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Wed, Nov 21, 12 at 7:58
| I need ideas for a mailbox rose please. Needs to be:
Repeat flowering Short stemmed and the blooms maybe single, so they don't get picked Lots of thorns (see above) Drought tolerant (they are forecasting another drought) Maturing to about 3 feet tall Disease resistant because I don't get around to spraying anymore I am enclosing the front and sides of my house with a picket fence that I am actually going to make myself, this rose will be outside of the enclosure so it needs to look good in front of a white picket fence. Any ideas?
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| Hi Lucille - I can't give you any suggestions as to what rose, since our climates are too different. But here are some thoughts I want to share after I had a conversation with our mailman a few years ago about a similar subject. While we have the best intentions with planting roses (or other plants) around the mail box for the mail man (or woman) it often becomes a hassle to them. After my conversation with mine and the points he made I removed flowers that are climbing up the mailbox and possibly interfere with him delivering the mail into the box. I also eliminated flowers that attract bees or other pollinating insects because I don't want him to have to reach past them and possibly squeeze one and get stung. In light of that I reduced my bed to short ornamental grasses and colorful foliage plants which turned this whole bed into a very low maintenance and rugged bed. No spraying or watering or fertilizing necessary. And best of all my mailman thanked me for my thoughtfulness. Got to keep him happy...lol Now, I still believe you can plant roses in that bed, I would not plant single flowered ones though, since they can attract pollinators, I would also not plant any climber on the mailbox post, just in case they turn into a monster and swallow your mailbox... :-) And finally I think your mailman will be very grateful to you if the thorny roses are on the back of the mailbox. Other than that I think it's a great idea and it will look fantastic! Have fun with it, Lucille. |
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| Good ideas. The thorns are to prevent people from leaning all over my mailbox but I can keep them to the back. I am on a parade route and enjoy the parades a couple times a year, and am happy to have families come over and sit in my yard to watch, but don't want folks leaning on the mailbox or their kids swinging from it during parades. Hope that doesn't sound petty. Instead of being a grinch, I can just grow thorns there and have pretty flowers and no more leaners.. |
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| Another drought? Gee, I could have gone all day without hearing that. Anyway, linemen don't like it when people plant things around their poles, either. Lots of climbing roses do turn into monsters, though, Marcindy is right about that. Maybe some mini-floras would work, they don't get very large. |
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| Hi Lucille, it seems to me, Rainbow Knock Out ticks all the boxes you just listed for your mailbox rose. I encounter standards of it around here and am frequently impressed how much the thing reminds me of a moss rose. Hopefully, it's as healthy there as it is here. It does flower continuously. It's single and not "worth" picking; extremely prickly and remains short and bushy. One of the best things is, you should be able to find it virtually anywhere! Happy Thanksgiving! Kim |
Here is a link that might be useful: Rainbow Knock Out
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| Roseseek, I actually have several of those. I put some in the back yard, not realizing (since I was new to the house) that when the trees leafed out the back yard does not really have enough sun. I transplanted them (in summer, yet) and they are starting to do well. Didn't even think about them but it would be a good choice. Thanks for the idea! |
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| You're welcome Lucille! Great! Perhaps transplanting the ones you have to around the mailbox might open some space for other things you want to try and which might be a bit happier in those spots? It's really fun when a suggestion like this doesn't require you BUY anything new, isn't it? Kim |
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- Posted by melissa_thefarm NItaly (My Page) on Sat, Nov 24, 12 at 14:54
| A pretty little Polyantha also comes to mind. |
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