Ground cover roses are low, wide bushes that blanket the soil in a carpet of flowers. They bloom profusely all summer, rarely get sick, need almost no pruning and look superb on slopes, edges and even in hanging baskets. Here is what ground cover roses are, the types and varieties, where to plant them and how to care for them.
Ground cover roses are modern shrub roses with low, wide, flexible canes that spread along the ground or arch over. The bush is usually 30–60 cm tall but spreads 1–1.5 m or more. Small to medium flowers come in clusters and appear in flushes from June to autumn.
The group's strengths are toughness, disease resistance, fast growth and minimal care. Many varieties are self-cleaning, dropping spent flowers on their own. They are close relatives of park roses and floribundas but have a spreading habit.
Popular varieties
The Fairy is a classic with small double pink flowers blooming until frost. Swany is snow-white with very full blooms and glossy leaves. Heidetraum is bright pink and extremely free-flowering. The Flower Carpet series offers many colours with high disease resistance, and Sea Foam is also popular for slopes.
Where to plant and how to care
Plant ground cover roses in sunny spots: slopes, retaining walls, along paths, at the front of beds, in large containers and hanging baskets. Space them 50–100 cm apart depending on variety, closer for a quick carpet. Planting technique is the same as for other roses; see planting roses.
Care is minimal: water in drought, mulch against weeds and feed in spring and early summer. Pruning is mostly sanitary, and every three or four years bushes can be rejuvenated by cutting back a third. Most varieties overwinter under snow without cover; lightly protect young plants in their first year. More tips in our rose guide.
Spray roses delivered in Kyiv
Love small roses with lots of buds? Our catalogue has spray rose bouquets and arrangements delivered across Kyiv.
Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.
Birthday
Hydrangeas