Knock Out Roses

When I researched roses, I wanted something very hardy.  (Years ago, I tried to grow roses and killed them.)  This time, I wanted to do my best.

My grandmother told me one of her roses was "knock out roses."   I thought she was kidding about the name, but it's true.

Knock Out Roses are GREAT to grow in Louisiana!  They have a continuous blooming cycle and if it's not too cold during the winter, it will bloom throughout the year.

These roses need full sun - 8 hours of sun daily to perform and bloom their best.  They are easy-to-grow, but they still need raised beds for proper drainage.

Prune mid-February by conducting a two-thirds height-reduction pruning.  Prune again in early September by conducting a one-third height-reduction.  Add mulch as needed - two to three inches of mulch are great for roses.

OK, two negatives to this rose.... 

First, it has NO smell!  Seriously, no fragrance, but it's hardy and disease resistant.  I figured it was an excellent rose bush to start with.

Secondly, the roses are kinda small, not layered heavily.

The rose bush gets as big as 4-5 feet tall.  In the below picture, the bush is about double the size as when I first bought it this year.