Home » Gardening Information » Great Plants

Easy-Care Roses

Miniature Roses

by Sue Feldbaum

Years ago when I saw a miniature rose for the first time I thought, "That's nice," and promptly forgot about it. A decade later I happened to take a course on miniature roses and was amazed at the number of sizes, shapes and colors available. That's when I fell for the "little ones."

'Popcorn'

'Popcorn'
Photo © Stephen Scanniello

My tiny garden was already filled to the brim with big roses of every sort: hybrid perpetuals, Bourbons, hybrid teas, floribundas, polyanthas—everything but miniatures. There was no room anywhere in my garden, unquestionably none. But I had to have them, and the only place left was my front porch. "Go for it," I was told. I did.

Now that I had the location for my minis, I had to provide everything they would need to grow well. Sunshine was my biggest challenge—the porch was partially shaded by a large red maple right in front of my house. Pruning the maple hard every two years allowed the minis to get at least four to five hours of sun a day. Providing everything else they needed was easy: pots ( I use 1- to 5-gallon black plastic pots), great soil (my own unscientific formula is one part topsoil, two parts of my very own compost and two parts peat moss), good drainage (shards from clay pots or gravel), heavy mulch (I prefer cedar—it smells good), lots of water (especially on hot days) and a regular spray program against blackspot and mildew (the natural alternative to synthetic chemical fungicides is 1 tablespoon baking soda to 1 gallon water).

'Cinderella'

'Popcorn'
Photo © Stephen Scanniello

I get my minis ready for winter in mid- to late-fall. Beneath my porch is a space we call the "cold room." It is a dark, unheated space made entirely of concrete, with a vent at each end. That's where all the minis are put after I've given them a light pruning. Because it rarely gets below 30_ F in the cold room, the plants do well there. All they need is a small drink of water once a month to make sure they don't dry out. I never have any winter kill. About April 15th I bring the minis back outside, and the cycle starts anew.

The advantages of growing miniature roses in pots are many and varied. Here are my own top three reasons:

No bending. My miniature rose collection has grown to 40 cultivars planted in 60 individual pots. The pots are arranged on plastic crates across the south end of the porch, creating a three-tiered bank. This setup makes housekeeping and pruning simple. I merely place a pot on an old wooden lazy Susan that I keep on the porch table, pull up a comfortable chair and work on my roses while seated.

Mobility. Although the roses are not necessarily at their peak at the same time, my porch garden always looks great because I can move individual roses around for an outstanding show any time during the season. I can also create different color combinations whenever I like. And, best of all, instead of cutting blooms for the house, I can bring a whole plant inside for a while without damaging it in the slightest.

Friends, Neighbors and Strangers. Anyone who showers a garden with love and attention will understand how thrilled I am when passersby ooh and ahh over my miniature rose collection. Neighbors have asked for advice before rushing out to buy their own minis. One friend who has a few miniatures in pots asked if I would take care of them while she is away for a while. I said, "Sure, bring them over!" (And she'll do the same for me.)

Here's one important thing to keep in mind about minis: Just like big roses they have a variety of growth habits. That tiny plant that arrives at your doorstep from a mail order nursery could grow into a formidable mini shrub (like 'Gourmet Popcorn'), or a high- and wide-ranging climber (like 'Jeanne Lajoie') or remain delicate and small (like 'Cinderella'). How to tell in advance? Often the nursery catalog will include a description of the mature plant. You can also check rose books, and visit local public gardens. It's helpful to know the size of a full-grown plant when you're planning your moveable garden so you can choose the right pot.

10 Favorite Miniature Roses

Sue Feldbaum gardens in Brooklyn, New York, on a too small plot with too many roses.