A fall blooming rose has the Bluegrass State dizzy.
Pink Knock Out roses and topiary at Ashland’s garden, Lexington, KY. Photo: Julie Ardery.
“The Lousville Lip,” Muhammad Ali, just may have been outdone, not by another boxer but a fall blooming rose called Knock Out. We’re back from the Blue Grass state, where typically roses are over and done by October. Not so this year. All across Louisville and Lexington, we saw this hardy shrub in full bloom.
You serious rosarians are no doubt letting out a yawn about now, because Knock Out was introduced six years ago and, it seems, has been the heavyweight champ of Autumn ever since. We understand that William Radler of the Chicago Botanic Garden developed this shrub. ”Mr. Radler germinated the first Knock Out seed in his basement during the winter of 1988-89, and that spring he planted the small shrub outside in his garden. The following 11 years were spent overseeing bud grafting, testing and production of more stock. The rose was offered to the All America Rose Selections committee and declared a winner in 1997.” In 2000, the buying public entered the ring with Knock Out, 250,000 plants’ worth.
Reds at Morton Middle School, Lexington, KY, Oct. 21, 2006. Photo: J. Ardery.
Here’s a rave review of the pink variety. We spotted several in full bloom at the beautful gardens of Ashland, former home of Henry Clay, in Lexington on a visit this past weekend with fellow White Flagger Cyndy Clark. In her own garden Cyndy has a magnificent red and a pink Knock Out that have grown like mad. “But they’re not REAL roses,” she says, preferring the company of Yves St. Laurent and her other hybrid teas.
Perhaps Knock Out is a variety for gardeners more like us: i.e. lazy. Here are some testimonials and yet more press about what a cinch it is. “Knockout rose maintenance is as close as you will get to a ‘plant it and forget it’—we promise!” (Real gardeners, of course, have no desire to “forget it.”)
By far, most of the praise for this tough shrub seems to come out of the southern and midwestern regions of the U.S. Please let us know if Knock Out is throwing any punches where you are.
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