There are lots of reasons why something might have gone wrong. Since both are vigorous and potentially large native plants the pots seem far too small. Something more like a half barrel would be better. We don't know where you are situated but it's possible the Spiraea container froze in the winter and damaged the roots. The rose is hardy and didn't need to be indoors where it would probably be too warm and maybe too dry. However, if left outdoors it might also have had the roots frozen. So it's a dilemma what to do with them.

Any plant can be grown in a container, provided it is sized appropriately and the plant given the care it prefers. But as floral notes, various things can go wrong with container plantings, especially over winter (although both are very hardy natives that should be able to tolerate 7 winters, even in a container).

I would also guess the containers too small give the growth potential of both. And the spiraea needs consistently moist - even wet - soil.

Large, rambunctious native plants are not always the best choices for a container garden for a variety of reasons. If they didn't make it, I doubt I'd consider replanting with something similar.

Hi all. So it sounds like both of these plants are not 'ideal' for growing in pots, even large pots.... That said, I still want to continue to give it a valiant effort before I give up on them. ;-) Maybe I can still manage to produce a viable rose bush, albeit a meager one. In the past week, both plants have shown new growth. Granted, nothing impressive overall, but.... at least the plants are not worsening.

Especially with regards to the rose, I know that in my area, everyone that has roses in their yards...that their roses are now in full bloom. So.... even IF my potted rose were to slowly but surely continue to grow, and even develop flower buds at some point, is it likely that even by the time that were to happen (IF it were to happen), that it might then be outside of the normal growing season for roses? In other words, I don't know what the normal growing season is for roses....for how long they typically bloom, if they can be dead-headed to create new blooms, etc.?

Should I wait and see what develops with my rose plant, or, considering the fact that there aren't even any flower buds yet, that even if they WERE to develop buds say a month from now, that by that time of year (July) it may be too hot for roses to thrive?

Also, near the base of the rose plant I saw what appeared to be a volunteer/weed plant. At first glance, the leaves looked like that of a dandelion, but then, the newer inner leaves are quite prickly...almost 'thorny'...which made me wonder if in fact it's a part of the rose plant itself?

(The other little weeds surrounding the thornier plant, I'll be pulling out from the soil....)

See pix below. Thank you!!

Hi Lynn, That is a thistle. You will want to pull any weeds from the pot, so the rose has a chance. As for your other questions, no one can say if your rose will catch up after it was kept indoors (which is really bad for roses) -- that probably is what threw it off schedule. Since this is a wild rose it is probably once-blooming (in spring only) so don't bother deadheading it after it blooms. If it blooms in the heat of summer the flowers will fade faster, but there is nothing to be done about that. Might as well just keep caring for the rose in the pot --- watering and fertilizing are important for container plants -- and see how things turn out.

mad: Sam Kedem sold Chuckles 17 or 18 years ago, but not now. That’s where I first heard of it. HCR says they have it now.

Mike Lowe sold Chuckles years ago, also. For a modern rose, it has a lot of setigera in its breeding, so it has been considered a form of setigera that is reasonable to grow in a pot.

Setigera does not bloom in the spring. It blooms in the summer. Here, it usually starts around the middle of July, and blooms until the heat overtakes it. Then it will resume blooming after it cools off for a bit.

Thanks so much, for the input. And good to know that Setigera doesn't bloom until the summer. Indeed, when I just checked the site from which I purchased the plant, it indeed says June/July bloom. I was concerned when I saw homeowners around me (but who have dirt yards, unlike me) with their roses in full bloom. Now I understand that mine, a Setigera, is not like a standard 'rose bush'.

I'll pull out that thistle weed and put it in a pot on its own. (I read that thistle attracts pollinators and birds, so I'm curious to see if indeed does that (which I'd love!).

It's up to you, of course, but there's not much point nurturing the thistle. It'll go to seed and spread weeds to your neighbours. If you want to attract pollinators just sprinkle a few annual seeds around.

In general, wouldnt you want to size the pot to the size of the plant, and then pot up when necessary? I've gotten some very small bareroot shrubs, and putting them in a large container would be a recipe for a potting soil that never dries out enough. Eventually the plants might need a barrel to grow in but a seedling or small whip in a barrel seems premature.