Sweet
Chariot
Polyantha/Miniature
Origin -
Moore, 1984
Parentage - 'Little Chief' x "Violette'
Color - Violet/Lavender
Foliage - Medium green
Thorns - Light
Size - 2' h. x 1' - 2' w.
Fragrance - Strong
Repeat bloom - Yes
Disease resistance - Good
Hardiness - Zone 6
I don't
grow many miniature roses, but one that I would not be without is
Sweet Chariot. I've owned one plant and it has been with
me now for ten years, having moved with me from my former residence.
I've always grown this rose in the ground but it is also an excellent
rose for a pot or hanging basket. In the ground, it grows into a handsome
mounding bush, about 2 feet high and wide. It is smothered with violet
colored blooms in May which are intensely fragrant for a miniature
rose. The heavy bloom-laden branches tend to cascade toward the ground
(thus making it ideal for a hanging basket). But it is perfectly beautiful
in the front of a border where its beautiful blooms can fall gracefully
out into a path or over a brick-edged walk.
Sweet
Chariot does have one fault - it doesn't like extreme heat and
humidity. If you are not a diligent sprayer (like me!), the rose becomes
a little ragged looking and a little defoliated toward the end of
July and through August. But you can be assured that it will be beautiful
again next spring. I prune my plant back to about 6-8 inches early
every spring to promote new growth.
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Polyantha and Miniature Roses
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