Invest in the largest containers you can find, and be prepared for more maintenance than for in-ground roses. Constant watering when the weather heats up, and a regular fertilizing schedule. If you are away from home on a regular basis, you will need someone to step in and help with the watering. You won't be able to leave them alone to fend for themselves.

If you're handy with a paintbrush and have a smidgen of artistic ability, you can transform very inexpensive containers into something better. There are some spray paints that look like granite and other stone finishes. Rub 'n Buff or watered down craft paint used in the indentions, then lightly rubbed off the raised places will give depth, or dry brushed onto the raised parts. There are tons of examples on Pinterest.

There's nothing wrong with a very plain container. You don't want the pot to outshine the rose. If you set the potted roses in flower beds, plants that are planted in the ground can cozy up against them, hiding some of the pot. Plant something that drapes down the sides to help take attention away from the pot.

One great benefit of growing roses in pots is that if your husband is called to another church, you can take them with you a lot easier than digging them up.

JoJo is right, potted roses is almost like caring for a baby. I'm finding that out, myself, this year. We just graveled a large area, and after the fact, I decided it looked too barren without something growing there, so potted roses to the rescue.

Thank you, flowersarebeauty. I don't care too much about what the pots look like, but I appreciate the idea of allowing some annuals grow around them if I have a bed to set them in. Btw, I'm the pastor ☺️. The moving from church to church is the reason I'm going to containers only.

You can buy used nursery pots from your local nurseries. They aren't fancy but work well for me. I got a lot of 20 gal nursery pots for rose trees @ $5 each, and they had smaller pots for $2-$3 each. I also like the Bloem 16" pots (10 gal) self water pots from HD, They are $12.46 each.

Oh, Holly, I had you confused with a fairly new commenter here, whose husband is a pastor. Forgive my assumption that I was addressing the Pastor's spouse.

One tip I learned here is to feed weakly weekly. Suggestions have been Miracle Grow and Osmocote Plus. Some also use fish emulsion. I used Osmocote Plus last year on my first potted rose and was thrilled by the results. That rose grew and bloomed better than any I have in the ground. I really adhered to the weakly part and it seemed to be enough. I didn't measure, just used a couple pinches. Many of the potted rose growers here like Miracle Grow Potting Soil because it remains fluffy and doesn't pack down, suffocating the roots. I hope that helped better than my last reply.

Don't worry about it! Being confused with a clergy spouse comes with the territory!

Your idea of weakly, weekly is excellent! I have been concerned about how to adequately feed in a closed system of the container.

Regular Miracle Gro potting soil! Wow! It's not too expensive and is available everywhere! I'm having flashbacks to double-digging and working all sorts of nutrients into my planned rose beds . . . I might be a fan of container roses!

You can relax. The double digging theory has been replaced by the much saner method of not disturbing the soil any more than necessary.

Weakly, weekly was not my idea, but is used by most of us for our potted plants. I'm not sure who first mentioned it. We do have some professional rosarians among us.

I'm new at growing roses in pots. I hope some more experienced people will respond.

Oh, you are a pastor! How cool is that! I remember you now, you were here on rose forum a few years ago, you sold your home , moved to somewhere. Welcome back Holly! I have a better idea for you. Can you use the church budget ( landscaping expense) growing roses around the church? If you move again to a different church, you could always start a new garden on church’s budget. You are making church property peaceful and beautiful , and I am sure you could get volunteers to grow roses with you, to share your knowledge with, to make it a group effort, best of all to build a good team, it’s a wonderful way to know your folks after services. Yes? Amen? :-)

I remember you too! I think you had to pass some exams and courses. Welcome back! Bargain hunt, And olly's and home Store Have great pots at great prices.

Vap, are you awake at this hour? Say a prayer for me quickly please, I got poison ivy rash all over, itchy!!!

Roses and poison ivy:

Yikes! Try benadyl or a hydrocortisone cream fot the itch and destin to dry and protect ot. Its terribke ive had it many times and suffered until using these things.

Thanks! Just put on tons of Hydrocortisone. I have been using triamcinolone acetoride cream USP, 0.1% , 3 times a day for the past 4 days. Thanks again!

Oh my goodness Summers!!! Yikes!! I hope you feel better by the morning.

Holly - I've found that my roses like large holes on the bottom. My husband uses a hole saw. I think the holes are 2 1/2", but I'm not sure. He cuts a piece of small holes mesh to put on the bottom of the pot so that the soil doesn't fall through. :)

Hi Holly, I remember you, too, and wondered where you went, and have thought of you many times. Remember the crazy seasonal threads we had way back? Jim still posts, but has gone through some life changes. He will be gardening again soon when he moves into his new home. We had lots of not rose topics, didn't we? Like all the old timey phrases our grandmas used to say. Land O' Goshen, those were the good old days. I am so glad you achieved your goal of becoming a pastor and wish you well. You were a psychologist, too. You have accomplished much. Good luck with the roses in pots. Mine are in ground, so I can't give you any advice. Nanadoll, aka, Diane Brakefield

Nanadoll! You were one of the people I searched for, but Houzz wouldn't let me comment on posts forever. Every time I tried to comment I would be shuttled off to "search for a professional"! It was so frustrating!

Yes, one more year of seminary and then I start my clergy internship. It's been a wild ride!

How is your artistic granddaughter? Still reading mystery novels?

Summers rhythm,

Yes, one more year of seminary and onto my internship, then off to answer my call. Your idea is very creative. I will be working with churches who are in transition, so I will only be with them for 1 - 3 years. As my passion is for own-root hybrid teas, my short tenure would be counterproductive to good own-root culture. Also, I could be anywhere in the US, so it would take me quite a while to learn the soil and climate. I'm sure I will be very active on church work days, though, and in the community gardens!

Wouldn't it be wonderful, Holly, if you served in a church out here in the West--like Idaho, specifically. You have some real challenges ahead of you with all those moves. I think it's good that you're concentrating on a specific type of rose, and hopefully, they won't grow too large. Houzz is such a pain to treat you that way. We all have our issues with houzz, for sure. My artistic granddaughter has her fine arts degree in illustration with high honors. She is struggling along as a free lancer. She produces her work almost entirely on her notebook with special software and electronic pens. My younger granddaughter has just finished her first year in college, working mostly online, except for her music classes, vocal performance (try doing that with a mask on--glad that's over). She's an outstanding student, too. I'm very proud of these young women because the last two years have been so hard on them. I read everything, but love good mysteries still. I'm pretty picky because there are so many awful mysteries being churned out. We'll have to talk about books. I'm sure your reading is pretty well mapped out--studies, internship, and more. Keep us posted. Diane

Holly, the thought came to me this morning that mini grocery store roses are very economical, and once planted often grow to 3'. I planted a Trader Joe's mini rose last year in a huge pot and by summer's end, it looked about the same size as a regular rose, including the blooms. I lost it over winter - my fault for letting it dry out. I believe Diane has one in the ground that has grown to about 3' tall. You could keep them potted as long as needed, then, someday put them in the ground.

When you used to post here, did you live in the Santa Clarita Valley, Valencia or thereabouts?

No, I live in Raleigh NC. I'm originally from the central coast of California.

Flowers, I thought of grocery store minis, too. The variety is tremendous. My mini is over five feet tall, but it took a while to attain that size. It's very floriferous, and requires no pruning. It actually does better without pruning. The first flush in spring is of near regular sized blooms. Then later it produces many mini sized blooms. Diane

Diane, I bet there will be more than one of us looking for mini roses to plant in our gardens today. That's a lot of bang for the buck!

Holly, I think you may have been here before my time, or I was still getting acquainted.

Those are minis, Diane? Wow!!! :) :)

Flowersaremusic, I think you were just starting to post in that very fun chain when my Houzz account began not working properly. I remember your post name, but nothing about you and your roses.

There were a few from those early days that I never got to know very well, and then, poof, they were gone. Mustbnuts is one, but she drops in now and then, another whose rose garden was reduced to an apt. balcony, and I think she eventually took an apt without a balcony and had to say good bye to her roses, temporarily. A few others who drifted over to the other rose forum because this one had become impossible. Some have returned, but some have not. Lavenderlace is a name from those days who has not returned and we all miss her. Anyway, I'm glad you're back.

I remember those names. Lavenderlace was in Australia? She grew some beautiful roses and would post photos of her bouquets, if I'm remembering correctly.

Holly, I think Lavenderlace was from Texas, and she wasn't on very long. But Trish (Titian) is from Australia and she still posts. Hans from the Netherlands is long gone, and Melodye (ozmelodye) from Australia left quite suddenly some time ago. I think you remember fragrancenutter who was from Australia and posted fabulous roses and bouquets for a long time, and then she just up and was gone. We've lost some great Australians.

Do you remember Carol (rosecanadan)? She's just posted above. I thought she was in that fun thread, too. Carol left for a while and then came back . Houzz was giving her too much trouble, right, Carol? She just ended a long stint as "moderator" of our seasonal thread, which is a continuation of the one we were on years ago. Carol, do you remember Holly who was just beginning her studies to become a pastor when the first seasonal threads appeared. Diane

Yes! I was able to pm Carol a few days ago, before I posted this question. I was confusing fragrancenutter with lavenderlace. Fragrancenutter's bouquets were bomb! That's one thing I miss from having my rose garden. I took 3 baby own-roots with me when I sold the house. However, I have not taken good care of them in their pots and they don't bloom enough to make a bouquet. They all desperately need repotting and that's what prompted me to see if Houzz was functioning again.

You know, I might end up in Idaho! I'm very free to answer a call anywhere. I'm looking forward to living in different areas and having new experiences. I don't have to consider if there are good schools or opportunities for a spouse, because it's just me now.

Diane - yes, I was in that fun thread too. :) :) Yes, I sure do remember Holly. :) :) We've been chatting a bit on email. :) I remember when Holly was studying to become a pastor. :)

Holly - it's just you now?

Yes. My son is an old man of 25! My sweet Pug, Lucy Belle Pepperpot and dear rescue kitty, Roxy, have gone to heaven. I'm waiting to have more animal companions when I'm completely finished with the MDiv and am ordained. I would like to get an Irish Wolfhound to train as a therapy + ministry dog.

An Irish Wolfhound!!! Oh, that would be fabulous!! They are such stoic dogs once they get past the crazy puppy stage. :) :) It's sad when our pets leave so early...such short lives.

I found an old post on Paul Barden's website about cheapish soil for pots, from a Rosarian growing HT https://tlcfocus.com/paulbarden/main_august2002.html . I mentioned somewhere else that our Lowes and Homedepot both have places where the put recycled pots and lot of 20 gallons at end of spring, with 15 and 20 gallons occassionally over summer, fall and winter.

Thanks for the link, Ann! I go all fan girl at the mention of Paul Barden! I will definitely read and heed his article!