Peggy Martin Rose – Jacki Kellum Garden – April 2024
I added a Peggy Martin rose to my Mississippi garden in April of 2024, and in April, her blooms were a rich, true pink. But by July, her blooms were more of a whitish blush. In terms of a color shift, my Fairy rose does the same thing.
The Fairy Rose in Jacki Kellum Garden in April of 2024
In terms of blossom size, The Fairy and Peggy Martin are similar, too. The blossoms are small, but they appear in large clusters. But in terms of bush size, The Fairy and Peggy Martin are vastly different. The Fairy is a small , cascading bush that grows to be about 4′ x 4.’ Peggy Martin is a massive plant and its canes grow to be about 15′ long. She can be easily trained.
Peggy Martin Rose
Image Creit: Southern Living
“‘She’s just a good girl,’ says Texas gardener Ruthie Burrus. ‘She’s a rambler and can be very aggressive, but she has no thorns. She’s not a cutting rose, either—but from a distance, she’s just stunning.’
“‘She” is the classic old Southern rose ‘”Peggy Martin,” named for an avid Louisiana gardener whose home and property stood under 20 feet of salt water for two weeks after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The only plants to survive were one crinum and a tough-as-nails beauty of a rose that Martin had acquired through pass-along cuttings from friends in New Orleans.” Southern Living
Peggy Martin Rose
Image Credit: Jackson Perkins
“A semi-thornless climbing rose, Peggy Martin is a multistemmed woody vine that grows vigorously, its strong, twining, and trailing canes reaching 6 to 15 feet high and wide and blooming in showy clusters of 2- to 3-inch, deep-pink flowers that have 16 to 25 petals and a moderate fragrance. The flowers make lovely cuts for indoor display. Peggy Martin flowers heavily in early spring and can rebloom in fall. Although the blooms may repeat, they do not continuously bloom.
“A resilient, easy-care rose, Peggy Martin is cold hardy and disease and pest resistant, making it a good choice for beginners. This highly versatile rose can be grown on trellises, poles, arches, and pillars; trained along fences or walls; or allowed to fountain on its own. It can be pruned to shape in late winter, after the threat of frost and extreme cold has passed.
“Considered a ‘found rose,’ the Peggy Martin rose was discovered in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, located southeast of New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina hit the area in 2005, this rose survived after being submerged in salt water for two weeks, a testament to its tough, resilient nature.” Southern Living
Grow ‘Peggy Martin’ From Cuttings
“These roses are easy to grow from cuttings. That’s one way they’ve made their way through the South. To take a cutting, look for a 6- to 8-inch piece of new growth and cut it off at an angle. Remove any lower leaves from the stem and plant in moistened potting soil. Keep the soil moist, not soggy, and cover the cutting with a plastic bag to maintain humidity. After 6 to 10 weeks, the cutting should have roots and can be transferred to a larger container or outside.” Southern Living
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