To most rose lovers the hybrid tea represents the culmination of the quest for ideal form and coloring in a rose, with a classic high-centered form and colors that range from rich reds, yellows, and oranges to delicate whites, pinks, and lavenders, with exotic blends of all shades in between. To show off their large and exemplary flowers, most hybrid
Read moreMembers of this class are wild roses – but wild roses of a special kind. Species roses originate with plants or cuttings that are collected from the wild, but typically they come from exceptionally vigorous and handsome specimens. The special strength of the species roses is their wildness. These are roses that have had to take care of themselves. If
Read moreCreated in 1954 with the introduction of the rose ‘Queen Elizabeth’, the Grandiflora class represents the first true melding of hybrid tea and floribunda characteristics. From its hybrid tea parent the Grandiflora inherits flower form and long cutting stems; from the floribunda side comes increased hardiness and prolific, clustered blooms. Most Grandiflora roses, although not all, are taller than either
Read moreNearly all types of roses require some amount of protection during the winter months. However, the extent of protection required by your roses depends on the severity of cold in your area during winter and the hardiness of your roses. When we talk of hardiness, we refer to a plant’s ability to remain in a dormant stage during the harsh
Read moreIt is essential that you have adequate knowledge in order to grow roses successfully. At the same time, as soon as you decided that you want to grow roses, you need to think about the various details related to growing these plants, including deciding the place where you want to grow these gorgeous flowers. Perhaps, this will be among the
Read moreRoses as Cut Flowers Roses essentially bring enjoyment to the grower as well as all those to see their majestic blooms. Several gardeners prefer enjoying the roses grown by them twice – first when the flowers are in bloom in the garden and secondly, by using them as cut flowers to decorate their homes. In fact, if you cut the
Read moreOld Garden Roses By definition, an old garden rose is one belonging to any class that existed before 1867, the year the first hybrid tea was introduced. Even if the rose was hybridized or discovered after 1867, it is considered “old” if it belongs to one of these classes. It is more than nostalgia or historical significance that makes old
Read more‘Abraham Darby’ Roses (Shrub, Introduced – 1985)One parent of ‘Abraham Darby’ is the climbing hybrid tea ‘Aloha’, so although this rose may be maintained as a large shrub, with a little training it will also perform well as a climber. Its large, double, cupped, apricot-pink flowers suffused with yellow will cover a trellis or wall and perfume your garden. Like most
Read more‘Ballerina’ Roses (Hubrid Musk, Introduced – 1937)A good rose for mild climates, ‘Ballerina’ also flourishes in the North. At the northern edge of its range, winter cold may kill it back almost to the ground, but typically it will send up new shoots to provide a good show of flowers the following summer. ‘Ballerina’ bears abundant, large trusses of small, pink,
Read more‘Cabbage Rose’ Roses (Centifolia)The very double flowers of ‘Cabbage Rose’ (also called R. centifolia) are clear pink and richly fragrant. This is the type of rose, with many-petaled, globular blooms, often depicted in paintings by the old European masters. The 3-inch flowers are supported by long stems and appear singly or in clusters. Though they do not repeat, they produce a
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