17 February 2015
Roses in Containers
Many of the roses that are presently fashionable are quite small, standing between 45cm and 80cm in height. They can easily be lost in a garden unless carefully placed, or grown as part of a group of like-coloured flowers so they can make an impact. It is often better to grow these roses in containers, which means the flowers are raised to a higher position, and the containers can be moved into prominent positions when the plant is at its best, either on the patio or positioned between other plants in a border. Roses and other plants can start their life with you in a container, but can be planted out in the garden at a later time. 
Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet' Small, rather fragile roses that haven’t developed good root systems may best be grown on their own in a container. When a number of plants are grown in the same pot there is competition for the available resources – both water and nutrients - and the rose needs to have a good, established root system to effectively hold its own. In these cases it can be really attractive to have a group of several containers, preferably matching. The plants that you grow in them can complement or contrast with the flowers of the centrepiece – the rose. Good effects can be achieved by having a whole container filled with plants of a single colour. For example purple Petunias, red Verbena, bold golden Marigolds or the deep blue of delicate Nigella. You can also use companion plants that are grown for their foliage such as the woolly silvered, non-flowering Stachys byzantina 'Silver Carpet' or the trailing silvered round leaves of a plant such as Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls'. These colours combine well with pink roses. Other foliage plants can be utilised such as the intriguing rose and mahogany tints of Heuchera 'Midnight Bayou'. 
Diascia (Flying Colours Series) 'Flying Colours Deep Salmon' Alternately a rose can be grown in the same container as other plants. For this option the container needs to be of a substantial size so that all the plants can thrive. It is usually more effective to choose small, dainty flowers to contrast with the often large and solid blooms of the rose. Suggestions include Nemesia that will flower all summer through and have alluring colours that will combine well with roses. The showy Nemesia 'Sundrops' with its clear orange flowers would go with yellow or peach shades. Or the small flowers of Felicia such as the blue, trailing Felicia amelloides 'Santa Anita' that can complement blue or contrast with other light tints. The solid, trailing Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' with its yellow foliage and flowers makes a bold contrast to red roses. Finally, try the white Angelonia 'Angelface 'White' with white roses, or the jolly salmon tints of Diascia such as Diascia (Flying Colours Series) 'Flying Colours Deep Salmon', for a lively interaction with yellow, purple, or peach roses. Notes on rose care: Put a slow release fertiliser in the container when planting and give the plants an additional feed in mid to late summer. Water very regularly, and when it is hot, be prepared to water twice daily. Encourage gifts of good-sized matching containers - three make a good group! This Longacres Blog post was contributed by Susan A. Tindall
