Miniature roses are … guess what? … miniaturized rose plants. They not ‘fake’ roses, as some insist – they’re real roses that have just been cultivated to grow smaller and smaller. A miniature rose garden is an incredible sight and well worth some trouble – if you love roses, of course.
WHY Grow Miniature Rose Bushes?
Miniature rose bushes are beautiful! For rose lovers like me, they’re not just beautiful they’re gorgeous, alluring, angelic, bewitching, charming, classy, dazzling, delightful, divine, elegant, enticing, exquisite, fair, fascinating, graceful, grand, lovely, magnificent, marvelous, radiant, ravishing, refined, resplendent, splendid, stunning, sublime, superb wonderful … well, you get the idea.
A miniature rose bush takes much less space so they’re valuable for people who live in condos or apartments and don’t have a lot of yard.
Even for those of us with lots of yard space, their small size is an advantage because we can have a greater variety of colors and varieties.
Go to a nursery and check out plants and you will immediately see that miniature rose plants are much cheaper than a full-sized rose bush. In today’s economy, that’s a huge plus.
They can be used in more decorative situations like planters, window boxes, large pots on the front stoops, etc. Full sized rose bushes simply will not grow in such spots.
Many miniature rose bushes will bloom for a much more lengthy time than their larger cousins – and their smaller blooms are definitely as attractive as the larger ones, even though they’re smaller, of course.
The Miniature Rose Plant
There are three main varieties of miniature roses for you to use in your rose garden:
If you want to hang your miniature rose plants in window boxes or pots that hang on your porch, you might want to consider trailing miniature roses. They grow on vines that hang over the edges of your containers and add a spectacular jolt of color when they’re in bloom.
Another kind is called "Miniflora". The American Rose Society created this designation for roses that are "betweeners" – that is, they’re a bit larger than most miniature roses but not nearly as big as most standard roses.
Climbing miniature roses can be coaxed into climbing on trellises and other such supports. The mother of a close friend had a white gazebo covered with hundreds of miniature rose blossoms and it was one of the most spectacular sites I’ve ever seen. I feel in love with miniatures on that day.
Caring For Your Miniature Rose Garden
Like ‘grown up’ roses, your miniature rose garden needs a good layer of mulch and plenty of water. They are subject to pests, though, just like the bigger ones and are equally likely to get diseases like black spot. Frankly, roses are a pain to care for! Unless you just love to garden, you need to really, really like roses to put up with the effort that must go into growing them.
THE MINIATURE ROSE MYTH: when I first started with miniature roses it was because I was told that they would grow inside. They won’t! Not really. They’re survive the winter inside, if your climate is cold enough to bring them in, but that’s all they’ll do – survive. To thrive, they need to be outside in the warmer months. They definitely need humidity and with the heat on in the winter, most homes are quite dry. If you have a greenhouse, of course, then you’re blessed and playing a different game.
If you fertilize and care for your miniature roses you can have an enchanting garden that will provide you with countless hours of pleasure. And don’t forget to sprinkle a miniature rose (or two or three …) around your home in a vase. They’re wonderful flowers.
SANDY GRINDSTAFF says
WHERE CAN I FIND MINATURE ROSE BUSHES? I HAVE A SMALL FLOWER GARDEN AND WANT QUITE A FEW. I CAN’T FIND A SELLER.
THANKS.
SANDY GRINDSTAFF
MICEMOM555@FRONTIERNET.NET
blissplan says
The last miniature roses I bought were from Whole Foods. They usually have some for Mother’s Day and I was able to buy four of them for only $2 – great bargain. I’ve also bought them at a nursery called Pike’s and occasionally I’ve found them at the Home Depot nursery. I bought three nice ones last year on eBay and you can find them online. Obviously, though, the ones I can see are the ones I prefer. I think Lowe’s has had them occasionally, too. Good luck in your hunting.