Landscape Ideas Using Knock Out Roses

Knock Out Rose Selections

• The Conrad-Pyle Co. introduced the Knock Out series beginning with the original red Knock Out Rose. Double Knock Out, Pink and Pink Double Knock Out, Rainbow, Blushing and Sunny Knock Out roses followed in the series. The roses are winter hardy down to USDA plant hardiness zone 5, and heat-tolerant throughout the Unites States. Knock Out roses “finish” cleanly, eliminating the necessity to manually remove spent blooms. The roses respond well to pruning and shaping or successfully grow naturally.

Mass Planting

• Mass plantings of Knock Out roses make a striking impact leading along a driveway. Plant the roses in a swath two or three plants wide for maximum impact. A walkway leading to the front door, the pool or another garden feature is especially inviting lined with Knock Out roses in a single color or mixed colors. A group of three or more of the same color creates a dramatic display. Dedicated rose beds massed with Knock Out roses are easy to maintain.

Hedges and Screens

• Knock Out roses provide a friendly, colorful way to designate a property line. Choose the original red Knock Out for a hedge or screen reaching 6 feet tall. Most Knock Out varieties mature at 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, depending on pruning and climate. Choose Knock Out roses for hedges and screens according to color. A row of Knock Out roses one or more deep is an effective hedge in front of evergreens. Knock Out roses attractively screen unsightly views during the outdoor season, increasing the privacy and security of chain link or rail fences.

Specimen Plants

• Single Knock Out roses make suitable specimen plants; allow ample space to showcase the mature bush. Decorative landscape rocks surrounding a single Knock Out rose bush make an effective statement for a simple, colorful and easy-care landscape idea. Greet guests with a colorful display by planting a single specimen on either side of a front entry. One or two such specimen plantings in an otherwise gravel landscape scheme relieve the monotony while providing low-maintenance color.

Mixed Beds

• Knock Out roses combine easily in the perennial or mixed-rose bed. Allow space for the bushes to receive light and air circulation by taking into consideration the mature sizes of all the plants in a mixed bed. Choose Knock Out rose colors to complement, contrast or harmonize with other plants in the bed. Herbs, evergreens, flowering perennials and shrubs are candidates for combining with versatile, easy-to-maintain Knock Out roses.