Sustainable Gardening

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‘Flower Carpet’ Rose

They're called groundcover roses because they low, wide shrubs, but they don't really do what groundcovers do (prevent soil erosion, weeds) and certainly can't be walked on.

So get that term out of your head and get ready for a DO-ER of a shrub! Easy-care, low-maintenance, fast-growing, lots of bang for the buck and flowering from early spring to late fall.

They're full, densely-branched, with shiny, disease-free leaves and thrive even in the most inhospitable conditions.

And they bloom continuously. No short rebloom for them. Oh, no.

Developed by a German breeder after 30 years of work and they were introduced in 1995 to worldwide acclaim — and first-year sales of 12.5 million — because people LOVE roses but HATE the spraying required for those big-blooming hybrid tea roses. These and many other shrub types are called "landscape roses" because they look good in the landscape. Let's face it; as shrubs, hybrid teas are ugly.

My neighbors have masses of these in several locations and colors, and over several seasons I can report that they totally lived up to all the raves and marketing language.

Uses

Looks best in masses, grouped at the front of borders, on gentle slopes, totally filling low beds — you name it.

Details

• Grow to 2-3' tall and 4-5' wide — quickly.
• Available in 9 colors, including white, red, coral, pinks, and yellow.
• Blooms in part sun, though less vigorously than in full sun. But still plenty.
• Not picky about soil.
• Happy in Zones 5-10, Maine to Florida.

Care

• Needs somewhat more water than other shrubs (like spirea, for example). One source cautions that it needs "up to 5 gallons of water weekly" — presumably when it's really hot and they're in full sun.
• No fertilizer needed.
• Japanese beetles do love the yellow variety — their usual favorite color. Tent caterpillars also love it but new leaves emerge soon enough to replace the ones eaten.
• Suggested pruning: cut back to one-third its size in early spring (March here in Zone 7).

More Great Info in Print

• Landscaping with Roses by Jeff Cox
• Rodale's Growing Roses Organically by Barbara Wilde
• Taylor's Guide to Roses by Nancy Ondra
• Passion for Roses by Peter Beales
• Passion for Roses by Beales is recommended by my rose buddies.
• Otherwise Normal People by Scott is about the crazy, crazy world of competitive rose growers. It was profiled favorably here on GardenRant.

Photo source: Tesselaar.