The Peggy Martin Rose- As Delicate As She’s Tough

Mar 30

The Garden Girls love our Peggy Martin roses. Considered our own ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ Peggy Martin roses are delicate but offer true Southern grit.

A Little Bit About Peggy- A Southern Gem

The story goes a little something like this: A woman named Peggy Martin was living in Plaquemines Parish, just southeast of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. Martin was evacuated. Upon returning home, she discovered that her climbing rose, which had started from cuttings, had survived. This defiant rose survived the storm and two weeks of being submerged in flood waters.

A professor and Texas AgriLife horticulturist by the name of William Welch wanted to do something kind for Martin and the residents who were affected by Katrina. He took a cutting of Martin’s rose and propagated it. Then it was named in her honor. It became an instant favorite!

Caring For Peggy

This disease-resistant climbing rose is one of the easiest roses to care for and requires little maintenance. It survives Houston’s hot temperatures and our unexpected freezes. If you’ve considered adding roses to your garden, start with Peggy Martin. Here’s what you need to know to grow successfully.

Peggy needs full sunlight. She does best when planted in well-draining soil, but truth be told, I plopped her into my clay-heavy Houston soil, and she’s doing just fine. The most important thing to remember is that this rose will not tolerate standing water. *She may live through a hurricane or a freeze, but the leaves will reflect her anger for a while.

Peggy Martin roses are climbers so pick a spot where she can climb in your yard or garden. They need a bit of help, so secure and train it to a fence, arch, or trellis and snip off wild branches that refuse to trellis as you see fit.

The reward will come in spring with abundant clusters of small, pink blooms. Once established, it will bloom again in the fall.

Fertilizing in the spring and fall is important. Remove dead canes and vines in late winter, once the threat of freeze has passed. We’ll do this in February, just after Valentine’s Day.

Plant Your Peggy Martin Rose Today

Spring is an excellent time to plant a Peggy Martin in Houston. It will generally take six to ten weeks to root. This Southern gem will surely bring a smile to your face when you see those first blooms!