The Versatile Floribunda Rose

Use Them In Many Places…

Since the advent of the floribunda roses a new field of usefulness has been opened for the rose family, and a very potent medium for the Summer round colorful decoration of the home grounds has been placed in the hands of the landscape designer and planter.

With the multitudes of flowers produced by each plant both in large clusters and in individual sprays a constant color effect may be planned and depended on. Mass plantings in parks, around public buildings, in cemeteries and other similar locations, can be offered for much greater and less costly effects than the old plantings of geraniums, coleus, alternantheras and other tender foliage plants. For pleasing beds the lovely color of Fashion, the red of Geranium Red, the white of Summer Snow and the whole gamut of colors now available in other varieties equal and surpass the range of colors formerly available only in the so-called bedding plants.

In planning the foundation plantings of the modern type of dwellings, which almost invariably feature the picture windows, the floribunda rose has a natural place both for color and economy. Since accent is usually given by the use of pyramidal evergreens at the corners of the building and at either side of the entrances, the facing material to tie these evergreens to the ground can be floribunda roses in any preferred color.

The area immediately beneath the picture window is particularly well suited for the bright colors of the floribunda roses with varieties that can form a background group, while the various ones can be used for color blendings and foregrounds. Thus, an especially effective foundation planting may be realized with a relatively small outlay of money.

Sometimes evergreens are used for the border plantings in which case groups of floribundas can be particularly effective against the cool dark green backgrounds.

For bordering drives to a garage, entrance walls, or for lot lines, the floribunda family is rapidly getting a firm position. The wild and unkempt appearance of the hedges made from the species multiflora roses have no place in the ordinary small city lot.

The floribunda roses are easily grown and cared for and respond delightfully to ordinary attention. As with all plants or vegetables, proper preparation of the ground pays great dividends in perfection of performance. The rules are simple and easily carried out whether planting a few or a few hundred prepare the hole properly. If near the house remove the usual rubble and hard fill and bring in good soil from another part of the garden. If it is at all available, add 25% of peat moss to the soil, one shovel of peat moss to three of soil. This leavens all types of soil, whether sandy or stiff clay. Be sure to have the union at the surface when planting and then water plentifully all Summer.

The variety lists of available floribundas have perceptibly grown in the past few years as improvements on existing varieties have appeared and greater resistance to disease and cold is being developed each year. The variety Fashion with its coral gold color, Goldilocks the true yellow and Red Pinocchio, the deep rich red, are three of the very outstanding old varieties. In fact, the rugged yet beautiful Pinocchio family has been with us for a long time.

by A Boerner

Related Articles Of Interest:

• Landscaping A Rose Garden – Choosing Roses for Your Landscape
• Choosing and Planting Roses in Your Garden
• Miniature Roses… The Jewels of the Rose Family
• Do Roses Grow Old?