Collecting Roses
06.23.06By Lorraine NewberryThe French writer Joseph Joubert once said “All gardeners live in beautiful places because they make them so.” This quote has been on my mind lately as I look around and see gorgeous displays of roses blooming everywhere. 
While gardening can be an enjoyable hobby in itself, many gardeners add another dimension to it by collecting flowers. These gardeners become so enamored of a particular flower or plant that they begin collecting different varieties of it, searching through catalogs for new and unusual types and begging for cuttings. Roses are a favorite among collectors, but gardeners collect all sorts of flowers, including daylilies, orchids, dahlias, tulips, irises and more.
I am a particular fan of roses and grow several types myself. Although I wouldn’t call myself a gardener, I inherited the previous owner’s rose garden when we purchased this house and set to educating myself about things like pruning, aphids and black spot to keep the garden flourishing. As I’ve researched the topic I’ve come across many references to collecting heritage roses, which has piqued my interest.
Advances in rose breeding have created modern roses that bloom all summer long and are more disease resistant. While this is wonderful, a lot of the beautiful, fragrant types of roses that graced the gardens of our great-grandparents have fallen to the wayside. These older roses are termed heritage roses, and many rose collectors are dedicated to finding and growing these roses to keep them from dying out. Groups like the Heritage Rose Foundation have sprung up to unite people with a passion for collecting and preserving old roses.
Whether you’re looking for antique roses or just a few pretty blooms to add to your garden, an inexpensive way to add to a collection of roses is to request cuttings from your friends’ plants. Make it a point to notice the roses when visiting a friend’s home, and if you like what you see, ask for a cutting. By using the proper techniques, you can help the cutting to grow roots and become a beautiful rose bush. This page from the American Rose Society website gives instructions for propagating rose cuttings.
