Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Rose of the Week...Rainbow Knockout.

Rainbow Knockout is the Rose of the Week.  I am not sure why they call it Rainbow, however.  I have many roses that change color but this one does not.  I have three? rainbow knockouts.  I bought them last fall at Wal-mart during clearance.  Given the fact that I had to dig for their pictures a lot, I consider these my "workhorse wallflowers."  I tend to ignore them but they are the most seen in my back rose garden.  Let me give them the lip service they deserve.  I have almost no issue, with disease, pest, water...they do fine in winter, one of the first bloomers....you would think I would rave about them more instead of take them for granted,

I, only have a couple of complaint...  to deadhead them you can not use your bare hands.  The buds are very thorny, which would explain the lack of pests...I think.  They bloom so profusely and make hips quick, that you have to get out the shears a lot with them to deadhead.  These are minor complaints.  They say they are self cleaning but I recommend cutting this buds and hips off.  They are excellent landscape roses and very forgiving.  If you want a great starter rose or if you are a busy gardener....I highly recommend them..  
There are two pink ones at the other part of this photo.  Click HERE for more information on Rainbow Knockout.

Here they are last fall.

I want to say I purchased them last September.  Look at the dates.








I pruned them over the winter.  

They truly do ad a great deal of color to the landscape.




6 comments:

Jean Campbell said...

It's very pretty, that Rainbow. I guess since he already had the Yellow, the Red, Blushing Pink and Pink, he was running out of pink names and thought they almost made a rainbow. Having a unique name would assure that nobody said, "Oh, I already have PINK Knockouts."

Jean Campbell said...

I always forget what I meant to say at the beginning of the post before I get to the end and think of something else. I meant to mention that I leave the whole cluster of Knockout blooms until the last one fades. Then I cut the whole thing off back to a five-leaflet node. Usually I just have a big cutting when most of them are gone and then we start over soonest. He-who-mows always notice the new flush of bloom since it is in front of his workshop.

Cerberus German shepherds said...

That is important...or at least I think it is....what do you mean? Wait until they all fade and prune back? Is that for knockouts or all roses...I prune the museums rose all time (actually deadhead with shears....should I wait?

Lea said...

Lovely rose photos!
I haven't bought any of the Knock Out Roses yet - maybe next Spring. This year I have been concentrating on wildflowers, hoping to attract more butterflies.
Have a wonderful day!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie

Cerberus German shepherds said...

Funny you mention that. I was just thinking I want to put some wildflowers down for the fall. The project's deadline has been eliminated so now I can do things I enjoy...my wildflowers last year reseeded. I love no maintenance...or relatively no maintenance.

Jean Campbell said...

When all the blooms in one cluster on a Knockout fade/shed, you know how they'll have a cluster of blooms? Then I cut off the whole cluster.

I wish my petunia patch that self-seeded was no maintenance. Every weed in existence here finds it.