Valentine’s Day Dinner/Red Rose
Red roses are always a great option for your Valentine and for a Valentine’s own garden plans. Indeed, for Valentine’s you’ll find that most of the focus on roses will be on the “red” rose, which are known for symbolizing love and passion.
But there are other options that have strong appeal.
“One thing we’ve learned in our landscaping work at Deck and Patio,” says our owner Dave Stockwell, “is red isn’t the only rose color that people love. And not only are there very different rose colors, there are also beautiful variations of red.”
But you don’t have to take just our word. The editor of the Los Angeles floral trade publication has been quoted as saying, “Studies show that women don’t necessarily prefer red roses. Indeed, most women prefer another color.”
Examples of Landscaping with ‘Other’ Roses
Orange (Apricot-Pink) Roses
One beautiful choice Deck and Patio made was this stunning apricot-pink rose bed that we planted next to our client’s pool. “Such a brightly hued plant gets attention,” says Dave, “and in smaller spaces like this, the dramatic color helps the landscape recede behind it — causing the overall area to seem larger.”
It is arguable that “orange” roses like these have the most attitude in the rose family. These beauties are known for enthusiasm, not to mention passion.
The color also suggests a sense of significance and even urgency — perhaps just the right color to draw your loved ones outside on a warm summer day.
Pink Roses
When it comes to pink roses — like these beautiful ones planted and cared for by Deck and Patio — their color symbolizes gentleness and poetic romance, making them another great choice for Valentine’s Day.
They are extremely delicate and graceful and make an exquisite statement in any garden.
Yellow Roses
Traditionally, yellow roses symbolize friendship but they are so sunny that they spread joy to anyone who stops to smell them.
The very earliest yellow roses discovered by Europeans was in the Middle East. But when they brought them home, they noticed they lacked the red rose’s enticing scent.
Through cultivation since then, however, the yellow rose boasts the same lovely fragrance as their sister flora. You simply can’t go wrong giving yellow roses or planting a garden blooming with sunny yellow roses.
Caring for Roses
Mystic Rose – Photo/Sandra Vultaggio
Whatever their color, roses need a bit of care in your garden.
Sandra Vultaggio, a local Horticulture expert, says roses should be planted in the sun.
“Also, they need a good amount of air circulation around them,” she says. “Strictly avoid overhead irrigation or sprinkler heads. They will get more disease that way because viruses prefer wet environments. Keep them watered at the roots through a drip system or soaker hose.”
Sandra adds that the best time to plant is really any time throughout the growing season. “An ideal time would be early in the season — April or May.”
Knockout Rose
“Contrary to popular belief,” adds Dave Stockwell, “while knockout roses are extremely hardy and withstand blights, that doesn’t mean they don’t need some care like fertilizer, pruning and water. Also, some knockouts have succumbed to rosette disease. But if you do the basics, and keep an eye out for any strange looking bright red shoots, these are a great choice.”
Because of their hardiness, Deck and Patio gets a lot of requests for knockout roses, partly because they bloom for a long time throughout growing season and are much easier to care for. They are known to be disease and insect resistant which has made them quite popular.
New Love Rose
Here’s to all the Valentines of 2023! Whether it is roses on the big day or for your gardens. Let the color rose you love bring love to your day.
