For the rose enthusiast, moving home can be particularly distressing when favourite roses for one reason or another have to be left behind and cannot be easily obtained from elsewhere. One solution is to take cuttings well prior to the big move. However, another probably more successful solution would be to contact a nurseryman to see whether a propagation service is available. Nurseries, which carry out their own propagation programme, may have limited understock and therefore it is a good idea to make enquiries to see whether this option is available to you. Note however, that the process is not a “quick fix”, and it may take at least 18 months to obtain good-sized replacement plants.

For those amongst you who are floral arrangers, artists or designers, you would know that the floral art section of rose show schedules require that roses predominate in any arrangement. The schedule then lists various themes and topics that can range from the simple to the highly complex. Arrangements for a ruby wedding anniversary or an arrangement requiring you to depict anger or violence, would suggest red roses, and cultivars such as Mary Delahunty, Ingrid Bergman, or Kardinal, would be suitable. Arrangements for a golden wedding anniversary would naturally call for yellow roses and Sutter’s Gold, Gold Medal, Royal Gold, or Parador, could be used. Alternatively, themes may call for designs depicting the “seasons”; spring and summer arrangements could include yellow roses (e.g. Friesia, Gold Medal, Helmut Schmidt, Royal Gold, Parador), and for arrangements depicting autumn, red, orange or copper-coloured roses and rose hips (particularly from the Species roses) could be used (e.g. Alexander, Annie’s Song, Colourbreak, Diamond Jubilee, Duftwolke, Hot Chocolate, Julischka, Just Joey, Lolita, Valencia). Winter arrangements would traditionally call for white roses (e.g. Cyril Fletcher, Honour, Pristine, Margaret Merril, Mount Shasta, Virgo, Pascali). Other themes may call for designs illustrating “nature or the natural elements” - in which case you could choose roses such as Blue Moon, Iceberg, Misty, White Lightnin’, White Spray, New Dawn, Daydream, Sunlit, Tequila Sunrise, or where an arrangement is required to portray “feelings” or “attitudes” using particular roses such as: Bewitched, Bloomfield Courage, Compassion, Double Delight, Escapade, Harmonie, Honour, Maiden’s Blush, Memoire, Sympathie, Peace, Prosperity, Rapture, Relax, Roseromantic, English Elegance, Irish Elegance, Vanity, and other similarly descriptive roses may be used to obtain that winning edge. It may not necessarily mean that the Judge knows his or her roses, but it is personally satisfying to know that you have covered all bases in an effort to achieve the very best interpretation of the theme.