LANDSCAPES ADRIFT WITH COLORFUL ROSES
Low-growing, prolific bloomers at their best when left to shine in the sun
PERPETUALLY blooming Drift roses line our walkway, welcoming visitors.
Drift roses come in a variety of colors, Red Drift, Pink Drift (double pink), Apricot Drift, Coral Drift, Peach Drift, White Drift and Popcorn Drift, which is a white/yellow blend.
In addition to our entry, we use Drift roses in a more formal rose garden, where they are combined with Knock Outs and a couple of floribundas, the yellow Julia Childs and the white-flowered Iceberg.
If you have love Knock Out roses, I bet you would relish Drift roses.
The Drift rose was chosen as a Louisiana Super Plant, generating about five bloom cycles during the trial, according to Louisiana State University horticulturist Allen Owings. These bloom cycles started in April and concluded in October.
The Drift rose’s low-growing, spreading habit is another selling point. The bushes typically reach 2 to 3 feet tall with a spread of 3 to 4 feet. They produce flowers in dazzling clusters, with each blossom about the diameter of a tennis ball, some slightly smaller. These are among the most disease-resistant roses for the landscape or mixed containers.
Roses need six to eight hours of direct sun each day. Morning sun is essential, but a little afternoon shade is tolerated. Good air movement helps the dew and rain dry quickly, further enhancing the inherent disease resistance, so space 4 to 5 feet apart. Before you plant your roses, get the beds prepared by incorporating 3 to 4
inches of organic matter and tilling to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. The ideal soil pH for roses is between 6.0-6.5. Planting on raised beds further maximizes good drainage. By all means, finish your bed or planting with a good layer of mulch.
Feed roses with a slowrelease or controlled-release fertilizer according to formula recommendation. Apply at the start of spring growth and again in midsummer. Prune Drift roses in late winter to early spring, just before new growth resumes. Typically, the roses will triple in size after pruning, so plan on cutting back by two-thirds.
In the landscape, your options seem to be endless. We are clustering them around palms, in front of evergreen shrubs like viburnums, and in combination with grasses like bamboo muhly.
Be bold, plant enough to make a landscape impact using them with your favorite perennials and a few splashes of annuals. Drift roses put a whole lot of fun into your spring gardening.