WhatFinger


Floribundas, Rose Shrubs, Grandifloras, Hybrid Teas

Questions We're Often Asked: Roses



"Won't you come into my garden? I would like my roses to see you," propositioned Richard B. Sheridan to a delicate damsel. But roses go far further back than libidinous 18th-century playwrights. As with royalty elsewhere, the Queen of Flowers traces her ancestry to many sources resulting in numerous descendants not all, alas, well documented. The exquisite selection means offerings for every level of gardener, from the keen rosarian to the most modest weekend householder.
Hybrid Teas (HTs) The long-stemmed rose of florists' premium-priced bouquets. These are for the keenest rose fancier willing to pay special attention to cultural requirements. They acquired their name from early 19th-century hybridizers who believed the scent was reminiscent of freshly-opened tea chests. Floribundas A Danish cross between hybrid tea and polyantha roses, these are hardy, prolific bunch of flowering shrubs perfect for those who prefer a summer-long display with modest care. Available in hundreds, if not thousands of selections, they can be displayed in beds by themselves or planted with perennials and even used for informal hedges Grandifloras Developed with the aim of combining the best features of the hybrid tea and floribunda, these feature multiple larger flower heads on a single extended stem and prolonged blooming. This class is recognized only in North America where they appeal to the keen but not dedicated rosarian. Shrub Roses An all-embracing term for multitude of both very old-fashioned and yet also distinctly newer forms bred from many 'wild' roses. Some, like the Japanese beach rose (Rosa rugosa) are notoriously thorny offering excellent privacy barriers. Others like the more modern Canadian-developed 'Explorer' series offer long-flowering single and double blooms over tough, disease-resistant foliage and are extra hardy.

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Wes Porter -- Bio and Archives

Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.


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