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Groundcover rose ‘Suffolk’ for hanging baskets

AllyblueeyesAllyblueeyes Posts: 420
in Plants

Morning everyone.  Has anyone had any experience or success in growing bare root Ground Cover Roses/Flower Carpet in large hanging baskets?  In Alan Titchmarsh’s rose book, he has a picture of ‘Suffolk’ in a hanging basket.  Be interested to hear if anyone has done this and if so, any advice they have to offer.  Apologies for poor picture quality.  Many thanks 🌹 


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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I haven't tried, but I was thinking of a Carpet for a small planter. I would think the amount of water you would have to give a happy rose would make it prohibitive. I have to water petunias pretty much every day in basket through the summers. I can't quite see how a rose would cope. My not-very-huge-hanging baskets are almost too heavy for me to lift to height (once filled with soil and plants). Maybe very large hanging containers might work for roses, with reinforced brackets or something similar. Peter Beals gives some detail here.

    Sites do list the rose as suitable for hanging baskets but that might be wishful thinking....






     - -
    On a separate note, I grew some Sarah Raven dahlias last year that were supposedly "window box dahlias" but they ended up huge - over a metre tall and big, bushy plants. I love a lot of Sarah Raven plants, but I think this is a piece of egregious mis-selling. The idea of window box dahlias or roses for baskets is very enticing.



  • AthelasAthelas Posts: 946
    edited January 2022
    My Flower Carpet white roses wouldn’t go into a hanging basket I would think. A very large pot or planter could work @Fire. I have seen photos of FC roses in large containers, and I did keep FC pink in a large pot but it quickly outgrew it and it’s now in the ground.

    I suppose the roses won’t grow as much in a container started from bare roots as they do in the ground, but thinking of the watering, pruning/deadheading and thorns (FC white is quite prickly for me), I don’t think it would be a practical or pleasant exercise. But I’m happy to hear about others’ experiences and obviously Alan Titchmarsh has done it.

    FC white also sheds its petals at the slightest touch/breeze and it ends up looking messy after rain with what looks like old toilet paper (the old sodden-then-dried decaying petals) getting stuck on the leaves and stems. FC pink seems better in this regard.

    Photo from last year:

    Cambridgeshire, UK
  • AllyblueeyesAllyblueeyes Posts: 420
    Thank you @Fire.   I’m going to give them a go.  I’m rapidly running out of room but HAVE to have more roses …. It’s got to be worth a try hasn’t it?  I’ll source the biggest hanging baskets I can find and source the bare roots.  Thanks for the links and I’ll let you know how it goes.  That one in AT’s book looks good enough 🤞🏻 
  • AllyblueeyesAllyblueeyes Posts: 420
    Athelas said:
    My Flower Carpet white roses wouldn’t go into a hanging basket I would think. A very large pot or planter could work @Fire. I have seen photos of FC roses in larger containers, and I did keep FC pink in a large pot but it quickly outgrew it and it’s now in the ground.

    I suppose the roses won’t grow as much in a container as they do in the ground, but thinking of the watering, pruning/deadheading and thorns (FC white prickly for me), I don’t think it would be a practical or pleasant exercise. But I’m happy to be proven wrong!

    FC white also sheds its petals at the slightest touch/breeze and it ends up looking quite messy after rain with what looks like old toilet paper (the old decaying petals) getting stuck on the leaves and stems. FC pink seems better in this regard.

    Photo from last year:

    Thank you @Athelas.  I completely understand what you say and yes, I fear I may regret it …. But, I’m giving it a go with ‘Suffolk’.  I’ll source the largest hanging containers I can and I will report back 🤞🏻👍🏻
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I suspect it may work for a season .... I can't see it working as a long term planting 'tho. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • AllyblueeyesAllyblueeyes Posts: 420
    I suspect you may be right @Dovefromabove.  I’ll try it once and see how it goes.  I can always find another spot for them next year if it doesn’t work. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Maybe try and find the smallest sized procumbent / trailing rose plant that you can. There might be small 'patio' minatures might work better.
  • AllyblueeyesAllyblueeyes Posts: 420
    Fire said:
    Maybe try and find the smallest sized procumbent / trailing rose plant that you can. There might be small 'patio' minatures might work better.
    Thanks Fire.   I love researching roses for different aspects in my challenging, small garden and I’m finding out so much.  I’m not a fan of miniature roses but I’m enjoying researching the Procumbents.  I love Suffolk and I live in Hertfordshire so it was these two I had my heart set on.  I’ll continue the research.  Thanks again 🌹
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    I've got one of the county roses - can never remember which one it is. It is pretty compact and it flowers continuously - probably still has a few on it now. It's in the ground, in a free draining spot, but I do have clay soil. I think you might be able to do it but roses generally are hard in pots so keep feeding it
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • Jenny_AsterJenny_Aster Posts: 945
    Throwing in 'Sweet Chariot' for consideration. Apparently it's got a strong fragrance.

    https://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/rosa-sweet-chariot
    Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

    Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
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