Roses for the Landscape Roses are the queen of landscape flowers. Nothing entrances a gardener or even a nongardener like a rose. Who can resist stopping to gaze at a newly opened rose blossom or to lean over for a whiff of the fragrance. The traditional rose garden is filled with hybrid teas, with their long stems and perfect rose buds ideal for cutting. However, when it comes to landscape plants, we need choices that are more carefree, that are attractive and able to withstand our climate, pests, diseases, and soils, while providing a little seasonal color. Abandon Rose Prejudice Many of the best landscape roses have not made it big because of what I call "rose prejudice." Most people think all roses need to be pampered and are bewildered at the confusion over proper pruning techniques, but I am talking about roses that are able to survive and bloom even if you don't spray them. Pruning them usually amounts to a big shearing in winter and a light shearing or two in summer.
Another form of rose prejudice is the idea that rose blooms need to look like a long-stemmed hybrid tea. In fact, roses have many forms -- from simple single blooms with five petals to shaggy multipetaled forms to the traditional tea forms, just to name a few. There are a number of roses that make good landscape shrubs. The basic qualifications are that they are dense with attractive foliage and are not prone to disease problems. They also need to be well adapted to our warm southern growing conditions, and bloom well, too. Some of my favorites are Knock Out and the newer Rainbow Knock Out. These roses makes a great shrubs with dark green foliage and new growth that emerges with beautiful color in red and pink. The best part is that they are some of the most disease-resistant roses I have ever grown.  continued
Spring & Summer Rose Care Just like summer houseguests, roses eat and drink with abandon this time of year, and it's up to you to give them what they want. Happily Soaked Roses need water several times a week to grow and continue to bloom in dry weather, but wet leaves contribute to fungal diseases. Solve this dilemma with soaker hoses laid right next to the base of the rose bushes. If it just 'never' rains this summer, rinse their leaves with a gentle stream from your garden hose once a week to wash the dust off. Whenever possible, do this leaf rinsing in time for the foliage to dry before nightfall. Although a granular rose fertilizer label may say to use it once a month, its ingredients may be used up in three weeks. If leaves pale or stems thin by then, use a soluble fertilizer during the last week of the month. Think of it as a snack between meals for those hungry guests.  continued Quick Tips Cut Rose Branches Anytime It's always fine to cut out completely any rose branch that doesn't leaf out, dies for no apparent reason during the season, or grows askance and cannot be trained. Cut these branches or stems all the way back to their source, whether that is a main trunk or the ground. Look for Evidence of Attack When rose leaves are chewed, leaving ragged edges or worse, a few observations will easily tell you what pest you're dealing with if none are present. Look early in the morning before the sun gets on the leaves for slime trails from snails, late afternoon for tiny pellets from caterpillars.  more tips & resources  back to the Regional Gardening Guide