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Arching Shrub. A
shrub in
which the primary branches bend towards the ground. Roses with an arching habit are
graceful, even in winter.
Armed. Bearing strong thorns.
Attar
of roses. (also called Otto of roses, rose oil, or essence of rose) is made from
the petals of roses, primarily Damasks and Gallicas. The term 'attar' is defined as a
'fragrant oil.' The attar of roses used in making certain perfumes is super concentrated.
How concentrated? Well, it takes two tons of rose petals to produce a pound
of attar.
Balling. Blooms do not
open fully, usually occurring in areas with cool, damp nights. Roses with many petals are
more susceptible to balling, thus many old roses are liable to ball on occasion. If you
live in an area where your roses ball more often that you would prefer, choose roses with
fewer petals.
Bareroot. Roses sold in a
dormant state, without soil around roots. This is the most common method of shipping
roses, usually in fall, winter, and early spring.
Basal
Cane. One of primary canes of a rose plant, originating from the base of the
plant.
Bedding
Roses. Beds dedicated specifically to growing only roses are the most
common way of cultivating roses, especially Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Grandifloras.
Bedding
roses are those roses whose habit (typically upright, making them difficult to incorporate
into other than the back of the mixed border) and cultural requirements make them best
suited to dedicated beds. Old roses, David Austin New English roses, shrub roses,
and some floribundas are also excellent for the mixed border.
Bicolor. Rose bloom with
two distinct colors.
Blackspot. The bane of many a rose gardener, blackspot is a
fungus which thrives in warm, humid weather. Rather than constant spraying to control this
plague, plant resistant plants and practice good husbandry (sun, water in the morning,
burn diseased canes, periodic cleaning of shed leaves, and plant at proper spacing for
good air circulation). To
learn more, read on...
Blind shoot. Stem which
fails to produce a flower.
Blue rose. No true blue
rose exists, but many lavender roses have been introduced. The reason that a, forgive the
pun, 'true blue' rose may never be produced is that the blue pigment (delphinidin) is not
present in roses.
Buck,
Dr. Griffith. Late professor at Iowa State University, Dr. Griffith Buck
developed many beautiful and cold-hardy roses. Most of the Buck roses are hardy to
Zone 5 (dieback hardy to Zone 4).
Budding. Method of
propagating roses by grafting a leaf bud in to the neck of root stock.
Bud Union. The point
where the grafted canes join the rootstock on budded (grafted) roses. Very easy to
determine due to the swelled appearance of the union. Bud union is important for
determining how deep to plant the rose (varies by region).
Callus. Scar
which forms over a pruning scar.
Calyx. The green
protective cover over the flower bud which opens into five sepals.
Cultivar. Short
for "cultivated variety," the term refers to a variety which originated in
cultivation rather than the wild.
Deadheading. The practice
of removing spent flowers. Deadheading is a good practice, since the plant will channel
energy towards producing more flowers, rather than seeds.
Disbudding. Removing
the side buds on a stem to send energy to the development of the flower growing at the tip
of the stem. Primarily done in order to develop larger, high quality blooms used for
exhibition purposes.
Double.
Flower with twenty-four or
more petals. (All roses have at least five petals). Some rose experts class roses with
more than fifty petals as 'very double'.
Earthing. Piling
dirt around the base of a plant to protect the bud union during periods of very cold
weather.
Flore Pleno. Double
Flower.
Floriferous.
erous.
erous.
Free-flowering.
Fossil Roses. Fossilized
roses estimated to be at 7 to 25 million years old have been discovered in Asia, Europe,
and North America.
Fragrance. Fragrance is
one of the traits which roses are bred for and is determined by the chemicals present in
the plant, concentrated in the petals, and how these chemicals interact with each other
and the atmosphere. Oils, resins, alcohol's, fatty acids, and phenols all contribute to
the character of the scent. While there are generally held theories about which roses are
fragrant, there are fragrant roses of every form and color, so the best practice is to
smell for oneself (or read about roses which are fragrant). For recommended fragrant
roses: Fragrant Roses.
Grades. Bareroot
roses are graded #1, #1 1/2, and #2 according to the number and size of canes on a bush.
#1 is the highest grade. Standards are set by the American Association of Nurserymen.
Genus. Sub-class
of plants which have common characteristics. The genus name for roses is 'Rosa.'
Heeling In. Temporary
planting of roses when conditions (temperature/soil condition/no time to plant!) prevent
permanent planting.
High-centered.
Having the center petals the longest. Attribute associated with the classic
ideal of Hybrid Tea form.
Hip.
Seed pods of a rose;
considered a desirable feature for providing interest after bloom. The finest hips are set
from 'Old Roses' (roses originated before the Modern Era which began with the introduction
of Hybrid Teas).
Hybrid. Bred
from two parents. Most roses are indeed hybrid roses, whether Bourbon or Floribunda or
Hybrid Tea. Hybrids, while not always bred by humans (hybrids can result
from natural cross-pollination in the wild), are selected for
characteristics such as flower form, disease resistance, fragrance, and repeat flowering
(remontance).
Knees. Terms used to describe the
bare underside of many roses, usually later in the season and almost always unflattering.
Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras are especially prone to bare knees; planting perennials or
annuals which grow 12-18 inches in front of the roses is an effective way to cover bare
knees.
Lateral
cane. Secondary branches originating from the basal cane.
Shrubs with strong lateral cane growth tend to be bushy, whereas shrubs that do not
create many lateral canes tend to have an arching form.
La Malmaison. The gardens
(and home) of Empress Josephine (wife of Napoleon I) and in it's heyday the home of over
250 species of roses. Although the gardens are in ruins today, La Malmaison re-introduced
the rose as an ornamental plant. Empress Josephine may be considered the first true
rosarian.
Meilland. Well-known
French family of breeders. Their most famous introduction was the legendary Hybrid
Tea 'Peace'.
Mildew. See Powdery Mildew.
Mixed
Border. Roses (especially Hybrid Teas)
have traditionally been grown in dedicated beds (as bedding roses)
because of their growth habit and need for spray programs dedicated to their specific
needs. The perennial, or mixed, border is a superb place to plant many of the more
graceful roses, such as the antiques, David Austins, shrub, and selected Floribundas.
Morden
Research Station. Home of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Branch, a
pioneer in breeding cold-hardy roses. Most famous introductions are the Explorer and
Parkland series.
Myrrh. Aromatic gum resin derived
from several trees and shrubs of the genus Commiphora of India, Arabia, and eastern
Africa. Used in incense and perfume.
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Organic Fertilizer. Fertilizer
made from natural substances rather than chemicals. Examples of organic materials include
compost (excellent!), alfalfa, blood meal, fish emulsion, manure, bone meal, and kelp.
Pemberton,
Joseph. Before David Austin, there was the Reverend Joseph Pemberton, one of the
most famous rose hybridizers of the 20th century. Pemberton developed the Hybrid
Musk class of roses, which are characterized by graceful arching form, clusters of
delicately colored flowers, and some shade tolderance.
Pegging. Securing of long
flexible canes (usually with old rose varieties) to the ground. The benefit is that canes
with flowers will grow from the laterally growing pegged canes.
Pillar
Rose. Indicates a form, not a class of roses. Roses grown as pillars have
flexible canes of five to twelve feet which may be trained around an upright support (it
does not have to be an actual pillar). Roses suitable for use as pillars are
moderate in growth so that they will not overwhelm their support.
Pistil. Female
organ of a flower. The pistil includes the stigma, style, and ovary.
Powdery
Mildew. A fungus disease, powdery mildew strikes under cool, humid
conditions. Leaves will become covered with a whitish residue and may be curled and
distorted. Powdery Mildew is not normally a serious affliction in that plants do
not normally succumb to the disease. However, it is certainly unnattractive.
To prevent, water in the morning so that leaves dry during the day (also a good
preventitive for blackspot).
Quartered.
A flower in which the center petals are folded into four quarters.
Recessive gene. Genes
are either dominant or recessive. A dominant gene's characteristics will predominate when
paired with a recessive gene. For a recessive gene to show, it must be paired with another
recessive gene. For example, in humans, blue eyes are recessive and brown eyes are
dominant; thus, a person who has blue eyes must have received the recessive blue eye gene
from each parent. Of interest perhaps, two blue-eyed parents can have only a blue eyed
child; two brown- eyed parents can have either a blue or brown-eyed child.
Reverse.
Underside of the petal.
Redouté, Pierre Joseph. Court
appointed painter to Marie Antoinette and Empress Josephine, Redouté's
credo was, "one does best what one loves most, however humble the
pursuit." He is best remembered for his paintings of plants, especially roses
and lilies. His paintings from Empress Josephine's garden at La
Malmaison provide modern gardeners with an invaluable visual documentary of the roses
grown two hundred years ago.
Remontant. Flowering more
than once in a season. Species roses tend to bloom once a season. Roses which are
remontant may bloom continuously or in regular waves (for example, floribundas or hybrid
teas or some older classes), whereas others may have a two waves, one in spring and one in
fall.
Rootstock. Host plant to
which selected rose varieties are grafted. Most commercial growers propagate new
plants by grafting cuttings to a rootstock. The advantage of rootstock is that many
roses, especially modern cultivars, have weak root systems. The primary rootstocks
used are Rosa multiflora, 'Dr. Huey,' with 'Fortuniana' recommended for very warm
climates. The issue of whether 'own root' roses or grafted roses are better is
one of the enduring debates of rosarians, and each technique has its advantages.
Cold hardiness is the primary benefit of 'own root' roses, while grafted roses are often
attributed with greater vigor.
Rugose. Leaf
veins which are deeply etched into the leaf. Rugosa roses are so-named for this
specific characteristic.
Rustling, a.k.a. rose
rustling. The practice of searching for Old Roses in the hopes of taking cuttings
(or if the bush is in imminent danger, rescuing the entire plant). Favorite haunts
of rose rustlers include abandoned properties, cemeteries, and roadsides. Always ask
permission before taking cuttings.
Scion. The leaf
stock or shoot which is grafted to rootstock.
Semi-double.
A rose with 12 to 24 petals.
Single.
A rose with 5 to 12
petals.
Species Rose. Roses
which are self-fertile, and if self-pollinated will come true. Another term used is
'wild'; species roses are those which have evolved naturally to adapt to their native
habitat.
Sport. Genetic mutation in a
plant. Sports in roses are not unusual, and many new introduced varieties are sports as
opposed to hybrids. Sports may be evidenced in different flower colors, flower form, and
growth habit. For example, Souvenir St. Anne's is a semi-double sport of Souvenir
Malmaison, and Climbing Souvenir Malmaison is a sport of this relatively small Bourbon.
Stamen. Male organ of flower.
Pollen comes from the anther.
Substance.
The amount of moisture in the rose's petals. While
it is difficult to ascertain how much moisture is in a particular rose's petals by touch,
thickness and firmness are keys to determining substance. A rose with substance will last
well after being cut, thus, it is important that exhibition roses (or roses you would like
the family to enjoy in the house) have good substance.
Sucker. Stem or
shoot growing from the rootstock instead of the grafted variety. Suckers should be cut off
at their base.
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