A to Z Blogging Challenge: K is for KnockOut

Pink KnockOut Rose planted to hide unsightly things

K is for KnockOut Roses

The first time I saw a KnockOut--rose, not boxing match--I was smitten. I think it was in 2002. We visited the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis late that summer. Most of the roses in the fabulous garden were on their last legs of the season, but the KnockOuts were still kicking up their heels. Nothing fazed them, not the heat, humidity, smog, bugs...I couldn't wait to add these beauties to my own yard. Of course, I had to. I had already exceeded my budget for roses that year in our West Kentucky garden, and SAM and I pulled up stakes the next year. Florida called, and we answered. 

An example of the original red KnockOut rose, a William Radler creation

It wasn't until the spring of 2004 that I was able to plant my very first KnockOut, the original single red variety, and here it still is, blooming its heart out near the northeast corner of our northwest Florida home. It survived Hurricane Ivan that year and the one named Dennis in 2005. Katrina gave us a scare, but we were spared any serious damage. You might think I'm crazy--I probably am--but sometimes I think of it as a member of the family. It's helped me keep my chin up, and that's not an easy task at my age.



David Austin's "William Shakespeare" rose still thriving in a pot, two years later

KnockOuts aren't the only roses to make it through harsh growing conditions in Florida. Remember that William Shakespeare I planted in a pot a while back? A David Austin creation, it's still growing and blooming, although it doesn't make quite the bold visual statement that KnockOut does. In the scent department, it wins for sure. KnockOuts don't deserve any kudos for smelling great, pretty as they are.



"Iceberg" not yet melting in my Florida garden

Iceberg is another sweet-smelling winner in my Florida garden. It does tend to knuckle under to the heat, which starts getting intense in late May or early June, but it keeps coming back every spring--six years so far. I love the way it brightens up an otherwise drab flower bed, and it lights up the landscape at night when the moon is shining.

KnockOuts are probably the most versatile roses I've ever grown. They thrive anywhere I plant them, even in mostly shady locations. Blooming is more intense where they receive more sunlight, especially in the morning. They're bred to resist black spot, a fungus that attacks and weakens most other roses, but plenty of Florida sunshine really helps them knock it out. And that old sun has kept the katzenjammer from KO'ing me a time or two.

What helps keep you from feeling kaput?

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