Vegetative growth

I was just reading the section in the handbook about evaluating your seedlings and was wondering why it is reccommended that blooms with vegetative growth be discarded. I have a seedling that has a tiny cluster of what looks like pale green leaves in the center of the stamens and I thought it looked rather interesting. Of course, I love odd roses like the Chestnut Rose and Crested Moss too.

I have a hybrid(rugosa magnificaXBaron Girod d’la’Ain) that routinley has vegetative blooms. despite my efforts, it wont cross with anything and wont even set hips.

Ron

Kate, beauty is in the eye… Select the seedlings that you like the most.

I tend to discard seedlings that have larger veg. centers, but will keep otherwise desirable seedlings if the vegetative centers are small. Often these will go away. My personal preference is that I enjoy anthers and stigmas in the center of roses, but I have kept seedlings with cute button eyes too.

Jim Sproul

Thanks Jim!

I love anthers and stigmas too (like Dainty Bess…and I’m hoping to order a Jaqueline Du Pre from Heirloom Roses soon). The seedling that I grew with the vegetative center has about seven creamy, shell pink petals (which reflex when fully open), very pronounced anthers, and a small fringe of lime green “leaves” in the center. I really hope the vegetative growth doesn’t go away as the rose ages because it gives it such an unusual character and the green center is a striking contrast to the pink petals. This is the first year that I have successfully grown roses from seed and this odd one was the first to bloom…so of course I adore it. It was followed by a darker pink one with about 20-30 petals and a more typical center…now I’m anxiously awaiting the blooming of the other 30 seedlings, half of which have buds formed. This is so much fun! It’s like waiting for christmas to come in June!

Kate

Kate, you’ve really summed up the hobby well - “like waiting for Christmas to come in June.”

Each seedling’s blooms are packages with surprises in them that no one has ever seen before - pretty exciting!

Please keep us updated when the new babies bloom!

Jim Sproul