Carpet rose info

I am still working on my island bed in the front yard. It's the very front of the bed that I'm trying to figure out what I want to plant. I am trying to plant more perennials in the front of the bed to replace the petunias I usually put in the front. But I am looking for something with a long bloom time. I have already added some dwarf monarda and scabiosa. It already has many other plants in the rest of the bed. I was reading on flower carpet roses and it says they bloom all summer. Was wondering if anyone has any experience with the carpet roses and if they really bloom all summer. Pictures would be great too if you have them!
Thanks for your input.
Here's part of the bed now in the early spring.
Sherry ;o)

I don't know anything about carpet roses. But I wanted to say that your bed looks beautiful. Those irises look gorgeous with your lupines. What variety are those irises? They are so cool.

Beautiful color echos you have there! Haven't grown them myself, but I do know folks who grow the carpet roses around here and they are vigorous and constantly in bloom. 'The Fairy' is another tough rose that blooms its heart out with little care, as is 'Seafoam' if you want to add white. Something with dark foliage that is colorful with or without blooms may be a nice addition, like 'Black Jack' Sedum. Although not a long lived perennial, and actually behaves more as an annual or biennial for me, but 'Cherry Brandy' Rudbeckia would be a nice color with that bed, and Rud blooms do last and last.

Seems most perennials do have a limited bloom time, and those that do keep blooming often exhaust themselves and aren't reliably permanent in the garden, so I think you're on the right track considering everblooming Roses.

Hi,

pgt,
The iris are 'Pass The Wine'. Thanks for the nice compliment. Makes a girl feel good! ;o)

gemini,
Thank you! ;o) I will look up The Fairy rose and Seafoam. Also gonna check out the sedum and rudbeckia. Great suggestions. And I'm definitely gonna read more on the carpet roses!

Sherry

Carpet roses are amazing. I planted 15 of them on an east facing hill, and they bloom profusely all summer & into November in my zone 5 garden. They need almost no care, except to prune them back to shape in the Spring. You can cut off the dead blooms if you desire, but it will still bloom, regardless. I like to keep it looking fairly neat, so I do a little pruning. I will look for pictures since mine aren't in bloom yet.

photodonna,
Thanks for the info! I was at the nurseries today and saw the new amber colored ones. I am going to have to get 1 or 2 of them. They were GORGEOUS!!!!

Here's something new I planted today!
Sherry

Sherrygirl,

don't know anything about carpet roses either, but want to say your lupine and iris photo is gorgeous!

(or has this been said already??!) (-:

I don't know if this qualifies has a 'carpet' rose but I highly recommend 'Gnome'. Everything about this rose is small, 2'X2' size, small shiny green leaves and small, single pink blooms. In my zone 5 it starts blooming now and will continue off and on until early November. I have it in a big front street bed that is a mixed small shrub and perennial border.

tabasco,
Thank you so much! ;o)

frahnzone5,
Thanks! I will look it up. Have any pictures of yours?

Sherry

Unfortunately all the pictures of Gnome are on my home computer and I am away for a week. Will try to remember to post when I get back. I would also recommend the small spirea 'Lemon Princess'. Same small 2x2 size and nice yellow foliage that says that color all summer and does not green up. In my opinion much superior to the other yellow leaved spireas on the market.

Felisa

How much space do you want to fill? How tall can the plantings be? Another thought is planting 'Hidcote' hypericum....St John's wart. I planted five together, and they have shiny green foliage and beautiful yellow flowers, about 2" to 3" across. It blooms midsummer through end of our zone 5 season. You might consider it more of a small shrub, but I use it in my perennial gardens. Also, here are 2 pictures of my carpet roses just before they bloom.They will not stop blooming till the first freeze.The first picture is the St John's wart, also before it blooms. To see the blooms, you'll have to look it up for now.