I have 3(had 4. 1 died) of the normal Knockout in my front bed. I also have 3 of the Pink Knockout in a bed in the back. They did not fare very well this winter. I had to cut them all down to just a few inches above the ground. We have experienced a lot of KO rose problems at work, too, and are starting to use hardier varieties.
They ARE beautiful, and I hope to continue having them in my garden, but a nasty winter can really do some damage.

Mine grows in a very hard place for plants. Never gets extra water, and is under a vitex tree and paired with nepeta. I love the "red" or "hooker pink" knockout with blues, so the blue of the nepeta is great now, then the blue of the tree later in summer. I've also tried to run clematis through it, but since the area is so dry, no blue clematis will grow for me there.

GGG

Nell,

They are popping up all over the place around here, as well, including in one of the most difficult places I can think of to grow things: traffic medians.

I'm seeing them throughout both Dallas and Houston. In fact, some of the prettiest medians I have ever seen were in Houston that featured pink K.O's, yellow esperanza and blue plumbago. A gorgeous combination!

I have pink K.O's and love them, and I try to plant things that are very low maintenance. They anchor a long bed and are planted along side blue Salvia Farincea, and yellow esperanza. ( Hmmmmmm...wonder where I get that color combination idea!) LOL

Marilyn

Love them. I have 2, 1 pink and the other almost red. Their on the southeast side of my house right along my foundation. Here in my zone 7b garden they bloom from April thru November. Very carefree.

I have the Radrazz (red) 7 KOs planted along the fence. They grow around 3x3 and I don't pamper mine except to pick the Japanese Beetles off during the big attack. They are super hardy here and don't require as much sunlight as other roses, yet they will take my full day (literally sunrise to sunset). I deadhead them a little just to shape them up, but that isn't necessary. Bloom from mid-May to Thanksgiving here. Mine are evergreen until just before the spring growth when they drop the old leaves and immediately grow new ones.

Nell...sounds like you live near me. We have a Food Lion Grocery that has the exact planting you mentioned. Red Knockouts and violas across the parking lot along the road. It is stunning! I see them all over town. I love my knockouts. I have two standards one red one pink and one bush form in red that I rescued last year and it's "knock your socks off" beautiful now in full bloom. I love them and they do very well in our climate. Give um a try, you won't be disappointed. Vikki

Thumbs up here for KOs also. Mine survived a lot of abuse last year being moved here from Ohio and then neglected for most of the summer.

In one bed have a group of 5 Blushing Pink KOs with 4 young clematis and a cottage garden assortment of other companions.

When my David Austins arrived this spring, I dug up my one red KO (the original 'Radrazz'(sp?) and plunked him into the roughest, toughest part of the garden where the sprinkler doesn't quite reach. I'll bring him a bucket of water now and then, but other than that he's on his own and I have every confidence he'll do just fine.

PattiOh

This is my third year with KO's and I have been putting them in pots. They are easy to care for and water. I can move them in the garden where ever I need color.

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I know I didn't start this post, but thanks everyone for all the info regarding the knockouts. I've wanted one for a couple of years now, and after reading your posts, I plan to get one this weekend. I really love the pink ones.

Each time I visit a garden center, I linger over them and just inhale their amazing scent.

Thanks
: )

I had one KO and one DKO, and both were basically non-performers for me where I had them (in a front yard planting strip next to larger daylillies, they never really grew in height to overcome the light shade from the fronds of the daylillies). Very prone to blackspot due to the shade, too. I've moved them out to the other side of our backyard wall, where they'll have room to grow and get lots of sun....but I just checked them minutes ago, and a large number of their leaves have blackspot. Guess I'll be climbing over that darn wall to strip and spray.

I replaced the two KOs with two larger brilliant pink icebergs and they seem to be doing nicely.

Flowermum, my topics are usually intended as helpful threads for all. This one has particularly good posts. I'm glad you found it.

Vikki, I'm 'way south of you. I think it's just a universal southern planting. The Knockouts are in front of Winn Dixie. They have a right turn lane cutout, so I can slow down and really look, LOL.

BYW, many of the small towns here have landscape people but some have 'plant ladies' -- the plant ladies create stunning displays. Cairo, GA is where I was introduced to pentas and Iceland poppies, and actually saw delphiniums growing in one of the Bank parking lots in the shade of Crape Myrtles!

Nell

I just planted two pink ones. They are in a bed facing due south. They didn't bat an eye at being transplanted to the garden which has never happened with roses before, for me. If these survive the elements for this year, I'm going get a whole lot of them next year. There aren't a lot of roses that make it here. In fact I lost all five that I planted last year.

MeMo

lorinscott....blackspot? Are you sure they are Knockouts? Just kidding, I'm sure you know what you have, but its so unusual (I think) for KO's to get blackspot. Sorry you had such bad luck with yours.

nell....Have you tried the Pentas? It is by far my favorite annual. It blooms here all summer long, loves the heat and humidity. Only problem is I have a hard time finding them in the spring and have to wait until June to get any. Vikki

I do have Pentas. Usually at least half of them survive the winter and come back as perennials here. Right now I have blooming a pale pink one that I kept a cutting in the laundry room, and a red one that my friend gave me, also a greenhouse cutting. I have red, rose and the pale pink in foliage but not yet in bloom, survivors of the winter.

Skipper on Pentas in November
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Butterflies love them.

Lori, I have a couple of leaves on one of mine that appears to be black spot. I'm going to hit it with some Bayer 3-in-1 and hope for the best. Did you try that on yours? Is there a better product out there? I wasn't impressed with last years results using it but still have a half bottle of the stuff.

MeMo

Last summer, I rescued a couple of Knockouts from the local garden big box store. The KOs were broken and were just about dead from lack of water and neglect. I got them for $1.50 each. I trimmed them up and planted them in a sunny rock garden area in front of mock orange shrubs. The KOs are just beautiful now, with lots of buds and dark healthy growth. They took a lickin for sure but they are true survivors.

I have my red one against a brown brick wall, under a rusty Texas star, and it's a gorgeous sight as you come up our driveway. It's in a mixed bed with daylilies, purple mexican petunias, yellow yarrow and blackfoot daisies. I really like the light pink ones and would love to get one if I had a spot. They are starting to pop up everywhere, and will soon be as ubiquitous as crepe myrtles, but there are uglier things people could be planting. At least they're attractive, even when neglected.

Carol

I just rescued a sad looking original red knock-out from Wal-Mart. I planted it in a bed with red and purple annual salvias, and purple alyssum. I've also got some Dahlias poking up around it. It is doing great, really growing with lots of buds on it. Had to try one. We're the capital of Black Spot Country here in humid ,cool summers WA. Also, I love the hot red colors against our super green temperate rain forest landscape.

I just discovered knock-out shrub roses (being a fairly new gardener). I planted two - one on each side of my walkway. They bloomed well into fall and never got blackspot...whereas my peace rose and creme brulee both had blackspot all summer...and I think they're kaput now. No leaves, nothing. and it wasn't even a bad winter. I planted Blue Salvia, and annual forget-me-nots, and lavender with the pink roses.

I have one in a East corner of the front of my home under an eave with a short hedge in front. It towers over the hedge and greets all my front door visitors. Recently a Lantana decided to "DROP-IN" and the two make a handsome couple.Now I want to try the red double KO but I better wait
til the drought is over.