Yeah! Keep thinking that Rob :) I didn't even consider the things 'real' roses 5 years ago. I planted another 16 a couple weekends ago... don't even want to count the critters now. By the way, the fragrant ones will shock you, LOL.

Here is a link that might be useful: Deb & Digger's Minis

A lot of people share your feelings. Many of mine have pretty large blooms; I grow them in pots, none get black spot (just lucky?) and
several have nice scents. Easy and fun for pot culture. If they get too big, they'll go in the ground. I find them a fun change of pace, but would never replace my other roses.

Well, I like the cottage garden look without growing anything but roses, so I 'layer' my roses. Climbers in back, then HT's, then floribundas, then mini-floras, then minis. Gives a full, colorful look to the garden and I only have to learn how to grow one thing.

There is also something delightful about things in miniature and it extends to roses, just as it always has in doll-houses and model trains and the like.

They can adorn your patio or front porch in pots where even a floribunda or Hybrid Tea or shrub would be too big. They can hide the naked legs of the Hybrid Teas and climbers. They make lovely accents to a bouquet of larger flowers, or miniature bouquets of their own to grace small nooks.

I don't really get blackspot here, but this past winter when we had more than a year's worth of rain in just a few scant months, we got some blackspot and only one mini got it and it was a no-name grocery store mini.

I have a micro mini planted in a galvanized watering can with holes punched in the bottom. It makes a really cute accent tucked in amongst a bed of low growing roses or other annuals/perrenials.

What other low growing flower will grace you with blooms all through the year/growing seasons just like your bigger roses?

If you need fragrance and some bloom size, Scentsational and the other Scentsation roses are the ones to look at first.

And, also, please remember that 'miniature' is the size of the bloom, not necessarily the size of the plant. I have a Hot Tamale that tops out at nearly four foot by four foot by the end of the year and blooms nearly continuously with anywhere from fifty to a hundred blooms on it at a time. Its one of my most stunning roses in my garden of 270 or so.

Suz

Not all minis have small flowers. Some of them will surprise you with their fragrance, so a blanket statement that they are not fragrant isn't fair. I grow them because of space limitations and I find most of them a heck of lot more hardy than HTs. They are easy to transport to shows to exhibit. Most of these minis seem to produce more flowers per bush, too. Plus, they don't cost nearly as much per plant compared to large roses.

Hmm, maybe I should try one then! Not many American miniatures are available in the Netherlands. We seem to get mostly Poulsen Palace roses and of course Kordes and Poulsen miniatures in pots for indoor use.

Any particular varieties that stand out from the rest?

Rob

Rob, get those Poulsen and Kordes minis and plant them outside! They are nice border plants. Even though they sell them here as "house plants" they really have to be planted outside. See SueTO's post, Strange Behaviour From a Mini for some recent pics of her Poulsens.

They make an awesome low hedge, outperforming my expensive annuals for color. I decided to make the switch to minis instead of my usual annual border and I won't ever go back! For one thing, they're labor saving. You only have to plant them once!

Mine have never had any problems with disease, which is great because I'm in a really humid valley and my HTs get mold if I don't spray early and often. I'm just in love with the little darlings!

I especially love the mini climbers. They won't get too out of control like my old rambler. They stay right on the porch columns and don't overtake the banisters.

If you can get a hold of Hot Tamale, get it.

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Suz

Oh my gosh, Suz, that is unbelievable! What a gorgeous plant! Can you post another one of the whole plant, just for perspective? That is a beautiful, beautiful rose.

Suz, I would also love to see a picture of the whole plant. You placed this picture on the forum not to long ago. I ordered HT because of your picture. lol. I just got it in yesterday, I would love to see how big it will get. Would you say this is your favorite rose?

Its my favorite mini... so far. My current favorite rose is Scepter'd Isle :) I'll go get a full bush shot for you and try to get something in the pic so you have a size ref.

Suz

Here you go...

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The latter is shown with a bridge chair to the fore and side of the bush and a pretty much full grown Cocker Spaniel named Tucker. He's about 16" at the shoulder.

I didn't deadhead before the pic because I wanted you to see just how covered it was when the flush was in full force.

Also, please pardon the wayward bermuda grass. I have something of a problem with it overgrowing that bed at the moment.

Suz

Sunrise Cupido
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Chick-a-dee
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Gingerbread Man
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Pink Poodle
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Fall Festival
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Debut
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How can you not love them?

Laurie

I bought over a hundred in 2003 when Justice Roses was going out of business. They looked really great and were blooming great when in pots. I moved them into the ground and lost quite a few over the first winter. I probably lost a few more last winter. But the ray of light is the survivors and the ones that are doing great. A larger percentage of the yellows are thriving, growing larger and blooming than the other colors, except for My Honey, an excellent mini that starts out orange and fades to peach, sprawls, and blooms prolifically in spring. A couple of the yellows are fragrant, like Pacific Serenade. Sequoia Gold has a lovely rounded form and the flowers are very long-lasting, in the range of weeks. Another lovely rose covered with blooms that start out pink and fade to white, is White Cloud. Anyway I plan to try to learn the art of growing from cuttings this summer and multiply the ones that are doing great to replace the ones that died off.