Monday, April 8, 2013

Ouch, Knocked-Out


Okay, my new game plan on the weekends is to work outside the first thing when I get up. Good plan, but maybe I should have revised it to: do stretching exercises and then work outside as soon as I get up. By Saturday afternoon, I'd lost a couple of inches...no not from my waist from my height as I hobbled around holding my back. It was pathetic. Yes, muscle relaxants were in my future.

But on the upside I got my Knockout Roses planted. They are my new flower of choice. They meet my prerequisites: they must be hardy, perennials and flower occasionally. I'd like to claim the one's in the picture, but unfortunately, they aren't mine.

 Have you heard of knock outs? They are designed to seduce the most indifferent of gardeners. These beauties are disease resistant. The dead heads don't need to be trimmed because new flowers take their place automatically. They are tolerant of extreme heat, draught--sounds like North Carolina to me--and cold. And they can grow in partial shade. My kind of rose bush. It's survival of the fittest in the Cox Garden.




6 comments:

Shelley Munro said...

Ouch on the back. I hope you recover soon. I haven't heard of these roses before. They're pretty.

Sandra Cox said...

Thanks, Shel. They are pretty. I like them because they're tough guys:)

CJ Kennedy said...

Before I begin any strenuous outdoor activity, I take a dose of ibuprofen. Better living through chemistry.

Love roses, but they are so fussy to take care of and they attract beetles for four counties. Is this variety bug resistant?

Jennifer Shirk said...

OOoh I love a rose that doesn't require much work. LOL

Sandra Cox said...

Good thinking on the ibuprofen, CJ.
These guys are supposed to be hardy and bug resistant. I planted some last year and didn't have any bug problems. We'll see how it goes this year.

Sandra Cox said...

I'm with you, Jennifer.