They compare to more traditional roses like instant coffee compares to real coffee. They are too easy and cheesy. However, even instant coffee can be rather good as long it is not expected to taste like the real thing. Likewise, carpet roses do not produce big and fancy flowers on long stems for cutting, but they have other attributes that are advantageous in the landscape.
The small but ridiculously abundant roses that started blooming late last spring are only now finishing. Bloom can be white, pink, red, coral, scarlet, gold (orangish yellow), yellow or white. The rich green foliage is remarkably resistant to disease, and lasts until frost. The arching stems can spread a few feet without getting much more than three feet tall. Most cultivars stay shorter. Some get quite wide.
Like other roses, carpet roses will need to be pruned back severely while dormant in late winter. Yet, they do not need to be pruned nearly as carefully. Because they grow as thickets of canes, they do not need to be thinned to only a few canes when pruned. Even if old canes do not get pruned out, they will get overwhelmed and replaced by newer canes naturally.
Tony Tomeo 
I’m not a huge fan of Knock Outs, Drifts, etc.. though they definitely have their uses and I recommend them for people who really don’t care to maintain and just want something ‘pretty’ – however I will say that Flower Carpet Amber is one of the loveliest of the shrub roses. Great color, wonderful, citrusy scent and very vigorous – definitely a favorite here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was not easy to be polite with this topic. I rather dislike carpet roses, especially the newer introductions. Even the name is objectionable. I do not want any violence in my garden.
LikeLike
I just love your analogy: instant coffee to real coffee. Love it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I forgot about that one. This article is from two years ago.
LikeLike
Great analogy! I have one just like your picture that fills in a spot in my herb garden quite nicely. It’s still going strong with the blooms, but it’s also still in the 80s here. I had a peach colored one in the front yard that was supposed to have been dug out because it wasn’t doing so great and I wasn’t entirely thrilled with it, but a chunk of roots must have been left behind because it’s growing back! Oh well, I’ll wait and see how it does!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The picture was taken at a supermarket in town two years ago. Although I am none too keen on carpet roses, these work out nicely for the gardeners who do not know how to maintain much of anything.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I take your point, but admit that a couple of these no-nonsense roses in pots where they seem to be happy and provide much pleasure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! If I could, I would still grow hybrid tea roses just because I like the flowers. I can not recommend them to others, but they are still my favorites.
LikeLiked by 1 person
-I admit that I have-
LikeLiked by 1 person