Everybody finds great roses at Home Depot, et al, that is, except me. None of the roses at W or HD are labeled, but yesterday there was a new label. No name, no type, just DISEASE RESISTANT ROSE. And the rose looked and smelled like Chrysler Imperial! I almost bit, but he looked so dilapidated and was grafted. If he'd been own-root, I would have stuck him in the ground. I'm assuming these roses are own-root. Aren't Knock Outs own-root?

I'll have to check out Sweet Drift. They had pink and red. They also had one or two on standards for $20. Too rich for me in view of my daylily purchases lately, but I'm sure they would have been nice in my situation. I hope these aren't as super prickly as The Fairy and more disease resistant. She left a long time ago.

No disquise and no shame just desperation to find something that will look good in those pots. Sorry to be spending $$ at someplace besides a rose nursery, but... I'm hopeful for these in light of comments from Florida gardeners who love them. If they fail, then I know it's me, and I'll put the patio pots in the trash.

It's good to know that lots of you have found good roses at these stores.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Apropos Polonaise, are they entering the garden or departing the pots and the garden entirely? How did they perform? How are they doing? How fare Bucks in Florida Sherry?

Hmmm, they will be departing entirely. Probably someone else would be able to make them do better. I got them in Sept. 2010. They were pretty before summer got hot, and they're still building structure so they're gawky and less than lovely. I'm not used to dealing with modern roses, so deadheading them has been a learning experience. They may be underfed, too. The flower is pretty - not HT-like - and comes in clusters, no fragrance, shrank to tiny in August and Sept. The leaves are not pretty. Sorry, for the poor report. I wanted them to work. I also have Quietness. Not my best effort either. In order to squeeze it in it wound up in too much shade. It may have had a dozen flowers since last Sept - 15 max. It's got about three 5' canes, pretty much naked and bloomed at the top. I'm thinking of moving it rather than getting rid of it, but maybe I will get rid of it. It deserves a better chance. Since it appears to want to be tall and slender, maybe I can find a spot for it. If someone here thinks it needs spraying in Florida, please say so because it will need to go. One less to worry about.

Pretty dismal report, sandandsun, but I would not try any Bucks again. They don't fit my talents. :))

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sherry- I don't know anything about gardening in Florida, but I imagine it as having all kinds of tropical/luscious growth on everything! LOL

Honeysuckle, bouganvillia (I'm sure I misspelled that) China roses and teas, climbing roses, ramblers...all the things we can't grow, with our zone 4 winters. Do you even have Bird of Paradise, orange trees, gardenias...things we only dream of, outside of greenhouses?

I'm sure the reality is far different, since all gardeners has 'good and bad' about their area...but I'd love to see your garden in late February...when I have my 'mud season' and nothing will be blooming (not even bulbs) for another month :)

Sherry, if my Walmart had anything worth buying I would try it, too. The roses here are so poorly taken care of (also at Lowes and Home Depot) that I wouldn't waste money on one. It seems to be too hot here for them to keep the roses in pots hydrated adequately.

My Quietness (I have three), are usually quite lovely, but this year they are naked canes (re your other thread, Sherry). When they have leaves, they don't have to be sprayed.

-I saw to my utter astonishment a rosebush at Home Depot that had Old Garden Rose type foliage, it turned out to be 'Frau Karl Druski' and I bought it with great delight.
-My neighbor bought a rare Pernetiana called 'Lundys' Lane' at the Home Depot in little ol' Emeryville, California.
How in tarnation did THAT rose get there? It still had its' Vintage Gardens tag in it.
- I wonder if there is a Central Rose Distribution Center somewhere in Kansas or central U.s.A that ships extra roses from various nurseries to the Big Box Stores, rosebushes in small pots, or "body bags" that would otherwise need to be potted up.
Whether we buy an Old Garden Rose from a garage sale or Big Box Store, the person who propagated it got paid for it, God Bless 'em, and this also means that that Old Rose is still circulating in commerce.
-I think its a good thing to buy old roses wherever we find them.
Lux.

I bought my Frau Karl Druski at Home Depot. They also had Comte de Chamboard, but I already had him. I also bought this one rose from HD. It's red and has no fragrance, but has a great color, almost fluorescent. I have no idea what rose it is.

I too have bought them, not at Walmart, but bagged from Lowes and Home Depot...shhh! That's where my Comte de Chamboard and Rose de Rescht came from...hehe Oh ya, and Julia Child...but she's got to go...never did very well, but I may try her again from an online nursery :)

This passed spring I didnt partake of any Walmart roses.. Why you ask??? Perhaps a tad of the snob. Nah. The ones they had I already had.
3 years ago I bought Mr. Lincoln there. It is amazing. I buried the graft so have no idea if it is own root or not but it is stunning.
This fall they are featuring Susan Kohlman spring bulbs so I have filled my cart.
It would be nice to go online and find a vendor who sells really cool spring bulbs...honestly I dont have the time. So after loading up with cat food, etc., I just glanced at the black, pink and deeper pink tulips which will just have to do as will the plum colored iris.
I love gardening...sounds to me like we all do.
Jeannie

Lavender_lass, I've sworn off the tropicals because we have winter temps in the low 20's every winter and besides, most true tropicals can't take temps below 40 as I found out when I moved north to Ocala. So you need to be on the coast or south of Orlando and even there stuff gets zapped every winter. I had a hibiscus in 2010 but it was bright orange and that tropical green foliage just clashed with the tea foliage so I stick with non-tropicals. Those are still plants that wouldn't survive in your garden just as yours wouldn't survive in mine. Many plants just seem to melt in a long season of heat and humidity. So we all grow what grows. That's why we love everyone's photos to share in all the beauty. I think together on that.

Floridarosez, most of Walmart's roses did look REALLY sad. The healthiest were these Drift Roses. Don't know if they were new arrivals or truly easy maintenance roses. I'm glad there's hope for Quietness. I think she'll do better in more sun. We'll see.

Luxrosa, it's excellent that somehow OGR's and other good roses wind up in the big box stores, but I think Florida is a difficult and even hostile environment. The lovely roses you mentioned - HPs, Pernetianas, DPs - will never be found here unless the truck took a terribly wrong turn at the GA/FL line. More's the pity for us. We'll just admire the photos from elsewhere.

Buford, you lucky dog. I hope they're doing well for you.

TNY78, I'm trying to grow Rose de Rescht. It's one that grows here pretty well. Right now mine only has a couple of leaves due to spider mites, but I see the beginnings of new growth coming.

Jeannie, I hadn't thought of burying the graft on grafted HTs that I might find. Dr Huey is a weak rootstock here and doesn't last long so I've only planted it in pots. I wonder if the scion would root before Dr Huey croaked. I'd love to have an own-root Mr Lincoln or Chrysler Imperial. I may bebop over to K-Mart. That's where I got my CI's before.

I agree with everyone that wherever roses can be found is a good place to buy them, but like Floridarosez said, Florida is just a tough place for it. Maybe the spring is a better time, but pretty much here Knock Outs monopolize the market - at least at Lowe's.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Buying anything at Mal-Wart is a qualification for punishment.

Now, now, bboy. I appreciate Walmart more and more.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sherry, you are so right about Florida :) However, around Christmas when the roses are blooming it will seem like a wonderland.

As previously disclosed, I'm guilty of purchasing some bagged roses when they popped up and I hadn't seen the variety elsewhere (like the 'Lillian Gibson' from Home Depot, now growing in my back yard. But Sherry, I wasn't fond of my red Drift rose (see blog below)

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings blog on Drift Roses.

Sherry,
I'm so glad to see in your photo post, linked below, that Polonaise survived the cut. Also glad that despite your misgivings last year in this thread, Polonaise would seem to be doing well.
My guess at the time was it wanted cooler roots as in out of a pot.
I guess you might have underestimated your talent.

Great to see the photos,

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: Late spring photos

ok, me too, i have a coral drift that i didn't even count on my inventory...was i ashamed? freudian slip? i dunno. but probably the later. in fact, i think i have a white drift too. and today, in search of $1.50 clemantis someone mentioned getting at Lowe's, i 'happened' to see the roses and came home with a healthy looking Double Delight for $8! Nearly bought another Chicago Peace, but try not to duplicate...but, it was so healthy looking!!

there. i feel better.

Chris, I'm REALLY loving Polonaise. Lush foliage at this point, red buds all over the place, and the prettiest, longest lasting blooms. I wish I had another one. Oh, yeah, I remember...I gave it away.

ilovemyroses, you hit the jackpot at Lowe's. I recently got 2 Chrysler Imperials at Lowe's for $7 each. They're in the ground now. The Red Drifts are great in pots, and the Peach Drifts are fantastic in the ground. I guess wherever you can get beautiful roses is just fine. So I changed my mind. I don't need to be shot.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sherry,

I want to confess but I can't find the supporting evidence!
I got Polonaise because you posted a drop dead incredible photo of it in full flush in a pot. But I can't find that photo here on GardenWeb or on your blog.
I shouldn't be too surprized finding isn't my strong suit, but it's the not being able to prove to myself that my memory is real that is frustrating.
And Prof Roush pushed me further to the edge and then Catherine (if it's Katherine, then forgive) at Chamblee's said Polonaise as one response to the question "if one wanted to try one Buck?"
But it was how she said Polonaise that sent me tumbling.
Anyway, does the photo I remember ring any bells, Sherry?
I wanted to link to it.

Chris

Chris, here's a link to 5 blog posts that refer to Polonaise. I must never have posted a Polonaise photo on the Forum because there are none in my Photobucket account. There are some good ones in the link, so maybe one is the one you're remembering. I must say though that the ones I've seen in the last 10 days are even better.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Polonaise posts on my blog

I'm jealous! The several W-Mart, H-Depot, and Lowes in my area ONLY carry Knock-outs! I used to find Austin and OGRs, but now apparently everyone wants his or her garden to look exactly like every other garden, yard, business, public building, roadside, etc! I guess this is good for me because I turn to Rose nurseries, but it is sad that so many people will not come in contact with any other roses. :(

Sure, it started innocently enough...a cheap "bag" or two at Walmart. Nobody would ever know, right? Before long though, I was making excuses to go there...knowing full well it was for the garden hit I craved. As the addiction grew I found myself with a desire for bigger things and had result to contacting bigger suppliers to get what I needed. You know, the more expensive stuff. I am sure the neighbors know about my weakness...it's hard to hide it. They just shake their heads when they drive by and see me "acting out". I just crave more and more...My name is Kristy and I might need rehab.

justkristy, yes, my neighbors. oh what they must say. it is a bit embarrassing, and i am in a neighborhood where gardening is done by gardeners (paid). one neighbor shouted out "why don't you have (her gardeners name) do that"!! I try to stand proud, and mostly, I do, but when I am knee deep in moving a rose from one hole to another, dirt on my face, it is hard to look proud. Yes, I may need rehab, but, if it weren't for getting my hands dirty, I would need locked up!!

My big box rose purchases so far this year have been:

Home Depot: Coral Dawn, Lilian Gibson, Harlequin

Price Chopper (NY grocery chain which sells severely root chopped roses each spring) Blue Moon

The HD roses were planted immediately and covered with mulch. So far, so good. They seem to be establishing themselves, and sprouts are peeking out of the mulch. The long cool springs and damp soil we have here in NY do seem to give body bagged roses time to grow new roots.

I normally don't buy the PriceChopper chopped roses, but I have been looking for Blue Moon for a while. I was waiting to see if it might turn up on one or Heirlom's special sales. It is also planted and mulched, so we shall see about that one. I do hope it really is Blue Moon.

I am a big fan of the Meidilland series of landscape roses. The Drifts don't look to me like an improvement.

ilovemyroses, I used to get that kind of comment all the time when I lived in CA. Then there were the guys in pickups who would stop and want to do the yard work for me. Using their power equipment. Like I wanted the rare rose I just planted to be weed eatered or dried out with a leaf blower. Believe me, I don't look richie rich. No orthodontia, physique that hasn't seen the inside of a gymn in decades, and old clothes from second hand sources.

I tried to express my refusals politely, but it used to irritate the heck out of me. What is this? Now it is not socially acceptable to be outside in your own yard?

My big box purchases this year: Agnes Winchel, Intrigue, Royal Highness, cl. Handel, Strike it Rich, Pink Peace, garden Party, Gemini, Livin Easy. Intrigue has already given me 4 gorgeous and wonderfully fragrant blooms. All the rest from body bags, and all budding out now - can't wait!

sherryocala. almost forgot.

KAPOOOOWWWEEEEE!! you are SHOT!

(still thinking about that beautiful Chicago Peace at Lowe's...and a "Blue ____" (always forget which one i want)!

Sherry,

Thank you for looking for the photo. It would be an older photo because what I remember of the associated post includes details (sketchy) about terrace/patio accent pots. And you had Polonaise in those. That's the pot the photo showed though I don't remember much of the pot just that I was impressed that a rose could look that good in a pot. I don't keep any plants in pots unless they are on the porch. My first year here I tried it. In summer the pots felt like they just came out of the kiln when I touched them and I was having to water EVERY day. Nope, can't do that. But if Polonaise could look like that in a pot, I knew it should do well in my sand too.
Thanks again and I'm glad to read more assurances of what I can expect.

Chris

OK, Chris, here's the Patio Refurb link that shows the two potted Polonaise. They did do pretty well for a while but are so much better in the ground.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Polonaise on the Refurbed Patio

The only one I got this spring was a $4.00 Just Joey from Walmart. I looked at K-Mart, Lowes, HD, Big Lot (Oh, Lord, were those bad!), and Wally World and that was the only one that followed me home. Saw vast acres of KOs everywhere though.

I did find Jim Sproul's new Eyeconic Pink Lemonade at a local nursery though. Grabbed that puppy right up!

KO has become the new ligustrum, I'm afraid.

Forgive me for I have sinned. Overcome with roselust, I have now bought from Wallyworld,

Chicago Peace and Frau Karl/ Snow Queen. I don't know who it was that overproduced the Fraus, but I am glad they did!

I hasten to add that I am already receiving delivery from worthy small rose nurseries, with more to come.

After much research on...gasp...growing roses in tropical South Florida, I went in search of Flower Carpet roses.

The local nurseries either had never heard of them or "didn't carry them because there wasn't much demand."

I may be clueless and a dreamer, but I think South Floridian gardeners in general are pessimistic, gave up on roses years and years and years ago after moving down from zone 5 and trying the roses they grew up there, or don't know about or consider any progress in rose development that provides disease resistance or tolerance of our climate.

Imagine my surprise to find "Amber" Flower Carpets looking gorgeous at both Walmart and Home Depot.

Mine are rockin' the garden so far...only summer's punishing will tell though.

Knockouts are gorgeous when left to go crazy with benign neglect. I grew one in Houston that I loved. No snobbery here.

Landscapes are boring, boring, boring with no color in the neighborhoods where I live. Plumbago, ruellia, bouganvillia, hibiscus are lovely but trite. I would give anything to put Knockouts where all the ligustrum are.

I have found that the Drift roses are doing really well - so far. Absolutely green. I think eventually they'll be 3x3 or a tad shorter. There really are lots of other roses that do well in Florida, but you won't find them at local stores, maybe rarely. You have to buy mail-order. If you're close to Cool Roses Nursery in West Palm Beach and also on the web, check them out. They have roses grafted on Fortuniana rootstock, but you should still inquire about disease-resistance because many Florida Hybrid Tea growers spray their roses. The Teas, Chinas, Noisettes, and some polyanthas and Buck roses are healthy and generally are grown own-root in Florida and do well. Rose Petals Nursery near Gainesville is my favorite, but there are several others: Chamblees, Roses Unlimited, Antique Rose Emporium (others are listed on my blog). My garden is full of these roses. I certainly agree with you about ligustrums and boring landscapes.

Here's a link that should interest you.

http://sites.google.com/site/oldrosegardensofmiami/

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sherry, you are my new BFF!!! Thanks for that article.

I have lived in my house for 3 years, and just now the life-chaos has slowed down so I can get out and start my garden. There is virtually no landscaping on this 40-year old house, smack in the suburbs with a huge yard.

Oddly, someone in the past planted a rose on the South West side, shaded but for 3 hours in the afternoon. It has been strangled by Juniper and ruellia, with my complete indifference, I am afraid. It is scrawny, about a 2-3 ft tall species (?) rose but gives a lovely peach-colored bloom or two every few weeks all year. Goes to show you that the little girls will hang in there even if given less than half a chance.

I cleaned up the bed and pruned and fed her and she is perking up. I am wondering what/who she is. Tough little cookie.

Thanks for the GREAT info!!

Gina (Coral Springs, Zone 15 in August)

Sherry, my drift roses are doing well too. I put them in full western sun and so far they look very healthy. Not many plants of any kind like it out there in that spot. The petals burn up by the end of the day, but they make more and the leaves look nice and green. I have peach, apricot, red, and coral. I found them all at clearance prices except for the apricot one.

Gina,

Keep an eye out, or do a search, for posts from Imagardener (Denise). She is near you in Englewood and has lots of roses doing well.

Veronica, two hours due north of you, up I-75.

Gina, your peach-colored rose sounds like a champion. I'm curious to know what it is. Keep us posted on your garden plans and rose choices.

You'll be making lots of BFFs here. :))

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Dang! I confused Coral Springs with Coral Gables. AND THEN confused them both with Cape Coral. My bad...

Add MR. LINCOLN, PEACE, CHICAGO PEACE to my sin list...$6 at Lowes. but please note I have SALLY HOLMES on order from ARE!!

50% off all roses at Calloways in dallas...home with me are Aloha, Firefighter, Dick Clark, and searching for Belinda's Dream. All EK are there and many moderns I am not familiar with...the always available Pascali, CI, etc.

The spring we moved back to Texas we went into a Fred's near us - it's a discount store and they had some poor pitiful roses in body bags for $2.00 each. I picked up a couple that were still alive and brought them home and put them in a bucket to soak and promptly forgot about them. One died. DH and I finally remembered them and got the survivor out and stuck in one of my "big blue pots" that had dirt in it. Promptly forgot the name but is is orange and not quite single and we call it Fred's rose - it still lives in it's big now not quite blue bucket and is a wonderful rose - have never seen a spot of disease on it and it is 5 ft wide and about 3 tall and has been a bloom machine even in the worst of our drought. Sometimes you take a chance on the lottery and you win. Fred's rose is a true winner for me.

Our first roses were all cheap body bags, we had just cleared out a bed in the front yard and mom wanted some roses. I picked up a few at Osh and Home Depot, only "Peace" did well the first years. Golden Celebration just got moved and is finally happy. The rest, once I find something want more, those will probably find the shovel

Okay, so I decided to check out the Walmart ad online, we don't have a walmart with in an hour or so of us (bet you did not think there was such a place)

This weeks ad has a 'Leaf and Rose Bush" on sale, what is a "Leaf and Rose"?? Do they mean shrubs and roses? Not worth the drive to find out

I find the name of the variety on the sticker that comes on the pot, The name is not usually on the paper tag on the bush.

I never grew drift roses but I may after I change my front yard. I need some low growing roses facing the pedestrian walk.

I have bought roses from Walmart and HD in the past but they end up dying after the first year. That is why I never went again. It could just be a coincidence but I have better luck with actual garden nurseries. I am not sure but I suspect it is homegrown perhaps the plants are more used to the colder climates from day one.

Lol! I have pink drift, that came from a grower, but pulled out the coral drift because it was competing with roses I liked better. I am practical about my garden. If it works, I keep it, I really don't care about its "common-ness." I have a Prosperity "tree" that I have espaliered to the north side my wall, and I wanted a tiered effect, so I have Pink Drift, Golden Buddha, International Herald tribune, and Natchitoches Noisette under the tree for filler. It works. I suspect you are in good company Sheri. In the heat of summer Drift keeps going. It is like an Ever-ready bunny! My pink drift is quite short and is three years old about 18" x 24" But I know what you mean about its lack of perceived value. I feel that way about a lot of my roses. Many of my roses are earthkind OGRs, which makes them the common roses of the OGR world. But they are beautiful and reliable. Like Pink drift. Only more special.

Most garden centers are in buying co-ops. The one I worked didn't grew its own roses -- cost too prohibitive. I know the other locally owned centers buy their plants from wholesale nurseries in Tennessee (I am in Kentucky) or North Carolina.

Roses from big-box stores usually work for me unless they aren't zone hardy. some of the roses in big-box stores show up because they were overstock from reputable rose outlets.

I have gotten roses from Chamblee's, Witherspoon, Heritage, and Antique Emporium that were subpar. They went back, just as I have taken them back to big-box, only a year later. Lowe's, HD, and Walmart will take back dead nursery stock a year later.

My first three roses were Tropicana, Snow Fire, and Mr Lincoln. Bought them as body bags at a sidewalk sale at Kmart for 50 cents each about 40 years ago. Snow Fire delighted me with its blooms for 20 years, Mr Lincoln with his fragrance for another few years. Tropicana with its fragrance and beautiful blooms was the last to go. Never knew you could get so much happiness for $1.50! That was the start of my love for roses. Sigh. I really need to work on my roses after neglecting them for a few years.

Sherry, I wish you would come back to the forums. We miss you. You are such a great writer and so funny.