Roses - please help if you can.....

Hi, I bought a small patio rose in our local morrisons last year, it was called 'White Dream' and stated it was suitable for patio pots.

It is a beautiful white rose and last year had only a few flowers. I followed advice about cutting it back and this year I don't know whats happened but it

is a monster     and is so top heavy I don't know what to do with it. I would hate to think the pot was now too small and it wasnt getting what it needed although I feed it as reccommended.

On each branch there are at least 15 - 20 buds of all different sizes and if these all flower the rose is just going to topple over with the weight.

Does anyone else have this variety of rose? I have tried to find it on the web to look for advice and the  variety 'White Dream'  isn't listed ???????

I would so much appreciate your help of what to do with this monster  'Patio' rose

Thank you

PS  I have 2 of them and they have both turned out the same - Monsters!!!!

Hi Lucy, could it possibly be this one? http://www.fryers-roses.co.uk/Products/Patio_Roses/Sweet_Dream_Cream.html/

I find that some patio roses are better off used as 'ground cover' as they are inclined to sprawl rather than grow upright - especially if they are hard pruned as 'growth follows the knife' i.e. the harder you prune them the more they grow.  

If you want to keep it in a pot I would just dead head rather than cut back  and see if that keeps it more controllable - if that works and slows the growth down a bit then in future years you could just trim it back by 2 or 3 inches all over in early spring rather than prune down into older wood which would stimulate grown again.

As for the pot, if it's a reasonable size then when you notice the first signs of growth next spring(when you're trimming back) just remove from the pot, scrape some of the compost away and repot in the same pot, topping up with fresh compost.

Hi

Thankyou so much - This is it!!!!

Why would the store change the name in the first place is beyond me??

We are just in the process of re-doing the side garden and was thinking about putting them in the ground at the side of a seating area - what do you think? Is there anything special I should do beforehand or any different way to look after them?

Your help is much appreciated.................I'm so happy I've found it at long last

Glad I was right  Goodness knows why supermarkets do the things that they do!  It may be that the name of the rose is copyrighted by the breeders and that might mean there are restrictions on who can sell it under that name, or something like that - just a guess on my part.

Anyway, I think the roses would be happier in the ground - just pop them in there (at the same soil level as they are in the pot)  with some good compost mixed into the soil, water them well and maybe apply a mulch (leaving a gap around the stems).  I'd give them a light trim each spring with a pair of garden shears and I'm sures they'll be fine, then as they get older you may need to prune some of the older stems out in the spring to rejuvenate the bushes.  I'm sure they'll be lovely by your garden seat. 

Lucy3

Are you aware of a hybrid tea rose called 'Lucy"? I have one and the blooms are very attractive. (Our daughter is a 'Lucy').

Oooh thankyou Paul - will have to have a look at this one

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/nurseryfinder2.asp?id=212110&d1=5&so=pf&mo=N

Thanks Paul. I've had a look at this and its a beautiful rose. Will be looking to buy this as a bare root to flower next year -