Large group of flowering shrubs, most of which are single petalled to fully double petalled. Angel face rose petals have a scalloped edge to them, which makes them interesting. Most have a scent as well, though it may differ between them all... some smell stronger and some weaker, some smell different than others would. Leaves are typically medium to dark green, glossy and ovate with finely toothed edges. They thrive in sun to full sun, with normal to moist water. For the soil, you can use a sandy loam to a clay loam. Fertilization of these plants monthly will cause them to bloom much more frequently then if you didnt fertilize regularly. They vary in size from 1/2 inch to 6 inches, five petals to more than 30 and come in nearly every color. There are hybrids made that don a purple color as well as blue. Then there is the near black rose which is the closest you will ever get to a pure black rose naturally, as there is no such thing... they dye them to make them black. The stems of these plants contain thorns, the roses natural defense against predators. Some roses have small thorns and are well spaced, others have clusters of thorns and even more have very large and blunt thorns. There are 3 basic types of roses: Climbers, long stemmed and regular. Climbers tend to get crazy and wander all over. Long stemmed tend to get very tall and must be clipped regularly to avoid towering heights. They also have rose trees besides shrubs or bushes if you will. There is also the infamous tea rose which are tiny in size.
Unfortunately, this favorite plant is susceptible to a variety of diseases and pests, many of which can be controlled with good cultural practices. The best time to clip roses to be put on display is right after they've opened a little. If you clip it in bud form, chances are it will not open and let off the smell. If you clip them when theyre open too much, theyll only have a few days to live and the smell will go away very quickly. Roses need to be clipped a certain way. With pruners you cut about a half inch above the last branch reaching off the stem and at an angle (point the tip of the pruners slightly down towards the ground) instead of straight across. When you put them in water, it helps to add a bit of seltzer water to them, this makes them live longer. You can do this to all your cut flowers as well. |
