Arranging Roses

Arranging roses can be a great hobby and a nice way to bring some of your garden into your home.  Buying arrangements can be expensive, so why not try to do it yourself!

Of course, before you can arrange anything you’ll need to have your cut flowers.  Most hybrid teas will do well, and they have nice sturdy stems.  Some gardeners say English or David Austin breeds are not great, but its not a given.  You might be tempted to grab the most fragrant in your yard.  Unfortunately, there’s a general rule of thumb that says a more fragrant rose will last less long as a lesser fragrant rose in an arrangement.  You can do it, just know that they might not last long.  The scent might be worth it though!  A mix of large and small blossums is good, as you’ll need some variety there as well as in the stem length to layer the container.

You’ll have to keep in mind that the same color matching issues you’ll get in your garden will apply in your arrangement.  Reds are good and very popular.  I wouldn’t recommend them with orange or yellow, I think it tends to be a little too loud.  Red and pink are nice.  Whites, if you are lucky enough to have them, can really accent anything.  Purple and white or orange and white can look very unique!

For the layering, at least two and if you can, three layers of blooms is preferred.  The bigger, fatter blooms should be in the lower third, with shorter steps.  The smaller, taller blooms should sit in the center.  Its also important to have a good container for your roses.  A vase is always nice, especially for long stem breeds.  Its nice to have a couple different sized containers.  Having too few buds in the vase can look a little sparse.