Garden

[Lori Kaye]

I'm looking to replace a knockout rose bush with either of these bushes. Although I loved the knockout rose, it got too large for the space I have in between my porch and garage and it had to be cut back several times a year to keep it off the house. I had just recently heard about these other roses and wondered if anyone had any experience with them? The space I am putting it in is about 4x5. Thank you for any information! 

[Trix]

I have both.  The carpet (or groundcaover roses I have are Happy Chappy from Jackson & Perkins.  They are 8 years old and show no signs of withering.  I live in Chicago, so although this past winter was unusually mild with temperatures averaging in the 30s to 50-ish, they have withstood winters of sub-zero wind chills, with average temperatures in the teens to 30-ish.  I planted some Drifts last spring which I purchased at a local garden center.  The branches are already greening, but this is due to the mild winter. It was so mild here they didn't go fully dormant until almost Christmas.  The plants were beautiful last summer.  Plenty of blooms for a first season transplant into a garden, but I don't know how they will withstand normal harsh winter conditions.  

I actually planted red Drifts to replace some Knockouts which had grown too large for the space they were in.  If the Drifts perform as expected they should reach a mature size of around 2 feet high/3 feet wide.  This is very similar to the Happy Chappy (and other groundcover/carpet roses).  In other words, I think you'll be ok with either, so let color be your guide.  Drifts by Star Roses come in red, white, deep pink, coral, a pale pink called Apricot drift, and a yellowish color called Popcorn drift. Carpets/groundcover are available in the same shades.  The Happy Chappy is a combination of all these shades which is why I love them in a garden because they coordinate wth anything and everything. 

[Lori Kaye]

@Trix Thank you for this information. I think the Drift Rose is what I'm leaning toward because if I understand correctly their canes grow more upward, where the carpet rose sort of cascades down. Is this correct? I live in Virginia so our temperatures don't get as cold as yours! 

[Trix]

---

---

Yes.  Although they are basically the same size, Drifts look more like a small shrub than the carpet roses do.  

[Lori Kaye]

@Trix Perfect! Thank you so much!! 

[JustJazzmom]

Just remember if you want, you can take the long stems/canes and lay them on the ground with landscape stakes to create a 'groundcover' rose too.

[Trix]

---

---

@Lori Kaye, You're welcome.  I love roses.  I started growing them when I was 13. My parents home had a big sunny backyard with a walkway to the garage, so it was perfect for roses.