Choosing Roses for St. Louis
"We just moved into a new condo with a small patio. It has about two feet of soil along one side with nothing planted in it – and then a big tall fence. The patio is pretty sunny, so I think roses would be amazing in that little strip. But I don't have a clue what to choose. Do you have any rose recommendations?"
Carolyn | St. Louis | Zone 7
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Oh, Carolyn, lucky you! There are so many roses to choose from, and in your climate, they absolutely thrive! Before you go buy any plants, however, let's get your bed set up for success!
How to Prepare a Bed for Roses
Without a photograph, I am left to imagine the setup you have back there, but since this is new construction, I can almost guarantee that strip of soil is pretty poor and REALLY compacted. So I would HIGHLY recommend that you build a little raised bed here to improve the soil and give your roses a good start at life.
Here's one of the easiest and least expensive ways I know of to build a raised bed: 2xEdge Staples. This is such a clever idea!
Decide how deep you want your raised bed to be.
Order your staples.
Buy your lumber – up to a 2x6 (which I would recommend to get the deepest bed possible for your roses). You can even have your lumber cut for you at most lumber yards.
Pound in the staples.
Fill your raised bed.
Seriously! It is that easy! And I think they are a great solution for renters, too, because you can just pull them out and take them with you when you move.
So here's what I recommend:
Take a hoe or a shovel to the soil that is already there. Break it up and just dig it over – down at least 6 inches.
Build a raised bed at least 4" deep (deeper is better over top of that soil.
Fill your raised bed with a peat-free, raised bed mix (like this from Back to the Roots).
Plant!
How to Choose Roses
Choosing a rose is part-art and part-science. I have a general guide with some ideas for those of you thinking about roses in other parts of the country/world.
Let's start with the science. Not all roses are bred to survive in every climate. And with hot, humid summers in Missouri (I went to Wash U for grad school – I remember!), you need to choose roses that resist some of the fungal diseases that thrive in heat and humidity. Having said that, you also have a long, luxurious bloom time, and with a small patio, you want roses that will give you the most bang for your buck. That means choosing roses that bloom all summer long in repeat flushes.
Depending on how wide your patio is, you may be able to plant 2-4 Hybrid Tea or Shrub Roses, both of which will stay somewhat small, but will give you gorgeous flowers. Look for varieties that say:
Repeat Flowering or Everblooming
Disease-resistant
Height – within a size you desire
Now the art… You are so lucky to have the Missouri Botanical Gardens right there in St. Louis. I have visited many times in all seasons, and they have great resources online, too. If you can wait, go visit in late May or June to see what they have planted and what you like. All of their plants are labeled, so you can just take notes as you ramble.
They also have a list of suggested varieties which includes:
Mr. Lincoln
Imperial
American Spirit Homer
Tiffany
Memory Graceland
Peace
Sunbright Tropicana
Dolly Parton
Scarlet Knight
White Lightning
Tournament of Roses
If you can't wait, and I truly understand that, you need to consider a few factors:
Hardiness Zone: for roses and other perennials I always shop at least one zone down. So, you are in Zone 7 – I would look for something hardy to Zone 6 or even 5. That just gives you a little more insurance in case you have a colder-than-average period during a winter.
Root Stock: I have better luck with own-root roses here in Colorado. That means they aren't grafted onto a different rootstock. But that isn't a dealbreaker. It's just something to consider.
Your Seller: If you are buying roses at an independent garden center, they have probably chosen roses that are well-suited for your climate. Big box retailers are less reliable on this front, so buyer beware.
Soil Temperature: if you choose bare-root roses, you can plant them much earlier this spring. If you choose potted roses, you'll need to wait until your soil temperature is at least 60℉ before planting. That can help reduce transplant shock.
As for me: I try to buy bare root roses any time I can. I have great success with them over the long run, and they are cheaper, too!
You also say you have a fence, but I'm not sure what type. If you are thinking of covering your fence with roses, here are a few things to consider:
Climbing Roses: tend to bloom once and be done. They are glorious while they do their thing, but then it is done for the year.
Rambling Roses: most bloom multiple times in the summer or are ever-blooming. Ramblers need more pruning and care, though, and can be very quick to grow.
If that sounds like more work than you are interested in, consider planting something as a green backdrop which will set off your roses like Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) which is hardy to Zone 7 (especially with reflected heat, which you may have on a patio).
One more note: I haven't grown it in St. Louis, so I don't know how it would do, but Darlow's Enigma is the champion rose in my garden here in Colorado. It is a rambler with pretty little white blooms that is consistently covered in pollinators all summer. It blooms from early June through to the first hard freeze. And it grows FAST. I love it and recommend it any chance I can!
It's fortuitous that this month's questions featured plants that grow beautifully together! Roses and Lavender like similar conditions, and they look amazing together – roses providing height with lavender providing cover underneath. I have a rose bed planted with four different roses, Phenomenal Lavender, and Salvia May Night (Salvia x sylvestris 'May Night'). The Salvia blooms for months – longer than the lavender. So it picks up where the lavender leaves off. And since most of the roses bloom in flushes, this bed is beautiful from June through September or October. It's a little big of magic!
Ok. That's it for this month's Q&A. If you want to get in on the action, become a paid member, and fill out next month's questionnaire when it comes your way!
Happy Gardening!
Angela