6 Top Roses to Grow in Rhode Island

If you hesitate to grow roses in your garden because they are too hard to maintain, you can rest assured. Many easy-to-grow varieties are great for beginners. Use these tips to get the most out of your rose garden when purchasing and cultivating your plants. Here are some of our top picks of roses that thrive in Rhode Island.

1. White Simplicity Hedge Rose

Construct a brilliant ribbon of white with the White Simplicity Hedge Rose. This low-maintenance, heavily flowering shrub is an ideal addition to any garden, providing it with long-lasting vibrant color for many months.

The Simplicity series of roses has gained a reputation for being easy to grow and having a full, bushy shape with plentiful blooms. These roses were specially bred to require minimal care while still exhibiting exceptional disease resistance. White Simplicity Hedge Rose produces double white flowers with golden centers, giving off a sweet aroma that perfumes the air. This variety of roses is ideal for planting near a deck or other gathering area in the garden.

2. Mauvelous Floribunda Rose

This spectacular rose displays an uncommon hue with its deep mauve-tinted petals and faint underside. The flowers grow in bunches of up to 9. This shrub rose will decorate your landscape in unparalleled color. People who see the Mauvelous Floribunda Rose will likely be attracted to it, and when they do, they will be captivated by its strong lemon scent. With stems reaching up to 15 inches, this is a great flower to place in vases. Thanks to its strong roots, it thrives and looks great in a perennial bed or garden.

3. Party Dress Groundcover Rose

Party Dress Groundcover Rose is ideal for growing in cold climates and produces many flowers. This shrub grows quickly and can reach up to 2 feet high and 3 feet wide in several seasons. The small pointed buds of this rose open up to show off bright candy-pink single flowers with a large golden central cluster of stamens and a wide open form. These blooms can be cut to use in bouquets or corsages. This rose variety is perfect for creating a vibrant and cheerful atmosphere in any sunny area, such as a shrub border, driveway, or other outdoor areas that need a bit of extra color.

4. Blushing Lavender Grandiflora Rose

The Blushing Lavender Grandiflora Rose produces an abundance of beautiful, large lavender petals with a light pink blush from late spring to late fall. The 4- to 5-inch double flowers have a sweet, fruity scent, and the medium to somewhat short stems are ideal for cutting.

This rosebush is of moderate size, and its growth pattern is upright yet extended. It is highly resistant to disease and looks great when planted solo or with other plants in a garden bed.

5. Peppermint Party Climbing Rose

This vigorous climbing and spreading rose can reach 8-10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. It has glossy olive-green foliage, and its canes are medium-long and arching. It blooms from late spring to late fall with clusters of 3-inch spiraled flowers with 25 soft-yellow to cream petals with red edging. The flowers have a fruity scent which makes them nice for bouquets.

Peppermint Party is highly resistant to disease and can be cultivated in various forms. It can be grown on trellises, trained along fences, or simply be left to grow naturally.

6. Never Been Redder Patio Tree Rose

This rose bush has a distinctive “trunk” topped with a floribunda rose, giving it the look of a tree. The deep red, vintage-style double blooms appear in groups of 6 to 8 and bloom from spring to autumn. The higher crown of this plant allows for the planting of sun-loving annuals and perennials beneath it.

Tree roses can be used in many ways to spruce up your outdoor space. They can provide an eye-catching addition to your garden or yard and also make excellent vertical decorations near doorways or pathways.

Buying a Rose

If you are a beginner rose gardener, purchasing one of the newer hybrid varieties when starting your rose garden is best. These types of roses can cope better with cold weather and require less maintenance than the older classical varieties.

Potted or Bare Root?

For those starting out growing roses in Rhode Island, it is best to purchase pre-potted bushes as they are easier to care for. Find bushes in at least two-gallon pots and ensure the stems and leaves look healthy. Doing this will ensure beautiful blooms in your first season.

Different Rose Varieties

When you think of roses, you may imagine hybrid roses with their many petals on each bloom. Grandiflora and floribunda roses have flowers that grow in bunches. Miniature roses are smaller and grow on smaller bushes. Shrub and rambler roses have a more sprawling growth pattern, and the latter thrive when grown on trellises.

Tools Needed

Having the appropriate tools in your garden is essential for planting and caring for your roses. Pruning shears can be used to remove dead flowers, remove diseased parts of the bush, and open up the bush. Fertilizing your roses will help them remain healthy. Additionally, mulch should be used to cover the roots, particularly in the winter when several inches of mulch is needed to guard against the cold temperatures in Rhode Island.

Planting Tips

If you are ready to take your rose garden to the next level, then follow these simple steps for a stunning display.

When planting, dig a deep hole providing ample space for the roots and ensuring proper drainage.

It is best to plant roses in the spring for successful growing when the weather is not too hot or sunny. Additionally, make sure to place the bushes in an area that receives at least six hours of sunlight each day.

In the early springtime, trimming the rose bush by removing approximately a third of the branches will allow more light to reach the plant.

When to Plant

In order to decide when to plant roses in Rhode Island, you must first take note of your USDA Hardiness Zone. Rhode Island is in Zones 5b through 7a, with winter temperatures ranging from -15 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

This means that the last frost date here is around mid-April, so it is best to wait until the end of April to plant a new rose bush. For northern Rhode Island, the last frost date is after the 1st of May. Additionally, you will want to ensure that the soil has thawed enough before planting the rose bush so that you can easily work with it and dig a wide enough hole for the rose bush roots. Roses should be planted in the spring rather than in autumn when other shrubs and perennials are typically planted.

Soil Type

In general, loam is ideal for roses since it is light and enables air and water to reach the roots easily. If your yard doesn’t have loam, you can adjust your clay or sandy soil to create perfect conditions for growing.

For Rhode Island gardeners, soil type can affect how well roses grow. Clay soil should be lightened with gypsum to improve drainage, and sandy soil requires more frequent watering. Organic soil may be too acidic and will need some lime to balance it. Compost should also be added for natural fertilizing.

Watering

In order for roses to grow successfully in Rhode Island, watering is a must. The exact amount of water that needs to be provided will vary depending on the type of soil, amount of sunlight the plants receive, variety of bush, and recent precipitation. Usually, one thorough watering a week should be sufficient, and you should focus on providing the water directly to the roots instead of the leaves. Additionally, mulch should be spread around the bush to prevent moisture from evaporating.

Summary of 6 Top Roses to Grow in Rhode Island

1. White Simplicity Hedge Rose
2. Mauvelous Floribunda Rose
3. Party Dress Groundcover Rose
4. Blushing Lavender Grandiflora Rose
5. Peppermint Party Climbing Rose
6. Never Been Redder Patio Tree Rose

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Marina Rose/Shutterstock.com