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If I were to design the perfect morning, it would include an iced coffee, a quiet little stroll through my rose garden followed by an impromptu trip to Lowe’s to browse down the Garden Center aisles and obsess over you guessed it… more roses.
There is just something about the cool morning weather and feeling like I have the whole Garden Center to myself along with a few other early birds.
With that being said, on my most recent trip to the Lowe’s Garden Center I stumbled upon a freshly set up display of True Bloom Roses. I was in heaven!
Lowe’s SpringFest is happening now!
quick list of all products mentioned in this post:
True Bloom Roses – the easiest rose to grow
As someone who grows roses as a hobby (I have 20+ varieties in my garden), I LOVE a good low maintenance yet high performing rose.
Take it from me, True Bloom Roses are some of the EASIEST roses to grow and care for. Not only are they highly disease resistant, heat tolerant and easy to care for, but they also give out the most prolific and abundant amount of blooms.
I planted my first True Bloom Rose (True passion, photo above) about a year ago. This rose consistently produces dozens of the most vibrant red-orange blooms. When not in bloom, the shrub always has the healthiest green leaves. Even during our brutal summers here in, Phoenix, Arizona.
True Bloom makes the BEST Landscaping Roses
While I love all of my roses, I will be the first to admit that not all roses are perfect for landscaping “presentation” purposes.
Most hybrid tea varieties have large fragrant blooms, but they tend to grow a bit leggy and bare towards the base. I usually save these varieties for the back of my rose garden where you can see the blooms, but will not notice the bare lower canes with gnarly thorns.
I really love Grandiflora Roses for their height and prolific clusters of blooms, but the overall plant shape stays pretty thin and column like. These are perfect for growing in rows along a fence.
Lastly, most Floribunda roses do grow more shrub-like, but they often do not grow past 2-3 feet. I also find that my floribundas tend to require the most spraying for aphids/diseases since they sit so close to the ground. They can be a bit high maintenance and late bloomers.
This is where True Bloom comes in to save everyone’s garden!
True Bloom Roses combine the beauty of your favorite garden rose, but with the added strengths of a landscape worthy plant that is disease resistant, heat tolerant and will grow into a presentable shrub filled with healthy leaves.
This spring I decided to pick up a couple more True Bloom roses from Lowe’s. “True Serenity” and “True Sincerity”.
True Serenity Rose
This is the “True Serenity Rose”. She is stunning and extremely fragrant! It was love at first sniff.
These blooms are HUGE and can be smelled from a few feet away. The color is the most captivating blue toned fuschia and I cannot get over how many petals this rose has.
I find the fragrance to be very dramatic and spicy, similar to a Mister Lincoln rose. I specifically planted this rose in a large pot right outside one of the windows where I sit and work, because I cannot get enough of the fragrance! My husband (who I swear never can smell anything) even made a comment about how good this rose smells.
True Sincerity Rose
This is the “True Sincerity Rose”. This rose was the first to catchy my eye while walking into the Lowe’s Garden Center.
The fun ruffle shaped petals and vibrant color of these blooms ultimately reminded me of my kids. They love my more colorful and fun rose varieties, so I knew they would also love these. My 4 year old now calls these True Sincerity Roses “rainbow flowers”.
I cannot detect any fragrance other than “fresh petals”, but the colorful blooms are really the star of the show.
Each bloom seems to start off as a vibrant yellow rose with peachy pink tips, but then the petals go on a colorful journey of peach, orange and mature to a hot pink and white blend.
True Passion Rose
Here is the “True Passion Rose”.
I planted my “True Passion Rose” about a year ago. These blooms do not give much of a fragrance, but they are the most vibrant red color I’ve ever seen in a rose! Best of all, it can withstand full sun during our 110+ degree summers.
Unlike “True Passion”, most Red Roses tend to not stay very vibrant in dry hot climates. Some of the most popular varieties, Mister Lincoln and Chrysler Imperial, usually bloom a more fuchsia-red color here in Phoenix. The only time my Mister Lincoln Rose is truly “red” is during the late fall when our temperatures are more cool.
If you are looking for a vibrant red rose that does not give cooler tones during warm weather, the “True Passion Rose” is it.
True Friendship Rose
Here is the beautiful, creamy yellow “True Friendship Rose”.
While I did not purchase this rose, I really admire the creamy shade of yellow and intricate petal pattern! I am normally not a fan of vibrant yellow roses, but these blooms have a lovely cream outer petal giving the full bloom a sunshine appearance.
This bloom had a light fragrance, but no where near as prominent as “True Serenity”.
True Spirit Rose
Here is the “True Spirit Rose”.
This is a beautiful red rose! The petal design is definitely giving classic English rose garden vibes. These have a classic rose fragrance, but again, nothing has come close to the projection and intensity of the “True Serenity Rose”.
This variety would be the perfect Red Rose for a landscaping project trying to emulate a romantic rose garden. The red shade feels true, with a slight hint of pinky coral warmth. I believe in cooler weather, the red will appear deeper and more rich.
The “True Spirit Rose” is such a stunning shade of red, that you have to see in person.
Other True Bloom Roses at Lowe’s:
- True Love Rose – true deep red
- True Perfume – light pink
- True Bliss – pink & white blend
- True Inspiration – true medium pink
- True Gratitude – vibrant fuchsia purple
Caring for True Bloom Roses
6-8 Hours of Sunshine a day
Like all roses, True Bloom Roses will need at least 6-8 hours of sunshine to achieve maximum height, blooms and foliage.
If you live in a super hot climate like I live in, a little late afternoon shade is appreciated! I tend to plant my roses near my trees, or in the more East facing parts of my yard. Morning sun – early afternoon sun is ideal for hotter climates.
Water Frequently
Your watering schedule also really depends on your climate. For me in zone 9B Phoenix, Arizona…my watering schedule is busy! Luckily, most roses (especially True Bloom Roses) are very resilient and drought tolerant.
- Etablished Roses: roses that have been planted in my garden/pot for more than a year
- New Roses: roses that have been planted or recently moved to a new spot in my garden for less than a year
During the spring and fall months, when my roses are actively growing and blooming, I tend to give my established rose plants a deep watering every 2-3 days. My newer roses will get a light watering daily just to keep the soil moist until the roots establish more.
During our brutal hot summer months (mid June – early September), I will give a deep watering to my established roses every 1-2 days. If we go through a super hot spell of 110 degree days with no monsoon rainfall, then I will water all of my roses everyday. My newer roses will be babied throughout the summer, receiving daily waterings until I can taper down in the fall.
During our (sometimes singular) winter months of late December-early February, I barely water my roses. We tend to get a good amount of rain this time of the year, so I usually water all of my roses every 4-7 days.
Feeding True Bloom Roses
One thing about roses…they love to eat! If you want tons of giant blooms, you will need to stay on top of your feeding schedule. Luckily, it’s super easy.
My favorite Rose Food:
- Espoma Rose-Tone – granules
- Alaska Morbloom – liquid
I will feed all of my roses Espoma Rose-Tone right before the beginning of spring (late February in Phoenix). I dig a small circle around the base of each rose, sprinkle in the suggested amount of granules (according to the bag) and add some fresh soil on top. This is when I start to amplify the amount of waterings to help get the nutrients to the roots.
From there, I will feed the roses once a month with Alaska Morbloom. This concentrate gets added to my watering can, and I just water each rose at the base. I find this to be way easier and less time consuming than the granules!
Pruning True Bloom Roses
I have pruned my “True Passion” True Bloom Rose the same as any other rose. I actually find them to be easy to proom, since the growth is always clean and shrub like!
My rose pruning weekend tends to be the last weekend of January or first weekend of February in zone 9B. Every rose gets cut down to about 1-2 feet above the ground. I remove all leaves, week canes and only keep the main thick canes at the bottom.
It feels counter intuitive to chop down the plant that you want to see grow and thrive, but trust me…it will grow back quickly and much healthier within a few months!
Planting True Bloom Roses
Container Roses
If you are looking for a rose variety that grows well in pots, True Bloom is it! They are a fantastic rose variety for patio rose gardens! In fact, I planted my “True Serenity Rose” in this white resin fluted pot (11.5 gallons) outside the window where I work most of the day. Why yes of course, I want to open my windows and smell roses all day.
To ensure your rose remains healthy, you will need to consider:
- Rose’s full grown size (usually shown on the tag)
- Container size
- Container material
- Soil Variety
If your choice of rose grows within 2′-4′ you will want to plant them in a pot that is at least 15″ diameter and holds close to 10 gallons minimum. If your rose is expected to grow larger, you will want at least a pot with 20″ diameter and holds a little more than 10 gallons.
The container material is especially important for hot climates! If your rose will be in full hot sun, you will want to ensure the roots will stay as cool as possible. Resin, recycled plastic and wood planters are my personal go to. Ceramic and Rubber planters will get too hot in the sun.
Since your roses will not be getting nutrients from the ground, you will have to supplement! As long as you plant your roses with a well draining soil (my favorite soil is Kellogg’s Raised Bed and Potting Mix) and stay on top of feedings, your rose will be just fine 🙂
In-ground Roses
The easiest and most ideal spot for any rose would be in the ground. However, if you live in a place with poor soil quality (like me) then you will have to do a little extra work.
The soil in Phoenix, Arizona is naturally a clay like material. It is difficult to dig up, does not drain well, highly alkaline and mostly likely not very nutritious at all…but hey, the cactus love it here!
Roses love a well-draining “loamy” soil that leans more acidic. With that being said, all of my in-the-ground roses will receive new soil.
Favorite Soil for planting in-ground flowers:
- Kellogg’s All Natural Garden Soil
- Sta-Green Flower & Vegetable (comes in a smaller bag for smaller projects)
Once all of my roses are planted (in a container or in the ground) I will add a little cedar mulch to the base to help keep the base cool and lock as much moisture in during the dry summer months.
Sometimes I will even add “living mulch” during the summer by planting a few vincas around the base.