Roses for Florida

Rosa 'Louis Philippe'
Old Garden Rose/Antique/China Garden Rose also known as 'Cracker Rose'

Ever notice how some plants in your Florida garden perk up when the temperatures quiet down a bit from summer's intense heat? They are the plants that perform 'well enough' throughout the year to call them year-round bloomers. But when the night hours last longer coupled with slightly cooler temperatures those plants come alive with renewed vigor.

'Louis Philippe' requires no pruning or deadheading to re-bloom.  Although, like all plants, pruning spent flowers will encourage a faster rate of growth. They are cold hardy and evergreen in a Florida garden.

Rosa 'Louis Philippe' fits this profile. Sure, there is growth and some flowering all year long. But, it is winter and spring when Louis burst with robust beauty and flushes with profuse blooms.

What's the very best feature of this antique China rose with densely layered, deep pink petals that emit a delightfully sweet fragrance? 'Louis Philippe' loves Florida. It's a rose and it doesn't shy from our unpredictable heat, humidity or cold.

'Louis Philippe' makes a lush covering for a fence in my back garden. This is one 3 gallon plant ~ it is 3 years old. It is not pruned anymore because I can't reach its height of 10+ feet. 

Have you ever tried to grow modern roses or hybrid tea roses in Florida? It's likely you've been extremely frustrated with disease, black spot and general decline after a year or possibly two of enjoyment from those bushes. Frequent demand for sprays, fertilizers and pruning will make a gardener feel like it's a losing battle with this type of high-maintenance roses. Why not work with the conditions in our gardens rather than fight them?

'Louis Philippe' grows in full sun or partial sun. I have several plants in partial sun~ some get more sun in the winter when the deciduous trees around them lose their leaves. The plants in partial sun don't get as full as the ones growing in 4-5 hours of sunlight.

The informal habits of old garden roses like 'Louise Philippe' will fit more naturally into a Florida garden.

I'm not very diligent to fertilize like I once was. But when I do fertilize, I use organic matter such as blood meal, bone meal, compost or seabird guano. All my roses are pesticide and chemical free.

You might also enjoy reading:
My Sweetly Scented Frenchman

You can find 'Louis Philippe' for sale at:
Duncheon's Garden Center in Lank O' Lakes.
Florida Native Nursery in Sarasota


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Meems