Hello,

My name is Johnathan Hampton and I want to know if there are any good alternatives for "Knockout' Roses. I have one that's planted in a tight spot in my flowerbed (in between a wall and a sidewalk) that's unfortunately infected with Rose Rosette Disease. My mother wants to dig up the entire bush, getting up as many roots as possible, and plant a new one. Is this safe to do?
As for alternatives, I need something that won't exceed 6ft in height and width (and if it does, I need something that will be able to take some seasonal pruning), has a decent bloom period, and is tough and relatively low maintenance. I live in zone 7b. I hope you can help!

Thanks,

Johnathan Hampton

Johnathan,
Once you get all the roots out of the hole, you are safe to plant again.
The Drift rose series is really terrific. Sweet Drift, Pink Drift, and Coral Drift all stay under 3 feet tall in my zone 7 garden. They bloom pretty much nonstop.
Any rose can get Rose Rosette disease. You just have to be vigilant and try to remove the first cane that shows any sign of it, then watch to see if it has infected the whole rose. Many times, you can stop it by removing the first cane. The Drift roses have a funny growth pattern in the spring when they are sending up new shoots that looks a lot like RRD. Give them the benefit of the doubt and you'll have beautiful blooms all season.

I have Red Drift and Coral Drift.


Red





Coral





If you want something taller that can take a good whacking on a regular basis, is tough as nails in drought, has an 'old English' bloom form, very few thorns, and multiple bloom flushes through the year, consider Heritage. If I could only pick one rose, this one would be it.
EDITED TO ADD: Tolerates half day of shade, too.

Johnathan,

I too am moving beyond Knockout roses. I began this spring (2016) with four Kordes roses recommended for fragrance as well as excellent disease resistance in the following book:




In my garden, the best of the four is 'Savannah', which came potted from Chamblee Rose Nursery in Texas in the spring of 2016. Its flowers are beautiful, its fragrance is wonderful, and it is resistant to disease, all without treating with any chemicals. I can highly recommend it without any reservations.

Here is a description:



Here are some photos from my garden:

June 14:



Today (August 3):



This is the page from the book mentioned above that convinced me to order this rose: