A Rose Is A Rose Part 1

There are two broad categories for nearly every rose offered for sale Photo Courtesy Of Sue Crocker, Photo Impact Users Gallery today, Modern Roses and Antique or Heirloom Roses. Most of us are familiar with the first category, which contains Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and others. The second category is also worthwhile, and gardeners are getting more familiar with the roses found in this category as well. Both categories have varieties with worthy attributes, and many of the roses in both could find a place in our garden plans. So without any more delay, let's get on with this "Parade of Roses"!

Heirloom roses, Antique roses, Old Garden Roses: They are all one and the same when defining roses. Heirloom roses are those roses that have been around for hundreds or even thousands of years. Generally, they were in cultivation or hybridized prior to the 20th Century. These roses can have single or multiple petals. Some of the blooms are quartered while some have few layers and others have many layers and are voluptuous in form. Most of them have distinctive rose fragrances and most of them are once-blooming roses although some of them do repeat throughout the season. All of them possess a special beauty and charm and the beginning and experienced gardener alike can find some rock-hardy and easily grown plants within this group of roses.

As with modern roses, old roses have different growth habits. Some are tall, suitable for growing as pillar roses. Others are ramblers, others are climbers. Some are leggier than others while some form smaller mounds or are arching in habit.

Not every antique rose is suitable for growing in our zone 5a to 6a region. Noisettes, old Teas, and China roses are usually too tender to grow in our region without added attention and bother. As with modern rose varieties, some of the other old roses have choices within their classifications that are hardier than others. The best option is to pick the hardiest ones for our region. That's easier said than done sometimes, though. One catalog might rate a rose as hardy only into zone 6 while another might rate the hardiness into zone 5. My advice is to stick with the majority ruling on a given rose. If it is pretty much a toss-up, regard it as a less hardy rose and give it proper siting and winter protection.

-Albas-

Tall and upright in form, Albas are perhaps one of the best choices in old garden roses for the budding rosarian. They are hardy, need less care than many other breeds of roses, and can take conditions of soil, shade, and climate better than many other roses. For those who haven't had much success with roses, this would be one to start with. Their blooms only come once a year, but they can put on quite a show! Blooms are pink and white, foliage is a greyish-green in color. They have a rich perfume that can permeate the air on a warm June evening. They require little care in pruning except for the stray shoot and have a great disease resistance.

-Bourbons-

Bourbons were the roses of Victorian England. They produce exquisite, large, full old rose blooms of many colors set on strong, vigorously growing bushes. Bourbons are also favored with wonderful, heady fragrances. One great advantage of the Bourbons is that they are repeat flowering, profusely blooming in the spring, followed by intermittent repeat blooms of high quality into the fall.

-Centifolias-

Centifolias are those old roses often called, "Cabbage Roses". Indeed, their flower form has great fullness, heaviness, and many layers which do resemble a cabbage in form. They are rather large growing with long, arching, and prickly canes. Another good choice for those just venturing into the world of roses, they are very hardy and have great disease resistance. They are once-blooming and are extremely fragrant. They can tend to sucker, but any unwanted shoots can be easily removed and if they are pruned. It is best to do so after their long bloom season ends. The weight of the blooms can really weigh down the canes, so these are good roses to train over fences or as pillar roses in obelisks: Support will definitely help these roses display their best. Colors range from pinks through lavender-pinks and purples.

-Damasks-

Perhaps the most fragrant of the old garden roses, Damasks are those roses prized for their oil which is used for Attar of Roses. They are tall and like the Centifolia, tend to have arching stems covered with paler green leaves. They can benefit from some support in order to display well. Summer flowering damasks are once-blooming, but like most old garden roses, the first flush is very abundant. Autumn Damasks will have two flushes of bloom, once in spring and another somewhat smaller flush later on during the late summer to early fall. Flower colors range from white through the full range of pinks, from pale to dark pink/purple. Damasks require little care and have good disease resistance. A tad less hardy than many of the other old roses, they are still hardy into zone 5, so should do well for gardeners in our region. Pruning should be done sparingly and after that first flush of blooms.

-Gallicas-

The oldest rose cultivated for garden use, Gallicas have a rich history. These are the roses of the old Roman Empire and were further hybridized by Europeans in more recent centuries. They range in white through crimson, pink, dark purple-pink, and some even are striped. As with many of the other old roses, they only bloom once, but it is a heavy and prolonged bloom period starting in June. They are shrubbier, shorter, and more spreading and fuller in growth habit than some of the other old garden roses. The foliage is a matte dull green and the thorns are small and fine. These are good roses for those who have less fertile soils. Fragrance is variable, but most of the members of this group of roses have good fragrance. Again, they do not require a rigorous pruning regimen. Prune after the bloom season and to remove old canes and maintain shape. They are very hardy and disease resistant, and are an excellent choice for the home gardener.

-Hybrid Perpetuals-

Hybrid Perpetuals are relatively latecomers among the old garden roses. A precursor of hybrid teas, these roses were bred from crossing Bourbons and Portlands with various other old garden roses. Hybrid Perpetuals were bred in the mid-to-late 19th century and were the among the popular roses of Victorian society. They are about the most tender of the Heirloom roses that will still grow and perform in our region. Winter protection is, therefore, wise. Tall in stature, they are good for training on fences and pillars. Most are very fragrant and the colors range from pinks, whites, and mauves to deeper pinks, near-reds and purples. They do rebloom, but their first flush is the fullest of the season. Many will have an occasional bloom after, with some Hybrid Perpetuals showing more generosity in the reblooming department than others. Hybrid Perpetuals should be pruned for shape in early spring, since they repeat their bloom. A bit more disease-susceptible, they do respond well to the same treatment for black spot and powdery mildew as hybrid teas. But, that first flush of bloom with its glorious fragrance makes it worth considering adding a Hybrid Perpetual or two to the rose collection.

-Moss Roses-

Moss Roses are so-called because of mossy, sticky growths that exude a fresh, pungent yet pleasantly sweet-herbal scent. These fuzzy growths are found primarily along the stems and buds. Originally a sport of the Centifolia and later other roses such as the Damask, by and large, the Moss Rose displays many different growth habits and forms. Many of them are tall and lanky. Most of them have a large flush of bloom, and some have an occasional bloom or two scattered throughout the rest of the season. Some of the Moss Roses can show a susceptibility to powdery mildew, but most respond well to good hygiene and treatment. The little growths found on the stems offer continued scent when rubbed, even after the blooming period is over. They are hardy into our region, and only require a light pruning, generally after the bloom period has ended. A light pruning in early spring will do for those Moss Roses that repeat bloom.

-Portlands/Portland-Damasks-

Portlands and Portland-Damask roses are a group of lower, shrubby and dense roses, most under 3 feet and no more 4 feet in height. They tend to bloom in a tight doubled or quartered form and can have a tight button at the center, with colors in pinks, mauves, and whites. Many of them are twice-blooming, once in the spring, then once later in the season. Many of these roses also display recurrent bloom in between the spring and late season flushes. Resembling both Gallicas and Damasks, these roses have good vigor, fragrance, and hardiness. Leaves are a medium-green in color. Prune laterals and main branches by a third, in early spring just before dormancy breaks.