Rose Petals Lesson
There's a specific jargon, for example, of how those who love roses describe the petals of the flower itself. Some the terms they use may describe the number of petals -- other terms make a reverence to the number of petals on the flower they're talking about. Still other terms talk about the physical form of the bloom itself. Actually, the American Rose Society has outlined specific terms for certain types of blooms. Here's how the ARS the American Rose Society identifies different blooms and their petals:
You'll notice though that some differing sources may use other terms or labels for these classifications, so when you talk "rose" with anyone you need to speak carefully trying to decide if the two of you are "on the same page" so to speak. There are times when people are actually talking about a "full" or "very full" and refer to these as "very double." As you continue in your hobby, you'll find your ability to speak "rose" grows by leaps and bounds! Without a doubt, many of the terms used to talk about roses are self-explanatory, but there are a few that just might leave you scratching your head. Here are just a couple of them that you may want to learn right away.
The rose which is referred to as a "once-blooming" plant produces all of its flowers at once, in one grand display called a "flush" every year. The flush lasts for several weeks. The "repeat-flowering" rose produces two or more flushes of bloom every year.
The petals of the rose
In some cases so many petals exist on a single bloom that there are literally too many for the bloom to open fully except in the hottest of weather. And in many cases, the number -- as well as the color -- of the petals are just so fabulous that even if the plant blooms only once during the summer . . . well, it was well worth the wait just to witness this gorgeous flower. That's close to the case of the famous hybrid named "Uncle Joe." Uncle Joe's notoriety came from its proliferation of petals on a single bloom. This plant's flowers were so loaded down with petals that many of the flowers ended up as squishy rotten balls at the top of a strong 6 foot tall cane. The most common of the petal formations -- and yes, there is some uniformity and commonality to these! -- fall into three major categories: single, semi-double, and double or sometimes called fully double. The single formation is explained in its name. It's simply a single row of petals -- and yes, the most usual number of petals is five. The semi-double formation contains only two --sometime three -- rows of petals with 12 to 16 petals in all. The double formation or fully double formation contains . . . well, lots of petals. A bloom is considered as part of the formation if it has more than 17 petals. Sometimes you'll find several more formations. And this is where the names get a little tricky and can cause some confusion. Some rosarians call a fully double formation any flower that ahs between 26 and 40 petals. If you speak with other rose hobbyists be aware of this overlap in names. But some roses have even more than 40 petals (imagine the beauty!). These are normally called "very double." (No, I agree it's not a very imaginative name, but it fits the description!) And then there's the arrangementof the petals While we're on the topic of petals, let's go into just a little bit more detail. Because in addition to classification of roses by the number of roses, these beauties are also classified by the arrangement of the petals as they unfurl. (Do you ever think that rosarians just love to classify things?) But, it's true. And this classification comes into use when the flowers are in exhibition. Many-petaled rose flowers with great or formal form are often called exhibition roses. These blooms are gracefully shaped whose petals are symmetrically arranged in an attractive circular outline coming to rest in a high pointed center. Yes, indeed, it is really a thing of beauty. The arrangement of this unfurling of petals is judged on the symmetry as well as the spacing of the gaps. The center of the bloom -- for judging purposes -- should be well defined, rising high within the flower and pointed. From the side, you should notice the natural symmetry of the structure. The petals unfurl -- ideally - uniformly from the center. The outer row of petal should be as close as possible to a horizontal plane. Of course, each variety has its own inherent characteristics, as you might expect. But each exhibition rose is at its unique perfect phase of bloom when it is between half and three-quarters of the way open. When you're growing a garden, decorative or an informal rose, the bloom itself is not held to quite the same high standard. The flower itself is not as well defined as an exhibition rose, nor does it need to be as high or as pointed in the center. Ruffled, sometimes called wavy petals, as well as cupped, those turned inward are accepted. This variety also has fewer petals than most of the other classifications. If rose forms are so important, just exactly, you're wondering right now what affect the formation of the petals themselves. Well, if you're thinking that it's mostly genetics, you're right . . to a point Three of the most important factors -- after genetics -- in rose formations are climate conditions, cultivation and the exact weather conditions as well. A rose of substance Petals are also viewed and judged by their substance. This is defined by the petals' stability and durability. Most importantly -- and this should come as no surprise -- substance is also judged by how long it retains its quality in a vase. The substance of a rose petal also depends on the amount of moisture the petals have absorbed. But, perhaps most importantly, substance is demonstrated in the texture, firmness, crispness, thickness and toughness of the petals. You can determine the substance of petals for yourself. Touch a petal. Go ahead, the chances are it's not going to fall to pieces (not if it has any substance at least!). Is the petal thick? Look at it closely. A true petal of substance has an opalescent sparkle and sheen to it. And if it's a red rose, it'll have a velvety appearance to it. The color of petals Of course, rose petals are also judged by their colors. The elements that contribute to the petals degree of cover are . . . dare I say elementary. As you can imagine the bloom whose petals are bright, clear and vivid are usually prized more than others. But in addition to that, the hue of the color is a factor as well. This factor includes the visual impact the petals has on the eye as well as how it distinguishes itself from other colors. To this end, rosarians refer to something called chroma. This is the intensity and purity of the hue. Ideally, the petals should have no gray or white in its hue. And in fact, the idea petal of substance would be an amazing blend of brightness and chroma.
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Normally, a rose bloom is defined as having a minimum of five petals. But as you'll soon learn from the vast varieties of roses, this is seldom the case. In most cases, roses have more -- many more -- petals than just five.