Planning on giving your sweetie roses for Valentine’s Day? Before you stop into the florist to order that bouquet, make sure you’ll be able to choose roses your love will truly enjoy. When you know a little something about selecting the right rose color, scent, and cultivar you can present your girl or guy with a bouquet that truly stands out from the rest.
They don’t have to be red
Red may be the traditional color for Valentine’s Day roses, but roses in gentle pink and elegant white can be just as pleasing. In fact, if you’ve been together for a while, why not surprise your honey with something other than the same old bouquet of red roses? Just the right shade of peach or orange can express your passion in a more unique way. For real tradition-breakers, natural green, lavender, and blue roses are also available.
Keep in mind, though, that over the years various meanings have become attached to each rose color. White can be associated with marriage and yellow with jealousy or simply friendship. Choose carefully so your love doesn’t get the wrong idea.
Not all roses smell the same
Calling a rose by any other name may not affect its scent, but other factors certainly will. For instance, heirloom roses (also called antique or old garden roses) typically exude the most intense fragrance of all roses, while modern hybrid teas tend to be weakly scented. In addition to the traditional rose smell, known as damask, you can also find rose scents with spicy, fruity, and musk overtones.
Know your cultivar
Once you know what color and scent you want, you can look for a rose cultivar that meets your requirements. If your sweetie’s the casual, nature-loving type, choose an heirloom rose, such as damask, moss, and rugosa. These have a “wild rose” look with densely packed petals and traditional colors like pink, red, and white.
Modern garden roses, such as floribundas, tend to have a more elegant, sculpted shape and come in a wider variety of colors that appeal to contemporary fashion-conscience folks. Just keep in mind that some combinations can be challenging to find, such as a strongly perfumed tea rose in an unusual color like green or blue.
Despite all the details of colors and cultivars, choosing roses for Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be complicated. Just take a moment to look beyond the usual red modern garden roses and consider whether something a little different might not suit your love’s personality better.
February 25th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
The heirloom roses are my favorite but they are really hard to find here in Panama. My hubby use to get them for me when we lived back in the US. Can they be cultivated in warm weather such as Panama’s?
Thanks for the great article
Sue
February 27th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Many gardens in the southern states feature heirloom roses and the weather is certainly warm. I would suggest visiting the GardenWeb Rose Forums where you will find rose gardeners from the south who can share their experience with you.
Great resource: GardenWeb Rose Forums