ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk
GARDENING:
Drift roses are carpet of color for Mother's Day
May 03, 2015
By Barb Henry/Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Charla Borchers Leon/Victoria County Master Gardener
PHOTO BY BARB HENRY/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
This eye-catching coral Drift rose will reward with endless color all season long, requiring no special care or maintenance beyond cutting it back every year in early spring after the last threat of frost has passed, routine watering as well as feeding in late summer.
Printed with permission from cottageatthecrossroads.com.
The beautiful Drift rose in peach is the most prolific bloomer of the seven varieties. Shown here in the landscape, its blooms all but create a carpet of color.
PHOTO BY BARB HENRY/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
This eye-catching coral drift rose will reward with endless color all season long, requiring no special care or maintenance beyond cutting it back every year in early spring after the last threat of frost has passed, routine watering as well as feeding in late summer.
PHOTO BY BARB HENRY/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
The petite, single blooms of the red Drift rose mixed with yellow cool-weather calendulas (and violas in the back) “pop” in this existing corner bed in Victoria.
Mother's Day is always an occasion for flowers and if you love the nearly constant blooming season of Knockout roses, you will be enchanted by this related dwarf cultivar. Its very low-spreading habit can add variety and color to your beds and landscape.
Growing conditions
This dwarf flowering shrub will thrive in our summer heat and drought and prefers full sun, needing at least six hours a day. Like most roses, these do not like wet feet, so they require well-drained soil.
It is resistant to disease and insects that plague most roses and is cold hardy all the way to Zone 4. A drift rose keeps its glossy, dark green leaves through the winter, so it remains attractive when most of your landscape is dormant.
Deadheading is not necessary, but will encourage re-blooming and keeps the plant tidy. Like other roses, they will need to be pruned back in early spring just before leaf buds begin to open.
Most roses are heavy feeders, and drifts will need a good fertilizer twice during the growing season.
Description/uses
The drift cultivar was developed by the Conard-Pyle Co., which also previously introduced Knockout roses, and was released to the public in 2008. A cross between full-size ground cover roses and miniatures, it is tough, disease-resistant and winter-hardy like the ground cover rose and is a well-managed size with a repeat-blooming nature like miniatures.
The ground-hugging, spreading habit of this plant makes it perfect for small gardens and combination planters.
They are suitable as borders, in containers, hanging baskets and alone for a spot of color. Combining them with flowering plants of varied heights and colors makes for a beautiful display. Herbs also make perfect companion plants for your Drifts as long as you remember to match their sun, water and nutrient needs.
They can also be used to cover slopes in the landscape and help with erosion control. They have roots that knit together and hold the soil in place. They also have thorns, like all the Knockout rose varieties.
Quickly fill empty space
Drifts make a shrub 2 to 3 feet wide and 18 to 24 inches tall, so they can cover a lot of area per plant and quickly fill empty space. They will triple in size during the growth season. Be sure to remember this spreading habit when placing your plants and allow plenty of room for growth.
Because it is a shrub, it will be in your landscape for many years.
Have three blooming seasons
There are three blooming seasons - from early spring, nonstop all summer and fall, through first frost. The blooms are only about 1 to 11/2 inches in diameter; but don't be mistaken, these are not your picky little miniature roses but a tough and hardy ground covering shrub.
Seven color varieties exist
Each variety has its own special characteristics.
The blooms of several varieties fade in color as they age, so there are several shades of color on one bush.
Availability
Checking with local nurseries that carry roses, I found these varieties to be available now: red drift, pink drift, peach drift, coral drift and apricot drift.
Planting
Fall is really the best time to plant, although they can be planted now. Drift roses need a well-prepared bed. Allow at least 3 feet between plants, 4 to 5 feet is better if you are planning on the long term. The soil pH for roses should be between 6.0-6.5.
Dig a hole two times as wide as the pot your plant is in and a bit deeper. Loosen the dirt in the bottom of the hole. Gently loosen the roots of your new plant and place in the hole. Refill the hole all around, keeping the top of the dirt at the original level on the plant. Water in well with about two gallons of water.
Once the plant is established, fertilize in the spring when the plant needs it most, using a good slow-release fertilizer. If you are planting now, the plant will likely already come with fertilizer in the soil. Another application in late summer will help keep plants blooming well into the fall.
Mulching is very important for roses. It helps buffer the wet to dry cycle and keeps the feeder roots from drying out, so you water less.
Give and plant a drift rose for Mother's Day and watch the explosion of color - and ground cover - for years to come.
The Gardeners' Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas AgriLife Extension - Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com
• Applicant from Victoria or adjacent county
• Must have at least 60 hours of college credit
• Major in horticulture, agriculture or related field.
• For more information and application form, go to:
vcmga.org/2015_current_project--scholarship
Deadline: June 1
Description
• Perennial/evergreen shrub
• Reaches 18 to 24 inches high; 2 to 3 feet wide
• Cold Hardy to Zone 4
• Blooms three seasons: spring, summer and through fall to first frost
• Landscaped in massed plantings, low borders as space fillers
• Planted on slopes for erosion control/alone for color accent
• Does well in containers
• Drought/heat resistant
• Very disease/insect resistant
• Seven varieties in color, flower shape and growth
Care
• Requires well-drained soil
• Prefers full sun - at least six hours per day
• Needs regular watering pattern
• Feed twice in growing season; use slow release fertilizer
• Prune early spring before leaf buds open
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk