Knock Out Roses - Still the Best


The members of the rose clan are an intriguing bunch. These prickly prima donnas lure us with their beauty, enchant us with their aroma and then ....spear us with their thorns. With a 'come hither' look but a 'stay away' barbed body, roses definitely want to be admired but not touched.

Sunny Knock Out Rose
So it is with that admonition that I urge you to admire - and even plant - one of the seven  members of Conard-Pyle's Knock Out® Family of Roses. Why?  Because they bloom from Spring until frost, are easy to grow, are low maintenance and display great disease resistance.


Double Knock Out Rose and Pink Knock Out Roses in one of my Landscapes

My favorite is the double Knock Out rose. Its multiple petals give it a luscious look and it can fit into any landscape. Plant them individually among shrubs, annuals and perennials in mixed beds.  Or plant them in large groups to create an eye popping hedge.

Double Knock Out Rose - A fantastic display in one of my landscapes - Jan Johnsen

Rose Breeder, Bill Radler, created the original Knock Out rose in the late 1990s which then went on to win the prestigious 2000 AARS award and broke all records for sales of a new rose. Today the Knock Out® Rose is the most widely sold rose in North America.

The Knock Out® Family of Roses have a generous bloom cycle (about every 5-6 weeks) and will continue to bloom until the first hard frost. Additionally, all of the Knock Out® Roses are self-cleaning so there is no need to deadhead.


If unpruned, The Knock Out® Family of Roses can easily grow to be more than 3-4' wide x 3-4' tall. Periodic trims will keep them maintained at a smaller size. A once a year cut (to about 12-18" above the ground) in early spring (after the last hard frost) is recommended for maximum performance)


 
Want some more ideas? Check out the Knock Out® Family on Facebook to see many more photos.

Comments

  1. Gatsbys GardensJune 29, 2010 at 8:56 AM

    My favorite is Rainbow. I know not many people plant this rose, hard to find and some growers say it does not perform for them. But, it sure does for me - even when the blooms are faded they stay on the plant which is not true of the other Knockouts. It is the first Knockout to bloom in the spring and the last to stop in November.

    Eileen

    ReplyDelete
  2. Richard_AlomarJune 29, 2010 at 1:25 PM

    We used KO's on the West street medians...I think about 4,000 from Chambers St. to Thames St.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jan JohnsenJune 29, 2010 at 2:46 PM

    Richard - you planted 4000 KO's??!! impressive....

    ReplyDelete
  4. allanbecker-gardenguruJune 29, 2010 at 10:43 PM

    I agree with Eileen at Gatsbys Gardens, the Rainbow Knock Out is my favorite, as well.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jan JohnsenJune 30, 2010 at 7:04 AM

    I have planted rainbow roses too..I like to mix them with others because their coloring blends well...

    ReplyDelete

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