A Rose Is A Rose Part2

Perhaps the past 150 years or so have been the most exciting for rose Photo Courtesy Of FreeFoto.com breeders and rose lovers alike. The evolution of modern roses has yielded incredible roses of merit and beauty and has forever changed the image that comes to mind when one thinks, "roses". It's hard to believe, but people living a little more than 150 years ago could never have envisioned a hybrid tea or a dozen longstem roses as the token of ideal love or a lovely specimen of a particular Hybrid Tea as the perfect rose. The past century in particular has seen the continued refinement of Hybrid Teas, the development of Grandifloras and Floribundas, outstanding varieties of miniature roses, and as a return to full-circle, the development by David Austin of his English Roses and by other rose breeders of modern shrub roses of great quality and merit.

-Hybrid Teas-

The era of modern roses actually can be traced back to the breeding of the Hybrid Perpetual. It may have been that our ideal rose would have remained the Hybrid Perpetual except for the discovery of a chance seedling by Jean-Baptiste Guillot which was later named 'La France'. The discovery of this one first Hybrid Tea seedling was a rose with a solitary bloom, one to each long, sturdy stem whose buds were a bit more elongated and elegant in form than those of other hybrid perpetuals. This led to a flurry of breeding and cross-breeding of Hybrid Perpetuals with other old garden and species roses which eventually brought about today's Modern Hybrid Tea Rose.

Modern Hybrid Teas display blooms of exceptional size, fully capable of being carried high on stiff and sturdy stems. Colors run the gamut of pinks, reds, yellows, mauves, oranges, and nearly every color in between except for true blue or true black. Often the colors are quite vivid, and can come in combinations such as reverse coloring of outer petals, stripes, and multiple or changing colors on the same rose. Fragrance can vary from nearly imperceptible to strong, and the fragrances range from true tea rose to fruity and points in between. Hardiness and disease resistance between cultivars can be quite variable as well. Prune in the early spring before dormancy breaks, but avoid frosts. Remove dead, diseased, inward growing, weak, or crossed branches. Select 3 to 5 large but not old canes, and prune the shrub back by a third or to no more than 12 to 18 inches. When choosing Hybrid Teas, pick those roses known to do well in our region with good disease resistance. Winter protection for Hybrid Teas in our growing zones is a given.

-Grandifloras-

Generally taller than Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras are a relatively new rose classification, the first being the still-popular 'Queen Elizabeth' which was bred in the 1950's. Grandifloras are a result of the breeding of Hybrid Teas with Floribunda roses, and the individual shrubs display the characteristics of both parents. Stature is between three to six feet in height. Because of their tall and upright form, Grandiflora roses are good for background bedding roses. From the Hybrid Tea parentage comes large, full blooms carried on long and sturdy stems. The Floribunda heritage is evident in the clusters of these blooms at the ends of the stems. Good for cutting and for their wealth of flowers, Grandifloras are a good choice for gardeners who want an abundant display of roses. As with the Hybrid Teas, fragrance, range of colors and color combinations, disease resistance, and hardiness varies. Prune as for Hybrid Teas, but prune back by a third or to no more than 18 to 24 inches for cane height. It is wise to pick those cultivars that are hardy in our region and that display good disease resistance. In most instances, winter protection for Grandifloras is essential.

-Floribundas-

Florubunda roses were the first significant hybridization after the creation of the Hybrid Tea class of roses. Floribundas have roses in clusters, much like the Grandiflora rose, but on shorter canes. Originally derived from the cross of Polyantha and China roses, today's Floribunda is a result of the crossing of those early forms of Floribundas with Hybrid Teas. The resulting rose bears its flowers in clusters, is very floriferous, and the flower form is larger than the typical Polyantha, yet a bit smaller than the Hybrid Tea, whose blooms they resemble. Also bred for increased hardiness, some of these roses can survive in our climate without added winter protection. They are short in stature and quite shrubby. Most Floribundas offer gardeners short and compact shubs with a wealth of blooms throughout the season. They are good for use in the front of the border or in short edging rows and mass groupings. Prune as for Hybrid Teas, but a little lighter and leave a few smaller canes since the canes on Floribundas aren't as sturdy as those on Hybrid Teas or Grandifolas. Again, choose for hardiness, disease resistance, and proven performance in our climate. Winter protect the more tender varieties.

-David Austin English Roses-

Of all the classes of Modern Roses, this has to be my favorite! Apparently, I am not alone in this regard as this group of roses is wildly gaining in popularity among rose growers everyhere. As a result of the burgeoning love affair with this class of roses, English Roses are rapidly becoming more available at local and regional nurseries and garden centers.

Technically, David Austin English Roses are a part of the larger class of Modern Bush Roses. But, there have been so many cultivars developed that many Rosarians and catalogs are now treating this group of roses as a separate class. The David Austins are the first break in nearly a century of developing roses with the classic hybrid tea conformation found in many modern varieties of Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and Floribundas. The hybridizer, David Austin of England, purposefully set about to develop a modern rose with old rose charm in fragrance and form, but with the repeat flowering capabilities of the modern rose. This group of roses can vary from loose doubles and quartered roses to full-blown cabbage rose form. Bushes range from compact to tall and arching. Some specimens are good for bedding, some lend themselves for use as climbers, and the rest easily fall in between these two ends of the spectrum. Unlike the old classic roses, there is a wider range of colors, from the pastels of yesterday to today's modern, bold colors. Fragrance is also one of the hallmarks of English Roses. Most of them carry a wonderful, rich fragrance of many different tones and nuances. Pruning can be the same as for a Hybrid Tea, but this will result in a more compact shrub with larger but fewer blooms. They can also be pruned much the same as for old garden roses: Lightly, by no more than a third, but do prune them before dormancy breaks. This will result in a larger quantity of roses, although they will be a bit smaller in size. Those who purchase English Roses should read the descriptions carefully since there is such a wide variability among the bloom, reblooming, hardiness, disease resistance, and growth habits of the individual roses. The Austins are generally good performers and hardy in our region.

-Hybrid Musks-

Hybrid Musks were developed as a cross between musks and Hybrid Teas and with other roses such as Hybrid Perpetuals. Most of the breeding was done in the early part of the 20th Century, and these roses are somewhat of a bridge between old roses and modern roses. They are, however, classified as modern roses and are frequently included in the Modern Shrub Rose classification as well. Hybrid Musks can form arching shrubs and are good for trellis, pillar, or for the smaller forms to be allowed to arch gracefully. They have very rich, sweet, and varied scents. Blooms can be single in clusters, or semi-double to double. Colors range from pinks, whites, lavenders, ambers, and peach to reds. Hybrid Musks are vigorous plants that as a group have good disease resistance. The best way is to prune out old, diseased canes and to thin the center of the shrub. Hybrid Musks have a long season of bloom with intermittent bloom throughout the growing season. Many of them do well in partial shade, another bonus for gardeners who crave roses but have to contend with less-than-full-sun situations. Prune lightly in the spring after blooming as they do tend to bloom along lateral wood that is several years old. These are perhaps some of the more tender roses, so choose varieties carefully and add winter protection for the less hardy varieties.

-Hybrid Rugosas-

Make no mistake: Hybrid Rugosas aren't those unruly Rugosas of not so long ago, These are a wonderful, nearly fail-safe group of roses to grow. Very sturdy and hardy in our region, this class of roses, often grouped in with Modern Shrub Roses, offer the gardener low-maintenance roses for yard and garden. The canes are very thorny and nearly impenetrable, which makes these roses good choices for barrier hedges. Individual specimens offer roses in all shades of white and pink through red. There are also two yellow Hybrid Rugosas, 'Agnes', a once-blooming rose, and 'Topaz Jewel', which has a large flush of semi-double yellow flowers in the spring with intermittent blooms and flushes throughout the rest of the growing season. Flowers can be single to double, some are carnation-like in appearance. Most Hybrid Rugosas carry a strong, spicy or clove-like fragrance as well. Many of these shrubs can reach mammoth proportions, so site them accordingly or choose the lower growing varieties in this class of roses, such as Pavement Roses. Hybrid Rugosas tolerate sandy or poor soil conditions. They don't need a ton of attention to put forth a wonderful display of roses and hips. Indeed, they resent alot of the fuss and bother that we normally give to other roses. They don't like to be sprayed, but they really don't need it. They all have a high resistance to disease and insect problems. Japanese Beetles tend to leave them alone. Perhaps this is because the foliage of Hybrid Rugosas is very distinct. The leaves are non-glossy, rather textured and rough. The rule of thumb when pruning Hybrid Rugosas is this: Less is more. Pruning is done mainly to maintain shape and to remove unruly or dead canes with a light shearing to encourage bushiness.

All in all, Hybrid Rugosas are perhaps one of the best roses a gardener new to roses can grow. The exceptional disease and insect resistance and hardiness also has been noticed by rose breeders. Many new roses, such as the Canadian Explorer roses have Hybrid Rugosa and Rugosa roses in their parentage. Look for exciting developments in the near future from this stalwart class of roses.

-Modern Shrub Roses-

Modern Shrub Roses include many outstanding and noteworthy roses not quite belonging in other classifications of modern roses. They include roses that make great specimen plants or can do double-duty as hedges or groupings or as groundcover roses. The Dr. Griffin Bucks roses include many hardy specimens that are almost indistinguishable from Hybrid Teas and Floribundas. The Parkland and Canadian Explorer roses have wonderful hardiness, and many of them can double as climbers as well. Meidiland has some very good, hardy shrub roses to choose from. Most of these roses have large flushes of blooms on shorter canes, more covering the bush for great display rather than for use as cutting roses. They are great for landscaping accents, and many of them are fragrant and hardy. Flowers can vary from single to fully double, large to small. Depending on the variety, colors can be delicate pastel and yellow through bold red and cerise. Pruning should be to maintain shape and to remove dead canes in the early summer. Disease and insect resistance can vary, as can the growth habits of these roses. Read descriptions carefully when deciding which of these notable roses to include in your garden.

-Miniature Roses-

Miniature Roses are quickly becoming a favorite among gardeners everywhere. These roses are scaled-down versions in leaf, stem, and bloom of larger roses. Some of them are Hybrid Tea-like in form, some of them resemble Old Roses or Floribundas, some can be climbers up to six feet in height. Most miniature roses are about eight to twelve inches in height. Colors range from traditional pastels to mauves, deep oranges, reds, striped, and bi-colors. Some Miniature Roses are very fragrant while some have hardly any fragrance at all. As with larger roses, disease and insect resistance varies with the individual rose. These roses are ideal for growing in containers, and despite their delicate looks, they are generally tough and hardy roses since they are non-grafted and on their own root. Fertilizing should be done with liquid fertilizer at half strength. Dry fertilizers should be avoided as it hard to adjust proportions for these small beauties. Organic dry fertilizers can be applied at half or a third volume. They make ideal edging plants, do well in groupings, and can be planted directly in the ground. Winter protection is a snap: Shear them back by about a third and then cover in-ground Miniature Roses with a loose mulch such as straw or oak leaves. Pot grown Minis can be moved to a cool, frost-free garage or basement in late fall, sheared, and watered sparingly to be allowed to go dormant. If you want to bring them indoors for the winter under lights, shear them and let them go dormant in late October to early November, but before a very hard freeze. Bring them in to a cool, dim area for a few weeks, and then bring them into supplemental light and normal warmth (around 70 degrees) and enjoy the renewed season of bloom!