Lavender Roses ? 3 of the best and their meaning

Lavender roses are usually highly fragrant and there are a number of popular roses in this color range. Some that are worth growing for their beautiful form and fragrance are:

Barbara Streisand – a beautifully scented rose which has large flowers, deep green glossy foliage and grows to 135 cm (4 ½ ft). Apparently when Barbara was first asked about a rose bearing her name she was very picky – she was a rose lover herself and wanted it to have the attributes of an attractive color, large flowers and an exceptional fragrance. This rose satisfies all these and more.

Blue Moon – my favourite lavender rose has the most beautiful rich fragrance and large, high centred flowers that are long lasting. It has deep green foliage that lightly covers the rose plant and it grows 135cm (4 ½ ft).

Fragrant Plum – another of the beautifully scented lavender roses. The large rose blooms look like candelabras sitting on the plant. They are high centred, double flowers that last well on the bush or as a cut flower. It’s a medium to tall growing rose to 150cm (5ft)

Lavender Rose Meaning

Some folk say that lavender flowers are a sign of love at first sight so if you do fall head over heels with someone straight away, giving them a bunch of lavender roses could be a delightful way to let them know that.

Colours in the purple range, like lavender, also have a spiritual quality to them.  The colour purple represents spirituality, mysticism, royalty and inner wisdom and in the same way folk wear amethyst crystals and have them in their environment for healing and to raise the energy of the room, you can pick some of your beautiful lavender roses and have them in your environment for a similar effect.

Organic Rose Growing

Roses are without doubt beautiful and provoke the most powerful feelings so it’s no wonder you and I love to grow and care for them. It’s a popular thought that they’re difficult to grow so growing them organically must be impossible right? In my opinion definitely not, in fact I’m still surprised even now that, ‘organic’, has become such a buzz word. Gardeners of yesteryear would have used nothing but organic rose growing methods simply because others weren’t available so this is the perfect place to start.

 

I’ve rarely used anything inorganic or artificial in my garden and it’s for this reason that I feel best placed to advise you how grow roses organically. It’s all really about balance, choice and bravery.

 

Balance

The closer you copy the balance of nature and the successful gardeners of the past, the easier it becomes to grow roses organically. Chemical fertilizers harm the natural balance of your plant and the soil it lives with, there are innumerable organisms that can easily be damaged by these fertilizers and once you start down that road it can take years to return.

 

Fungicides that remove and kill fungi that harm plants cannot distinguish accurately from the fungi that your roses’ root system need to obtain nutrients. All artificial additives do is make things harder to deal with in the long term causing you more work and frustration, to me they’re just the quick fix.

 

Choice

Choose local; taking cuttings from your own roses, from friends roses or buying new plants from a local nursery is always going to be your best bet. Make sure to select virus and disease free ones and plant them in as similar conditions as they originally grew in will help prevent future problems. Always ask as much advice as you can from whoever you are getting your rose from, you can never do this enough. I’m always willing to hear someone else’s point of view, you never know how valuable it might be.

 

Planting

Check using a soil testing kit if you need to ascertain whether you actually need any compost or fertilizer at all. I’m lucky that I don’t need any for my flowers, my soil is rich. I do make and use my own compost but only for use with my vegetable beds. Using your own compost is always going to suit you plants better in the long term. Using worms correctly in your compost can speed up the composting process if you need a quick turnaround.

 

Vigilance And Bravery

The more often you check you roses the easier it is to deal with any potential problems and this isn’t really a chore, the more time I spend with my roses the happier I am. The moment you do see any problems however, act immediately, if you see pests attacking your beautiful roses, first try to remove them with a water spray. If they don’t get the message then try to find an organic pest control spray but use very little and often, knocking the beasts off rather that dousing the whole plant.

 

A lot of diseases that roses suffer from tend to come from environment issues such as a lack of air circulation, lack of sun, overwatering etc. These can often be solved by removing any problem parts of the plant or pruning to give a more open center or moving it to a more suitable spot

Spring is the time of year that your roses can be most susceptible to pests as depending on the weather the little beasts can develop and become hungry very quickly. This is the time when they’re trying to find new homes and feeding areas, if you discourage them quickly before they’ve time to settle in, you’ll win.

Finally, think in the long term, copy nature and use old, tried and trusted methods and as your knowledge builds the more successful you’ll become.

 

Essential Growing Organic Roses Tips

Organic rose gardening is a term used when gardening roses the natural way rather than gardening with man-made or synthetic chemicals and fertilizers. There is a lot of talk about how bad chemicals are in gardening, in food and in agriculture. You can easily grow roses organically by using just organic chemicals and fertilizers.

One very important part of being involved with an organic rose garden is the type of roses that you want to grow. Only choose the roses that are known to be growing in your country as this can be helpful, as well as the ones that are known to be resistant to any diseases which can be commonly found in and around the area where you are living.

There are several other types and also varieties of these types of roses that can be generally better to raise as they are considered to be hardier plants. There are many to choose from and, especially if you are a well rounded gardener, you should have no problem choosing the ones that you like best for your rose bush garden.

You will need a certain type of soil for your rose garden. The soil where the rose bush is planted should have a pH of 6 or close to that.for roses to grow well and produce good growth you need 5 or higher. You can make use of some materials like limestone, to keep the pH levels consistent to the growth of your roses. But this will depend on your need to lower or raise the level of pH. Also you do not want the soil to have too many rocks, clay and sand due to the fact that roses need well drained soil and do not favour very sandy soils well. By adding some materials such as compost and wood chips you will indeed help set up the soil.

Another very important thing that you will need to do to keep the organic rose gardening running smoothly is to keep away insect pests and any other pests that can create problems with the health of the roses. A good solution for minimizing pest issues is introducing some companion plants. You will be able to choose the type of plants along with the size and color too that will complement your rose bush garden. Inter-planting with marigold, onion, thyme, geranium, rosemary or garlic will reduce rose pests in your rose garden.

There are several plants that can help you keep certain insects and pest away from your roses, so it is important for you to find out which kinds of insects and other pests are common in your area as this will help you to make a better selection of companion plants that you will want to include in your rose garden.

Before you begin to start planting, be sure that the soil is well prepared. Another thing to remember is to only plant during the spring season, right after the frost has passed. For the rose to grow well leave a space of 16 to 30 inches between them which is sufficient for growing and air circulation. You will want to be sure to provide some deep watering each week. And you can add organic fertilizer in your compost also. After all this is done you shall be ready to raise your organic rose garden with success.

How to Grow Roses from Cuttings

Attempting to grow roses from cuttings may not be not as easy as it sounds, but it is something that rose growers at all experience levels can achieve. With some basic knowledge about the process, you can be successful with mere stalks as long as you choose them wisely and take excellent care of them.

Ordinarily, gardeners cultivate roses from cuttings in a greenhouse where temperature and humidity are kept at consistent rates. Even without a greenhouse you can still generate new roses by incorporating some everyday plastic wrap or Ziploc bags and wrapping your cuttings in order to control the amount of air to which they are exposed. A simple heating pad can also ensure the constant heat source your clippings need.

Some gardeners have actually had success when attempting to generate new growth from a florist stem, although they aren’t considered the best choice of cuttings. You have a better chance of achieving new growth from the firm young stem of a repeat-flowering variety that has recently shed its first bloom or petals. Cuttings from spring roses when they are just past full ripeness are also viable contenders. 

Finding youthful cuttings should be a priority, but there are limits as to how young your cuttings should be. Avoid stems that have not yet lost their first flower, or those whose buds have produced no color yet. A certain amount of biological activity must be taking place within your cuttings to generate new growth, which is why wilted and dry plants are such poor contenders.

Roses love warm and humid climates, which creates a real challenge to germinating rose cuttings outside. They have a heightened vulnerability to predators and disease outside, so bring your cuttings indoors to get their root formation started.

Leave some green foliage on the stems, as these are important in accelerating the natural chemicals within the plant that stimulate root growth. Continuously spray your stems with water to keep them moist and supple. You can’t let them dry out or wilt or your project will end before it even gets started. Once rose cuttings wilt, the failure to root rate increases substantially.

Sunlight is necessary for any plant to survive, and your rose cuttings will do well if they are placed by a window that provides at least four hours of sunlight daily. Be careful to check in on them often, as overexposure to sun rays can scorch them, which can kill them.

It may take a month or slightly longer for your new plants to finish rooting, so patience is your good friend in this process. If you’re looking for instant gratification – or at least, significantly less time than large roses take to root, try miniature rose cuttings which generate quickly. You can start with miniature roses and then graduate to other varieties, a great way to learn about each type’s uniqueness. By learning the best steps to follow and nurturing your rose cuttings, your return on investment will be obvious when you’re enjoying your flourishing new roses.

Grow roses from cuttings

 

To grow roses from cuttings and sharing rose cuttings is a joy, whether you have a cutting from someone else or giving one of yours away, in my view there’s no better way of growing roses.

 

Equipment

Potting soil

Rotting hormone (organic or inorganic)

Plastic bag or bottle

Container, black plastic and 4 inches is ideal, clay will not retain enough heat and moisture

Spray bottle

Pencil or twig

 

Prepare

Choose your cutting wisely, it must come from a rose plant that’s actually blooming and has no sign at all of infection. Cut a stem about eight inches long with one flower bud that looks like it’s just about to open and a few leaves, all mature and fully grown. Remove the lowest leaves by hand; this is from where the roots will sprout. Now dip the end you’ve cut into some form of rooting hormone if you’re using an inorganic one. I prefer to use an organic one you can make yourself; simply chop a good few handfuls of willow twigs and place in a bucket of water, I use one part twigs to one part water. Leave overnight and then place the cutting in, just the bottom, and leave for 6 six hours.

 

 

Fill you container with the potting mix, press down firmly and water well. Using your pencil or twig poke a hole about two inches deep. Do not just poke the stem directly in the potting mix to create the hole, this can damage the cambium. The cambium being the part of the cutting that is responsible for the secondary growth of roots and stems. It is a layer in the plant between the food and fluid conducting tissues.

 

Moisture

Now your cutting needs moisture and you can place the whole thing, cutting, container and all in the plastic bag. I use a plastic bottle with the top end cut off, I prefer this method as it retains heat and moisture more accurately, at the top growth and prevents the roots getting too damp.

 

At this stage keep the cutting away from direct sunlight, keeping it in as in a bright place but with shaded sunlight is the ideal. Remove the bag or bottle and mist with a water spray every couple of days or when it looks dry. The cutting can’t yet suck water from its roots, as its not got any yet, so misting will provide it temporarily with the moisture it needs.

 

Nuturing

Remove the bag or bottle after 3 weeks but continue misting for a further week. New growth should be visible and you will know when your new rose is ready to live all on its own, whether that’s going to be in a new pot or in the ground, when the roots start showing through the holes in the bottom of the pot

 

Growing Roses: A Beginners Guide

Let’s look at some basic preliminary steps to take in growing roses for beginners. They are not complicated plants and will add beauty to any existing garden. A good education is all that is needed to ensure your success.

The first step is to plan the garden before making any purchases. What location will be best suited for roses? Is one color preferred over others? Look at the current garden layout when making notes. Are there fences or lattices for a climbing plant? And, most importantly, does the desired location get enough sun?

Continue by thinking about the many variations of roses available.  Height, color, scent, and the type of flower you want will factor into your planning.

For big showy flowers consider the grandiflora rose. It produces large clusters of flowers and has the added bonus of being resistant to most diseases. If the roses are for a cutting garden, the tea rose would be a good choice with its single flower to a stem.

Old fashioned rambling plants can be allowed to grow freely or tied to a more formal structure. The rambling variety puts out clusters of flowers once a year; the climbing rose has one single bloom. 

Whether choosing one type of rose or a variety of species, you’ll want to think about when the flowers will appear. If constant blooms are desired consider the shrub rose. It is hardy, requires little pruning, and has great value as a landscaping plant. 

Traditionally we think of roses in a bed, but they can be grown in pots to accommodate small gardens or apartment living. Miniature roses reach a height of roughly 2 feet and work well as a container plant. Just make sure the location will have the necessary amount of sunlight.

With all these questions answered, you have an idea of what to buy. Rose plants can be purchased at local garden shops, large chain stores, or on the internet. If you want advice about the local climate and soil, your local garden supply store will be able to provide good advice. There is some advantage to having an expert nearby for any questions that might pop up during the summer.

Take a look at the plant before purchasing. Look at the tag to see what the color is and confirm the variety. Check out the condition of the plant and its foliage. You want good green leaves without spots or signs of mildew. Stay away from brown or curled, wilted leaves. They have not been properly watered.

Now it’s time to get the ground ready in your garden. Dig a nice large hole; it should be larger than the plant. First put an organic fertilizer or manure in the bottom of the hole and mix with soil. Then place the plant in the hole and cover with soil. The roses should be planted approximately 2-3 feet apart. After planting, water generously at the base of the plant and cover with light mulch.

Water frequently for the first few weeks as your new plants set down their roots. After the plant is established, water less frequently. For container plants, check the moisture content regularly.  

That’s it! the garden has been carefully planned and roses planted. Take care of your new plants through the summer and you’ll be rewarded with a colorful garden. Follow recommendations for feeding and watering and deadhead roses as necessary for a productive flowering. 

Growing Roses Organically

Over the past few years this subject has become really hot, this creates its own problem, that of misunderstanding. Growing roses organically should be treated differently from our understanding of buying organic food. The difference I want to make is that of commercial compared to private growing.

 

Commercial organic growing is riddled with complexities and contradictions that have little relevance to us growing plants organically in our own private gardens.

 

 

Why Choose The Organic Path?

It simply works better in the long term for your rose, you, your garden and any pets. Most inorganic feeds, fertilizers and pest or disease controls are in my view quick fixes. The more you pamper or, ‘spoil’, your rose the less independent they become. So let’s look at what you need to do to go organic.

 

Balance

The more accurate you are at matching the right rose plant for your garden the better. Your garden already has its own balance and you need to keep the disruption to this balance as minimal as possible. Analyse your garden paying particular attention to where you want to site your rose. How do other plants fair in your garden, what pests and diseases already exist? If your garden is prone to any problems choose a hardy rose that is resistant.

 

There are innumerable organisms living with and around us and likewise in the soil your rose is going to be planted. These organisms, bacteria, worms, nematodes, fungus etc have a job to do and they do. They enrich the soil with nutrients from their actions of breaking down dead items. If you introduce an alien into their world you will upset their balance, solving one problem undeniably can lead to another problem.

 

Nutrients

Know your soil, if you don’t already know how nutrient rich you’re your soil is get a testing kit, they’re widely available nowadays from most garden centers. When you do know your soil you can accurately determine whether your rose is going to need any added nutrients. If it does, endeavour to produce your own compost in your own garden.

 

Pests and Diseases

Check regularly and often. If you detect unwanted bugs, ‘shoot’, them off your beloved rose with a simple water spray, if they persist find an organic pest control but use as little as possible.

 

Fungal and disease problems; if your rose has dark patches this is generally caused by overly warm and wet conditions. Light areas, with a powdery appearance usually occur when there are dry and cool conditions in the day, followed by a humid night and a following day of high temperature. Prevention is always better than cure so check weather forecasts. Cure is difficult, relocate to an area with more healthy conditions, remove as much of the damaged area as possible and dispose of sensibly allowing no contact with anything else.

You Can Be Growing Roses From Cuttings With These 3 Easy Methods

Roses are highly popular these days and they are quite easy to propagate especially by growing roses from cuttings. Taking cuttings is, in fact, considered as the most economical and easiest method to generate new rose plants. There are 3 commonly used cutting methods: The Mason Jar Method, Potting Process and The Stick in the Ground Method, all explained here.

The Mason Jars Method. This method is fairly easy and has been widely used for many years. Start out by cutting a stem from a rose bush and then take all the leaves off it. Plant this naked piece of stem, or cutting as it is called, into the ground. Place an empty mason jar over it and water thoroughly all around the jar so that the stem remains moist and elastic. Growth can be seen after four or six weeks. *Mason jars are glass preserving jars.

The Stick in the Ground Method. Just like the Mason Jar Method, this method is also relatively easy and has also been in use for a long time. Select a disease free young healthy green stem that has just stopped blooming. Using a clean pair of really sharp cutting sheers or a sharp blade cut off a piece of the stem at a 45-degree angle of about a half foot long. Plant the stem in a couple of inches of very well hydrated soil in a sunny area. To ensure it stays upright press the soil around the stem gently but firmly down. Make sure to check often and to water thoroughly keeping the moisture up all the time. Thus stimulate new growth optimum health.

The Potting Process Method. This can be accomplished by using small, clay garden pots about 2 inches in size. Fill each pot with potting soil mixed with perlites which encourage root growth. Place rose stem cuttings in the mixture then put the pots in a spot with abundant sunlight. Water often and keep an eye on them as they begin growing small leaves.

To make sure you are successful take at least 5 to 10 cuttings as not all cuttings will necessarily survive. Growing roses from cuttings is an easy, fun way of getting more rose plants. It is best to do this job during early summer when the roses are actively growing. Just add sunlight, daily, ample water and care and new growth will be visible in four to six weeks.

Growing Roses from Stem Cuttings

Growing climbing roses, growing miniature roses or any type of roses from stem cuttings can be a hard task if you have never done so before. Some types of roses are harder to grow from stem cuttings, so it is best to research the type of roses you have cuttings from prior to beginning your rose gardening experience. Growing roses for cuttings can be done from a stem cutting to return the favor. However if you simply want to have your own rose tree garden or deal with simple rose gardening from a cutting, here are a few ideas to help you along.

Growing roses from a stem cutting can be the fastest way of getting your rose gardening career off the ground. There are few ways of growing miniature roses or growing climbing roses but you can do so from cuttings and make the wait shorter. Rose gardening from cuttings generally takes an average of about 3 weeks. You will want to get your stem cuttings from a healthy plant that has no disease or insect infestations. Cut the stems only from plants that have recently bloomed or are currently blooming for the best results. Your preference of stem length can be used when cutting, but no more than 20 inches should be taken at most. Cut the stems into sections if they are more than 4 inches long and take away any blooms that are on the stems. Cut away any leaves that are old or not needed, but it is important to leave one or two small leaves.

Rose planting comes after clipping the bottom tip of your stem cuttings at an angle. The area should then be sliced with a sharp knife to remove a thin area of stem about an inch up the stem. Dip the stripped tip into fresh water and then into a rooting hormone. This is not actually required, but will help keep the tips from rotting before taking root.

Use a small pot with about half an inch of sand in the bottom, then filled completely with a indoor mix that drains well. Completely wet the soil until it is moist but not dripping. Put the cuttings in the pot at a slant and push them down into the soil until the leaves almost touch the soil or the ends do not hit the sand mixture in the bottom of the pot. Rose planting is a careful procedure when done with rooted plants, but cuttings are even more delicate and should not be forced, therefore if the stems are becoming lodged you should wet the soil and try again.

Once cuttings are placed properly, use a plastic baggie filled with air over the top of the pot until it fits about half way down the sides. Use a large rubber band to hold it in place. Keep the pot out of sunlight because the sun will dry them out and cause their death. Some diffused light is best.

Growing Roses From Cuttings – Five (5) Important Tips

There are many gardeners that swear by the following 5 tips for growing roses from cuttings. There are little tricks that some pick up over the years, but here are a few tips that actually work for helping you in growing roses for cuttings.

The first tip is when the cutting should be taken. In caring for roses, you will be able to push against the green thorns on the area you want to cut. If thorns bend and do not come away, it is too green and will not take root. If the thorn punctures or does not release easy, it also will not root well after cutting. In between these times however, is a tie when the thorn won’t bend and will simply release easily from the shoot. This is the proper maturity for the shoot you are cutting and should take root well. This time can generally be seen when the buds start to open with the first blossoms.

There not certain roses that can or cannot be cut and rooted. However, there are a few things to consider when growing roses for cuttings. With rose planting or any time you are caring for roses, spraying the cuttings with anti desiccant fluids will help with rooting. The cutting will hold its moisture if sprayed and dried before being cut. Cuttings should always be taken early in the day to avoid water stress.

Bottom heat is required for caring for roses after cutting and transplanting roses. A heat mat keeping temperatures around 72 degrees Fahrenheit will keep shoots warm, and using warm water temperatures to water and mist the roses will help. Your roots will generally show up about 4 weeks afterwards.

Florist roses from rose tree gardens to growing miniature roses that are delivered; there are ways of getting these to grow in the ground as well. Whether you are growing miniature roses, caring for knock out roses or simply beginning rose gardening, here are some things to expect when planting florist flowers. You can root flowers from the florist, but this is incredibly hard. Rose cuttings should be planted in the ground as quickly as possible after delivery. This will help to keep the moisture in and the stress low.

For all roses, use bottom heat as well as enough water in the soil to keep it from wilting. Use a separate pot for each plant so rooting does not cause problems with surrounding plants. Artificial soil or potting soil with rose fertilizer mixed in as well as the sunlight requirements will help you to grow any kind of roses from cuttings. If you are going to take cuttings to give to someone, remember to water your roses well the day before and take the cutting in the morning before heat sets in. Now that you have the information you need, you can be successful in growing roses from cuttings.

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