Two roses are top performers in hot and humid climates. Flower Carpet Scarlet and
Flower Carpet Pink Supreme bring more than terrific new colors to the Flower
Carpet series of groundcover roses. The newest additions also bring advanced
breeding that boosts their performance in tough rose-growing climates like the
Houston area. That
’s quite a boost for a rose family already touted worldwide for its easy-care
habits, big color in the garden or container and unmatched natural
disease-resistance.
Next Generation of Flower Carpet
Pink Supreme and Scarlet promise to be superb additions to the legendary Flower
Carpet rose collection that first burst onto the U.S. gardening scene in 1995
with the introduction of the original Flower Carpet Pink. They are the result
of more than four decades of breeding by Noack Rosen, the German rose
hybridizers famous for their impressive, award-winning disease-resistant
hybrids and breeders of all the Flower Carpet roses.
The Ultimate in No Fuss Roses
Flower Carpet roses aren’t fussy show roses. In many ways, they’re the ultimate flowering shrubs. Bred for the garden, Flower Carpets have
compact bushes with glossy foliage that looks satisfying even when the roses
aren
’t in bloom (which isn’t often, as Flower Carpet roses bloom in flush after flush, from early summer
till frost). A mature bush planted in full sun produces more than 2,000 flowers
in a season.
Flower Carpet roses are classified as groundcover roses. Unlike finicky
show-type hybrids, they do not require fancy pruning. To invigorate annual
bloom and performance, just chop it back annually with the hedge clippers in
late winter or early spring. The rose can also be clipped to shape as desired
any other time during the season, with the added bonus of encouraging even more
flowers that season.
Flower Carpet Scarlet and Pink Supreme bloom profusely, are naturally
disease-resistant and hardy in USDA zones 5 through 11. They love full sun, but
will also handle filtered sunlight.
Flower Carpet Scarlet has deep scarlet red double-flowers, 1½ to 2 inches in diameter with six to eight flowers in each cluster. Pink Supreme’s 2-inch flowers are bright pink with white markings at the heart. These
clusters are comprised of smaller clusters of five to nine 2-inch flowers, with
up to 45-60 roses in a cluster.
Flower Carpet’s glossy dark green foliage looks fresh all season long, and should be nearly
evergreen in Houston. Bushes are vigorous and sturdy with a compact, dense
growth habit. Flower Carpet Scarlet and Flower Carpet Pink Supreme grow from 24
to 32 inches in height and up to 40 inches across (spread) depending upon
pruning.
Masses of Blooms
Flower Carpet Scarlet and Flower Carpet Pink Supreme uphold the easy-care Flower
Carpet tradition, seeming to bloom themselves silly with hardly any care at
all. Still, these are vigorous plants, not plastic. To perform at their best,
they need food, water and enough soil for their roots. (As virtual flower
factories, it takes a lot of energy to produce flowers at such a high level).
Nothing tricky is required: simply water as needed and, once or twice per
season, provide a dose of controlled-release rose food.
Flower Carpet Scarlet and Pink Supreme will both be sold in bud and bloom, fully
leafed out, in the trademarked Flower Carpet pink pot. Each plant comes with a
stake that holds a full instructional booklet label and a complementary sachet
of controlled-release rose food. The full package provides everything you need
to grow the rose successfully, except water. Flower Carpet Scarlet and Pink
Supreme are available coast-to-coast wherever fine plants are sold, with retail
prices ranging from $12 to $29, depending on plant size. Flower Carpet roses
are also available mail order from Willow Creek Gardens,
www.willowcreekgardens.com.
There are nine colors in the Flower Carpet rose family, including Pink,
Appleblossom, Amber, White, Red, Yellow, Coral, Scarlet and Pink Supreme.
Flower Carpet roses are marketed by Anthony Tesselaar Plants of Melbourne,
Australia, an international marketer of high-quality plants selected for their
superlative performance, easier-care attributes, big color and long bloom
seasons. Gardeners and landscapers in the U.S. are most familiar with the
company
’s leading brands: Flower Carpet® roses, Tropicanna® cannas, Storm™ agapanthus, Volcano™ phlox, ColorFlash™ astilbe and Bonfire™ begonias.
