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Roses for Ground Cover - Groundcover Rose
Bushes.
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There have been great improvements in the breeding of roses
specially for ground cover and weed suppressing. The earlier groundcover roses
were used mainly in public parks and roadside flower beds. Now however, the
newer varieties of ground cover roses - which are more floriferous than their
early predecessors - are proving to be popular in gardens and even containers! Most of the newer varieties of ground cover roses are disease
resistant with great foliage and a range of flower colour and types to choose
from. Many will flower for quite long periods through summer and even into
autumn.
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Like all other roses, ground cover roses are deciduous.
However, as weeds rarely grow in the winter months when there is no foliage on
the groundcover roses, they are still good at weed suppressing, and are great
for covering banks and other awkward areas.
Almost any rose list will be outdated in a year or so these days - such is the
rate of newer varieties being bred - pushing some old favourites out of fashion.
However, one strain that is sure to be around for some time to come are those of
the Meidiland roses.
As the name suggests, these ground cover shrub roses
originated in France and include a good colour range. Three of my favourites to
date are -
- White Meidiland. This grows to around 1ft high with a
spread up to 5 feet. It has double, white flowers.
- Red Meidiland. A similar habit of growth to the white
version, but masses of single red flowers with white centres.
- Scarlet Meidiland is a taller growing variety - up to 3 ft
high with a spread of 6 feet. Clusters of small, double, cherry red flowers.
This one can look quite stunning if planted on top of a bank and allowed to
cascade down over, covering the ground as it tumbles.
There are also many old favourites that have stood the test of
time. Some great ground cover roses included in this category are
- Fru Dagmar Hastrup - a vigorous mound forming rose with
pink flowers
- Max Graf - pink and well scented. Forms dense carpet of
groundcover
- Pink Drift - a mass of double pink flowers on prostrate
stems with good foliage.
You may also be able to get one of the 'county' series of
ground cover roses to coincide with where you live.
- Kent - Pure white semi-double flowers which do not seem
affected with rain.
- Gwent - (My home county from long ago) with bright yellow
flowers all through the season.
- Suffolk - Great rich scarlet red flowers cover the low
stems.
- Berkshire - in image below.
The garden centres are full of other roses that can be
used for ground cover. Early summer to mid autumn is a good time to view so
that you can see the actual flower colour.Pruning
requirements are virtually nil. This type of rose will grow in almost any
type of soil. Most are disease resistant, though benefit from 'preventative
spraying' in first year. Basically, plant them and forget them!
These roses can be planted in large high tubs for a
spectacular cascading effect.
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