The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 2 Spring 2012 | Page 32

All about roses

In the

rose garden this spring

By Gil Laver

As the weather
warms up, your
roses will come to
life again!
What to do in
the rose garden
•

Just Joey
Just Joey is a classic ‘old’ Hybrid tea rose, which was bred in England and released
to the public in 1972. Its wonderfully sized buff blooms and unique coppery
orange colouring makes it a ‘must’ for any rose garden. This elegant and beautiful
rose, which is well known for its fruity fragrance, is one of the top five Hybrid tea
roses in the world.
The long brandy coloured buds unfold to reveal large, slightly frilly petals with
subtle shades of colour ranging from rich cream margins to coppery fawn, and
apricot in the deep centre. The bush grows to about chest height and often grows
in a rounded bush-like shape. Prolific throughout the growing season, this rose
provides a great show in the garden and with its long stems makes it an excellent
choice for cutting and flower arrangements.

What is a Hybrid tea rose?
Hybrid tea roses, commonly known as HT roses, are one of the world’s most
popular types of roses due to their colour, fragrance and flower form. They
generally produce only one blossom at the end of a long stem, rather than clusters
of flowers, and each rose bloom can be up to 12 cm in diameter. Their long stems
make these roses popular as cut flowers. Plants will grow anywhere from 1 m to
1.8 m tall, depending on the variety and the growing conditions. Hybrid tea roses
are created by cross-breeding hybrid perpetuals and old fashioned tea roses.

32

After pruning in July, the
first flush of blooms may be
expected in September. When
harvesting or removing dead
blooms, cut back to a str ۙ˜