I never envisioned the Floribunda rose Moondance as a sprawling plant
since the catalogs use such terms as upright and columnar! But in my
garden, as the heavy panicles of bloom develop, Moondance is draping
itself over the adjacent roses. Perhaps this will change as the plants
mature. Or not. In any case, one cannot complain too much about a rose
which bears so many lovely blooms, even if the weight of those blooms is
causing it to grow much differently than expected.
With two years in the ground, and a little bit of staking to keep it
from smothering the adjacent plants, Moondance is now 3 feet tall and 3
1/2 feet wide. The full-bodied bloom clusters did not open up until the
weather turned hot. This is an advantage in my garden as it spaces the
bloom out. When many other roses are past their first flush, Moondance
is just hitting its stride, looking lush and lovely in the summer heat.
One of my plants is in full sun and the other has just a bit too much
shade. Based on their relative performance, and on the observation that
Moondance seems to relish the heat, I would not recommend Moondance for
any spot where it will be too shaded, or for gardens which are heat or
sunlight challenged.
But in my sunny spot, Moondance looks like a wonderful choice - indeed,
a rising star.
~ Photography and comment from Christine, Reno, NV 2009 ~
