At Gardening Gone Wild, they’re holding another Picture Perfect contest, and this month’s entries are roses, so you know I had to participate. I can submit up to three photos. Above is ‘Frontier Twirl’, one of my favorites, although it does get blackspot in early summer. However, it is such a rampant grower that it seems to outgrow the disease. I just clean up the debris and hit it with some copper spray. I don’t have another rose with this precise coloring, and the petal configuration of the fully open blooms is something to behold. Being from the Midwest, Dr. Buck nearly always named his roses cheery names like ‘Hi Neighbor’, ‘Aunt Honey’, and ‘Country Dancer’. I like the fact that most of his roses don’t suffer much from blackspot and also are extremely cold and heat hardy.
What I love about ‘Graham Thomas’ is its free form habit. In the United States, it can even be trained as a mannerly climber. Here, I also love the interplay between yellow ‘Graham Thomas’ and Black Lace™ Sambucus nigra ‘Eva’ (elderberry) in front. To me, for dramatic impact, there is nothing like purple and yellow together. ‘Marie Pavie’, with its semi-double, creamy white blooms, also provides good contrast in that dark corner of the border.
People often tell me Knockout roses are boring. I don’t agree. I own most of the Knockout series, and they are very, good, disease-free, landscape roses. They are almost foolproof. Their only caveat is don’t coddle them. They resent being sprayed and fed. They just want good, basic, well-drained, garden soil to perform to their utmost. Also, give them a good shearing between bloom periods to help them look their best.
Those are my three entries. It was very difficult for me to choose, but that’s what’s blooming best in my garden right now.
I want to thank everyone at Gardening Gone Wild for the chance to go back through my rose photos. It was a pleasurable way to spend a rainy afternoon.
Rainbow Knockout® is absolutely great
Beautiful Photographs and Roses. Good Luck in the contest!
Thanks Teresa.~~Dee
I was one of those people with no interest in Knock-Out roses, until recently. I walked past the rose display at Lowe’s, and smelled a lovely fragrance. I soon discovered that it was the pretty yellow Knock-Out roses! Imagine my surprise, I thought they were all unscented. Went back a few days ago, and found one on clearance, simply because it had no blooms left. Lucky me! I also fell in love with the Rainbow ones like yours, but I’m out of room!
Robin, yes, they do have a lovely, faint scent. I really like them as landscape plants. Glad you got one of the yellows. They are splendid plants.~~Dee
What beauties you picked! Good luck with the competition. It would be hard to choose, but I think Frontier Twirl would be my pick. Is it really that apricot color?
When I see your roses I always think I want them. The reality is that I don’t grow them well so I will just admire them in your garden. Good luck with the challenge.
Good to know about the ‘knock out roses’…thanks.
I’m new to roses and new to having sun beds,so I had to buy a few of these myself.
Happy so far.
I have some Rainbow Knockouts at work; they were left over from last year. They came back beautifully despite the bad winter we had.
I love the Graham Thomas/Sambucus combination also…it’s wonderful!
Frontier Girl certainly gets my vote. What a beautiful rose and you’ve captured it so very well. Purple and yellow do make for a great combination. I love yellow roses and this one is outstanding. The knockout is also a beauty. I think the ‘boring’ come because people don’t take the time to really see them. Good luck in the contest. But let us see some of your other roses too. :0
They are lovely Dee~~Good luck in the competition! gail
Those are beautiful roses. Did I read correctly that I should shear back my Knockout roses after the initial bloom? I’ve been deadheading like I would a regular rose.
They’re beautiful. I’m glad something is blooming well somewhere. The heat that came so quickly here just kind of knocked the wind out of my garden. Hopefully things will start looking better soon. Got to get out there and fertilize! I bet you remember to do that regularly!
Brenda
Beautiful entries!
I knew you’d be entering this contest, with so many Roses from which to choose for a subject. Your photos are lovely. I think I like the photo of ‘Frontier Twirl’ best, as it shows those interesting petals.
They look wonderful – good luck with the contest!
Frontier Girl = Love at first sight. She’s breathtaking.
It is raining here also! Love your roses and need to purchase some Knock outs.