Out of desperation,  I discovered how to grow roses in water. I’ve been employing this lazy (and cheap) person’s method for over five years now. There’s no guarantee, but if you live in the right climate, you can ‘plant’ your bare root rose in water (or knock the dirt off an actively growing youngster) and have buckets of flowers on the deck or porch. You can even take your roses for a ‘walk’ in the spring and fall, bringing them in out of the frosty weather in the evenings, extending your bloom season. All that’s needed is sunshine (all roses need at least six hours of this) and a few feeder goldfish.

    Goldfish? Yup! Up here in Alaska, mosquitoes thrive all ‘summer’ long, and are drawn to water. They’ll find your buckets of water and lay their eggs. Soon there will be little larva, wiggly around, providing free food for the goldfish. The end result (fish poop) provides nutrition to the rose plant.

    Simple enough? Check this site for more pictures and how to info: GrowAlaska.net.

Queen Elizabeth grandiflora rose, grown in water with feeder goldfish. Almost 7” across!