I love old roses let’s visit some old roses in the Potager garden and cottage. I love to include plants throughout my gardens, which have a rich history and beautiful stories and today I want to share with you some of the roses in my collection.
Source: Just Dig It Farms
Old Garden Roses
An Old Garden rose was defined as any rose that existed before 1867. Then, “modern” roses came into existence when the first hybrid tea rose – “La France” – was discovered growing in a garden. Today, about 80% of all roses grown are of the modern variety of this rose variety. Just to put these groups of roses in context, remember that roses are divided into three main groups: (wild) species and their hybrids, Old Garden Roses and Modern Roses. The purpose of this article is to familiarize readers with the different grades of Old Garden Roses so you can get inspired to experiment in your garden.
So why have modern hybrids largely usurped the heirloom rose in the scene? Many, but not all, Old Garden Roses bloom only once while modern roses, i.e. hybrid teas and anthuriums, bloom again and again. The modern rose is also a blooming flower and offers a wide variety of colors and varieties. The hybrid tea is prized for its bloom. They have been bred to have long stems, which are particularly suitable for cut flowers. Modern rose bushes are compact in shape and require more care, but are also better suited for smaller spaces or for displaying lots of large bushes.
But, if you love history, it’s hard to resist an Old Garden Rose. Who wouldn’t want to grow a Gallica rose that dates back to Greek and Roman times? Or a kind of Noisette that was developed by Thomas Jefferson? Or a favorite Moss rose from Victorian-era gardens? It’s nice to think that the Centifolia rose or cabbage you enjoy is also appreciated by Marie Antoinette.
Heirloom rose care is no different from modern rose care, except that some heirloom flowers may require less pruning and less chemical spraying. For a general discussion of roses and how to care for them, please see an article written by Cleve Campbell, “Our National Flower – The Rose,” which appeared in The Garden Shed June issue. 2015. In the March 2016 issue, Pat Chadwick wrote an article, “March Ornamental Garden,” in which she discusses how to grow bare-root roses.
