Rockwall, TX (February 3, 2025) – Nothing beats the smell of roses in the garden. If you’re looking to add fragrance to your garden this year you should consider Drift roses. Their fragrance is intoxicating, pollinators are drawn to them, and the visual impact is stunning!
Drift Roses are becoming increasingly popular because they have the same characteristics as the classic rose that we’re used to: very cold tolerant, loves our hot Texas sun, drought tolerant, disease resistant, beautiful, and fragrant.
So, what sets the Drift rose apart from all others?
Drift roses are a cross between groundcover roses and miniature roses. They come in many pleasing colors, are small enough to place in the front of the border or in between other plants, and best of all, they bloom profusely throughout the growing season.
One thing that draws gardeners to this type of rose is how easy they are to maintain. While it is said that Drift roses don’t necessarily need to be pruned, it is best to give your established roses a hard prune in February. Forget all the rules about cutting at the perfect angle and just above a node. These roses are so carefree and forgiving that you can use hedge trimmers for this job! Just give your rose a good shape, clean up as much of the debris as possible from around the base, add some rose fertilizer to the soil and it will be happy and ready to bloom for months. In July repeat this process with a lighter prune.
Why prune and fertilize again in July when it’s so hot? July is a good time to clean up all the spent blooms and leaves that have fallen during the heavy spring flowering. Drift roses grow rapidly so at this point you can tidy up its shape and check the overall health of the plant. Drift roses flower on new wood so giving it another dose of fertilizer at this time will help them to set new flowers for you to enjoy all the way until first frost.
If you’re ready to try some of these gorgeous roses in your garden, here are five easy steps to get them off to a good start.
Step 1: Pick a Sunny Spot Your rose bush will need at least 6 hours of sun each day, so choose a sunny spot to plant.
Step 2: Dig Dig a hole slightly larger than the container. Work the soil at the bottom of the hole with your shovel so that it is loose and aerated.
Step 3: Plant your Rose Place the plant in the hole, ensuring that the top is about 1” above soil level.
Step 4: Fill in Soil Add soil mixed with compost back into the hole and mulch around the base.
Step 5: Water Water your Drift rose thoroughly, allowing it to soak in. For the next couple of weeks, water the plant as needed to ensure it stays healthy. Once roses are established, they are very drought tolerant so avoid overwatering.
Drift roses have shown a remarkable resistance to disease. But even though they are listed as disease resistant, it is still best to check in on your roses from time to time. One disease that you always need to monitor for is Rose Rosette Disease. RRD is a virus spread by eriophyid mites that feed on roses. The virus causes leaf distortion, thickened stems, elongated shoots, and excessive thorniness. Flower buds emerge in deformed tight clusters, known as witches’ brooms, with bright red new growth that never turns green. RRD can live in the roots left in the soil from an infected plant. Mites crawl from plant to plant infecting nearby roses. There is still no cure for this and if any of your roses show signs that they’ve contracted it, you must dispose of them properly. Remove and bag the infected plants, including the roots and all leaf litter around the plant.
To learn more about roses or anything related to your garden, Ask A Master Gardener! Find us at the Rockwall County Library every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from 10am to noon or at the Texas AgriLife Extension Office every Wednesday, 10am to noon, 915 Whitmore Drive, Suite B, Rockwall.
Story and photos by Donna Fernandez, Rockwall County Extension Master Gardener Association.