The garden around the entry to our house is a challenge, semi shady and dry. I've been planting fragrant plants in the area and have been on the lookout for some tough Roses that will perform in the spot. Thought I had found one that fit the bill, 'Oso Easy Fragrant Spreader', and it was indeed very happy in the spot, wayyyyy too happy! I've never really liked the idea of ground cover Roses, the idea of weeding around mats of thorny canes doesn't sound fun, but I had to give it a go. OMG, what a pain that thing has been! There has been grass growing in the middle of it for 2 years; every time I've tried to get it out I've been completely mangled. Today, it's toast- it took some elbow grease and a lot of huffing and puffing and swearing, but that crazy root system is out of there! It has also layered itself in several spots, I dug out at least 6, and later noticed some I'd missed. It has truly become an obnoxious weed.

Please feel free to share your experiences with overzealous Roses...

overzealous roses? I wish! LOL Still, I hear ya... some plants are a real pain (literally) to weed around.

Is your OSO easy fragrant spreader rose genuinely fragrant? If so, it would be nice to get some established along the back side of our little tree line... thinking ahead to when they start building back there; I'm going to need some plants like that.

I don't use a lot of chemicals, but sometimes for grass like that growing in an area where it's hard to get it out I do resort to a grass-icide. Just like there are broad-leaf herbicides to use on lawns that don't kill the grass, there are also grass-specific herbicides. From time to time, it's useful to spray little clumps that I can't readily pull. I also use it on Johnson Grass, which is just impossible to get rid of by pulling.

Have five Drift roses coming in September and I am hoping they don't cause that much grief. Planned to put them on the 'hell' strip which only has the low growing nasty Bermudaweed grass. Hoping the Drifts will choke them out.

Jill, I've got Johnson grass here too, it's terrible! It's one of the 2 things that make me resort to roundup, the other being poison ivy. Fragrant Spreader is fairly fragrant, kinda reminds me of multiflora rose scent. There are still a few that I missed when I was digging them up, would you like them?

Debra, I've seen some drift Roses growing in the area, and they don't look quite as aggressive as Fragrant Spreader. I kinda doubt they would choke out Bermuda grass though. You may want to try layering cardboard and mulch on the area a few weeks before you plant the roses to smother the grass. It was a real pain trying to pull grass from around thorny, low growing roses, so you'll thank yourself for getting it under control beforehand.

Might have to water so I can hand-pull most of it, then apply something like landscaper fabric and mulch. Code Compliance staff here are a little heavy-handed and I would be cited for cardboard, even with mulch on top. (I use it along the side and in back where they can't see. ) Moved the Rose of Sharon tree from the driveway side of the house to the strip this Spring; and have to leave the area where that pile of vegetation debris is for the trash can and recycling bins. So there isn't a huge area that will require pulling. It's only a question of getting out in this heat and doing it. But I believe you when you say pull it now, because later on the thorns ain't fun.

Neal, if there are any escapees popping up next spring, I'd love them... or I could pot them this fall and shelter them over the winter... I'll have to see what I can send you in return, maybe I can make good on my idea that I need to divide some irises this year! Or, if you could use a couple handfuls of 'Rip van Winkle' bulbs, I just dug up a bunch of them that needed to be divided. (I figure I can store them cool in the basement and replant them in fall... although I don't know why they couldn't be planted now, just the same as leaving them in the ground over the summer when they're dormant... )

Oh mercy, don't worry about finding something to send me- I'm gonna be yanking these out as soon as the heat wave allows me to play in the garden again. I'll let you know when I've got them dug and ready to send. I saw 2 out there today, and I think another may be lurking around in there. It was terrible placement for them, at the entrance where they want to reach out and snag my ankles.

Thank you! I'll be sure to plant them away from pathways... I'm thinking that a few strategically placed "unfriendly" plants could help direct foot and bike traffic so that people at least go along the property line and not straight through the garden bed. I expect we may eventually have to put a fence along the back, but we'll see how it goes as development proceeds.

I planted rambler Lillian Gibson by my back door...literally a BIG mistake!
This year the rose pulled down and bent the wrought iron trellis it was on.
I need to either prune it heavilly every year of transplant it but its so big I'm afraid I will kill it if I try to move it.









This is actually a picture taken from inside my back door looking out.

I have a similar one planted at the fence section between the garage and the side/property line fence (six-foot wooden privacy fence). It's up and over and through and climbing all around the place. Which is okay in most ways--no one will EVER climb into my yard from there. And I rarely go that far back, most of my energy is focused in front for awhile. But I do have to keep an eye on it to ensure it's not damaging the fence, and I prune it each year in late Winter. Ccan sure see how something that big and heavy would cause problems so close to the house and doorway. Found these links on transplanting:

http://grumpygardener.southern...
http://www.hgtv.com/landscapin...

Bet you can also get advice from the Rose Cubits members

lovemyhouse said:Have five Drift roses coming in September and I am hoping they don't cause that much grief. Planned to put them on the 'hell' strip which only has the low growing nasty Bermudaweed grass. Hoping the Drifts will choke them out.

Please report back on this. I am trying to choke out as much Bermuda, Johnson, and Crab grass as I can. It takes over here, especially the Bermuda. I have bought carpet rose 'Amber' to experiment with, but it is still young and small. I hope your Drift roses work for choking the cussed Bermuda. Hate that stuff!!

Me, too! Be happy to let you know.

I had a couple of spreaders in the past. I agree, they're awful. I got rid of them quite a few years ago.

Karen