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The beauty and luxury of the rose is difficult to overestimate - this flower has been called the queen of the garden for hundreds of years. But even more decorative and elegant are miniature roses, brought to Europe at the end of the 19th century. China is considered the birthplace of dwarf flowers. Europeans did not immediately fall in love with miniature varieties; only in the early 1900s they began to be selected and planted in the gardens and parks of European capitals.
Since then, dwarf roses have not gone out of fashion; they decorate courtyards and balconies, gardens and window sills, grown in pots and flower beds. Read about the varieties of these delicate plants, as well as the rules for growing them, in this article.
Varieties of miniature roses
Flowers of dwarf varieties (they are also called patios), of course, are similar to their ancestors - ordinary tall roses, but at the same time they also have their own individual characteristics:
- the height of the bushes is usually 10-40 cm;
- the leaves on the bushes are glossy, rich green;
- patio stems may be covered with thorns or may be smooth;
- some varieties emit a strong spicy aroma, but most dwarf roses have virtually no scent;
- among these flowers there are climbing varieties, creeping, bush, standard, trellis;
- the inflorescences are small, their diameter is approximately 1-4 cm;
- the color of the flowers can be very different (from standard red to unique green or purple shades);
- the shape of the inflorescences and petals may also differ; there are patio varieties with fringed edges, and there are also so-called double inflorescences;
- if ordinary roses grow in height, then miniature varieties grow in width - the bushes of these flowers are very lush and dense;
- It is necessary to cut flowers before they bloom, this will significantly extend the “life” of roses in vases;
- Dwarf roses bloom seasonally: in spring, summer and autumn, that is, they will delight the owner from May until the first frost.
By crossing different varieties of dwarf roses and mixing them with ordinary tall plants, breeders have obtained many types of these miniature flowers - today there are more than five thousand varieties of dwarf roses.
All types differ in the height of the bush, the type of leaves, the shape and color of the buds - even the most fastidious esthete will definitely choose the appropriate patio variety for himself.
"Los Angeles"
The rose is a classic deep orange color, with flowers about 4 cm in diameter. Bushes of this variety grow up to 40 cm, abundantly strewn with buds. The plant is especially decorative due to its abundant flowering - up to 80 buds can appear on each shoot at the same time.
The stems of the patio are straight, smooth, and quickly woody. The leaves consist of 5-7 leaflets, their shape is oval, the edges are carved and needle-shaped. In most cases, the foliage of the Los Angeles variety is dark green, but there are flowers with brown leaves or light green leaves with dark veins.
The color of the inflorescences is heterogeneous: at different stages of development it changes from lemon yellow to coral and purple shades. This makes the bushes very elegant and colorful (as in the photo).
"Clementine"
The patio inflorescences of this variety can change their color from pastel pink to apricot color. The diameter of the inflorescences is quite large - about 5 cm. The height of miniature rose bushes can reach 50-60 cm.
The bushes are quite compact and powerful. When planting, at least 35 cm should be left between them. The variety resists the most dangerous patio diseases: black spot and powdery mildew.
In cool climates, rose buds do not bloom for a long time and look quite decorative and elegant. In hot climates, roses fully bloom 4-5 days after the final formation of the bud. It turns out that the entire bush is constantly strewn with beautiful, large, brightly colored flowers all season long.
When cut, miniature roses of this variety also last a very long time - their freshness and decorativeness are preserved for about 9 days.
"Jewel"
The buds of this rose have the shape of a pointed oval. The inside of the flower is lighter than the edges, the middle of this patio is yellow, while the entire flower is bright red. The petals bend slightly outward, which makes the flower voluminous and lush. The inflorescence burns weakly.
The center of the rose is tall, there can be about 100 petals in one inflorescence, which allows us to classify the “Jewel” variety as a terry subspecies of miniature roses. The flowers emit a barely noticeable sweet aroma.
Young stems and leaves are cherry-colored and turn green as they grow. There are few thorns on the stems.Flowering throughout the season is moderate, but cut roses last a long time.
"Curler"
The variety is named because of the flower petals, furrowed with thin stripes and curled outward. These roses are quite young - they were bred only in 2001 in France.
The bushes grow up to 45 cm, have dark green shiny leaves and fairly large flowers, about 5 cm in diameter.
The petals are colored red and have yellow-beige veins. The inflorescences are double, very lush, pleasantly smelling.
The bushes begin to bloom in June, flowering is repeated several times during the season, the number of repetitions depends on the climate in the region and the feeding system. The flowering is long, the bush remains decorative and bright for a long time.
Some gardeners find the Curler variety too variegated, but children love it very much; these roses look spectacular in group plantings, in pots and on balconies (what a patio looks like is shown in the photo).
"Cinderella"
One of the very first crossed varieties of miniature patios. The bushes grow 20 cm to the sides and 30 cm in height, quite compact and decorative. The branches of this rose do not have thorns, so no one can get hurt by them.
The inflorescences are lush and snow-white, but with the onset of autumn cold weather the flowers may turn pink. The size of the flowers is small - about 3 cm in diameter, but up to 20 flowers can be collected in each inflorescence. These miniature roses have a pleasant spicy aroma.
The bushes begin to bloom in early summer, retain their decorative appearance for a long time, and can bloom again. You can plant such roses in rock gardens or alpine hills; they are also good in containers or flowerpots. Due to the absence of thorns, they are often used to make bouquets and boutonnieres.
"Hummingbird"
Another “ancient” variety of miniature roses, bred in the middle of the last century. The color of the petals of this rose is unique - it is a very rich apricot-orange shade.
The bushes are very small - their height rarely exceeds 25 cm. The leaves are dark green, leathery, glossy. The inflorescences are double, consisting of 3-4 orange flowers. The variety has a very strong pleasant aroma.
Patio flowers bloom from early summer until late autumn. In the south of Russia, Hummingbird bushes do not need to be covered, but only on condition that the winter is snowy. Otherwise, as in other regions of the country, roses are covered more carefully, using special materials.
This miniature variety looks great as a frame for flower beds and ridges; it can be grown in the house, on window sills or balconies. Mini bouquets and boutonnieres are often made from small roses (as in the photo below).
How to grow miniature roses
You can grow such flowers both in open ground and in a protected place: in a room, on a loggia or in a greenhouse. Experienced gardeners note that growing a miniature rose is a little more difficult than an ordinary one - this flower is more finicky and capricious.
But the result is worth it - flower beds, flowerpots, discounts and alpine hills will delight the eye all season long with the abundant flowering of small bushes.
The requirements for miniature roses are as follows:
- It is better to plant them in slightly shaded areas - on the one hand, these flowers love warmth and sun, but, on the other hand, under the scorching rays the buds will open too quickly - the owner will not have time to enjoy the beauty of his roses before they have already bloomed.
- Soil for miniature roses is needed with weak acidity and sufficient density; moisture in the soil must be retained for a long time.Light loams are most suitable.
- These flowers need to be fed several times a season. If this is not done, flowering will be sparse and short-lived.
- Plants grafted onto rose hips will be taller (up to 40 cm) than those roses that grow on their own roots (10-25 cm). This must be taken into account when composing compositions in flower beds and garden beds.
- Like ordinary roses, miniature species are afraid of severe frosts, so they will have to be covered for the winter.
The entire process of caring for miniature roses consists of watering, loosening the soil after each moistening and regularly removing faded inflorescences. In addition, you need to perform the following procedures:
- You need to remove the cover from roses after the temperature outside has reached above zero. First, the bushes are simply ventilated, lifting the film from the leeward side. If the threat of severe frost has passed, you can finally remove the insulation.
- In the spring, when the shelter is removed, roses need to be pruned. They do this until the buds begin to swell. The peculiarity of pruning miniature varieties is that the buds are very small and are difficult to see. Gardeners recommend cutting off the entire bush, leaving shoots about 6-8 cm high.
- Frostbitten stems of roses can be reborn - they are simply cut off and await the appearance of young shoots. These bushes bloom in the same way as the others, only their flowering period begins a week later.
- Feed the bushes: with ammonium nitrate - after the winter shelter is removed; during the period of shoot regrowth - urea; when the first buds appear, it is necessary to apply a full range of mineral fertilizers; in the last days of summer, roses are fed with superphosphate and potassium nitrate.
- Of the diseases that threaten dwarf flowers, the most dangerous are powdery mildew and black leaf spot. They need to be dealt with with special means. But fungal diseases do not threaten miniature roses. But there are some pests that are dangerous to delicate flowers, for example, aphids or roseate sawflies. To prevent the destruction of ornamental bushes, it is better to spray them with insecticides in advance.
- The flowering of miniature roses in the south of Russia can last up to six months; a short break is possible only on very hot days (mid-July).
- Dwarf varieties can withstand temperature drops only down to -7 degrees, so in cooler winters the bushes must be covered. To do this, in the southern regions, earthen mounds about 20 cm high are enough, but in the center and north you will have to build a real shelter. First, the roses are covered with dry leaves, then a metal frame is installed around the bushes and covered with agrill, plastic film is laid on top and pressed down with stones or other heavy objects.
Miniature roses are not at all difficult to grow, but these decorative flowers will certainly become the “highlight” of a garden composition. Dwarf flowers can be grown not only in flower beds, they grow well in pots or containers.You can decorate both your garden and your room with these roses - miniature varieties can bloom all year round in the house. But to do this, the bushes must be illuminated in winter.
How beautiful miniature roses are can be understood from one photo of these unique flowers.
