I fell like I am stalking a shrub!

[Kay]

I am in zone 5 and my neighbor has a shrub, I think a rose bush of some sorts, that when blooms in summer to fall it has small very deep purple. In fact I can only look at it from my fence. its about 5 feet tall. she has had it for 2 years now and does not cover it for winter and it comes back and looks gorgious. I asked what it was and she said bachlor buttons. I don't think this is true unless its a nick name of a rose bush? Miniture? or Miniture climbing? She has lots of other kinds of rose bushes that I can see are rose bushes. In zone 5 is there a miniture climbing rose bush that can handle the winter and come back? I have spent hours searching the internet with every key word I can think of.

Thanks,

Kay

[Kay Lancaster]

Bachelor buttons are cornflowers, Centaurea cyanus. The usual height is about 2 ft, so I'd be really surprised if that was the correct name. Deep blue purple is not a color for a rose, so I think that's out, too.

you ask if you can photograph it while in bloom, we've got a better chance of identifying it for you.

Might it be a rose of Sharon?

(there are undoubtedly better sources than these two)

another Kay

[Kay]

I will take a picture as soon as it blooms. I know for sure it has thorns. Thanks so much!

Kay

[Jim Elbrecht]

Montana [aka Mountain Bluet].

feet high is a stretch-- but the flowers range from bright blue to a violet. And the flowers last all summer .

Jim

[Jane]

Question on Centaurea Montana...mine just finished blooming should I cut it back or will it continue to bloom on it's own?

Note that there is also a perennial 'Bachelor Buttons' - Centaurea Montana [aka Mountain Bluet].

feet high is a stretch-- but the flowers range from bright blue to a violet. And the flowers last all summer .

Jim

[Janice]

What color is the foliage? What do the buds look like?

Bachelor buttons are usually on gray green foliage, the flowers do include some that are very deep purple in color, along with blue - light and dark, pink, white.

There are perennial varieties .. centaurea montana.. which has larger but sparser petaled .. deep blue flowers.

As to rose bushes.. miniature?? Do you mean that? They have miniature roses, that grow in 2" pots.. tiny. Or do you mean one that get how large??

Check in your local garden centers, not one in a lowes, walmart, Home Depot, or other chain store, because the plants are not ordered by local folks, they're sent by some corporate entity. They don't even re-order their own tomato cages when they're out I was in formed by the garden folks at Home Depot.

So go to a local reputable nursery/garden shop and see what they are selling. They will be most likely not carry things that won't be hardy there. Granted it's not *always* the case, but if you check several, talk with the people, you'll get an idea what will survive there.

Janice