Question
My mother moved to assisted living 2 years ago and really misses the rose garden at her old house. My siblings and I want to get her a potted rose to put on her balcony, which gets full afternoon sun. My local garden center says a "Knockout" rose would be perfect for this.  Is that true? I do read that they are hardy and relatively disease-free. And is there anything specific we should know about growing roses in these conditions - i.e. how frequently to water/fertilize, what kind of fertilizer to use, etc.?

Answer
Knock Out is a good choice to put in a pot and just watch it grow. It shouldn't cause any problems. The container should be 18 inches deep as roses don't like warm roots and will get problems if the roots heat up. Plastic containers are actually best as they don't bake like a ceramic one does. Use a potting soil as it has been heated and all the bacteria have been killed in it. Plant the rose and then sprinkle a quarter of a cup of Osmocote 14-14-14 around the base of the rose as this is a slow release type fertilizer which is good for the whole growing season. Plus every time the rose is watered it will release some nutrients. Finally place some sort of mulch all around the top as this will keep the soil moist and the roots cool and you should only have to water it very well once a week.