The colour of Valentine's
Red roses are the usual choice for Valentine's Day, and in the language of flowers a deep red rose traditionally symbolises love and desire. Lighter scarlet shades have been taken to mean passion, while very dark crimson is sometimes linked with mourning beauty.
A closer look at red varieties
Red roses are not all the same shade.
- 'Ena Harkness' is a scented hybrid tea from the 1940s with velvety crimson flowers.
- 'Munstead Wood' is a David Austin shrub rose in deep crimson-purple, with a rich fruity fragrance.
- Scarlet floribundas give a bright, cheerful look in a border and tend to flower for longer.
Dark reds can scorch at the edges in strong sun, and the colour sometimes turns purplish as flowers age.
Cultivating red in Ireland
Roses of every colour like sun and good air movement. In a climate where leaves stay wet for long stretches, black spot and mildew are the main problems. Choose a variety noted for disease resistance, leave space between plants and mulch in spring to hold moisture in the soil. Prune in late winter.
Hedgerow dog roses make a good native hedge alongside garden roses, giving pollinators and birds a mixed habitat.
As a cut flower
Red roses have a vase life of around one to two weeks if the stems are cut on a slant and the water is topped up regularly. Strip the lower foliage so it does not rot in the water.
The scent of red roses can be strongest in the morning, so cut early if you want fragrance in the house.
Pet note
Poison is not a worry with red roses, since the ASPCA rates the rose as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, although the prickles can scratch a nosy pet.
