This post, “Knockouts” was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
I know everyone has seen the Knockout roses, but not everyone has them in their gardens. I was given two plants two summers ago, and I have really been impressed. They really do bloom continuously for me, and I don’t have them where they get a lot of sun. They do get several hours a mid-day, but it is barely four to five hours. One of the bushes was the original Knockout rose, which is a deep cherry red that gets a little lighter in the heat of summer.
The other one was the Pink Knockout. This, too, blooms profusely from spring to winter.
This past fall, I purchased two Blushing Knockout roses, which is a lighter pink. This, too, is a little paler pink in the warmer weather. This one is my favorite, and if I buy more, this will be the one I get.
These roses are supposed to be about 3-4 feet high, but I have to trim mine back to keep them that size. I do not know if it is our long growing season which makes them bigger or not. For someone who was afraid to grow roses, these have been a great choice.
There are the doubles now available and a Rainbow Knockout also. These roses would make a great hedge. They really are black spot resistant. We have a very humid climate, and I have had no trouble with these roses.
Always Growing 
Marie said,
April 20, 2008 at 3:09 am
Beautiful roses!
Jan said,
April 20, 2008 at 8:14 am
Thanks, Marie. I really enjoy these since I get so many blooms with no effort on my part.
Phillip said,
April 21, 2008 at 7:33 am
This is a pretty impressive rose, especially for those who think that roses are difficult. I think the new double one is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve thought about using them to replace the foundation hedge in front of my house but it is a tad shady there. Do you think 3-4 hours sun would be enough?
Jan said,
April 21, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Phillip, I know that this rose has changed my mind about how difficult roses can be, esp in the humid south. I think 4 hours might be enough if there is generally bright light. I have the pink one that does not get as much sun as the others because it is in front of a large azalea. It blooms very well, but not quite as much as the others.