement "In Arizona, where delicate hybrid roses often
have a short life span or require constant care, my roses are almost
seven years old and virtually carefree."

That, of course, is one gardener's experience in Arizona.

There is always the example of that fabulous, fabulous specimen of Lady
Banks Rose that is in Tombstone, AZ, that is stated to have been planted
in 1885, and thrives full well and famously to date. Its 119th blooming
will be celebrated this April, and it will be well worth the visit:
http://www.tombstone.org/events/rose.html
Here is an article including its photo and the tid-bit that Robert
Ripley himself dubbed it the world's largest rose plant in 1937, and how
that is undisputed to date, etc.:
http://www.mediterraneangardensociet....Tombstone.cfm

Here is further info on Lady Banks:
http://www.ph-rose-gardens.com/00108.htm

I have Lady Banks Lutea, the yellow double version and absolutely love
this rose. In my area, it is one of the earliest roses to bloom in
spring, and coincides with one of the kinds of Wisteria (Chinese or
Japanese, I am not sure which, I always get them mixed up) blooming. It
is an explosive (and I really mean that - absolutely explosive) once
bloomer here, as is the white Lady Banks:
http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/garde...es/001027.html

I have heard tell that the White Lady Banks (and perhaps also the
single-flowered yellow Lady Banks, may be, but this one I hear is hard
to find?) has 3 to 4 repeat bloom cycles (smaller in size than the first
one, but definite bloom cycles) after the initial explosion in Southern
California. If your climate mimics in anyway what happens in Santa
Clarita Valley, I bet it will rebloom for you too. Here is something on
both the white and yellow Lady Banks:

http://www.napagarden.com/pages/Roses/roses15.html

I read a long time ago in Rosemary Verey's book 'The Scented Garden' that
Zephirine Drouhin is a very long-lived rose, spanning centuries. So, I
planted it for that reason as well as for the love of its thornless
canes and cerise pink blossoms. I do love this rose to excess, it does
very well in my climate and here are some links to Rosemary Verey's book
and to Zephirine Drouhin pictures:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/bibli...2-0394579909-1
http://roses.toytrains1.com/zephirine_drouhin.htm
http://home.hiwaay.net/~oliver/zepherine.html

According to this article, the rose Golden Celebrations is well known
for its longevity, but note that the article seems addressed to
gardeners in the Pacific Northwest and heaven knows how things work out
for this rose in your climate:
http://www.rosemagazine.com/pages/davidaustin1.asp

I too like growing perennials in general and roses which are also
perennials for much the same reasons as you cite. So, I understand your
parameters indeed! All the best in all your roses coming up roses.

I have a rosebush in my front yard that the recently deceased elderly
woman across the street claimed had been there since he was a small
girl (she recently died at the age of 93). However, since I've
determined that it is an Aloha, which wasn't invented until the late
40s, she was mistaken. However, others in the neighborhood have
confirmed that it has been there for decades (it's a pretty impressive
display when it blooms for the first time).

Mary,
Thanks a bunch. I will definitely check out the Garden Guy's
website!

Michelle
Mary Kniss wrote:
Hi Michelle,

I think roses can live for many years with the right care. You might
want to check out the following website. This guy is from Arizona,
and has a wonderful rose garden. I toured it last year during a
Garden Society garden tour.

http://www.gardenerscorner.com

Mary

On 3 Mar 2005 22:54:16 -0800, "Michelle" wrote:

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. 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.

Radika,
Thanks for all of the info. I'll be sure to check it out.

Michelle

"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. 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.


Own root roses can live several hundred years. There are roses growing in
old new england properties that can attest to that. Grafted roses have a
much lower life span about 7-10 years.

Having said that, deep watering twice a day? That seems to be a bit much.
Even with a drought, deep watering twice a week should be enough. Perhaps
place a bucket of water near the roses to increase the humidity next to the
roses. Just besure to dump out the water every other day to prevent
mosquitos from growing in it.

-S