How To Make A Beautiful Garden Rose Bouquet
Making your own garden rose bouquet will definitely give you more pleasure and be easier on your pocket than buying one from the florist. A good bouquet of garden roses costs nothing less than $150. There is no reason why you should spend so much when you can make a bouquet within a few minutes with your own roses in the comfort of your own home.
Select your roses with care; cut only those that look healthy and are just about to open out. Single color roses of the same size work best for bouquets but if you are good at matching colors, go ahead and select different colored roses. Some colors that match well are red and white, peach and pink, yellow and blue, etc. White roses usually go well with all colors so you can confidently mix and match according to your taste.
Always cut roses only at dawn or late in the evenings. Roses cut in the afternoons wilt soon. Use sharp and clean garden shears to cut the roses at an angle. Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the stems. Dip the stems in a vase filled up to half with cool fresh water. You can add a preservative if you need to store the roses for a few days.
The night before you need the bouquet, take the roses out of the water. Remove the thorns with a good thorn stripper without damaging the stems. Also remove any wilted petals without touching the healthy petals.
Make an ‘O’ with your forefinger and thumb on the hand you use less. Take a rose and slip the stem into the ‘O’ and keep adding roses evenly at an angle around the bouquet keeping the stems intertwined. The bouquet should be a neat dome of roses with a narrow neck, where you are holding the stems together, and the stems themselves are splayed out.
Tie the neck of the bouquet with floral wire and cover with floral tape. Add green ferns or other greenery right around the bouquet and secure with floral wire. Cover the neck with decorative satin ribbon and fix it with a sturdy pin.
Retaining the splayed stems gives it the look of a fresh garden rose bouquet. But if you prefer the bouquet to look more even, snip off the bottom of the stems to keep them at one length.
Five Hardy Roses For Your Bush Rose Garden
Wild roses have been around even before the evolution of man. Over the centuries, man has successfully tamed the wild rose and continues to create newer and hardier roses. A bush rose garden is not difficult to plant or maintain if you choose the right roses. There are several sturdy and disease-resistant rose bushes that need very little of your time. Here are five highly resilient roses:
Sunny Knock Out is fairly simple to grow and establishes itself well in slightly acidic soil. It is a well shaped, round, compact, and bushy shrub with very dark green semi-glossy foliage. It has 3 inch wide blooms that are golden yellow in color with 5 to 6 petals. It shows a high degree of resistance to rust, powdery mildew, and black spot. Growing to a height of 3 feet, it spreads to about 3 feet in width in Zones 4 to 9. Although the blooms are not fragrant the petioles exude a heady scent of sweetbriar. It even thrives in humid climates and grows vigorously with an annual feed of slow-release nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Magnifica Rose is a rugosa hybrid making it a very hardy rose. It thrives in Zones 4 to 7 and has large double blooms that have a moderate to intense fragrance. The magenta blooms turn into a mauve blend of 17 to 25 petals. It has eye-catching wrinkly foliage giving out beautiful large orange red hips in autumn. It grows on it’s own root which gives it a very resilient spirit.
F J Grootendorst is a very beautiful rose bush with clusters of small-sized crimson red flowers that look like carnations. The creased foliage is a bright green in color. The shrub grows upright up to 4 feet tall in full sun. It starts blooming in June and continues until onset of frost. It is very thorny with a mild scent. It thrives in well-drained, moist, and fertile soil with good air circulation. The ideal Zones for this rose are 4 to 8.
Hope for Humanity with it’s deep wine-red buds that open to slightly cupped blood-red blooms is a repeat bloomer. Each bloom has 15 to 25 petals that give out a moderate fragrance. The foliage is dark green and resistant to powdery mildew. It grows on it’s own root making it extremely hardy. Zones 3 to 7 are the best zones for this beauty.
Paprika grows to a height of 1 to 2 feet with 2 inch wide blooms. It has verdant green glossy foliage with reddish orange blooms that turn into a coral-salmon shade. It is a repeat bloomer starting in summer and ending in fall. It grows well in Zones 5 to 9 in full sun. Ideal for borders it benefits with a fairly moist and well drained, slightly acidic soil. It has a high tolerance for rain, humidity, and heat.
Bush roses make perfect borders and hedges. Choose disease-resistant varieties and you will soon have a beautiful and yet low-maintenance garden.
Happy Rose Gardening!
How To Buy Roses For Garden Use
You need to research well before you can take home the right roses for garden use. There are several factors to consider and several methods to choose from. You can buy your roses without raising more than a finger by sitting at home and clicking your way through an online nursery or head to your local nursery to get an actual touch and feel.
The size of your garden and the soil and weather conditions play a large role in determining the roses that will do well in your garden. Once you know the varieties you can choose from, you have to first freeze on whether you want to buy bare-root, containerized, grafted, or own root. Bare-root roses are only for veteran gardeners and potted roses are best for beginners. Own root roses take a longer time to establish and grow slowly but they are definitely more durable.
If you are looking to grow roses to use as cut flowers, hybrid teas are best. Keep in mind that the darker the color of your rose, the heavier the fragrance. White roses are generally unscented or mildly scented. Rose bushes that are about a couple of years old are a safe bet.
Make sure you buy roses from good stock from an established nursery with a good track record. Always ask for disease-resistant and low-maintenance varieties. Online Nurseries usually have a wide choice of bare-root, containerized roses but you may have to pay additional shipping charges. At your local nursery, you can see and smell the roses before buying but they may have only a limited selection.
In case you decide to order your roses through an online nursery, check if they are amenable to returns just in case you find the plants are diseased or damaged. If your roses look healthy with buds and fully opened blooms, and firm, white roots, with no broken stems, damaged or yellowed foliage, or wilted leaves, you can safely accept the consignment. When buying potted roses, check if the plant is at least twice the height of the pot. If the plant is bigger then it could mean that it has been in the pot for too long and could be root-bound. Also, check the root ball and ensure that the roots are white and have not outgrown the container. If the roots are discolored or emit a foul smell, return the plant and ask for a replacement.
The best roses are the ones directly sold by growers. You can be assured of the highest quality at the least price. However, they may not have a large selection.
Whatever method you opt for and whatever variety you choose, remember to talk to other rose gardeners and the staff at your local nursery before you go ahead and purchase your roses.
Happy Rose Gardening!
Five Beautiful Black Roses In My Garden
Many a veteran gardener has tried hybridizing different colored roses but the black rose has successfully evaded all attempts. The black roses in my garden are at best deepest purple or darkest of dark red but nonetheless absolutely beautiful. Here are some of the black roses in my garden:
Black Bacara, a hybrid tea, is very touchy about soil and weather conditions and attracts diseases like a magnet! But, if given extra attention and care, the Black Bacara rewards you with several small buds that are quite black in color. It blossoms into very intense burgundy or blueberry or blackberry shades. The blooms have 45 petals each that are velvety to the touch. It looks awesome when planted as a contrast to other flowers in borders. It needs a lot of nitrogen, so regular feeding and pruning in early spring will bring the best out of this three feet tall bush. This compact bush thrives in Zones 5 to 9 and the blooms make excellent cut flowers.
Black Jade is a modern miniature rose that is also very close to black in color. It is a sturdy bush that grows upright to a height of three feet on very strong stems. It blooms in clusters of five to ten roses with very dark and blackish petals. The contrasting bright yellow stamens add vibrancy to this rose. It blooms repeatedly through the season on very glossy foliage. As opposed to the Black Bacara, this one is highly resistant to many diseases and is best grown in Zones 4 to 11.
Nuits de Young, a Moss Rose discovered in 1845, is a very thorny four feet tall bush that tolerates a little shade. It has an average resistance to diseases and does not attract any form of wildlife or bees. It’s dark maroon-purple colored small double blooms exude an old rose fragrance. It is a repeat and abundant bloomer when planted in Zones 5 to 8.
Tuscany Superb, an 1837 Mad Gallica also known as the Old Velvety Rose, reaches a maximum height of five feet. It has a powerful and untamed crimson–maroon coloring that becomes darker in time and ends up the deepest darkest purple with iridescent black highlights. A subtle earthy fragrance wafts from the plant when in full bloom. Although it has some level of disease resistance, it tends to attract mildew once it is done blooming. Spraying the plant regularly with clean water in the mornings will take care of that problem. It is a fairly hardy plant that is suited to Zones 3 to 8. You will have to give it some protection during winter months if you live in Zone 3.
Francois Dubreuil, a Tea Rose, blooms intermittently throughout the season. The double blooms are purple-crimson in color against very dark green foliage. It has a heady tea fragrance. It grows upright to a height of three feet in Zones 4b to 9b. The branches spread out to a width of about two feet.
There is no way you can go wrong in adding these black roses to your garden as they are sure to make heads turn!
A Guide to Your Rose Tree Garden
Only man-made ‘rose trees’ can form your rose tree garden as nature provides us only with rose bushes, shrubs, climbers, and even ramblers but sadly no trees! Veteran gardeners, satiated with their successful experiments with hybrids, started looking for newer challenges and what can be more of a challenge than growing a tree from parts of three different rose plants? Thus was borne the beautiful rose tree which has adorned many an imperial garden over the centuries.
The ‘rose tree’ or the ‘rose standard’ can produce a canopy of different colored roses on a single cane if and only if, you are a skilled gardener with enormous amounts of patience and time in your hands. You start out by grafting the root structure of one plant with a cane of another and right on top of the cane you graft a crown of roses from a third plant. The cane acts as the trunk of your brand new rose tree. Sounds quite complicated doesn’t it? It isn’t really if you spend some time researching online and talking to other gardeners who have successfully grown rose trees.
The average rose tree grows to a maximum height of about five feet and as it keeps growing, you can keep grafting on different colored roses to create a beautiful and vibrant rose tree. Planting is done best in fall. Rose trees need a lot of space to grow so if you intend planting more than one tree, remember to space them. They need at least 2.5 to 3 feet distance all around from other trees or plants. Remember that the hole should be at least 1 ½ times wider than the roots of the tree. Place roots right in the center of the hole and spread well-decomposed manure around the base. Fill the rest of the hole with loose soil and water deeply allowing the soil to soak it in thoroughly. Then fill in any remaining gaps with soil and gently pack the soil. Just make sure that the bud union, where the root is grafted to the cane, is on level with the top of the soil. Creating a slight mound around the base of the tree will keep the water concentrated around the roots of the tree. Pruning before planting encourages the tree to establish quickly if you are late in the planting season. Prune the tree regularly every March to get the best out of your tree.
Your rose tree cannot withstand strong winds or extreme temperatures so you will need to give it substantial support. Frostbite can also easily kill the cane so some gardeners like to grow their trees in the greenhouse until they are established and are sturdier. Once planted out in the open, you need to protect the cane in winter by keeping it enclosed. Mulching all the way up the sides of the cane and surrounding it with chicken wire helps keep out the frost. You have to prune the branches of your rose tree to prevent onset of various diseases and to reduce the weight of the flowers on the cane. Never prune the cane!
Being a gardener who has been there and done that, you will know the importance of checking the suitability of your tree to your climate zone and soil conditions before you start planting your rose tree garden!
Happy Rose Gardening!
Five Types Of The White Garden Rose
The White Garden Rose is a favorite of rose gardeners as it blends well with not just roses but also other flowers of different colors. Most white roses cannot handle direct sunlight and grow best in partial shade with minimal heat. If you can find a spot in your garden that will catch the early morning light and the setting sun, that is where you should plant your white rose.
- Blanc Double de Coubert is a combination of R. Rugosa and Sombreuil and is commonly known as Hedgehog, Ramonas, Japanese, and Sea Tomato. It has thorny branches and is good for mixed borders and hedges. It’s leaves are characteristically wrinkled in appearance; the Latin word ‘rugosus’ means ‘full of wrinkles’. It is an extremely hardy plant and can withstand wind, under-nourished soil, and even salt spray. It can tolerate extreme weathers and grows well in partial shade. It grows to it’s full height of six feet in well-drained, moist, and fertile soil. Each semi-double bloom has about 25-20 petals that exude a strong anise-like fragrance.
- Claire Austin, an English Rose, is named after David Austin’s daughter whose specialty lies in day lilies, irises, and peonies, unlike her father who is famous for his creation of the English Rose. It grows into an arching shrub with abundant moderate green foliage to a height of about four feet as a shrub and up to eight feet as a climber. It spreads to a width of four feet. It starts out as tiny cupped buds shaded lemon yellow and slowly blossoms into large, creamy-white petals impeccably arranged in concentric circles. The Claire Austin has an intense myrrh fragrance with flashes of heliotrope and meadowsweet vanilla. It is quite a hardy plant and has a reputation of good health.
- Panda Meidiland, a small shrub, grows to a maximum height of 2 feet and spreads about 2 feet in width. If grown on it’s own roots, it shows remarkable resilience and tolerates harsh winter conditions. It has beautiful white semi-double blooms and gives of it’s best in Zone 4.
- Rose Marie, first discovered in Valderose, Canada, is a very attractive bushy shrub with beautiful double-full blooms. The stems are smooth and thorn-less. It is a very hardy shrub about four feet tall and four feet wide. It is a repeat bloomer and it’s cup-shaped blooms give out a heady fragrance with strong overtones of myrrh that leaves you wondering if it’s fruit, honey, or carnations. The blooms are essentially white with pink overtones.
- Gourmet Popcorn was named so as it looks like a bunch of popcorn on a stick! It grows to a height of just three feet but packs quite a punch. It is a ravishing miniature immaculate white rose with a golden yellow center. To top it all, it is highly resistant to all types of diseases and is very hardy.
The white garden rose can easily enhance the look of your garden with it’s pristine elegance. Whatever may be the size or shape you select, if your rose is white you’ve got it right!
The English Garden Rose: The New Rose With The Old Charm
The English Garden Rose, otherwise known as the Austin Rose, made it’s debut in the rose world in the 1960s. David Austin succeeded in creating a rose that combines the vigor and hardiness of the old garden rose with the colorful and repeat flowering nature of the floribunda. The Constance Spry, his first offering to rose lovers, shot up in popularity because of it’s large, soft, translucently pink cupped double flowers. It is a combination of a Mad Gallica ‘The Belle Isis’ and a floribunda ‘Dainty Maid’. Although it blooms just once in summer, the myrrh scented abundant blooms are long-lasting and look stunning against dense dark green foliage. In addition to it’s visual attractiveness, it is also very healthy and tolerant of harsh winters.
The English Garden Rose is ideal for both front and back borders. It can be trained to climb and spreads rampantly. All the roses in this variety are known to exude different fragrances which can be broadly classified into old rose, myrrh, floral tea, and fruity fragrances. Some roses of this variety have more than 100 petals.
To instill some old world charm into your modern rose garden, bring home the hardy and yet beautiful English Garden Rose.
Grace is a resilient shrub that gives out many branches and grows to a height of 4 feet and spreads to a width of 4 feet. It is a very healthy repeat bloomer. The dark apricot blooms with paler edges exude a heady and sensuous fragrance. It is ideal for borders and will blend well with purple and dark red flowers.
Golden Celebration, a medium sized shrub, can be trained as a short climber. It is very resilient and gives out an intense fruity tea fragrance initially that turns into a drugging wine and strawberry scent as the bud opens out fully. It is a repeat bloomer with the most beautiful rich golden hued blooms. It has a shapely growth and arches slightly with sufficient foliage. This rose won the Best Shrub & Most Fragrant Rose awards at the 2000 Rose Awards Day.
Gertrude Jekyll was voted England’s Favorite Rose and can be grown in pots. It is a medium sized shrub and with encouragement can grow into a short climber. It was named after a famous gardener, who lived in the late 1800s; her influence being felt strongly even now in rose gardens all over the world. It is very hardy with a very strong old rose fragrance. It’s impeccable tiny scrolled buds blossom into large flowers repeatedly throughout the season. It’s about 4 feet tall and 3.5 feet wide as a shrub and about 8 feet tall as a climber. It won the James Mason Award in 2002 from the Royal National Rose Society.
Darcy Bussell is an old rose hybrid with a mild fruity scent. It is very hardy and healthy with deep intense crimson colored roses that take on a mauve tint just before the petals drop off. This rose grows pretty well in large sized pots. It flowers repeatedly and is 2 feet wide and 3 feet tall. It was named after a renowned ballerina.
The English Garden Rose is your best bet for a hardy and resilient old garden rose that does not compromise on flowering frequency, colors, or fragrances.
Grow The Roses You Love : The Hybrid Teas
The Hybrid Teas have been popular since time immemorial but are known to be difficult to grow in home gardens. You can grow the roses you have always admired if you set your mind to it. Hybrid teas are prone to diseases so you will have to ensure adequate space between each plant and keep a watchful eye on them. Although hybrid teas grow well in cold climates, you need to check their suitability with your climate zones as some cannot tolerate temperatures less than -12 degrees; some bud unions tend to get damaged or just die.
The first hybrid tea was La France created in 1867 by a French gardener. Hybrid teas make perfect cut flowers because of the single rose bloom at the end of a perfectly formed long stem. The bush grows to a height of 6 ft. and each bloom is 3-5 inches wide. Most hybrid teas are not very fragrant. The hybrid teas are a cross of hybrid perpetuals and old tea roses. The rose has more than 60 petals and bloom in all colors except blue.
If your summers are very humid, select mildew-resistant varieties. Alternatively, if your summers are very dry, choose heat-tolerant varieties with strong and vigorous roots. Hybrid teas grow well in slightly acidic soil with pH 6.0 to 6.5.
Dig a deep hole and create a soil mound at the bottom of the hole. Drape the roots over the mound and fill the hole half way with soil and water to remove all air pockets. Then mulch the rest of the hole. Take care to maintain a gap between the plant and the mulch. Water deeply. Plant the bud union 1-2 inches above the soil in warm climates and 1-2 inches below the soil in cold climates. Once you are done with planting, prune the top of the bush.
Check the soil for moisture regularly by dipping your finger 3 inches into the soil; if it comes out dry, you need to water. If the leaves turn yellow and exhibit green veins, you need to add an iron supplement to your soil. Also check the soil for magnesium content and if it is lacking, add a quarter to half cup of Epsom salts. This helps in brightening the color of the blooms and encourages growth of flowering canes. Mulching in early spring helps the soil retain moisture keeping the roots cool. Hybrid teas need to be fed weekly, or at least once in two weeks, with a good well-balanced organic fertilizer. Stop fertilizing about a month and a half prior to onset of frost.
Here are some beautiful hybrid teas for your garden:
Peace is bright yellow with a fruity but mild scent; has large, double blossoms and prefers cooler summers. Extra care needed as it is susceptible to black spot.
Barbara Bush has a moderate damask fragrance with a coral pink and ivory color. It is bushy and well-rounded and grows to a height of 4-5 ft.
Black Magic Rose is deep dark red in color with black shades. It is extra long stemmed with a subtle sweet scent and is 5.5 ft tall.
Pristine Rose a creamy white lightly fragrant rose grows upright to a height of 4-6 ft. and spreads wide.
Paradise Rose has a fruity scent with silvery lavender blooms with red edges. It grows upright to a maximum of 5 ft.
With lots of care and a little extra effort, you can grow the roses that the world admires in your very own garden.
Essential Tools For Rose Gardeners
Rose gardening is definitely easier on your back and legs when you are armed with the right tools. Here are some must-have tools for all rose gardeners.
Gardening Gloves
Get yourself a nice pair of strong leather work gloves to avoid getting poked by thorns. You can also opt for fabric gardening gloves that are water resistant and although these won’t prevent you from getting pricked, they will not tear easily. Avoid blisters by always wearing gardening gloves when attending to your roses.
Kneeling Pads / Knee Pads / Adjustable Kneelers
You will find yourself constantly on your knees while taking care of your roses. To prevent bruising your knees, buy a sturdy kneeling pad which is cushioned, water-resistant, and also lightweight to carry around with the rest of your tools. Alternatively, you can go in for adjustable knee pads which you can just strap on and walk around. The ones with two straps allow more flexibility of your knees. There are also adjustable kneelers which can be converted into a seat! The advantage of the adjustable kneeler is that you can set it at any height and, unlike the kneeling pad, does not flatten the grass.
Short Digging Fork
A short handled fork helps in turning soil in small spaces. You need to have one with a solid handle and steel forks. The ones with a wide blade on one side and two or three prongs on the other are ideal of digging and jabbing holes in the soil.
Long-handled Shovel
Make sure your shovel is lightweight and has a well-padded handle to prevent blisters. There are many types of shovels you can choose from. The one with a square head is good for shoveling debris, mulch, and loose soil. A round head is ideal for heavier digging of trenches and holes.
Watering Wand
A good watering wand is essential to give your roots a good soak. It would not be a waste of money to go in for one that is rustproof with brass fittings as the plastic ones tend to break off easily. There are some gardeners who have made their own watering wands out of sheer frustration!
Pruners
Bypass pruners are best for pruning delicate canes. You can get both short reach and long reach pruners for taller bushes. Look out for pruners made especially for roses and also get the size that is best suited to your hands.
Loppers
Loppers are ideal for mature rose plants and make it easier to reach and prune thick canes.
Rake / Lawn Sweeper
You will need both the large garden rake and the small leaf rake. The garden rake helps you level your rose beds while the leaf rake cleans debris from around your rose bush. While selecting your rakes, look for one with a flexible handle to take pressure off your back; tines with a spring mechanism as this helps in maneuvering around your plants; a narrow head to reach those difficult spots; and a wide head to cover more area.
If you have a large lawn and garden, it might be best to go in for a lawn sweeper too.
Wheelbarrow / Garden Cart
There are many types of wheelbarrows you can choose from: single or double front wheels, shallow or deep buckets, and even folding wheelbarrows that you can stash away easily and aids easy loading and unloading. If you have a small garden with lighter loads to cart around, the foldable wheelbarrow will be ideal for you. Getting a Garden Cart is also a great idea if you are constantly moving your plants around. You might want to keep in mind that pneumatic wheels give a better grip on rough terrains.
Whatever may be the tool, always test it out for sturdiness and comfort before buying. Equipping yourself with the right tools is the best way to start your very own rose garden.
Rose Gardening Tips: Pest Management
Pests are the bane of rose gardening. Here are some rose gardening tips exclusively targeting the types of insects you are bound to come across and how to manage their attacks.
One of the easiest ways to prevent pests from attacking your roses is to introduce some plant diversity in your garden. Nasturtiums trap aphids and plants like thyme, geranium, and rosemary attract insects which feed on the harmful pests. While planting, spray a 2% concentration of soap and reapply once in fifteen days to keep aphids and other insects away. Place garlic around the base of your rose plant and sprinkle Cheyenne and black pepper around your garden to repel insects. Oil or lime and sulfur sprays suffocate eggs and larvae before they can hatch.
Aphids are red, yellow, green, or black in color and are found on and around roses. They feed on new growth. Spraying water will wash them away.
Japanese Beetles are hard shelled and green with black and gold shades. These beetles usually assail the rose bush in a group. Sevin, a chemical spray, is known to repel these persistent pests. However, they usually return after some time.
Spider Mites are initially pale green and soon turn into red, black, or brown. They are very tiny and feed on the sap from under the leaves. The classic symptom is yellowing of the upper surface of the leaves. Immediately remove and destroy all the damaged leaves and spray the plant with sulfur 50 WP 2 gm/ liter of water. Proper irrigation and clean environs can prevent onset of spider mites.
Leaf Cutter Bees are mostly harmless as they just neatly cut out the rose leaves and use them to create partitions for their eggs in their hives. They don’t harm the plant in any other way.
Thrips live inside rose blooms and leave your flowers deformed or flecked or the petals with a scratched appearance. Insecticidal soaps are known to help but it is usually very difficult to control thrips.
Castor Semi-looper is destructive in the larva stage and feeds on rose leaves; so when you see these caterpillars, handpick them and spray with methyl parathion 1 ml.
Gram caterpillar loves to feed on the inside of rose buds. The larva is green with intermittent bands of dark and pale grey. A spray of endosulfan 0.07% might help.
Rose Scale sucks the sap out of mature shoots depleting the vigor of your rose plant. You can identify a rose scale attack by the reddish brown encrustation on the plant. Immediately cut and burn the affected parts of the plant and rub the scales off with cotton dipped in kerosene. Spraying malathion 2 ml/liter of water at pruning might help in controlling rose scales.
Termite feeds on roots of both mature and young rose plants. They look like ants with dark colored heads. They thrive in dry soil conditions so the key to keeping termites at bay is to keep your soil moist at all times. Remove and destroy termite mounds as soon as you see them in your garden. Drenching soil, infested with termites, with lindane 2 ml /liter of water will help.
Lesser known insects that could attack your rose plant are rose leaf lopper, rose beetle, rose curculio, flathead borer, and rose slug. Avoid random spraying of insecticides on your plants as you may end up killing the beneficial ones like ladybugs (eat aphids), nematodes (prey on Japanese beetles), the praying mantis, and mini-wasps.
Discuss all methods of prevention and control with your local nursery and your gardening friends before you start your rose garden.
Low Maintenance Roses In Garden Settings
You are dying to grow roses in your garden but are scared about all the rumors that roses are very high maintenance. Just go for the practically zero maintenance roses, in garden settings: Nearly Wild Roses.
Wild roses are the only roses created purely by nature without any interference from man. Rosa acicularis also known as the ‘Wild Rose’ is native to Asia, Europe, and North America; Rosa arkansana the ‘Wild Prairie Rose’ is from Central North America; and Rosa virginiana – ‘Virginia Rose’ is from the United States of America. Many odes have been sung to the wild rose and Vincent van Gogh even painted ‘Wild Roses’, in 1890, a beautiful oil on canvas depicting near white roses with bright yellow stamens. Although there are about 100 basic native species roses, very few are commercially available. Native wild roses are also not very popular for planting in gardens as they bloom only once a year.
If you would like a rose plant that blooms throughout the season, you need to look for ‘Nearly Wild Roses’ which are basically crosses between species roses that are repeat bloomers. They are very tolerant to the harshest of winters and highly disease-resistant. This makes these roses practically zero maintenance. Plant these roses next to fences or at the edge of your lawns to prevent them getting mowed over when they are dormant. Bonica and Chuckles Rose (Canadian Explorer Series) are some of the nearly wild roses that are best suited for very cold climates (Zones 4 upwards).
The famous Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa) is used extensively in landscaping in gardens in North America. This rose is very sturdy and has a single white or red bloom. It is originally from the Far East but is now widely grown in North America.
Nearly wild roses are shrubs with woody stems that shed their leaves in winter. They thrive even in Zones colder than Zone 6. You will only need to prune the dead wood after winter. Just like the purely wild roses, these roses also have just 5 petals and are strikingly beautiful in deep red, pink, white, and yellow colors. They do not grow rampantly wild so they are easy to keep in check.
The roots grow deep into the soil so although water is an absolute necessity for these roses, they don’t need as much as their hybridized counterparts. They don’t need to be fed regularly too but would benefit with an organic fertilizer at least once a year.
While selecting the roses to bring home to your garden, ask for disease-resistant varieties that are best suited for your climate zone. Also, discuss with your friends and neighbors who have grown wild roses successfully; you will find tips you won’t find in any book or online resource.
With a little bit of research and very little effort, a beautiful and yet low maintenance rose garden will be well within your reach!
Happy Rose Gardening!
The Best Roses To Grow In Your Backyard
Ever despaired at the colorless barren space that you have to constantly look at through your kitchen window? Roses are the ideal choice to pep up your dreary backyard with vibrant colors and make it a haven of relaxation. The best roses to grow in your backyard garden are climbers and rose bushes. Visualize this: A hedge dotted with beautiful blooms and rose bushes scattered everywhere with a path winding through your garden, a rose tree in full bloom, and you reclining on a garden chair reading a book and nursing a tall cool glass of lemonade.
Let’s start with decorating your hedge. Rose climbers are easy to maintain and form a very attractive hedge. Almost all rose varieties are climbers. They are usually low maintenance with a high resistance to disease and tolerance to harsh weather conditions. You just need to ensure a regular supply of water and the occasional checking for pest attacks and diseases. You will, of course, need to keep your climbers well-trimmed and pruned at least once a year.
Blaze is suited for Zones 4-10. It can grow to a height of 10-15 ft and blooms repeatedly in profusion. This bright scarlet rose blooms in clusters against dark green foliage. It has a very light fragrance.
Pinkie grows best in Zones 6-10. It is a very fragrant continual bloomer. This pink rose also blooms in clusters and has 15 petals.
Iceber, by far the most wanted climbing rose, is a Floribunda that grows to a height of 8-10 ft. It wafts a light honey fragrance and blooms continually.
Ginger Syllabub has the dubious distinction of being named after a drink served in pubs in England; perhaps due to it’s highly intoxicating fragrance that can travel quite a distance. This rose grows very fast and blooms continually. It is a luxurious rose with more than 70 petals. This rose is ideal for Zones 5-10.
Night Owl has the most unusual wine-purple color that contrasts brilliantly with it’s bright yellow stamens. It exudes a sweet fragrance. Although it has just 8-12 petals, it blooms in large clusters and repeatedly through the season.
The most popular rose bushes are hybrid teas. But you don’t want your rose garden to look like all the other rose gardens in your locality, do you? That’s why you should go with old garden rose bushes. They have been around for centuries and graced the garden of many an emperor. They are winter hardy and disease-resistant. To top it all they are very beautiful and fragrant.
Louise Odier is a Bourbon Rose with large pink blooms with more than 60 petals. It blooms in profusion in spring and repeatedly blooms right into fall. It is known for it’s exquisite fragrance. It is at it’s best in Zones 5-10.
Tuscany Superb is a Gallica Rose which is the oldest garden rose. The petals are velvety and deep crimson-purple in color. It blooms only once a year but it’s a treat to the senses. It is highly fragrant and is ideal for Zones 4-8.
Lamarque is a Noisette Rose with fully double blooms. It is a tall shrub and grows fast. The white blooms have shades of lemon yellow in the center and are very fragrant. Zones 7-10 are the best for this rose.
Comte de Chambord is a beautiful Portland Rose that has the most beautiful bright pink roses that change to light mauve pink over time. It blooms constantly against light green foliage. It has 50 plus petals and gives out a heavenly fragrance. Plant this rose near your garden path to experience it’s heady scent.
Dupuy Jamain is a very beautiful and extremely fragrant Hybrid Perpetual Rose. It grows well in Zones 6-10. It’s cerise red blooms are huge, double, and high-centered.
With just a little planning and effort, you can have your dream rose garden right in your backyard!
Happy Rose Gardening!
A Guide To Growing Roses For Beginners
Growing roses, for beginners, is indeed a scary proposition. There are many who will dissuade you and tell you that even veteran gardeners find it difficult to cultivate roses. It is neither scary nor difficult if approached with careful planning.
The first thing you need to do is identify all those in your immediate circle of friends and neighbors who have experience in growing roses. Visit their gardens, inspect their roses, and ask them for advice. Most owners of rose gardens love to share their experiences and you can pick their brains for tips on growing healthy roses. The important points you need to be clear on before you head to the nursery are:
- Do you want shrubs or climbers?
- Do you want to grow roses in pots or in your yard?
- Do you want fragrant or non-fragrant roses?
- Are the roses you want suited to your climate zone?
Once you are decided on what roses you want to bring home, request the staff in your nursery to make sure that your choices are right. You need to specifically ask them for low-maintenance and disease-resistant varieties.
There are many roses that can be grown with little fuss. They are highly disease-resistant and require very little maintenance. Here are a few suggestions:
Climate Zones 4-9:
Carefree Wonder Rose (winter hardy, continuous bloomer, light fruity scent, bright pink color, 4-5’ tall)
Bonica Rose (mild sweet scent, delicate pink color, and 3 ft tall)
Starry Night Rose (light sweet fragrance, blooms continuously in clusters, 3-6 ft. tall)
Graham Thomas Rose (honeyed scent, repeat bloomer, golden yellow color, 7-12 ft tall)
Climate Zones 4-10:
The New Dawn Rose (a climber, luxurious blooms in small clusters, winter hardy, continuous bloomer, sweet scent, cameo pink color, 20 ft. tall)
Climate Zones 5-9:
Ballerina Rose (very little fragrance, small single flowers, pink color, 4-5 ft. tall)
Marmalade Skies Rose (Vibrant red color, continuously blooms in clusters, sweet fruity scent)
Altissimo Rose (climber, cherry red color, repeat bloomer, large flowers in small clusters, 10 ft. tall)
Make sure you know what your plant and roses look like before you buy. You wouldn’t want to be stuck with a color or shape you don’t like.
Happy Rose Gardening!
Tips For Growing Roses In Pots
You don’t need a large garden to grow roses. Growing roses in pots is quite simple; a few pots of different sizes and you are ready to go! Just make sure that you don’t buy any narrow necked pots as roses need a lot of space. You need a diameter of at least 15 inches for a small rose bush or shrub. Deep and wide pots are ideal for roses as the roots tend to grow horizontally. Although you can grow a climber in a pot, smaller varieties are more suited.
Check with your local nursery about the disease-resistant varieties best suited to your weather conditions. Select pots according to the size and shape of the roses you have chosen. Terracota and clay pots are best but wooden or light colored plastic pots will also do. Dark colored pots tend to absorb heat which in turn depletes the moisture in the soil. If you are going to plant cuttings, only choose those stems that have a few leaves on them and the cut should be clean at a 45 degree angle.
There are different suggestions for preparing the best soil for pots: 1 part clean soil (without any weeds or roots) and 1 part compost mixed with half part perlite or 1/3 potting soil mixed with 1/3 well-composted mushroom and 1 cup of perlite and bonemeal each. The idea is to get a nutrient rich soil for your pot. To prevent clogging of the pot with wet soil, always place a base layer of gravel first then fill one third of the pot with potting soil. As with planting in the ground, you need to mound the soil and pour water over it. Once the soil drains out completely, re-mound the soil.
Dip the cutting into root hormone powder and then bury into the mounded soil in the pot. Mulch around but away from the plant; filling right up to the top of the pot. The surface of the soil should be in line with the bud union. Press the soil around the plant firmly and gently pour water taking care not to splash onto the leaves. This removes air pockets that may have formed during planting. Wait until the water drains out completely and then move the pot to a spot that will get the maximum sunlight. All roses need at least six hours of direct sunlight. Wrapping the pot with a clear plastic sheet is also a good way to retain high humidity.
Unlike ground-based roses that need less frequent watering, potted roses need a bowl of water every day. You will have to water more in summer and spring than in winter. Feed your rose plant every week with 2 tablespoons of natural fertilizer mixed in two gallons of water. Alternatively, fish emulsion feed or houseplant food once a week will suffice. This adds micro-nutrients to the soil.
Once in every two or three years, just before the onset of winter, remove your plant from the pot and plant it deep into the ground, if you have the space, otherwise just re-plant it in the same pot. Trim off dead twigs, branches, and leaves regularly and prune at least once a year in spring. Space your pots at least two feet apart to prevent spread of fungal diseases.
Your rose plant will take about 15 to 20 days to establish itself so don’t be disheartened if you don’t see any new growth in the first month. Your rose plants will soon grow and thrive in their pots.
The Pink Garden Rose – A Popular Choice Of Rose Lovers
Much has been written and sung about the Red Rose but the Pink Garden Rose emerges as the popular choice of rose lovers all over the world. The Old Garden Rose varieties are predominantly pink and you can trace the history of the pink wild or species rose even prior to mankind. Eg. Bourbons, Centifolias, and Hybrid Perpetuals.
Almost all varieties have pink blossoms. The most famous pink roses are Heritage, Marchioness of Londonderry, Mary Rose, Gruss an Aachen, and Bonica. Heritage Roses are very fragrant and easily available in all shades of pink.
There are many miniature pink roses that are very popular. Eg. Magic Carousel, Rosie, Live Wire.
Pink climbers are much in demand and adorn trellises and archways in sprawling gardens in the countryside. Eg. Viking Queen, Aloha, New Dawn.
Magic Carpet, O’ So Easy, and Pink Knockout are some of the eye-catching landscape roses in pink.
Matching hot pink roses with bright red, orange, and yellow flowers, inject verve and a luscious feel to your garden. Cool pinks are well complemented by purple, blue, and white blooms and give a subdued and peaceful look to your rose garden.
Pink Roses signify many things. The light pink roses convey admiration, sympathy, gentleness, joy, sweetness, grace, and gladness. The dark pink (magenta) roses portray appreciation and gratitude. The Rose de Recht is a classic example of the pink old garden rose. Mauve shows enchantment, love at first sight, and beauty.
The single pink rose simply means simplicity and gratitude. Two entwined pink roses propose marriage. Six is a desperate call for attention and love, and thirteen pink roses mean you have a secret admirer. This just goes to show that sending a bunch of roses without paying attention might just about land you in trouble!
Happy Rose Gardening!
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