Selecting the Right Rose

24 Jan Selecting the Right Rose

The key to success in gardening with roses can be as simple as selecting the right rose for the job. With the vast array of roses available today it can be a difficult task to decide between them. Most people in the end go with the one with the nicest flower or scent that they can find. This is fine as long as they can accommodate the needs of that particular rose, but if you are finding a rose for a certain spot in your garden it is important to think through the following:

• Roses range greatly in size and growth habit. There are miniature roses, climbing roses, rambling roses, shrub roses etc. Some are bushy growers whilst others are tall and arching in their habit. Most plant labels will indicate the type of growth to be expected.

• Certain roses are more easy to look after due to their pest and disease resistance. These are the ones to look for if you are either a beginner to growing roses or are time poor and wish not to have to dote too heavily over them. Local knowledge from your garden centre can help to point these particular roses out.

• Different roses flower in different ways. For example Hybrid Tea roses produce your long stem picking roses typical to those found in florists whilst Floribunda roses produce an abundance of flowers which are not as perfect in form but are much more plentiful. In this case it comes down to what you really want from your rose.

• Some roses are available as standards, meaning that they are grafted onto a long root-stock elevating the rose (sometimes called lollipops). This can be used to elevate the rose above other plantings below or as a different way to display a specimen. This does involve staking for support which may require periodic maintenance, replacement or adjustment.

• If planting into a pot there are certain roses which are best suited to this purpose. Pot size also plays a major role in the size of rose you are best off with. Again consult your nursery if you are unsure.

Finally after looking at these issues it is time to pick the rose whose colour or fragrance is most to your liking. Whilst the steps prior could be seen to dampen your initial enthusiasm, they are critical if you are to be a happy rose grower both now and in the future when you are the envy of your friends with bountiful blooms.