Pike Nurseries - So Many Roses!

Love is blossoming with Valentine’s Day right around the corner -- and no other plant says “romance” quite like a rose.

Coincidentally, the month of love is also the perfect month to plant new roses, according to the garden experts at Pike Nurseries.  The local garden center offers the widest selection of rose plants – about 20 different varieties – each flaunting alluring aromas, colorful petals, and symbols of eternal love.

A staple in many Southern gardens, roses can often be intimidating for beginner gardeners who may not know where to start in planting, pruning, and caring for these botanical beauties.

To help gardeners, Pike Nurseries will host a FREE Growing Roses class on Saturday, February 29 at 10 a.m.

Top 5 Rose Varieties for Southern Gardens:
Iceberg:  An elegant choice, the ‘Iceberg’ rose is one of the world’s best-known varieties.  It produces abundant, large, pure white flowers accompanied by sweet scents of honey on nearly thorn-less stems.  ‘Iceberg’ roses are vigorous growers, quickly reaching three to four feet tall and wide.  They’re a good choice for a hedge or property border.  As with other landscape or shrub types, ‘Iceberg’ roses are hardy, disease resistant and low maintenance. All roses need to be planted in full sun (six to eight hours a day).

Drift® Roses:  Drift Roses, a well-known, award-winning series of roses, come in a variety of colors.  Three popular Drift varieties include Red Drift, Popcorn Drift, and Apricot Drift.  Red Drift is covered with profuse magenta-red petite blooms.  Popcorn Drift displays small blooms of yellow that fade to white, giving a two-tone affect on the whole plant.   Apricot Drift sports many-petaled blooms of a pale peach/apricot color.  All ten Drift varieties are known for their hardy nature, strong disease resistance, and low growing spreading habit; they grow less than two feet tall and two to three feet wide.  These roses are ideal for small gardens, containers, or along a low wall where they can trail over the edge.  Perfect for beginner gardeners wanting to try their first rose.  

Mister Lincoln:  For gardeners wanting that traditional red rose in their landscape, ‘Mister Lincoln’ is one of the most popular choices with its large, shapely blooms in a deep rich, velvety red.  As a hybrid tea type, ‘Mister Lincoln’ has that classic rose shape with up to 35 petals on each flower and long stems perfect for cutting and bringing indoors.  With its strong classic rose scent, ‘Mister Lincoln’ is an ideal choice to plant near a walkway, patio, or under a window where gardeners can enjoy the fragrance.

Twilight Zone:  This eye-catching rose has large old-fashioned, slightly ruffled flowers in a deep velvety purple color.  Coupled with its unique hue, the ‘Twilight Zone’ rose also has an interesting clove and citrus scent.  As a grandiflora type – similar to hybrid tea, this rose is hardy, disease resistant, and produces clusters of blooms on long stems and grows tall, reaching three to five feet high by two to four feet wide.  With its height and stunning color, ‘Twilight Zone’ makes a beautiful focal point in the landscape where its sure to be a conversation starter.

New Dawn:  Gardeners wanting that romantic look of roses clinging to a trellis or pergola can look to the ‘New Dawn’ climbing rose.  With its big clusters of pale pink flowers, ‘New Dawn’ creates a spectacular vision on arbors or along fence lines.  It’s a disease resistant and vigorous climber, reaching up to 20 feet! It’s a prolific rebloomer, “free flowering” late spring into summer and up to the first frost.  And the fresh, sweet fragrance is heavenly making ‘New Dawn’ the perfect rose to plant near patios and other outdoor living areas.

For more information on rose plant varieties offered at Pike Nurseries, please visit pikenursery.com.