Many moons ago, I started a garden in some of the most barren, dry, inhospitable soil Colorado has to offer... And the folks at Dave's Garden helped it to thrive. But I'm setting myself a new challenge and I am ignorant as the day I was born.
Roses.
I live in 5a, and am looking to start container gardening roses that I may eventually transplant into the backyard.
They'll receive full sun, and given that I'd like to start them in pots, I can ensure they're in good soil. I've been doing some research, reading rose-growing articles, and looking at varieties I'd like to start with. But I'm at the point where I have roughly 7000 questions and I need unbiased opinions from people who aren't trying to sell me something. So here goes.
I stumbled onto Heirloom Roses by accident, and found some varieties that I really like the looks of. But that's a lot of $$. I've read the DG reviews of Heirloom and they seem MOSTLY positive, even after an apparent change of ownership, but who is your go-to for roses? Who is truly the best vendor at the most reasonable price?
I have 3 varieties that I'd like to try. Hot Cocoa, Honeysweet, and Apricots n Cream. From what I've seen, they'll complement each other nicely (I like orange). They're all fairly compact bushes. Does anyone have experience growing these guys in containers? How do they do?
On the Hot Cocoa listing here at DG, it says they're hardy to zone 6 - other websites list zone 5. If I can move them into the garage for winter, do I need to err on the side of caution?
I was thinking large grow bags for the plants themselves - is 30 gallons sufficient? Is it TOO big?
Am I being too ambitious? Or should I just dive right in? Any general advice or tips from a beginning rose gardener would be GREATLY appreciated. :)
