May 31, 2023 at 5:07 pm
Roses have been a beautiful and fragrant part of our garden palette for thousands of years. Humans have cultivated roses for their medicinal properties, for the floral trade, and for beautifying our public and private gardens. Through breeding, we have increased the flower petal count from the typical number of five on a species rose […]
June 1, 2021 at 9:53 am
Happy Rose Month! I’ve yet to find a person who doesn’t admire roses for their beauty. Finding those who see them as resilient, drought-tolerant, and disease-resistant plants takes more time, but it is possible and very rewarding. Thanks to a Smithsonian Gardens professional development grant awarded in October 2018, I was given the opportunity to […]
March 2, 2021 at 11:34 am
Smithsonian Gardens Horticulturist Shelley Gaskins shares tips on earth-friendly rose gardens as a part of our Let’s Talk Gardens webinar series. Shelley manages the Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden next to the Smithsonian Castle. Rose Tip #1: Do your research! Roses are rated on several characteristics. Choosing roses that are rated as resistant to fungal […]
June 8, 2020 at 2:47 pm
Roses not only provide our gardens and bouquets with incredible beauty and fragrance, but they can also connect us to our families and friends. With a little planning, some know-how and a lot of curiosity you can grow roses that will inspire future connections and smiles. The fragrance of an old garden rose always reminds […]
August 31, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Roses are grouped into three types: species, old garden roses, and modern roses. This classification system is based on their existence in the wild, as with species roses, or their date of introduction. The year 1867 heralded the introduction of what is generally accepted as the first modern rose, in this case a hybrid tea […]