The Rose that Wouldn't Die!!
I also pass on the more plentiful and well-known roses, as I reason there is a good supply of them to be had, and no real reason for me to bother with propagation unless I just want some practice. I can skip the process of waiting for three seasons to see them in their glory and jump right into the "Wow!" stage, I am content for weeks, and I've made some rose grower a few dollars richer.
Also, touching briefly on growers and patents and other things that folks tend to ignore, let me say this: Roses can bear patents, just as artwork or inventions or any number of other things that someone has created. Not only is the propagation of patented roses very bad manners, it is most assuredly illegal. I've never heard of a gardener being hauled down to the local precinct for rose patent violation, but there are unscrupulous commercial growers who do propagate patented roses and market them under different names. Stick with growers of good reputation. You may pay more, but the stock is better in my opinion. And please... do not propagate patented roses.
I save my own efforts for the unknowns, for the rare and unique, and for the roses friends have lovingly given me over the years. These roses are often irreplacable, in that their names and lineages are unknown, or they have come from a friend who has passed away, or moved away; or are difficult to obtain for whatever reason. Roses fall in and out of fashion, as most things do, and sometimes propagation at home is a way to make sure some of them don't pass into legend only.
The beloved Peace rose could have quite easily been lost to us, had it not been for a piece of budwood in the last diplomatic pouch out of France in 1939. I can only imagine the Meilland's joy when it was christened "Peace" and introduced to the world when Berlin fell in 1945.
Next week we'll cover air layering, and a few of the variations on that theme. We will also be doing some air layering, and if you'd like to join in, take this week to prepare your mother plant.
Select a rose you'd like to propagate, one with a few nice plump green canes that have born flowers. I like to pick canes that are growing
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