I know very little about roses, and I don’t totally understand their appeal. (Gulp! I can’t believe I just admitted that on a gardening blog! I feel like the Rosarians are going to target me for a hit now. Better watch my back.)
So when the fine people at the World Rose Festival asked me if I wanted to host a contest offering Heavy Petal readers a chance to win two tickets to the World Rose Festival being held in Vancouver from June 19-21, 2009, as well as $100 worth of rose shrubs from acclaimed nursery Select Roses, I actually had to think twice.
A rose show? Was that really a good fit for this blog? Weren’t most rose fanatics in the pinkies-held-aloft and blue-hair-rinse crowds?
Of course, I know that’s not really the case. Some of my favourite garden writers are rose nuts. (Hi Dee!) My mom is one of the most down-to-earth women you’ll ever meet, and even she gets giddy when ‘Heritage’ blooms in her garden.
So why do I have this prejudice against roses? In my head, they’re fussy divas that don’t offer a lot beyond the short time they’re in bloom. And as for how well they fit in a garden – like mine – that could never be described as “English” or “cottagey”? They just don’t go.
Of course, I could be completely off base.
I’d love to hear from you: do you think roses can be chic, easy, un-schmaltzy, and of value in an environmentally-conscious garden?
Now about this contest. First, a little bit of background: the World Rose Convention happens every three years in a different country, and this year is being hosted by the Vancouver Rose Society. The VRS decided that not only would they host the convention, but they would also organize a World Rose Festival, featuring a rose show, display gardens, workshops and lectures, floral design display, kid’s gardens, and a marketplace. You know – kind of like a small-scale Northwest Flower and Garden Show, but with a rose theme. I can just imagine how sweet the air will smell at this event!
To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me why you think roses deserve a place in the modern garden. Convince me. The commenter who has me shoving aside heucheras or herbs to plant a rose wins.
The contest winner will receive two tickets to the World Rose Festival, held in Vancouver from June 19-21, 2009, as well as $100 in rose shrubs from Select Roses. Please note: Select Roses does not ship or otherwise transport roses; you must pick out and pick up your roses from their nursery in Langley, BC. Contest closes June 1, 2009 at midnight PST.
Pam Cirkiel says
The yellow rose of Texas…the song rings in my ears whenever anyone talks about roses! Being born & raised in Texas I have seen my share of yellow roses in addition to a wide variety of colors, shapes & styles. No garden or garden area is complete without at least a single rose bush to bring the whole place together. The heart & soul of a garden rests on that same concept of “The Secret Garden” that has arbors, climbing rose bushes and splashes of colors & smells. However simple or elaborate this fabulous flower may appear…it is extreme to the max in durability, presence, fragrence & beauty. “The yellow rose of Texas….”
Alison Mills says
Roses give such long bloom times, but I actually like all the uses of the spent petals! I use them in soap, bathbomb and candle making and even collected 2 huge shopping bagfuls which kids spread around at our wedding!
Stephy says
Roses! Take me away!
Megan the 2nd says
@#49 – Really? I think they’re more like the horticultural equivalent of saucy ruffles on a can-can dancer’s skirt. Certain roses may be prim, but smelling the rich scent of a damask rose or watching the light absorb into the dark velvety red petals of a ‘Black Beauty’ or a ‘Crimson Bouquet’ is more self-indulgent and luxurious than genteel. Maybe it’s the rich literary tradition as much as the plant, but to me roses exude passion, the thorny side of love as well as the pleasurable. Not to mention the voluptuous red hips! If that’s schmaltzy, well, then, I’m OK with some schmaltz. Chicness and modernity are transitory (black mondo grass anyone?). Roses are timeless.
And @ 13 other Megan – Yes! Rosa glauca is extraordinary!
Shelby says
whew! I’m getting tired, just scrolling past all of those comments just to get to the bottom of the page. wow, so roses. I myself have the sad burden of having a split-personality when I am gardening. One part of me longs for the climbing ivy and roses of regency england, a sweet fantasy of simpler times. The other is an urgent fascination of the urban, modern, and often chic gardens that ooze with ingenuity and individuality. Here is my attmept to bridge the two, most opposite worlds. As the rose head it’s self has many attributes, both edible and ornamental, merely the flower is not the only call for attention. The rose its self is the perfect bridge between past and present for it holds all that we sterioize in the two. The head is a pungent scent encases in layer upon layer of petal history, the stem a resistent rebel of thorns and vice. When coupled with an urban background, such as concret or steel is enhances the rebel vibe.whether you are looking for the romantic element of roses, such as here http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosie_hardy/3215206791/
the more urban quality herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/fatoooma/2344489863/
or something alltogether different. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosephotosetc/200105803/
I hope that if you choose roses, it is not for the aroma, the color, or the edibility, it is because just as every other flower, it is unique, verisitile,and has a very vain personality of it’s own. I can understand how you can have an aversion to a certain flower. My friend recently went to a tulip festival, I was less than interested,as I have always seen tulips as a common, silly flower. But, after hearing her descriptions of colors and scents, I was gently swayed into the favor of what I would have formerly seen as a lesser flower. I urge you to not only picture the traditional red rose in your mind amongst blue-haired ladies and walking sticks, but to look into the modern varieties of roses, such as can be found here http://www.ashdownroses.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=104
Thank you for continuing to strain your eyes to hear my small bit of defense to an all-too-often underappreciated flower. Sincerely, Shelby Harper (teen gardener) (www.shelbyharper.blogspot.com)
Shelby says
ah, and remember,as an old greek proverb says: “The rose’s prime lasts one brief hour of morn,that past, I find no rose-only thorn.” and yet a thorn it’s self is still something to be admired. What is a rose, if not a flower, so stubborn that it loses it’s brilliant head before it would lose it’s defenses.
Dr. Lakshmi Sridharan says
Roses most certainly deserve a place in a modern garden. I am saying this not because I am a rose nut, not because I love roses, write about roses or talk about roses. Roses are not just for the rich or people with lot of time to take care of them. They are for all who can appreciate beauty. However, have a few rose bushes (not more than ten) that are fairly disease resistant and fragrant. We associate fragrance and beauty with roses. David Austin roses have fragrance, and beauty; they are cold hardy, and fairly disease resistant. These modern English roses have the shape, form and fragrance of Old Garden roses and at the same time English roses are repeat bloomers. You cannot simply use lack of time, energy or space as excuse for not having roses in a modern garden. Be smart to choose the right variety to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of roses.
Dr. T. M. Vatsala says
Do roses desreve a place in a modern garden? I will go one step farther, my friend—A rose is a must in any garden– Cottagey, English, country or modern. You can certainly have an environmentally friendly garden with Earth kind roses. Have not you heard of “Knock Out” roses that come in different colors? You can certainly have a couple of these gorgeous trouble free roses in a modern garden; no need to spray harmful fungicides or pesticides that poison Mother Earth or the air you breathe in. You just have to be selective and wise in the choice of roses in a landscape. It is easy to take care of a few rose plants with drip irrigation, mulching and fertilizing with compost and bio-fertilizers. Companion planting is another way to spice up the garden and have blooms all around the year. No excuses, Lady. If I can do it with a tight schedule and enjoy the company of roses, you can do it also.
Meredyth says
roses-I have a climbing rose that has survived my 29 years of living in this house and its lovely to see it bloom every year-in fact people in the alley get to enjoy it as well. Once you learn how to prune and fertilize occasionally roses are not that difficult-well okay there are all the various things that can go wrong but I think they are beautiful-big small what ever-they are classic and of course are a nice analogy to life in general…
Lynn Welburn says
Roses are classics and that’s enough for me. Classics endure while other trands come and go. There’s a reason people still wear the little black cocktail dress even if what you accessorize it with changes from decade to decade. With the huge variety of styles, colours, scents and what not, a rose bush or two can be a lovely anchor for your garden, whatever style you go far. The flowers or the foliage make a superb backdrop for all kinds of other perennials or annuals. And a nice climber is superb for someone in the city with only a small balcony for their garden. One large pot with the rose, throw a decorative grass or two in as well or some scented annuals and you get privacy plus a sense of the country in the middle of the city. Makes even a small balcony a quiet spot for a glass of wine or cup of tea as you choose.
You can make tea with the hips, use the petals to decorate a very chic dish to serve friends and… oh my, the list goes on. Roses have endured many a fashion change in gardens and they always will.
Keep the classics alive and play with the other things to keep contemporary, I say.
Michelle D. says
Roses.
I’ll admit it, I do not care very much for them.
I have to take care of a formal rose garden once a week and it never ceases to put me in a disagreeable mood.
I’m not into chemical warfare but my client demands a perfect looking rose so all winter long after the major skin puncturing pruning season I work on spraying the roses with copper, sulphur and all the other supposed ‘organic’ sprays to fend off the dreaded summer diseases.
It does no good. Black spot, rust, and powdery mildew all come to mock me for my good intentions.
I spend hours picking off diseased leaves while shredding my arms to bits.
If I could afford it, I’d drop this job in a NY minute.
I hate maintaining roses.
They are not worth the amount of labor required.
Blahhhhhkkkkkk. hate ’em.
Brian Cole says
Roses remind me of the love of my life, my wife of nearly 50 years, whose beauty never fades. Like her, they’re responsive to tender loving care which I give them. They bring daily delight as I see their radiant beauty.
My life would have been so barren in comparison with the one I’ve shared with my beautiful Val. So barren too would be our garden without the beauty of the roses that grow there.
Sure, they require lots of care and sometimes, despite our best efforts to nurture and protect them, things don’t work out. Many friends have said to me, ” I don’t grow roses, they’re too much trouble.” If we had said that after the difficult times in our life together, and not wanted to care for each other, we wouldn’t have had the wonderful life we’ve had.
So, if we’d not troubled to grow roses as we have in the nearly 30 years we’ve lived in British Columbia, we would not have had the reward of seeing the radiant blooms and delightful foliage and smelling the sensuous fragrance hanging in the air. This is what greets us each (in season)when we open the front door of our home and look out on our avenue of tree roses to the large rose bed in our front garden.
That experience is exceeded only by our marriage (50 years this September.) That is why we believe roses deserve a place of honour in the modern garden.
Beatrijs Brett says
Roses, Roses, Roses, and more roses and particularly Rugosa Roses. They are the ones that light up my life when I turn into the driveway. I converted the grass lawn to a bed of Rugosa roses. Planted closely together they form a sea of roses. When they are all in full bloom, the scent is heartwarming, and heart uplifting. In the fall the hips add that special colour to bring full circle to the growing season.
Jason says
Roses are a sophisticated and distinguished plant whose characteristics set them apart from all others. Their stature is one of strength with tough thorny canes projecting a sense of masculinity, stunning colorful flowers a soft touch of timeless feminine beauty, and glossy green foliage and an upright build a sense of regal superiority. They are truly the royalty of the plant world. No other plant has flowers with such a diversity of style and color. Roses certainly have a place in the modern garden and are for the modern gardener. Anyone can grow a rose bush with a few common-sense principles. With that said, a gardener becomes a rose grower in their quest to master their roses’ complexities and perfect their beauty. Are roses too complex, too finicky? That depends if you actually like to garden of if you just like to look at your garden. If you are the later I can assure you that your other plants will not see their potential either. I have an inordinate number of rose bushes and frankly I spend more time on my lawn.
Roses are only for blue-haired old ladies? You have got to be kidding me!
What is old fashioned about doing internet research on all of the many products available that aid in disease prevention and growth stimulation and where you can buy these? What is geriatric about lugging around 50 pound bags of organic soil amendments because your too thrifty to buy expensive fertilizer at the hardware store? How often do you see your grandmother at the local soil supply outlet picking up a truck load of compost? These are things I do FOR my grandmother, not the other way around.
I have spent my whole life growing and perfecting my rose garden. I am quite sure that with a gardener’s youthful exuberance and the aid of technology roses are perhaps even better suited for a younger generation of gardeners in today’s modern garden.
Kelly says
Reasons why rose is a must in a modern garden:
1. It creates a beautiful focal point in your garden and grabs yours and your visitors like nothing else does.
2. What other perennial plant rewards with beauty and fragrance for such a long period? Some roses bloom from spring to hard frost while most perennial plants only flower for few weeks in a year.
3. Contrasts to popular beliefs, roses aren’t just for cottages and English gardens. You can find hundreds of modern looking roses in a rainbow colors that will go well with any modern gardens.
4. Roses aren’t diva queens that need lots of pampering to stay alive and look good. They are very winter hardy and a lot of roses are quite low in maintenance.
5. Roses symbolize love and friendship. I think of my loved ones when I see them. Heucheras or herbs just don’t bring out the romance in people.
6. Few other plants are as useful as roses: beautiful flowers to enjoy fresh or dried. Even thorny canes come in handy – I use them to build a fence around an area in my yard that a raccoon uses as his personal dumping ground. He hasn’t pooped there since. Yay!
7. Roses live a long long time, some for a few generations. I think it’s really neat to plant a rose that your grandchilden can enjoy and remember you by.
8. Last but not least, if you don’t like the roses you have seen, you probably just haven’t found the right one yet. Go ask Brad at Select Roses to pick a good one for you. As a serious gardener, I think you need to explore a bit more on rose planting!
Len Bidwell says
Roses are known to more people on this planet than the gardners who cultivate them. They are admired for the deeper beauty that parallels life itself. Roses are the marriage of our senses.
Tava Henault says
Roses deserve a place in the modern garden because their “curb appeal” is outstanding. Sure the honeysuckles smell fantastic and squashs are equally fun and unruly but nothing gets the neighbours sniffing, smelling and saying what a pretty flower, great job and green thumb you have faster then a rose in bloom –remember these are the flowers people pay a fortune for at least once a year!
Darlene Mercer says
Ah, the rose in the ‘modern’ garden. You enter a rose garden and close your eyes first. Your nose will lead you to the romantic gardens of Persia, the voluptuous and blousy formal gardens of France, the fruitily scented orchards of our own Okanagan. You open your eyes for the gift of colour they give, the riots of every shade but true blue.
These are ageless beauties that even as hybrid teas, can be cared for easily and organically. The scents, the colours, and the tastes of roses – the benefits of those vitamin enriched and fulsome red hips in jellies and beverages, the sweetly and fruitily scented petals scattered in your favourite soaking tub, scattered about your dining table, and even pressed with almond oil for a wonderful scented perfume. And of course, lest we forget, cut and set in any container, they are blissful.
I have grown roses of many types for many years now – flicking or squirting off maurauding aphids if need be, religiously burying old fish heads and parts deep beside the bushes in spring, and spending most of my time just enjoying them. The first rose I loved was in my Uncle’s garden when I was about 8. That ‘Peace’ rose was beautiful, and the thorns on the new growth would snap off at the stem obligingly, and with a bit of spit, I would gleefully stick it onto my nose and run inside, telling my Uncle I was a rhinosaurus! Of course he’d bluster a bit about my being at his roses again, but I also saw him smile, and he’d tell me about how he would care for them, and how beautiful they were. A love affair was born.
The modern garden? It should never be without at least 1 rose, whether a hardy groundcover, a tough, hip laden rugosa or an infatuously fragrant english or old world rose. Easy, tough, giving of scent, colour, fruit and beautiful memories.
Plant a rose today. I think I will! :-)
R. Thatcher says
Rose
sweet smelling
birds, bees, wasps, ants
Where would we be without the rose?
They charm, bewitch and beguile us
their spells enchant us
sweet smelling
r
o
s
e
Barbara May says
Roses can be grown organically and should be. Many companion plants among the roses are a way to keep the balance between predator and beneficial insects. I grow grasses, lavenders, herbs, chives, and garlic among my roses.
The bloom and smell of a rose is fleeting but so moving and enjoyable to all the senses.
They definitely deserve a place of honor in all modern gardens.
Darragh Worledge says
In Nanaimo we have many beautiful, natural areas for walking,Buttertubs Marsh for example. Stands of wild Roses are abundant in these native areas,adding immensely to their beauty. Modern shrub Roses recreate this exquisite look in our gardens,doing it even better! There is no better plant than the Rose to provide structure in New American Style gardens(Van Sweden, Oehme). Modern Roses are disease free, drought tolerant, adapt to most soil conditions or light levels and have four season interest. Brightly hued folige unfurls in early spring, promising rebirth after cold, bitter weather. Late spring to fall displays fat buds unfurling into exuberant flowers in rainbow colours. Autumn finds Rose leaves adding to the show with chameleon tones of wine and gold. Winter landscapes are enlivened by stands of twiggy branches bright with abundant berries. Snow damage is minimal, as flexible Rose canes bounce right back after being squashed by heavy drifts! Truely Natures gift,Roses are welcome in all types of gardens, both informal and formal. Roses whisper in our souls,their voices heavy with untold years, sparkling with new dreams. Darragh.
Nancy Rutland says
Roses have a place in every garden in that there is an extreme range of colours to compliment most any other of your plantings.
One of the grandest reasons, for me, is that they bring back poignant memories of old homesteads. My grandmother had a rose named Lincoln? I believe she called it. My mother simply had red roses & Lady Banks. “I” actually received a rose as the birthday present I asked for as a child of about 9. It is still blooming in my mother’s garden, tho she has long been passed away from the garden she loved.
mary says
Well, today is the last day of the World Rose Festival. Will you tell us who won the tickets and roses?
Andrea Bellamy says
Hi Mary,
You can read about the winners here: https://heavypetal.ca/archives/2009/06/why-grow-a-rose/