KNOCKOUT ROSES

All over Houston, I've been seeing more and more of these rose bushes, they are smallish, but covered in bright red flowers.  They are planted most often in esplanades, entrances to neighborhoods, and planting areas in shopping center parking lots. 

Knockout Rose hedge

At first I didn't pay much attention to them.  I mean, they were pretty, but just sort of in the background as I went about my errands.

Then I started noticing a few things:  They were always in bloom.  They never had black spot or any other sort of fungus/virus.  And they looked great even in the hottest or driest of seasons.

SO, I started doing some research and found that they are called "Knockout Roses". They have been around for a few years, but are the number one selling rose in the country. 

Here is the official website.

Double Knockout Rose up close

They are the most disease resistant roses available, they have a long (April to November) and prolific bloom cycle, they are freeze hardy and drought tolerant and they are even self cleaning, i.e. they don't need to be deadheaded. Sounds like the perfect choice to add some color to the farm without dealing with all the inherent problems of roses.

They originally were developed in a brilliant deep red color.  Now they have added new varieties in other shades of pinks and even a new yellow and white variety.

Knockout Rose Yellow White

Flash forward about two or three weeks ago.  I was on my lunch break and my local grocery store, Kroger, had a ton of knockout roses in front of the store, for  $14.99 each.  A little pricey, and since I am not at the planting stage out there at the farm just yet, I figured, I'd wait until the time came.  Then last week, I just happened to go out the door of the store on the other side and they were on clearance!
For $3.99 each.

FOUR BUCKS!


 How could I pass that up??

They had 10 left, and 2 were a little scraggly, looked like they had been run over by a cart on more than one occasion, so I left those two and bought the other eight. 

$32 for eight plants, that would have originally cost $120 was a great deal. 

So, now I have them, as seen above, keeping them in the back yard, and keeping them watered until such time that they can be planted in their new home around the farmhouse, where hopefully they will last for years to come.

So if you ever wanted roses, but didn't want to fuss with the care they often require,

try some Knockout Roses, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.