Picking and Arranging Roses
This time of year, my home is always decorated with gorgeous colorful blooms from my gardens. Right now, fragrant roses.
I love roses and have enjoyed growing them for many years. Here at my farm, there are so many roses blooming, we're able to enjoy them both inside and out. When cutting roses, do so early in the morning and select those that have just opened. And always use a pair of shears or scissors with sharp blades - the sharper the blades, the cleaner the cuts and the longer the roses will last. Earlier this week, my housekeepers, Enma and Elvira, picked some beautiful flowers to display in my Winter House.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I love decorating my homes with fresh, colorful and fragrant blooms. Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I have a large cutting garden located just outside my main greenhouse. Right now, it’s filled with stunning flowers – baptisia, dianthus, poppies, and of course, roses. And with so many roses flowering, it’s nice to cut my own to enjoy indoors.
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- Most are climbing on all four of the garden fence sides, while some varieties fill obelisk trellises, or tuteurs, in the center. This pink rose is sticking through the fence at the entrance to the garden – so perfectly perfect.
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- A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are more than a hundred species and thousands of cultivars.
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- Many of my roses are old fashioned antique varieties. I have small English tea roses as well as big David Austin types.
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- Roses come in many different colors, such as pink, peach, white, red, magenta, yellow, copper, vermilion, purple, and apricot.
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- Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses to climbers that can reach several feet in height.
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- Here is a creamy white rose just opening – it’s just right for cutting.
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- Early in the morning, before the sun hits the blooms, is the best time to cut roses and other flowers. This is when they are the most hydrated. With more water, the stems should feel firm and strong.
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- Here, Enma cuts the flowers that are newly opened and fresh looking. She cuts the stem at a 45 degree angle so there is more surface area for water uptake.
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- Fortunately, the flower garden is not far from my Winter House, so they are brought back quickly after cutting. Always try to get cut flowers into water as soon as possible.
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- Elvira fills the vase with fresh water.
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- I love these vessels – they fit lots of stems and can be arranged to look very full.
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- Enma removes any leaves from the stem that sit below the water line in the vase. This makes the arrangement look clean and also keeps the water clean.
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- She keeps a few of the upper green leaves as is and gives each stem a fresh cut before placing it into the vessel.
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- I like arrangements to be done by color – this arrangement includes many of the light colored roses.
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- Here is a light yellow rose. When arranging, be sure not to overcrowd the flowers. Too many can prevent some flowers from getting adequate water.
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- Here is one vase almost done. Most freshly cut roses should last up to one week if properly tended.
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- In this vase, Elvira mixes deep red roses with a few cream to light pink colored blooms. When displaying roses, be sure to keep them away from heat and bright light, which will shorten vase life.
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- This vase of roses is in my sitting room, where I can see them every morning on my way to the kitchen. With cut flowers, it is also a good idea to change the water every two to three days to keep them fresh longer. And check on them. Keeping the vase full ensures the flowers do not dry out and wilt.
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- This arrangement of red and pink roses is on the center island of my servery, another nice spot where gorgeous arrangements can be seen and enjoyed. If you grow roses, I hope this inspires you to go out and cut a selection of flowers, so you can enjoy their beauty and fragrance inside.
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