Miniature Roses"

I've always had a soft spot for miniature roses. For one thing, they are a cheap way to get roses....you can pick up plants very cheaply at your local nursery. Often only a couple of dollars each.

But I think it's the fact that I can keep them in a pot inside over winter that appeals most to me. With a bit of care and attention, I can have rose blooming all year.

Miniature roses come in all colors. Reds, yellows, white, multi colored. And all styles, from single flowers, to full doubles. Every detail is a replica of their full sized cousins.

If you enjoy breeding your own roses, then minis make a great addition to your breeding program. There is a misconception that they are hard to breed from seed. This is NOT true! While many miniatures don't make good seed roses, most are fine when providing the pollen.

So use the minis as the pollenator, and cross them with your climbers, floribundas, and shrub roses. If you cross a miniature with a climber, what are you likely to produce? A mini, or a climber, or something inbetween?

Well, the mini gene is generally dominant, so you can expect 90% of the progeny to be miniatures! And the great thing about using them in this way, is that you will usually see flowers in the first year. This doesn't happen with the larger roses...it can be 2-3 years before they bloom.

Care of your miniature roses

Minis pretty much look after themselves. Once they have finished flowering, prune them HARD. I prune mine back to 2-3 inches in height, leaving just a few buds. They seem to like this, and will always produce good vigorous growth in spring.

About the only other thing you need to do, is keep an eye open for aphids during the summer. Thses can just be rubbed off. Most minis are pretty hardy, and you will find that you don't get too much trouble with the other rose diseases, such as rust, mildew, and blackspot.

Some good varieties for your garden

This is a list of my favorite varieties. But as they are so cheap to buy, there is no reason not to get plenty of miniatures to try. If they don't work out, then you're only a few dollars out of pocket.