Azusa, California – Roses aren’t just for landscapes anymore. Their graceful form and sensational, colorful blooms make them the perfect container plant too. The key is to choose the right type of rose. The right rose variety can thrive in containers and make a big impact on your front entryway or outdoor entertaining space. Growing roses in containers allows you to move them around the garden, adding beautiful color when and where you need it. It also keeps them close enough to smell, touch, and enjoy everyday.
Here are a few things you need to know to grow healthy, happy roses in containers:
The first step is to choose the right rose. Many rose varieties can be too big and sprawling to look good and grow well in a container. Groundcover type roses are our top pick for the best rose to grow in pots. They have a shorter, more compact growth habit than shrub roses, which keeps them tidy. Plus, they play well with others. Groundcover roses will mingle beautifully with companion plants for a spectacular display of color, bloom, and texture.
Top choices for container roses
Nitty Gritty™ groundcover roses produce prolific amounts of flowers and offer excellent disease resistance. Nitty Gritty™ varieties are own-root roses, lending durability and dependable beauty. They are self-cleaning, low-maintenance and don’t require deadheading or complicated pruning techniques. Plus, they are gorgeous in large containers and hanging baskets.
Nitty Gritty™ Pink Rose (pictured above) brings luminescent, deep pink color to any container garden. This bright color pairs well with many different types of flowers including 
Junior Walker™ Catmint.
Adding white flowers to the garden can create drama and brighten darker areas. Try pairing Nitty Gritty™ White with Bloodstone Thrift or Millenium Ornamental Onion for bright white containers with a pop of color.
Choose the unexpected with a patio tree rose
Patio trees make a statement and create a focal point for your space. When that patio tree is a rose, it adds even more color, architectural interest, and vertical appeal. Monrovia tree roses are carefully grown and expertly pruned by our Craftsmen for three years before they are available at retail. They make an unexpected addition to front porches, back patios, and any outdoor gathering space.
Grace N’ Grit™ Roses are a great choice here, with their abundant blooms and adaptable performance.
Tips For Growing Roses in Containers
- Choose roses with a compact habit. Groundcover roses, miniature roses, and smaller shrub roses are excellent choices for containers thanks to their smaller growth habit.
- Use a large, deep container of at least 18 inches in diameter to support the growth of your roses.
- Find companions that won’t upstage the star. When planting roses in mixed containers, pair them with plants that have smaller blooms and thinner foliage to complement the lush flowers and leaves of the rose.
- Feed occasionally per label instructions. You can try liquid rose fertilizer or a well-balanced granular option. Stop feeding your roses about a month before your last frost to prevent new growth before winter weather sets in.
- Water consistently. Make watering easy with drip irrigation lines, self-watering tools, or by placing containers where they’re accessible.
- Top dress with compost and mulch. Compost will offer a well-balanced source of healthy nutrients, microorganisms, and minerals, while the mulch will protect the roots and maintain moisture.
- Nitty Gritty and Grace N’ Grit roses don’t have complicated or fancy pruning requirements. Prune the plant back to about one-third its size in late winter or early spring. Dead branches can be pruned down to the top of the soil at any time.
- Protect in winter in cold climates (Zones 5 and lower). Add another layer of mulch as temperatures drop. Put your containers in a shed or garage if you live in an area with harsh, cold winters. In warmer areas, you can place your containers next to an exterior wall of the house to protect them from wind and create some added protection from winter weather.
About Monrovia
Inspired by the beauty of plants, gardens, and landscapes everywhere, Harry E. Rosedale, Sr. founded Monrovia in 1926 to be a premier grower of shrubs and trees. Monrovia collaborates with plant breeders around the world to introduce improved plant varieties to North America. Monrovia plants flourish once planted to beautify gardens and landscapes. Please visit www.monrovia.com to learn more.
