Roses The Straight Scoop - the wide appeal, variety, and versatility of roses

Flower & Garden Magazine, Jan, 2001 by Ann Hooper

* Shrub roses include both old garden rose shrubs and modern shrubs. They are generally large plants that are easy to grow. Modern shrubs, such as `Flower Girl,' `Pillow Fight' and `Mix `n Match' grow on their own roots and are not only extraordinarily floriferous, but very winter hardy, too. Shrubs should be planted where there's plenty of room for them to spread, and definitely where you can see them from at least one window in the house!

* Climbing roses have long, arching canes that can grow to great lengths, depending on the variety of the roses and the climate in which they are grown. Climbers don't really climb, as clematis or morning glory do, with tendrils that attach themselves to a fence or trellis. They must be manually attached to the support you want them to "climb" on. Climbing roses do best when their canes are gently fastened horizontally, because flowers will spring from every budeye, rather than just at the top of the cane. Climbing roses can be "bowered" by fastening the ends of the canes to the ground, creating a wonderful cascade of blooms along the entire length of the cane.

Most all roses fit into one of the major "classifications" of roses (above). But "cultivars," or "varieties" of roses are the rose names with which we are most familiar, such as the floribunda, `Iceberg,' or the grandiflora, `Queen Elizabeth.' Professional rose hybridizers (breeders) and commercial rose growers name roses based on their personal preference, to honor a celebrity or to describe the characteristics or best features of the rose. When you buy roses, whether from a mail-order catalog or at your local nursery or garden center, you can find almost all the information you need about the rose in the catalog description or on the tag attached to the rosebush.

Next month, we'll talk more about choosing, planting and caring for roses, but if you're one of those "rose nuts" who wants to order now, remember to choose the classification of rose to best suit your growing situation and your landscape purpose.