West Sussex,
United Kingdom 
Roses: Groundcover versus Patio roses. I hope this isn't too silly a question.
My local G centre is having a sale of the above. I have 4 large pots that I thought I would plant patio roses in but I prefer the colours of the groundcover roses. Could I successfully grow groundcover roses in pots? Would they drape over the sides to good effect? I'm unsure whether groundcover roses are meant to put down roots from their branches and spread like brambles, in which case they are probably unsuitable. Thanks.
15 Jan, 2014
Answers
It would also depend on the varieties of roses...some are more ground cover than others. I grow some of the new American "flower carpet" roses and they would be ideal in pots and tubs.
16 Jan, 2014
The 'County' series ones are good (Kent, Sussex etc)
16 Jan, 2014
Thank you all very much. I've been looking up 'flower carpet' and the 'county' ones this afternoon and find myself spoilt for choice. Thanks Crv and Badfish for having already grown the groundcover ones in pots--I'll definitely go for them now. It's just a question of which to choose!
16 Jan, 2014
It depends on the size of your pot. I have bought 3
round 16" diameter plastic pots 9" deep for my wild
flower plants.
They would be suitable for small rose plants for three
years I would think. Saves teasing out couch grass from
the stems and getting scratched.
16 Jan, 2014
Thanks Diane, I'm encouraged by this and thanks everyone for your help. I will buy 2 flowercarpet ones and 2 'County' ones and hope for a good display!
20 Jan, 2014
I grew a groundcover rose successfully for a couple of years in a very large terracotta pot. They need plenty of feeding and water- eventually it outgrew the pot so had to go into the ground.
Hope that helps.
16 Jan, 2014