Monday, April 12, 2010

Lady Banks Rose: A Southern Garden Staple


My lady banks rose is in full bloom! I wait all year long for this. I took this photo of my daughter Piper underneath it today. The cascading double petal flowers almost feel like they spilled right out a romance novel. Sometimes I imagine that if it could talk it would softly say, "Hey, y'all." This rose begs to be stared at. The streets of downtown Charleston are gorgeous this time of year....lady banks spill over porches and gardens everywhere. I often see visitors to the city stop and gaze at these beauties until their eyes meet the top, all the way up the 3rd floor.

I've had this lady banks for four years now. It's a seriously vigorous climber. Give it a wide berth when you plant it. I've secured it to a post on the back porch of my house, but I bet it would also look wonderful laying over an arched trellis at a gated entrance to a garden. (Maybe that's what I'll do with the next one)

And how can you not love a rose that has no thorns!

Climate: Hardy to zone 7
Fragrance: Light rose
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist, well-draining, with lots of organic matter added to the planting hole. Otherwise it is not picky about soil types.
Water: Water regularly until established, then it shouldn’t need a lot of extra irrigation except in severe heat or drought.
Blooms: Single or double, white or yellow miniature blossoms in spring. Blooms only once per year.
Size and Pruning: Lady Banks blooms on old wood, so be careful not to over-prune the older branches. You’ll be busy enough trying to contain the size of this rose – it’s not meant for small spaces and easily grows to 30 feet or more.

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