Use a general purpose rose spray or dust to prevent insects and diseases. Black spot and mildew are the most common diseases, and plant mites and aphids are the most common insects.
Rosa
The rose is of the genus Rosa, and there are more than a hundred species of wild roses mostly from the temperate regions in the northern hemisphere. They are generally thorny bushes or climbers. Most are deciduous, but a few are evergreen.
The flowers usually have 5 petals (a rare few have four), and are white, pink, yellow, or red. The fruit of the rose is called a rose hip. The open-faced roses are more attractive to bees and other insects, so they are more readily pollinated. These plants are more apt to grow hips. Many domestic roses have petals that are closed too tightly to provide access to pollination, and consequently seldom grow hips. The hips are mostly red, but some are dark purple and black. Hips from some species, such as the Dog Rose and Rugosa Rose, are very rich in vitamin C and are used to make herbal tea and jelly. Some larger birds like to eat them while smaller birds eat the seeds. Deer like roses, too, in spite of their thorns.
Roses are subject to certain diseases such as 1) rose rust fungus, which can defoliate the plant, 2) rose black spot, which makes circular black spots on the leaves in summer, and 3) rose mildew.
Perfume
Rose perfumes are made from rose oil, which is obtained by steam-distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia and spread through Arabia and India. Today about 70 to 80% is produced in Bulgaria. It takes about 2,000 flowers to produce one gram of rose oil.
Cultivated Roses
Roses are classified in one of three major groups: wild roses, old roses, and modern roses.
Wild roses are what the name says; roses that grow in the wild. These are usually red, pink, or white, and have a sweet scent.
Old roses are usually what we think off as the garden roses our grandmothers grew. Some were bushes and some were climbers. They filled the garden with vibrant colors, and on warm sunny mornings their scent perfumed the air. These roses were believed to have been brought to England by the Romans. Rome had large public rose gardens, and the popularity of the roses seemed to follow the political climate. After the Middle Ages, with the rise of commerce, horticulture began to flourish. The Netherlands became the center of horticulture. In England, certain noble families used flowers as their symbol. The House of York used the white rose, and the House of Lancaster used the red rose. The two families were continually fighting, and this time in history became known as the “War of Roses.” France loved roses also. In fact, the rose was used as legal tender of a while. Empress Josephine collected all sorts of roses and encouraged the breeding and hybridizing of new varieties.
Modern roses include hybrid teas, grandifloras, and floribundas. They are descendents of the Old Roses. Hybrid teas are the florist roses. They are tall with large double blooms on long stems. They are most popular as cut flowers for their fragrance, their color, and their form. The blooms are produced all season long, and they can be conditioned to last for several days. Colors are white, pink, red, yellow, orange, russet, mauve, blended shades, bicolors, spotted or freckled, and a different color on the edge of the petals. Hybrid tea roses became popular because of their striking appearance: a long stem for cutting, the pointed bud, a smaller bush that didn't take up most space in the garden, and repeat blooming. Some of the favorites are Peach, Tropicana, Great Century, Versailles, and Double Delight.
Floribundas are descended from polyantha and hybrid teas, and their sweetheart-size blooms are very fragrant. The name means “flowering in abundance.” They are cluster bloomers, and they bloom throughout the season with heavy sprays of beautiful colored blooms. They may be shaped like the hybrid tea or like the Old Rose. They are called “landscape” roses and are usually used for hedges, borders, and foundation covers. A new type of floribunda gaining in popularity is the miniature, a tiny plant that grows 6 to 10 inches. These hardy little bushes can do quite well outside as well as inside. If they have enough light, you can enjoy the tiny colorful blooms all winter.
Grandifloras are beautiful bushes that produce large clusters of blossoms. They are very effective as a single bush or as a hedge. The grandiflora is a “manufactured” class. The class was invented for the rose “Queen Elizabeth,” which was introduced in 1954 by Germain's Nursery in the United States.
The newest editions to the garden are climbing and pillar-type roses. Pillars reach 5 to 7 feet, while the true climbers grow to 20 feet or more. Both can grow on posts, trellis, walls, or arbors. The Imperial Blaze (bright red) has been a favorite for years. Newer examples are Sir Wilfred Laurier and Sensas Delbard. In 1997, New Dawn was voted the most popular rose in the world at the 11th World Convention of Rose Societies. This rose is silvery and blush-pink with medium sized double flowers. The plant is very hardy and may be grown as a shrub. It can reach a height of 12-18 feet.
In 1998, the first green rose, the Emerald, came out. Soon to follow were Cream Aroma, Supergreen, and Lemonade. The Green Planet is the most popular of the green roses. The entire rose is green, and it has a vase life of 14 to 20 days. The buds open slowly, making it a good traveler. At full flower the bloom reaches 3 ½ inches; the stems usually reach a length of 24 to 32 inches.
In 2006, a new hybrid tea was introduced-Let Freedom Ring. It is strawberry red with a near-perfect flower form and a long vase life. Its height is medium tall, its blooms are large, double, and high centered. It is descended from Prima Donna and Touch of Class, and it has a slight fragrance. The rose was created by World War II veteran and amateur hybridizer, Ernest Earman of Virginia.
Modern roses are still evolving. Breeders are pushing the envelope when it comes to hybridizing roses for their color. They are working on a “blue” rose now. Will we ever have a black rose? We have deep red, deep chocolate, deep purple, and deep violet tones. But a truly black rose? Some time in the future-maybe.
