Growing roses not the thorn once thought

Roses are among the oldest flowers in cultivation, although many have earned a reputation as fussy or difficult to grow. Some of the newer shrub rose hybrids, however, are disease-resistant, carefree and repeat-blooming — just the qualities novice gardeners love.

“They are generally much healthier, more free-flowering, easier to prune and more winter-hardy” than some earlier generations of roses, said Michael Marriott, technical manager and senior rosarian for David Austin Limited of Albrighton, England, about the many emerging shrub rose varieties.

Shrub roses, also labeled landscaping or groundcover roses, blend a diverse mix of old-rose varieties with modern roses to capture the best qualities of each, including fragrance, flowering styles, colors and growth habits.

They’re bred for garden performance rather than plant perfection, converting many rose contrarians into vocal rosarians, Marriott said.

“There are certainly plenty of hesitant gardeners who mistakenly think all roses will be finicky and hard to grow — but I’d say they’re decreasing in number,” Marriott said.

Early landscape designers frequently recommended that roses be concentrated only in rose gardens, in the process creating a monoculture conducive to pests and diseases. Now they’re integrating roses into mixed borders where companion plants surround roses to the benefit of all, Marriott said.

Despite longstanding perceptions, rose growing isn’t a specialty particular to older or more affluent gardeners, said Chris VanCleave, a banker and rose advocate from Helena, Ala., who has a wide following on the garden lecture circuit and his “Redneck Rosarian” website.

Regardless of where you are or who you are, there’s a rose just for you, he said.

“Baby boomers, Gen Xers and millennial generations don’t care so much about a perfect bloom. Instead they want garden color and low maintenance, and they’re also averse to using harmful chemicals in the garden,” VanCleave said.

“Some want flowering power, while others grow them for sentimental reasons,” VanCleave said. “My rose garden began with one rose to honor my mother after she passed away. I now have around 185.”

Along with beauty, roses offer a great deal of utility around the landscape, including erosion control, salt endurance and appeal to pollinators — especially varieties whose blooms open fully to expose their stamens.

“Most roses are more drought-hardy than people think and can tolerate drier conditions, although during these times your flowering and plant size are diminished,” said Anthony Tesselaar, president and co-founder of Anthony Tesselaar Plants in Silvan, Australia, which markets Flower Carpet roses.

Surveys continue to identify roses as everyone’s favorite flower — even people who don’t have gardens, Marriott said.

How to Order Flowers For a Woman

Anyone can pay to send a dozen roses, but it's not always the right move. Regardless of your message, sending flowers to a woman right every time requires a bit of thought. We've done that thinking for you at Winston Flowers. That's why you call us.

The world of bouquets can be daunting for most men, overwhelmed by the sheer number of floral options conveying different messages, combined with bouquet shape, texture, and more.

Currently in its third generation, Winston Flowers is helmed by myself and my brother, Ted, and we're here to help simplify this whole process by offering a few simple tips for sending flowers right every single time.

While most people associate standard roses with romance, there are equally romantic flowers like orchids, for example. Try to think outside the box and send something extraordinary like specialty varieties. We use artisan garden and novelty roses to elevate our arrangements.

Spend a little more for the more unique flowers for a more memorable gifting experience. It'll be worth it in the long run.

You've got to think about the overall aesthetic, how everything fits together and the shape the bouquet creates. Round looks more romantic—it's classic, plush, and beautiful. Is that what you're going for?

Size is another thing to think about when choosing what to send. Having something delivered to her office is a sweet surprise and will certainly be a topic of conversation among her coworkers, but you have to think about what you're sending. If you know she's going to want to take it home after, don't send anything too big or difficult to carry.

When designing our arrangements, we prefer to keep within complementary color palettes to offer a sophisticated look. Soft blush tones in the autumn months are typically a combination of dusty pink-gray tones paired with shades of peach, cream, faded silver greens, and dark autumn foliage.

A great example of this is our Antique Romance—we start with a base of cream roses, two-toned antique hydrangea, silver eucalyptus, then add pops of color with specialty peach garden roses, speckled Vanda orchids, and maroon autumn leaves.

You must strike a balance between the flowers (as the focal point) and the textures that incorporate a bouquet. Texture creates depth and complements the featured flowers, making the arrangement special and seasonal.

A few of our favorites are amaranthus (long curvaceous stems lined with lush and feathery maroon foliage), Italian parvifolia (stems of flat silvery-green leaves), seeded eucalyptus (clusters of flower-like seed pods), and kiwi vine (a climbing, free-form vine of the kiwi plant that is twig-like in appearance and adds an organic feel.)

The twist we bring is seasonality, allowing our clients to take advantage of what's unique right now. For me, when you tie in the season, you're adding sensibility. That's what we can bring. During the fall we emphasize beautiful, muted antique tones and seasonality is offered with subtle colors, textures, and foliage.

Even just by choosing a local, family-owned business like ours says something about the thought that went into your purchase. I feel like there are a lot of comparisons to be made between this industry and the restaurant industry.

For example, would you rather take your date to a large, expensive chain or to an intimate chef-owned restaurant? We are the equivalent of a farm-to-table restaurant with an emphasis on seasonality and the highest quality ingredients.

Suspended Flowers for Total Fairy Tale Vibes

I'm not married—and I'm not planning on getting married any time soon—but even I can't resist scrolling through Pinterest‘s wedding tag every now and then. It's like a fairytale I can live vicariously through—a fantastical world full of beautiful things and food and clothing. And at this point, the practice of perusing the wedding page is so enjoyable for me it's basically therapeutic.

Though I'm most apt to admire seemingly delicious cakes or ornate vintage rings, a different kind of trend has caught my eye lately: suspended flowers, which are really just wedding floral arrangements hung from the ceiling.

I've never been the kind of person who has strong opinions about wedding flowers. I've actually considered (eventually) getting married in the desert, because I like the idea of creating such a stark juxtaposition between delicate, intricate bridal decor and the rough, sand- and cactus-filled landscape. But now that I've been exposed to suspended flowers, I'm low-key reconceptualizing my whole fantasy.

Flowers are undeniably beautiful, and when you suspend them from the ceiling, they somehow become even more so. There's something about the idea of looking up and seeing a sky full of flowers that's not just unexpected, but downright dreamy. It seems like the kind of thing that should be reserved for storybooks, but I'm so glad it isn't.

Plus, on a more practical note, a strategically placed canopy—floral or otherwise—can make any space feel cozier and more intimate.

Whether you're getting married sometime soon or not, lose yourself in the following 17 photos of suspended flowers. And dream of of all the cascading flowers you'll hang at your wedding—or just like, an incredible party you'll throw—someday.

Easter flowers offer fragrant reminders of history and faith

In ancient days, winter was a time of starvation, sickness and death. Therefore, when the winter months were over, there was a time of great celebration. Buds were growing, flowers were blooming and birds' nests contained eggs, which were thought to be dead — and yet live birds hatched from them. And all these things rose up out of the seemingly dead earth.

In their joy over this renewal, the people celebrated with festivals, feasting and gifts of flowers and eggs. Over time, Europeans took on the Anglo-Saxon name for this festival, Eostre. Eostre, also spelled Eastre, was the great mother goddess, the goddess of all life.

And the Saxons thanked her each year for allowing them to survive another winter season.

According to Christian beliefs, Christ was crucified in the spring. He died, was buried for three days, and then came back to life. When early missionaries in Europe first taught the pagans, it was easier to explain the story of Christ by comparing it to the Eostre festival that they already understood. And, over time, the two celebrations became synonymous.

In modern times, some of these traditions still exist, although we usually don't know why. We still decorate eggs in beautiful colors and use them in displays throughout our homes. We celebrate rabbits which, because of their fertility, were considered a symbol of life. We give flowers, candies and eggs as gifts to our children. And we also still fill our homes with flowers — the beautiful flowers of spring and Eostre.

Traditionally, in Russia and the United Kingdom, the pussy willow was given as a symbol of Eostre and spring, and in Europe, the narcissus was popular. However, for the Christians, the Lillium candidum was the flower of choice because it symbolized Christ, specifically.

Few people were able to read at that time, and so, in paintings, symbols were used to let viewers know who the subject was. The Lillium candidum, now known as the Madonna lily, was first used in early paintings to symbolize Christ. It was claimed that the flowers first sprang up from the drops of Christ's blood that fell when he hung on the cross, and they returned each year from dead ground. They also falsely believed the stem grew in three days. The rich, satiny white flowers (white meant purity) naturally bloomed around Easter time in the Middle East. And before hybridization, there were usually only three flower buds, which symbolized the Holy Trinity. Over time, this lily also was used to symbolize Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The Madonna lily is still one of the most popular Easter flowers. The white trumpet lily (Lillium longiflorum) is another favorite these days, and most people can't tell the difference. Other modern favorites are daffodils, tulips and hibiscus. In our area, none of these would naturally bloom so early in the year. Therefore, nurseries plant them in pots and manipulate their climate so the plant thinks it's time to bloom. This will throw off their schedules a bit, but that can be remedied if you wish to save your bulbs.

When you are choosing a potted bulb for decorating, try to get one that has buds that haven't opened yet. These will last longer in your home. Also, as soon as the buds open, remove the anthers (the small rods with the pollen on them) of the lilies. Again, this will help the flower last longer. Place the plant in a bright location, free from drafts. Keep the soil slightly moist but not wet. Once they have finished blooming, you can throw them away. Or, except for the tulips — you can save them and plant them out in the garden.

If you plan to keep it, cut off the spent flowers and any seed pods, but leave the green stem and leaves. Keep it watered and give it liquid fertilizer about every two weeks. In late May, plant it in your garden in a bright sunny location. Keep watering and feeding it until the stem dies back and the plant goes dormant. At that time, cut it back to the ground. It may not bloom the following year, but by the second year, it should have corrected its timing.

The daisy is another flower that was used to symbolize Christ. The story is that the Wise Men recognized the stable where Jesus was born because these flowers, which looked like the star they had been following, grew all around the place.

Easter is a wonderful time of the year. It is a time of renewal, new life and forgiveness. And certainly a time for which we should rejoice. And what better way to celebrate than to fill your home with the beautiful vibrant shades of the flowers reminiscent of traditions of long ago?

Mary Stickley-Godinez is The Daily Progress' gardening columnist.

Birth Month Flowers

Flowers designated to celebrate birth months.  Blooms for especially significant birthday gifts.

Birthdays' gemstones are exciting, but there are limits to the numbers of emeralds, diamonds, etc. we can bestow on our loved ones! Instead, the practicality and versatility of birth month flower gifts are better suited to today's lifestyles and personal finances. Below are birth month flowers readily available in family gardens or at local garden centers or florist shops. 

January ~ Carnation - At a time when most landscapes are denuded of flowers, the spicy clove scent of carnations is most welcoming. The low cost of carnations has somewhat sullied their reputation as a sophisticated, gift-worthy flower, but a skilled florist can create a contemporary design using a “foliage cage” of overlapping grasses, a cube-shaped vase, or a sweet pomander to create excitement with this modest bloom. Carnations are easy to work with, so why not purchase a block of floral foam and create your own gift design tailored to the recipient?

February ~ Iris and Violets - I always have envied those with February birthdays as they claim the lovely amethyst as their birthstone, plus they get the regal iris, too!

The blue Dutch iris looks stunning when paired with yellow spring flowers available in late winter, such as tulips, forsythia, or jonquils. Violets also are considered a birth flower for February, so a nosegay of the tiny blooms or a tasty confection dusted with candied violets makes an exceptional birthday gift.

March ~ Daffodil - Although you can order fresh-cut daffodil arrangements for March birthday gifts, a live planted basket or trug will endure for up to two weeks longer than a bouquet. DIY types can plan a jumbo planted basket by forcing bulbs during the winter: Keep them in a cold frame or refrigerator for 16 weeks, then pot up in a sunny window for a few more weeks before the gift-giving date.

April ~ Daisy - Celebrate April birthdays with a gift of fresh cut daisies, either the traditional shastas or one of the many gerbera varieties. The secret to the longest lasting gerbera daisy arrangements is to recondition the flowers every day. Cut off the lowest part of the stem under fresh water to encourage water uptake and to discourage rot.

May ~ Lily of the Valley - The lily of the valley has always been a favorite of royalty, as seen in the bridal bouquets of both Princess Diana and Princess Kate. The quintessential springtime flowers make a fragrant birthday gift, either as a potted plant or in a small bouquet. The unusual and hard to find pink form is every bit as vigorous in the garden as the white variety.

June ~ Rose – Roses love to be planted in the heat of summer, to bloom for the rest of the year.  If a gift of roses feels cliche after all of the other flower-giving holidays, find a new way to present this timeless bloom to a loved one.  A live blooming miniature rose is a long-lasting alternative to a short-lived rose bouquet. Ultimately, nothing tops the fragrance of a bunch of old garden roses instead of the standard bouquet of florist's nearly scentless roses.

July ~ Larkspur - Gardeners may know the July birth month flower, larkspur, by its other botanical name, the delphinium.  The blooms are packed together very tightly so this flower prefers cool, moist summers to grow, but if that doesn’t describe your growing region, create a dramatic, shaded planting area to cultivate the tall pink, blue, purple, or white spikes of this perennial favorite.

August ~ Gladiolus and Dahlia - August birthdays have two flashy birth flowers designated to their month. The thousands of varieties of flowers included in these two beauties means you have an unlimited color palette to play with when choosing floral gifts.

September ~ Aster - The prolific blooms of a potted aster are a welcome way to bridge the gap between summer and fall when most flowers are winding down for the season. You can choose from flower colors in all shades of blue, white, pink, and purple on plants that will stay in bloom through late fall. Plant them in the ground and this hardy flower will come back each year.

October ~ Marigold - The vibrant pumpkin orange and harvest gold hues make this flower stand out above the rest of Autumn's blooms. The low cost and lush shape of marigolds means you can give a birthday gift that looks bigger than it really is.  The plants prefer cool, moist soils that follow our mountain monsoon rains, and if so indulged will continue to flourish well into late autumn.

November ~ Chrysanthemum -When you give a gift of chrysanthemums, you continue a tradition of flower giving at birthdays that dates back to the 15th century B.C. This flower, native to China, still looks lovely as part of a corsage, and brings cheer to front porches in our favorite autumn colors of yellow, orange, and red.

December ~ Poinsettia - Not everyone gravitates to the traditional red poinsettia, so if your recipients feel that the winter holidays impinge on their birthday celebrations, give a cheerful coral-colored poinsettia, or one of the color-enhanced pink, burgundy, or white blooms we grow specially for Watters Garden Center. Horticulturists have also been playing with the form of this Mexican native flower, so you can create a fairy garden with a miniature poinsettia or give a poinsettia with ruffled bracts. If the birthday celebrant is a gardener, it may be fun trying to re-bloom the poinsettia next year!

There you have it, the most popular flowers to honor each month of the year.  All can be found and grown as plants during the growing season.  It's especially touching to celebrate your loved ones by planting their respective birth month flowers in your garden.

Scented winter flowers

To me there is nothing in the garden that is as uplifting as fragrance, particularly in the darkest depths of winter. Catching an unexpected whiff of the scent of summer on a cold, grey day when dashing out the front door or walking to the bus stop is one of the everyday surprises which makes gardening so magical.

However, as a self-confessed fair-weather gardener who hates the cold, for me there is just one downside to many winter flowering shrubs: you have to get out in the freezing drizzle to actually smell them. I barely last a few minutes at a time. Fortunately, a small handful of these beauties also happen to make excellent cut flowers, so you can surround yourself with the scent of the outdoors all day. Having experimented with loads each winter, I have come up with my top four that smell as good in the house as they do in the garden.

Wintersweet, or Chimonanthus praecox, lives a secret double life as a mild-mannered garden shrub all summer long, with plain green leaves that are easily overlooked. Yet come this time of year, its bare branches erupt into waxy yellow flowers with deep burgundy throats and a scent that will stop you dead in your tracks. Spicy, sweet and intensely fragrant, it is well worth the few years’ wait for the plants to reward you with flowers.

If you only have a tiny spot to play with, you couldn’t do much better than Daphne bholua, especially if it is overshadowed by trees and tall buildings. These shade-loving, tiny, evergreen shrubs produce delicate white or pink blooms that look like they are made from sugar icing. And the scent – oh, the scent. Deep, rich and classically floral, it reminds me of vintage perfume.

Sarcococca hookeriana is another excellent candidate for smaller, shady spots, producing a jasmine-like scent so powerful you will almost certainly smell it before you see it.

Last but not least comes Viburnum x bodnantense, a large shrub with small pompoms in delicate white or pastel pink. With its extremely long flowering season, starting from mid-autumn until early spring, you’ll get a conveyor of scented blooms right when you need them most.

No garden? No problem

Even if you don’t have any outside space at all, there are many winter flowering house plants you can grow for unbeatable fragrance indoors. I am a huge fan of the ivory, scented flowers of trailing cactus Epiphyllum anguliger, with its mad, fishbone-shaped foliage. For lovers of the classics there are always the white, rose-like flowers of gardenia, with an infamously intense perfume and the old-school bridal bouquet favourite of stephanotis, whose lighter, fresher scent can still fill a room.

Whitney's Fabulous Flowers

Whitney Bromberg Hawkings is the o-so-glamorous Co-Founder and CEO of the booming online floristry business, FLOWERBX. Rooted in luxury, the company has a stylish client roster, supplying flowers to the likes of Dior, Bottega Veneta, Jimmy Choo and Tom Ford - and it's easy to see why with their gorgeous blooms.

The Net-a-Porter of the flower business, having conquered the UK, their impressive business plan sees impending expansion into Europe, Russia and the Middle East. Collaborating with other leaders in their field - namely the fashion industry, recent partnerships include Laura Bailey as well as London-based womenswear designer, Emilia Wickstead. Here, the Bailey Bud Vase Collection, consisting of 5 beautiful hand-blown bud vases is best accompliant to any mantle piece and with the Emilia Wickstead Collection - think sleek, cylindrical statement brushed brass vases.

Felicity Carter: Tell us about FLOWERBX...?
Whitney Bromberg Hawkings: After working for TOM FORD for 19 years and feeling frustrated with the cost and inconsistency of the flowers I was buying and sending, I wanted to create a branded floral offering. Also, as a working Mom, I buy everything online. My weekly groceries are from Ocado, my clothes from Net-a-Porter or Matches.com and everything else from Amazon. Flowers were the one thing I couldn't buy, in a simple, chic way, online.

I started FLOWERBX a little over two years ago and am happy that it has resonated with so many people, so quickly and that the growth has been so significant.

FC: Why flowers?
WBH: The floral industry is one that hasn't been disrupted and for which there is no real, branded on-line solution. I am so happy that we have been able to create what I hope will be the first international flower brand.

FC: Who is your customer?

WBH: Our customer is a time-starved, discerning individual who is looking for quality and value. He or she likes the convenience of online shopping but is also looking for an exceptionally smooth and curated luxury experience.

FC: How has the brand evolved?

WBH: While we started out as purely an online flower delivery service, we were quickly asked to apply our clean, branded aesthetic to events for a lot of our individual and B2B clients. While this was initially not something we had intended to do, it was impossible to refuse both the sales' potential and the incredible marketing and exposure we get from doing events.

Vases were an obvious evolution to selling flowers, and we have been able to provide elegant and simple solutions for people that have, until now, been slightly fearful of "doing their own flowers."