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How do you make your final selection when it comes to buying a rose bush? Here’s when NOT to go by the book! Hint: Have you experienced it in bloom up close in real life?
If you did your homework and inspected the rose at the store and all seems fine with it, should you buy it? Well, that depends. Although I have never seen an ugly rose I have seen some I liked a lot better than others. There are thousands of different named varieties or cultivars on the market. Which one should you buy for your flower garden? Do You LOVE It?Even if you have researched and come up with a list of possible choices, and have located several said to be disease and pest resistant and that grow well in your local area, you need to look at the rose in real life. Take time to look at the plant up close and personal to make sure you like the flower color and form, the fragrance -- if there is any, the foliage color, and the overall look and shape or habit of the plant. Seeing it at the store is good, but seeing it growing in a garden is even better. A mature plant in bloom will give you a true impression of its overall look and performance. Do You LOVE the Color?Color is absolutely in the eye of the beholder when it comes to flowers. Just what exactly is "cherry pink" or "rose pink" or "flushed pink"? Well it's maybe pink, sure, but there are seemingly infinite variations in flower colors and their descriptions, so make sure YOU like the color of the rose you are buying. Too many times people have told me a rose is the wrong color because the label or a book or a catalog said such and such. Well, yes, that's what it says but everyone sees color differently. Catalogs, web sites and publishers may reproduce photos with variable colors due to photographic and printing processes. And the bloom color really can change depending on soil and temperature, or the lighting at a given time of day. Many flowers naturally change color as they age. So truly, see the rose in bloom with your own eyes and make up your own mind. Do You LOVE the Fragrance?If fragrance is important to you, you need to smell the blooms. Some roses will be more fragrant at different times of day and everyone has a different level of sensitivity to scents. As with color, everyone smells things differently -- so what's sweet to you may be spicy or even fruity to the next person. Or maybe they won't smell anything at all! Buyer BewareLast but not least: Do not let yourself fall in love with a rose that is not worth buying due to its being a poorly produced, badly grown, low quality plant. You will be investing time and effort and heart in getting this plant off to a good start and established in your garden. Don't waste it on an inferior specimen. Buyer BoycottIf the nursery seems to have a disproportionate number of roses with visible problems, shop elsewhere. It's up to you whether or not you want to take the time to tell the manager why you are leaving empty handed. Caveat emptor! If you haven't already, be sure to read my "Plant Rant" on Boycott Bad Plants! MORE ON BUYING ROSES:This article is part of the How To Buy A Great Rose Series: ENJOY!All Flower Gardens Articles So Far Copyright 2006 Barbara Martin
The copyright of the article Buy A Rose You Love in Flower Gardens is owned by Barbara M. Martin. Permission to republish Buy A Rose You Love in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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