Best Source for Roses?
Where is the best place to buy roses if you live in Brooklyn? Do you get them at your local gardening store, order them through the mail, or via a local sale or rose association? I am specifically looking for an old-rose climber, the kind that takes care of itself. I checked out King’s County…
Where is the best place to buy roses if you live in Brooklyn? Do you get them at your local gardening store, order them through the mail, or via a local sale or rose association? I am specifically looking for an old-rose climber, the kind that takes care of itself. I checked out King’s County Nursery but they didn’t have what I was looking for, and the one time I planted mail order root ball plants years ago, nothing came up.
I second the Martin Viette recommendation. It’s worth the trip. Huge place and beautiful.
if you want selection and budget isn’t too sensitive there’s always jacksonandperkins.com
Thanks everyone for the great ideas. I can’t wait for the BBG sale. I realize most plants aren’t available now, but I peeked at the roses Kings County is going to be putting out soon and they didn’t have the type I’m looking for. I think Springhill Nursery may have been where I ordered a dozen plants that didn’t come up. Oops. But good to know others may be more able to withstand my killing thumb. If you’re all still reading, any one have any tips to share for how to design evergreens into a typical 20 x 50 city garden plot?
There are some varieties which require less sun (I have a climber which managed to live in my not very sunny backyard) which I am going to look into since I have a gigantic Norway maple in my yard. Another problem for me is protecting them from the disease which turns the leaves yellow and spotty.
I got a Dublin Bay Climber at the BBG sale two years ago and it’s 9 feet high already. You’ll have alot more options after mid-april.
It is a little early to be scouting out nursery stock since our frost date here in NY is on April 15th. The nurseries tend to roll out their stock when it’s actually safe to plant it, and they really start adding lots of stuff in May. Mother’s Day weekend is like the Super Bowl for nurseries- they all try to be fully stocked at that point with the exception of things that are usually planted in the fall.
I’ve had good luck with both mail order and nursery roses. I like Sprainbrook and Tony’s in Westchester, Gowanus Nursery here in Brooklyn and have had positive experiences with Hick’s, Atlantic and Martin Viette on LI. Mail order I tend to pick and chose suppliers because the catalog people are the ones who really have a wider variety and stuff you can’t find at nurseries. I’m not a fan of Spring Hill though. The plants I’ve gotten there has not been as big or robust as other places, but it is cheaper. Some have not done well. I’ve ordered the same stuff from other places and gotten much healthier looking things. I like ForestFarm and Bluestone Perennials.
A great website for rating mail order places is http://www.Davesgarden.com. The Garden Watchdog section rates almost all mail order suppliers.
Go on line for zepherine drouhin – almost unkillable & endures differing degrees of sun.
Hi mopar
I actually disagree with Vinca – roses are one of the more hardy flowers you can grow grow and will take up pretty well -it all depends on the variety of rose bush. Look at most English gardens – they are filled with roses and it rains there all the time. You do need some sunlight – but it doesn’t have to be all day sun. My rosebushes usually got about 3-5 hours of direct sun a day
I purchased 2 of my rose bushes online and the most successful rose bush I had which was a “climbing rose bush” that smelled outrageously beautiful was purchased on Long Island at Martin Viette Nurseries
A great place to buy plants in person is the upcoming BBG plant sale, May 5-6, with members-only preview on May 4. You won’t find bargain prices, however your purchase will support a very wonderful resource and a very good cause: http://bit.ly/aKFH4Z
Roses are not the easiest plants to grow (re: sunlight, watering, disease) so might not be the right selection for your location. If they are, and you’re just beginning with them, start with “Knock Out” variety roses (and speak to BBG staff/volunteers on sale day for answers to specific questions).