saki wrote:

I realize that my standards for vase flowers are a little different from
most folks. :-) I don't have many long-stemmed flowers and make do with
smaller arrangements replicating cottage-garden-style-in-a-vase, if that
makes any sense.

I am with you on this. Though I do have long-stemmed roses as well and
they are quite prolific, I enjoy these "cottage garden simulations in a
vase" arrangements more.

Gruss an Aachen actually works well within this scheme; a cluster of Gruss,
a single Reine Victoria, a stem of some mini like Carolina Lady or Ruby,
some scented geraniums (in flower), a sprig or three or five of lavender
for background, and you have your arrangement. Keeping it low and full
seems to complement such a mix.

Mmmmmm ..... yes, they do work beautifully. Into this mix, at this time
of year, I throw in spikes of Coral Bells as well, and since they do not
rebloom till the cool fal weather, this is the right time to enjoy them.
I also like weaving in a few blue picushion flowers and they add the
much needed blueness to the colour spectrum of roses.

BTW, D, do you have Comte de Chambord? His flowers work beautifully in
that scheme that you are describing, plus the fragrance is out of this
world.

Some of my roses without substantive stems look nice floating singly or
doubly in a bowl of water, like a water lily. Gruss, Colette, Yantai and
even Purple Buttons work well this way.

I have Gruss and PB, but not the other two, and I have to agree with
this description as well if we can include Sombreuil, Reine des
Violettes, Heritage, Fair Bianca, and The Pilgrim.

My Gruss is almost thornless, but maybe I just got lucky.

Oh aye, the stems of GaA are absolutely thornfree in our garden specimen
as well, but if I feel the back of the central-stem of the compound
leaf, I can see there are downward curved hooks, albeit small. Of
course, I do not normally go looking for thorniness there in any rose
except when I am removing the lower leaves in order to arrange the
flowers in a vase.

Hmmm ... my GaA needs to be moved to a better spot where I can look at
her more closely. It is getting lost in the middle of other minis some
of which are getting taller than her. Well, I do have a perfect spot for
her, and all it takes is the will to do it ...

--
Radika
California
USDA 9 / Sunset 15