The prince of flowers

Just as any word spoken in a different context has a different meaning, so does a rose. You will find a large variety of roses across the world. They will be different in color, petal shape and even fragrance. Only an expert could discern the subtle difference in the fragrances of various roses. Roses can be found in different colors: red, purple, yellow, light pink, dark pink, orange, white, apricot, red & orange, red & white, pink & white.

Each of the colors says something different from the rest. A red rose as we mentioned before says things like “I love you, I need you,” etc. A white rose conveys an impression of innocence, purity, secrecy, silence and in some places it also says “you’re heavenly”.

The other colours have their own unique meaning:

Light pink: admiration, sympathy,
Deep pink: gratitude, appreciation
Yellow: joy, gladness
Orange: enthusiasm
Red-&-yellow blend: joviality
Pale blended tones: sociability, friendship
Black: death, hate. At one time it was used to says “Farewell”
Blue: harmony
Lavender: love at first sight
Yellow and red edges: falling in love
Single rose: simplicity
Two roses wired together: coming marriage or engagement
Red rosebuds: purity

Apart from color, they are broadly categorized as either old roses or modern roses. All rose varieties require fertile soil and full sun climate. However, from the gardener’s point-of-view, they would be labeled not as red, or yellow, or lavender, instead they would be categorized as follows:

Alba Roses - This is perhaps the oldest known variety. It grows to a height of 4 to 6 feet with slender upright bushes. This hardy and disease-resistant variety is easy to grow. It requires partial sunshine.

Bourbon Roses – Again an old variety and one of the few favored for repeat flowering. The plant grows 5 to 6 feet tall with globular flowers in white, pink or purple colour, depending on the variety. This rose variety is susceptible to black spots.

Centifolia Roses – These bloom only once a year and are known also as ‘cabbage roses’ because of their shape. They are very fragrant and have plenty of thorns. Colors most common are pink, violet and white. It grows to about 5 feet.

China Roses – When the first batch of this Chinese variety arrived in Europe, they soon became very popular because they flowered throughout the year which was uncommon in European roses. These grow about 3 to 4 feet in height and are very bushy and disease resistant.

Damask Roses – Their distinctive fragrance is used in perfumery. The plant grows 4 to 6 feet tall with pink or white, double or semi-double flowers.

Gallica Roses – This variety has very few thorns which may be why it is the oldest known cultivated rose. The plant grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. This flower has the unique quality of retaining fragrance even when it is dried. Colors may be red, pink, purple or stripped.

Hybrid Perpetual Roses – The plant grows 3 to 5 feet and is popular because it was the first large-flowered roses to bloom repeatedly.

Portland Rose – Roses of this variety are also called ‘Damask Perpetual’ and are very fragrant. They grow up to 4 feet.

Moss Roses – These cabbage shaped flowers bloom only once a year. The plant grows up to 6 feet.

Canadian Roses – This hybrid and hardy variety was developed by the Canadian Department of Agriculture. Unlike any other rose variety this plant not only survives Canada’s extreme cold climes but also resists several plant diseases. There are two basic varieties: shrubs and climbers.

English Roses – Although they look very similar to the old variety, they were developed in the 1970's by David Austin. The plant grows from 3 to 6 feet tall and the flower is thick with petals. The flowers come in shades of pink, yellow, red and white.

Floribunda Roses – This unique variety is a result of crossing polyantha roses with hybrid teas. The plant is usually disease-resistant and blooms with masses of flowers at the same time. It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall.

Grandiflora Roses – Another successful experiment of crossing hybrid teas and floribundas. The first grandiflora rose plant was grown in 1954 and named Queen Elizabeth. The plant grows 5 to 6 feet tall; with proper care it may even reach 8 feet.

Hybrid Musk Roses – This variety blooms mostly in spring and sometimes in fall. The flowers are pink, dark pink, apricot or yellow. They were first cultivated in England in the early 1900's. Each stalk has either a single or semidouble roses. The plant reaches a height of 4 to 6 feet.

Hybrid Tea Roses – This very popular type of rose was first grown in 1867 by a French breeder and was called 'La France'. Today, there must be thousands of breeders experimenting and developing hybrid varieties. The flowers have the classic shape and look as seen in pictures and paintings and in flower shops. The plant however is susceptible to disease and even known to host insects and pests.

Landscape Roses – This category includes two types: the French-bred Meidiland roses (single red flowers with white centers) and the German-bred Flower Carpet roses. Both types flower from early summer through fall with a generous bloom covering virtually the entire bush 3-4 feet tall and 5-6 feet wide.

Large-Flowered Climbing Roses – This variety is favored by people who have large sun-soaked villas with tall walls. The plant does not actually climb; it juts keeps growing until it reaches 10 feet or so. As it cannot stand on its own weight, the plant would lean, so it has to be tied to supports like trellises.

Miniature Roses – This dwarf plant is best used for defining borders to your garden. They look very similar to mini Hybrid Teas and can be grown in window boxes as well. The plant grows 6 to 8 inches tall.

Polyantha Roses –This variety was traced back to the late 9th century. It only grows to about 2 feet in height. It blooms with very small flowers in pink, yellow, white or orange. It requires very little maintenance.

Redleaf Rose – More than the flower, it’s the bush that is valued here. The flowers of this unusual variety are not very impressive but the bush certainly is one of nature’s designing marvels. The leaves are red and have silver veins. The plant can grow strong and bushy reaching a height of 6 to 8 feet.