Tell the story

The history of roses is marked with game changing points. An example is the introduction of the rose ‘Peace’ in 1945, which gave us the modern hybrid tea flower form. For the next 55 years, hybrid tea roses dominated rose sales. They were easy to market because, for the most part, they all grew the same way. You only had to focus on the flower.

In 2000 we had another game changing moment in roses — the introduction of The Knock Out Rose. This was a rose that was easy to grow, and for general gardeners, it meant a rose they could grow like most other flowering shrubs. Because The Knock Out Rose was such a game changer, two things happened. First, hybrid tea sales plummeted. Second, new roses as easy to grow as The Knock Out Rose began to come on the market. The Drift series, Easy Elegance, Biltmore Garden Rose Collection — the list goes on. While good for the rose industry because it gave consumers more choices in the “easy-to-grow rose” category, it meant roses could no longer be marketed in the same style of hybrid teas.

The growth habit and use among these new modern roses varies widely. The Knock Out Rose selections are taller shrubs, Drift Roses and Flower Carpet are groundcovers and Oso-Easy roses are mostly shorter shrubs. Scatter in some climbers and suddenly buying and marketing roses is not just about the flower.

Five habits of roses
So how should you think about marketing todays widely varied roses? Simple. You market them like other plants. Plants are primarily sold based on size, growth habit and garden use with flower coming last. For example when advising for a foundation planting would you pick a pansy because of the pretty blue flower? No, you would start with size and growth habit to determine if the plant can be used for foundation planting and then if flowers are wanted they come after that. Same with today’s roses.

To make this easier for your customers and your sales staff, think about organizing your rose sales sheets or your rose sales area by the growth habit of the roses. As a start, try five different habits.

• Groundcover
• Short shrub – less than 3 feet
• Medium shrub – 3 feet to 5 feet
• Taller shrub – More than 5 feet
• Climbers

Grouping them this way will make it easier for your retailer and landscaper customers to quickly locate what they want. Additionally, it will start to educate them about the varied growth habits and uses of today’s garden roses.

Landscape uses
At the retail level, help customers see the wide variety of landscape uses for roses by hanging signage in each of the five growth habits with suggestions. Add photos whenever possible. Many companies have stock photos you can access online.

How do you determine use? First, by not thinking of them as roses and instead thinking of them like all other plants. What is a 6-foot shrub good for? How about hedging, screening, back of border and yes, even foundation planting?

Here are some suggestions to get you started.

• Groundcover - Front of border, around taller roses, pots, hanging baskets, draping over retaining walls from the top, lining steps.
• Short shrub - Front of border, low hedge along a walkway, mass planting, pots.
• Medium shrub - Mid-border, mass planting, mixed in with other shrubs, medium sized hedge, larger pots.
• Tall shrub - Back of border, hedging, screening, foundation planting, mass planting, amongst other shrubs.
• Climbers - Walls, fences, pergolas, free standing trellis, pillaring, arbors.

This additional marketing could lead to more sales as customers begin to grasp how roses can be incorporated into many different areas of the garden. Including landscape uses in marketing will also help growers effectively sell more roses to garden center and landscape contractor customers.

Today’s roses
As a little further assistance, here are some of the newer rose families and suggestions for where they belong. Keep in mind that roses tend to grow taller in warm climates, as you’ll need to factor that in.

The Knock Out Rose - Mostly medium shrub except in warm climates like USDA Hardiness Zone 9 and higher, where they can also be tall shrubs.

• Drift roses - Groundcover
• Flower Carpet - Groundcover
• Meidiland landscape roses - Short shrub
• Hardy Climbers from Star Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle - Climbers
• Oso Easy and Oso Happy roses - They fall into the short and medium shrub groups, so check the information of each variety.
• Biltmore Garden Rose Collection - Growth habits vary, so check the information of each variety. •Easy Elegance roses - Mostly medium shrub
• Weeks Roses - Widely varied, so check the information of each variety.
• Kordes Roses - Widely varied, so check the information of each variety.
• David Austin Roses - Widely varied, so check the information of each variety.

Gardeners are embracing roses again. Thanks to The Knock Out Rose, they realize not all roses are fussy and need a lot of care. Help your retail customer educate gardeners on how widely they can be used. Helping gardeners choose the right rose will make them even more excited about roses. Excited customers are always better for the bottom line.

Paul Zimmerman is owner of Paul Zimmerman Roses LLC in Campobello, S.C., www.paulzimmermanroses.com; and author of Everyday Roses from Taunton Press.