Yes, You Can Grow Roses

Truths about Roses

28 Truths about Roses Truths about Roses truth #1 Selection of roses is essential to success. The most important step in successful rose growing happens before the rose is ever put into the ground. Choosing the right rose goes a long way in making sure the rose grows well and blooms beautifully. Your climate is the first factor to consider when choosing a rose. Just because a rose shows beautifully in a catalog, on the Internet, or in a magazine doesn’t mean it is right for your garden. Look a little closer before choosing. The first choice is whether you want modern or old garden roses. Modern roses include classes developed since 1867—hybrid tea, grandi- flora, floribunda, polyantha, modern shrubs, and large-flowered climbers . Modern roses offer a wide variety of color choice and large flowers. They are often grown on grafted roots and vary greatly in terms of hardiness and vigor. Old roses are grown on their own roots and have a long history of success in gardens around the world. Old Garden Roses We have learned in the past several years that antique and old garden roses, also known as heirloom roses, are the easiest to grow, most beautiful , and sturdiest choices for home gardeners. The loose definition of old roses are those that have been in the trade for seventy-five years or more. Old garden roses are those that were grown in Europe and China (and later America) before the boom in hybridization began in the 1870s. Old roses, like all heirloom plants, have a history that testifies to their sturdiness and durability. The varieties of old roses that were weak, prone to disease, and high maintenance are no longer with us. They went to the compost heap generations ago. The old roses that survive are characterized by their general good Truths about Roses 29 Crespuscule. Photo by Henry Flowers health and low maintenance. They are good-looking plants with lots of green leaves that cover the stems even when the roses are not blooming. They look good in the landscape and are resistant to disease and pest depredation. Old roses generally have wonderful scents that were often lost in the hybridization process. Old roses grow on their own roots, are 30 Truths about Roses easy to propagate and share, and as a result were spread from one end of the world to the other as people migrated from place to place, taking their favorite plants with them. Old roses, like any other plants, have their preference of growing conditions. Some prefer cooler climates; others can take the heat. Your choice of specific variety will depend on where you live and what the weather is like there. In general, gallica, damask, alba, centifolia, and moss roses are particularly well adapted to cool climates. These are the roses that were growing in Europe before the introduction of varieties from China and the Far East. These roses do well in US Department of Agriculture (USDA) zones 3–5 but not as well in warmer climates, where the heat makes the plants struggle and more susceptible to diseases. The old European roses were generally spring bloomers. They had Louise Odier. Photo by Neil Evans Truths about Roses 31 La Belle Sultane is an old Gallica rose that enjoys cold weather. It originated in Holland and was in Josephine’s garden at Malmaison. Photo by Kathleen Lapergola a big flush of flowers in the spring, then rested until the next spring rolled around. There were a few repeat bloomers but not many. During the 1800s, however, exploration for new plants became all the rage. Adventurers scoured the world looking for plant species that were exotic and unknown in Europe. They found a group of ever-blooming roses in China, and the rush was on. Rose breeders in England, France, and other 32 Truths about Roses European countries began crossing the China roses with old European roses to create varieties that would bloom throughout the spring, summer , and fall seasons. Once China roses were brought to Europe, not only did roses bloom more often but they became more heat tolerant (USDA zones 6 and above). The China roses, hybrids of China and European roses such as Bourbon, hybrid musk, hybrid tea, and Noisette, all withstand warmer climates. Bourbons and hybrid perpetuals will stand both heat and cold, so they are perhaps the most versatile...