Ground cover roses: the best varieties for creating a flower carpet in the garden

Ground cover roses are represented by creeping varieties and shrubs with arched, flowing shoots. They form a dense, voluminous carpet with a huge number of colors. A variety of old and newly developed varieties give gardeners the opportunity to select a plant with desirable characteristics.

The main feature of ground cover roses is abundant and long flowering.

Description and characteristics

Among ground cover roses there are varieties with red, pink, yellow and white flowers. The branches quickly create a dense planting, tightly enveloping the ground. Many varieties begin flowering in early summer and end in autumn. For this reason, ground cover roses are especially loved by landscape designers and amateur flower growers.

All varieties of ground cover roses are frost hardy and disease resistant. They do not require complex care. The branched plant prefers an elevated sunny location and loamy soil. Having purchased a ground cover rose of the variety you like, over time the gardener can easily increase the number of bushes through cuttings and layering.

Attention! Ground cover roses undergo only sanitary pruning and shoots are only slightly shortened.

Outdoor care

Ground cover roses are not fussy. They can survive some care mistakes without any problems. But in order to ensure rapid growth and abundant flowering, it is necessary to provide the flower with basic agrotechnical measures.

Watering

Young seedlings after planting require regular but moderate watering. It is necessary to allow the soil to dry 1-2 cm deep. Mature shrubs require an average of 1 watering per week. In hot, dry weather their number increases. It is better to water the plant in the morning, using warm, settled water. Do not overwater roses. This has a detrimental effect on the root system. In autumn, stop watering ground cover roses.

Feeding and fertilizer

In the first year of planting, if the soil has been filled with fertilizers, there is no need to feed the rose. Adult bushes require additional nutrition during the growing season.

Fertilizers are applied for the first time after the first leaves appear. Nitrogen-containing compounds are used to increase green mass. Before and during flowering, apply special fertilizers for roses. At the end of the first wave of flowering (late July), nitrogen can be added for the last time. Then it is excluded, otherwise the bushes will continue to grow and will not have time to prepare for wintering. In August and September, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are applied, which form stable immunity in roses and increase winter hardiness. During the same period, it is recommended to replace one of the complex fertilizers with the addition of organic matter.

Trimming

Unlike regular roses, ground cover roses do not require as much pruning and can form on their own. Many gardeners recommend not cutting them at all, so that their natural shape is preserved.

But there are also fans of scraps. The first year after planting, the rose can be trimmed a little to make it more bushy. Subsequently, regularly remove dry and damaged shoots and thin out too thick crowns to ensure normal air circulation. It is recommended to rejuvenate the bush every 5-6 years. Shorten all branches, leaving only 15-20 cm of their length. The cuts are made at an angle of 45 degrees, 1 cm away from the bud.

Types of ground cover roses

This garden group has hundreds of varieties that differ significantly from each other. Firstly, the characteristics of flowers differ: size, doubleness, structure, color and aroma. Secondly, the length and shape of the branches differ. Based on the second characteristic, two types can be roughly distinguished:

• low (30-70 cm) with long (3-5 m) shoots;
• tall (90-150 cm) with short drooping arcuate branches.

Due to the structural features of different varieties, the principles of their use differ. Thus, low varieties with long vines are used mostly for decorating low walls, fences and lawns. Ground cover roses with arched branches are more suitable for creating fences.

The planting density is calculated so that adult ground cover roses form a dense flowering carpet. Usually place from 1 to 5 bushes per square meter. For more specific instructions, please check with the manufacturer or supplier.

Important! Placing seedlings too close will further promote high growth of bushes.

Brief characteristics of varieties

The best varieties of ground cover roses

Among the many varieties of ground cover roses, there are those that have earned the special love of gardeners and designers. They have become popular due to their unusually lush flowering, dense branches and ease of cultivation. Below are the names of the most famous varieties of ground cover roses with a brief description.

Ballerina

The variety “Ballerina” won a high title at the Rose Growers Society competition in the USA. An abundant number of simple flowers up to 5 cm in diameter continuously covers the plant from June to November. They have an unusually delicate color - the pink edges of the petals smoothly turn into a white center. Large inflorescences exude a delicate musky aroma, which greatly enhances their attractiveness. An adult spherical bush has a height of up to 1 m and occupies an area of ​​120-150 cm.

Read more How to get rid of and how to treat roses from powdery mildew

The “Ballerina” variety of ground cover roses exhibits high resistance to climate change. It copes well with frost and summer heat. Can grow in shaded areas and is invulnerable to disease. There are usually 3 seedlings per square meter. They are often grown on a trunk, in a container and as low hedges.

Delicate flowers of the “Ballerina” variety exude a musky aroma

Bonica

The bush variety "Bonica" (Bonica 82, Meidonomac) has powerful shoots that rise 80 cm above the ground and grow to a width of more than 1 m. Double flowers collected in small groups cover the plant from early summer to late autumn. Over time, their color changes from light pink to white.

Roses "Bonika" look great in container planting and on a standard. They are used to create borders and rockeries. The flowers are suitable for cutting. When there is a large amount of moisture, the bushes are affected by black spot. Recommended planting density: 5 pieces per square meter.

Bonika rose flowers fade in the sun

Ferdy

The height of the Ferdi variety bush does not exceed 80 cm, while it grows 120 cm in width. Bright pink semi-double flowers cover the plant throughout the summer. A huge number of them are divided into small groups. The diameter of the flowers reaches 3-4 cm, they do not emit aroma.

The use of this variety of crop is wide: it is suitable for borders, growing on a trunk, single and group plantings. When describing ground cover roses of the Ferdi variety, one cannot fail to mention their amazing frost resistance. They are able to withstand harsh winters under light shelter.

Ground cover roses "Ferdi" are highly frost-resistant

Fair Play

The Fair Play hybrid was created back in 1977 and has gained extraordinary popularity over the years. The bush grows 150 cm in height and width. The arched branches are abundantly covered with large leaves and large inflorescences, emitting a pleasant aroma. The pink edges of the petals smoothly fade into a white base.

Fair Play roses are used in a variety of design projects. They are used to create colorful borders, terraced slopes and mixborders. This variety on a trunk is an elegant sight. The variety exhibits extraordinary frost resistance and very rarely gets sick. 3 seedlings are planted per square meter.

The Fair Play variety tolerates severe frosts well.

Kent

The “Kent” variety grows 1 m in width, reaching a height of up to 50 cm. The shiny leaves are harmoniously combined with white semi-double flowers. They are very large and collected in small inflorescences. There is a light aroma. The buds remain open until autumn.

This variety of ground cover roses is practically disease free. Looks great in group plantings and in the front row of the border. "Kent" is successfully grown in containers. It exhibits extraordinary winter hardiness and grows quickly.

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A feature of the ground cover roses "Kent" is their rapid growth

Rouge Meillandécor

The variety "Rouge Meillandecor" (Rouge Meidiland) was bred in 1989 and has a second name. Simple flowers impress with their large size (up to 7 cm) and bright color. The rich red color of the petals is emphasized by the soft white center. In the photo of the ground cover rose variety "Rouge Meillandecor" the extremely abundant flowering always catches the eye.

The frost resistance and shade tolerance of the variety endlessly please gardeners. Bushes are very rarely affected by diseases. They look great in single and group plantings, as well as in standard form. 5 bushes are usually planted per square meter.

Roses "Rouge Meillandecor" tolerate shade well

Fiona

The bush of the ground cover rose "Fiona" rises 80 cm above the ground and grows 120 cm in width. The arched branches are covered with dark shiny leaves and many bright pink double flowers up to 6 cm in diameter. They are collected in large groups and produce a barely noticeable aroma.

Like most ground cover roses, “Fiona” is characterized by long flowering, winter hardiness and immunity. No more than 4 bushes are placed on one square meter. Group or single planting creates a bright spot on the site.

Rose “Fiona” - an accent element in landscape design

Weise Immensi

The main feature of the Weisse Immensee ground cover roses is their pronounced aroma. Many simple white flowers with yellow stamens do not fade until winter in the southern regions. The branches grow up to 5 m, rising above the ground by only 50-60 cm. Flowers at the end of the season are replaced by decorative fruits.

Looks very nice in a standard. The plant is also suitable for creating hedges and decorating slopes. Roses "Weise Immunity" easily tolerate temperatures of -20 ° C. It is recommended to plant 2 plants per square meter.

Roses "Weise Immunity" have average resistance to powdery mildew and black spot

Snow Ballet

The variety of ground cover roses “Snow Ballet” is characterized by a rich aroma, which only complements its many advantages. Large double flowers are created from many snow-white petals with a barely noticeable pink tint. The shoots of an adult plant reach 4 m, rising above the ground by no more than 40 cm.

In the southern regions, "Snow Ballet" blooms from early summer until winter. Looks great in a standard. Creates the effect of a gentle cloud in single and group plantings. The hybrid is not susceptible to disease, but needs shelter even at -5 °C. 5-6 plants are placed on one square meter.

The Snow Ballet variety needs reliable shelter for the winter.

Planting, care and cultivation

Despite the relatively simple care, the type of roses that creep along the ground requires compliance with a list of rules that will help create the most comfortable conditions for plants to grow and develop.

We plant ground cover roses on hills, in well-lit places, which are shaded during the peak of the midday heat. Otherwise, the rose may get burns to the leaves and petals. Also in lowlands, the bush may suffer from excess moisture, which can lead to rotting of the root system. An ideal option would be a raised flower bed or a hillock.

Roses don't like shade! The optimal location of the site is southeast and west.

Plants love chernozem soils; light loamy soils are allowed. The soil reaction should be slightly acidic. It is quite simple to create conditions on the site, so even if you do not live in an area with chernozem soils, this is not a reason to refuse roses on the site.

If there were already roses in the selected area, then the soil will have to be carefully prepared. Flowers will not like alkalizing the soil; you will need to prepare a suitable substrate and plant the rose in a deep hole with completely prepared soil.

Roses spread and require a lot of space. Consider the recommendations for a specific variety when planting; do not plant the plant in a flower garden with an abundance of other plants.

Pruning ground cover roses

If the rose bush was planted in the fall, there is no need to prune it in the spring. For an already established plant, pruning is carried out in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season, after the cover has been removed. Pruning itself comes down to cutting out dried, diseased shoots. A creeping bush requires minimal crown formation.

Once every 6-7 years, a complete rejuvenation of the bush is carried out - all branches are cut off, leaving ground parts 10-15 cm long and tall.

Total pruning completely rejuvenates the plant and makes further care much easier. However, this approach will require about six months for the rose to restore its green mass, and the area will look unsightly.

Video on pruning ground cover roses to help:

How to cover ground cover roses for the winter

In temperate climates, most ground cover roses tolerate wintering well without shelter, but in regions where severe frosts are possible, it is better to play it safe and provide shelter for the plants.

Plants take shelter with the onset of frost. If after sheltering the air temperature rises above zero, then the roses must be ventilated regularly, otherwise rot may form and rot may develop - the bush will die.

The shoots are covered with branches and spruce branches. Spruce branches can also be laid on the ground under rose vines to prevent rotting of the branches. To create a shelter with an air gap, dense fabric, lutrasil, or tarpaulin can also be used. The material can envelop the bush or be laid on agrofibre or metal arches.

Advantages and disadvantages of ground cover roses

The universal love of gardeners for ground cover roses is explained by the following characteristics:

1. A dense covering of the ground that prevents weeds from breaking through.
2. Abundant and long flowering.
3. Beautiful leaves.
4. Endurance to different weather conditions, resistance to diseases and pests.
5. They do not require complex annual pruning.
6. Easily propagated using layering and cuttings.

Read more Rose Pat Austin: photo and description, reviews

In the middle zone, ground cover roses are recommended to be carefully covered. This is explained by the fact that active growth of branches continues until late autumn, and they enter winter immature. Under the influence of very low temperatures, such shoots can freeze, rot, or encounter a fungal disease.

Advice! To cover roses for the winter, spruce branches, polystyrene foam and roofing felt are used.

Protection from pests and diseases

Most ground cover roses are disease resistant. But over time, pathogens of various infections adapt to new conditions and can infect healthy plants. More often, infectious diseases in roses are caused by fungi, which form a mycelium that spreads not only to all parts of the plant, but also into the soil. Fungal spores can persist for a very long time, even on dead plant debris and pose a threat of infection to healthy plants.

Ground cover roses can be susceptible to infections:

• powdery mildew;
• rust;
• black spot.

To save the plant, you must first remove the affected stems and leaves and burn them. Spray the bush with copper sulfate and a fungicide solution (Topaz, Fitosporin, Fundazol).

Of the pests that can affect a rose:

• spider mite;
• green roseate aphid;
• rose leaf roller;
• scale insect

To destroy parasites, 2-3 treatments of the bush with a systemic insecticide (Fitoverm, Fufanon, Aktara) are carried out with an interval of 3-5 days.

Application in landscape design

Gardeners have long appreciated the ability of ground cover roses to fit into a variety of design styles, creating delicate and colorful arrangements. They look especially impressive when used in this way:

• near low retaining walls;
• in the middle of lawns;
• on the slopes;
• in containers;
• on raised beds;
• in grafting on trunks;
• like borders;
• as hedges.

To successfully bring your favorite idea to life, you need to take seriously the choice of the variety of ground cover roses. For example, weaving varieties are ideal for decorating low walls and slopes. Borders and hedges are created exclusively from varieties with flowing branches. Only shallow-rooted varieties are suitable for containers.

In a video about growing ground cover roses:

Culture propagation

Ground cover roses in autumn, as in spring, can be propagated by dividing the bush. The shoots of some species take root themselves during the propagation process. If this is not desirable for a particular site, it is better to place them on a hill and make sure that the stems do not come into contact with the ground.

Cuttings are another fairly easy method of propagation. It allows you to quickly have a whole garden of luxury. To do this, make oblique cuts in the fall and place the shoots in sand or damp soil until the root system appears. It is advisable to first start young plants indoors, planting them in pots, and in the spring transfer them to open ground.

In the garden

Ground cover roses, if their characteristics in growth (plant habit) and shape (compact or large “cap” bushes) are taken into account correctly, can create a unique source of beauty and enchantment, for which there is hardly a cure. Since this ground cover variety requires a minimum of care (does not require regular pruning), almost continuously covers the ground with thousands of flowers, is quite resistant to most fungal diseases and tolerates frosts well and, in addition, can grow in conditions that are unsuitable for the existence of this class (slopes ), it is indispensable in the decoration of your garden plot.

Groundcover, low-growing, compact, varieties of roses with creeping shoots are widely used for plantings in borders and as neat fencing of flower beds, along garden paths or along the edges of a rose garden, on the lawn, for alpine slides (there groundcover small beauties combine harmoniously with plants, as they have compact bush and small flowers), in container culture, in flowerpots, in wicker baskets, in single or group planting as a picturesque mini-carpet.

Medium arched or spacious ground cover varieties are perfect for various group and solitary (single) plantings, for cutting, for decorating clumps of various shapes, in a flower bed. Groups of ground cover roses of different colors look extremely good; this is when you can observe the transitions of tones from one end to the other. This type of rose looks especially charming in a mixed combination with other perennials or shrubs, such as: astilbe, Siberian irises, golden barberries, sage, cuff, delphinium, lavender, heuchera, silver wormwood, costa, etc.

Ground cover roses are often planted together with marigolds, which perfectly disinfect and heal the soil and act as a kind of phytosanitary.

Large paintings of juniper arrangements will transform your garden into a more natural and picturesque style. Groundcover varieties are often planted in large groups on the lawn, in combination with conifers. Large, long ground cover bushes with drooping shoots are perfect for decorating retaining walls, slopes, slopes, rock gardens, since fabulous cascade carpets will frame a house wall, door or window melodiously and melodiously lower the majestic lashes of flowers from the elevation. In addition, this group can be used to create an impressive and at the same time luxurious trunk - a weeping tree strewn with flowers with long whip-stems.

Any, even impossible, idea of ​​yours can be realized if you use ground cover varieties of roses. The bushes of these plants will be to the taste of every gardener.

Trimming

Creeping roses should not be radically pruned. Although in the first year the stems are shortened in order to cause tillering. It is necessary to form a bush to constantly limit the size, which is considered optimal for the variety. To prevent the occurrence of mold or fungal diseases, you need to ensure that the bush is ventilated and is sufficiently illuminated by sunlight.

Important! The shoots are cut at an angle of 45°, the distance of the cut from the nearest bud should not be less than 0.5 cm. They prune mainly those branches that are directed towards the middle of the bush and thereby thicken it greatly

If several shoots grow from one bud, the strongest one is left, the rest are removed. 5–6 years after planting, ground cover roses should be rejuvenated. Cut off all stems at a distance of 20–30 cm from the root. All cuts must be treated with garden varnish; the bush is sprayed with a one percent solution of copper sulfate.

No matter how beautiful ground cover roses are, caring for and growing most of them is not a very labor-intensive process, which is why this variety of flowers has become popular recently. They are in high demand and look very impressive in various flowerpots and flower beds. In addition, they often decorate nondescript areas.

Creeping roses are versatile and can be grown and tied like climbing roses. Planting such plants in the center of even the best grass lawn will give it much more originality. Small ground cover roses can be bred in wide containers and placed on the site in the summer, and brought into the house in the winter, turning it into a house plant for the winter.

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Best care tips

Ground cover roses are less demanding than other varieties. This gives a good chance to grow luxurious flowers even for gardening beginners. At the same time, long-term flowering and active growth of bushes can be achieved only if all the “whims” of the garden beauty are fulfilled. To do this, you need to know what conditions are necessary for this plant, as well as useful nuances for successful cultivation.

Secrets of success for ground cover roses:

Fertilizing should only be done the next year after planting. The frequency of adding minerals is determined individually. In general, 5-7 feedings must be used per season. Ground cover roses are also very susceptible to foliar feeding, which can be alternated with conventional ones. In early spring, the bushes are fed with nitrogen fertilizers. For this, rotted manure, humus or ammonium nitrate is used. Before fertilizing, the plant is well watered. Before the formation of buds, sodium humate or potassium sulfate is added. This will give the plant the necessary strength to bloom. During flowering, fertilizers are not applied, this can damage the bush. After flowering, it is necessary to remove old buds from the plant, and then feed it well with potassium and phosphorus complexes. Re-blooming varieties need to use at least two feedings with a break of 10 days. At the end of the season, fertilize three times, the main purpose of which is to give the plant an additional margin of safety for a successful winter. At the end of summer, organic matter is used, after two weeks - phosphorus complexes, after another two - potassium

It is important to finish feeding about a month before the onset of real frost, so the timing can be determined by your climatic region. Roses are also pruned the next year after planting. This stimulates the formation of side shoots and the creation of an attractive bush shape.

The cutting areas must be treated with garden varnish, and the bush itself must be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture to prevent infection of the branches. Approximately once every five years it is recommended to carry out anti-aging pruning of the bush. To do this, all shoots are shortened to 20-25 centimeters, and the middle of the bush is thinned out. The disadvantage is the loss of decorativeness, but the next season the plant will thank the owner with lush flowering and active growth. Watering garden roses must be done with plenty of pre-settled water. On average, each bush will need 10 liters of water. At the same time, waterlogging is not allowed, as a result of which the plant can rot and become sick. Loosening the bush is desirable, but difficult to do for old plants. The root area must be mulched and cared for whenever possible. It is more advisable to simply spray and water heavily overgrown bushes, and loosen them when pruning or fertilizing.

The video below will tell you a lot of useful information about growing ground cover roses.

Shelter for the winter

Our climate (middle zone) is characterized by severe or moderately severe winters. Representatives of the ground cover group of roses tolerate frosts well under the snow, and may even not shed their leaves until spring. However, recently weather conditions have been unstable, i.e. Temperatures can fluctuate within a day from above zero to below zero. Therefore, the possibility of freezing increases not only for roses, but also for trees. Therefore, as a precaution,
roses
covered (geotextile, agrofilm, etc.).