Roses are one of the worlds most popular plants, in home gardens, commercial landscapes, and for cut flower production.
They grow in most parts of the world, but you do need to use the appropriate techniques to match both climate and type of rose grown.
For the real Rose Enthusiast consider
A 100 HOUR DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSE on ROSES
Recommended Book for Rose Growing
One of the best selling Rose books in the world is The Rose Expert by Dr Hessayon.
Click here to order a copy.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT ROSE
Making a choice on which roses to grow can be quite a task. There is an abundance of varieties to choose from with different, styles, colours and growth habits. Start by looking at the style of rose that would best suit your garden. The different styles of roses include bush roses, climbers, ramblers, miniatures, standards and weeping roses.
BUSH ROSES Hybrid Tea roses are the most popular group of roses. The flower stems are long and the blooms are usually on single stems or with several side buds. The flowers are very shapely, of medium sized or larger with many petals forming a central cone. They flower from late spring to autumn and make excellent cut flowers. Floribunda roses are often said to be more colourful then the hybrid tea rose as their flowering is more profuse and they stand up to wet weather better, and are unrivalled for providing a colourful bedding display. The floribunda bears its flowers in clusters or trusses and several blooms open at one time in each cluster. It can be grown as a bush or as a standard rose and flower continuously from late spring to late autumn.
STANDARD ROSES Standard roses are either hybrid tea or floribunda roses grafted on to a tall root stock to give the appearance of a long stem with an abundance of carefully pruned branches. It is a miniature stylised tree with bright blooms. The standard rose gives the garden a formal appearance so is very useful for formal shaped beds.
MINIATURE ROSES Miniature roses have increased in popularity in recent times, as they can be used as a border plant for such things as a rose garden containing larger roses e.g. bush or standard types, or for a perennial bed. They are great tub plants and can be taken inside while in flower. The miniatures have small leaves and a profusion of small bright flowers. Their full flush of flowers is during summer and autumn but they will flower all through the year in warmer districts. Pruning should be kept to a minimum, only shaping is required. Miniatures can also be grafted on to a long stem to produce a standard with a rounded top.
CLIMBERS & RAMBLERS Climber and ramblers are a group of roses that require support and training. Ramblers have long pliable stems that bear large clusters of small flowers. Their growth is often very vigorous but they provide a mass of colour in summer. Miniature climbers are also available. These will climb to a height of 1- 1.5 metres when trained on a trellis or they can be used as ground covers. They are also useful as hanging basket plants.
PATIO ROSES This is a new group of roses that can be used in cottage gardens as potted plants or as a rose garden edge. They are compact low growing and grow to a height of no more than about 50cm. They differ from miniatures, as the foliage and flowers are larger. Some patio roses that suit cottage garden are Cosette, Poker Chip, Frilly Dilly, Marlene, and Pinkie.
GROUND COVER ROSES Ground Cover roses are a new group of roses that are becoming very popular. Many of these are miniature climbing roses that are vigorous and will trail. They are low growing and will spread to approximately 2-3 metres in width, flowers are small but prolific and produce a very showy display when grown in rockeries, over banks, or at the base of shrub roses. These roses also make very good hanging basket or tub plants.
SHRUB ROSES This group of roses that are neither hybrid tea or floribunda but are old fashion or species roses. They are commonly misunderstood roses and are often accused of only flowering once or of being very large growers. This is not always the case as many have repeated flowering and most grow to the same height as floribundas. Many of these shrub roses will thrive in conditions that are unsuitable to hybrid teas or floribundas. The shrub roses are the ideal cottage garden type, typically with pink shades, overblown and full of fragrance.
Want to Work with Roses?
Roses are arguably the most popular cut flower, and one of the most popular garden plants. Many people make a career out of roses, some in cut flower production or breeding new varieties, others as a nurseryman, propagator, orgardener tending and developing rose gardens and others as a florist.
If you have a passion for roses and want to discuss the possibilities for a career or business, contact us and use our FREE course and career counselling service.