Roses

[metalspinner]

My dad's favorite pastime (other than drinking a cold one) is working in his rose garden.  He can take cuttings from just about anything and make them grow.

When we moved into our house about 5 years ago, he brought us about 40 cuttings of these roses.  The trade name is "Knockouts."  They started out about the size and height of pencils and are now near 8' tall and 5-6' wide.

The fun thing about Knockouts are that they take very little care.  When I feel like it, I will pull out the hedge trimmers and tame them a bit.  At every cut on the branches, a new bud will form.

Last Thanksgiving when Dad was visiting, we really cut them back quite a bit.  We filled the 6x12 trailer with the trimmings to reshape the bushes.

Here is a video of the first blooms of the year.  They will continue to bud if I keep up with the trimming and the bushes will remain full of blooms throughout the year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWTza4pv-BE

[Radar67]

That reminds me of a bush we used to have in our yard while growing up. It was always in bloom and there was nothing we could do to it that would phase it. Do you take cuttings from it?

[Jeff]

Wow, that's quite a display.

[metalspinner]

Radar,
I've tried and failed.  :(

Dad is coming up on Memorial Day weekend. (With a trunk full of live crawfish, BTW ;D)  I'll ask him to start a few for me.  Maybe we'll have the neighbors over for a little cutting and rooting party.

With as many blooms that are on the bushes, there are just as many buds waiting to take their place. The ground is also littered with fallen petals.  When you get within 10' of the bushes, the aroma over takes you. 8)

[Burlkraft]

Wow....Them are awesome!  8)  8)  8)

[SwampDonkey]

Those are wonderful bushes, kind of like Rugosa roses. I have roses I keep in pots and bring in for the winter. I just set them out last week. I have been doing this for 10 years because our winters will kill tea roses. This winter was so mild they were growing in February already. :D They kind  of just grew 3 or 4 inches and stood still until now. But, even now it's not overly warm out so they won't grow much until June. ;D

[Norm]

Wow!!!!

We have a tough time growing roses. Our winters kill them off so we've resorted to the SD method by putting them in containers and moving them into the shop over winter. It works but the pots are ceramic and need to be moved with the skid steer they're so heavy.

MS I'll bet the smell is awesome this time of year from the blooms.

[Burlkraft]

They are some beauties  8)  8)  8)

Although I wudda been down on the ground....eyes watering like I was hit with mace, nose running, sneezing

I still love the smell of them.  DanG allergies  :-\  :-\

[Tom]

I'm not a fanatic, metalspinner, but I like them too.  This is a miniature that creates long, drooping canes and and makes a good rose for hanging pots or raised planters.   This one is growing in a hollow cypress log, about three feet tall, that was turned into a planter.

[SwampDonkey]

Nice roses Tom, ya have a green thumb.  Only way I can tell which color is which in my pots is by the early shoots or wait for the flower. It is a challenge to go by leaf color when the roses produce flowers from rose to deep red. To self, "Is that leaf red red or is it magenta or purple?" :D

[Tom]

Holy Cow, Swamp, I don't know.  They all look green to me :-\

These little miniatures are fun to grow.  They form bunches, like seven sisters, but when in the "just opened" stage, as most folks are used to seeing, they are only as big as the last joint on your little finger.   These are fully opened and about the size of a gallon milk container lid. 

[SwampDonkey]

Holy Cow, Swamp, I don't know.  They all look green to me :-\

Tom, that was a hypothetical. I was talking to my inner self. Ok, I went back and fixed it so it makes sense. ;D

Mom likes those kind in the spring. Gets one from Walmart.

I had a big Rugosa rose here, but the trees shaded it out, dead as a door nail. But I do have some real old kind by the road that changes from white to light pink. You can smell them from a mile away. They are as round as a pasture rose, but double floral. Snow, salt and sand get dumped on them by the ton and they grow like fertilizer was put on them. :D

[Tom]

I was asked a hypothetical question onceit.  It was red read.  :D :D

[metalspinner]

Well, Guys,

I just pulled in from a few days on the raod.  A heavy thunderstorm must have blown through because 90% of the petals are on the ground. :(  But, it won't be long before they bust out again.

Tom,
That's a fun idea there with the rose growing out of the stump.

Norm,
Yes, the smell is really something.  You can really start to smell 'em about 10' away.

Burlkraft,
My oldest boy gets slammed with allergies this time of year.  We had a yellow cloud coming out of the pine trees a few weeks ago.  He saw it out the window and refused to go outside that day.  But, he keeps his spirits up about it and takes it one day at a time.