2011 Rose List

A Rose By Many Definitions

As beautiful as they are, the roses you like may not always be the best choice for your Colorado landscape.  To assist you in determining which kind would perform best in your garden, the Tagawa rose department has compiled a brief explanation of the different types of roses available. You can also learn about the meaning of the different colors of roses.

Please use this list as reference only; and not as a concrete affirmation of availability. Our roses are sold on a first-come, first-served basis so some varieties may not be available at any given time. This list is for the convenience of our visitors living in Denver and the surrounding suburbs. We are unable to deliver our roses outside the southeastern Denver area, or out of the country.

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A rose is a rose...

Apparently for most of us, that's not true. When we think of growing roses, we envision the type that's found in the florists' bouquet. We then aspire to create a rose garden with the hopes of harvesting similar bouquets at our leisure. As beautiful as these roses are, they may not always be the best choice for your mile high landscape. To assist you in determining which types have proven track records for our climate and soil make-up, Tagawa's rose department has compiled the following definitions of the most popular rose classifications.

HYBRID TEA

The rose that gets all the press... and florists love. Their gorgeous blooms are usually produced one per stem. The main weaknesses of these lovelies lie with their questionable winter hardiness at high elevations and their bud union (that knob found on the trunk of the plant). The bud union, or graft, is the point where the rose you purchased was surgically joined in youth to a different rose with a vigorous root system. A burial to where the bud union is 3-4" below the soil line increases their success in Colorado climates. Average height is 3-5+'.

FLORIBUNDA

Compact, bushy plants that produce flowers in clusters and in abundance. Some of their flowers are in the classic hybrid tea form. Like the hybrid tea, the floribundas are budded so the same planting principle would apply. Unlike the hybrid tea, they do very well in a patio planting pot. Average height is 2-4'.

GRANDIFLORA

These plants produce flowers of the hybrid tea form but at times have the clustering habit of the floribundas. They are usually taller than the hybrid teas, on average 4-5'. All grandifloras are sold budded so plant as you would floribundas and hybrid teas.

SHRUB/HEDGE

The unsung heroes (so far) of the landscape rose realm. Most have the advantage of being grown on their own roots (or not grafted), which makes them very nice winter hardy candidates for the Colorado gardener. They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors and bloom all season long.

CLIMBER

Climbing roses produce very long canes that cannot attach themselves to a fence or trellis. In time, they'll need to be anchored to give the appearance of climbing. Climbing roses produce flowers along the length of their canes so a casual, lateral position or fan effect promotes more blooms.

MINIATURE

These roses possess the appearance and flowering stamina of the floribundas but are smaller in flower and size, on average, no more than 2' high and wide. Miniatures are ideal for smaller landscapes and container gardens.

RUGOSA

Rugosas are often grouped with the shrub roses because they share the same desirable attributes, although the color range isn't as vast. They're popular for their winter hardiness, textured foliage and rose hip display.

OLD WORLD or OLD GARDEN

This title usually refers to roses that occurred naturally in nature and/or roses that were popular before the 20th century. Alba's, Bourbon's and Damask's, for example, are likely to be found in this category. Almost all have one blooming period, offer an array of sizes and limited color range but they're very big on history, hardiness, fragrance and winter hip display.

Rose Color Meaning Made Simple

Dedicated to rose enthusiasts who relish a little symbolism with their gardening.

Lavender:  Grace, Elegance
Orange: Excitement, desire
Red: Passion, strength
Yellow: Joy, friendship

Pink: Gratitude, admiration
White: Purity, innocence

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