Picking and Arranging Colorful Fragrant Roses
This time of year - late summer to early fall - many roses are still producing abundant blooms, including my Martha Stewart Hybrid Tea Roses. It’s a great time to cut some fragrant stems and enjoy their arrangements indoors.
When cutting roses, try to do so in the morning, when the stems are well hydrated and fresh. Select healthy stems with either open blooms or tight buds. And always use sharp shears for clean cuts - the sharper the blades, the cleaner the cuts, and the longer the roses will last. At my farm yesterday, we had enough roses to make three beautiful and colorful floral bouquets.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Look at all my Martha Stewart hybrid tea roses freshly picked from my gardens. These will make a stunning arrangement for my Winter House.
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- My rose has large pink blooms, dark green foliage, and a most wonderful and sweet fragrance. When in peak bloom, it shows off more than 100 lush pink to apricot petals and a citrus-honeysuckle scent.
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- I have Martha Stewart roses growing in two formal beds outside my main greenhouse and in a cutting garden near my chicken coops.
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- The leaves are glossy and dark green. Rose leaves are described as “pinnate” – meaning there is a central rib and then leaflets off to each side, with one terminal leaflet. Rose leaves can have anywhere from two to 13 leaflets.
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- The Martha Stewart rose matures to three feet tall and about three feet wide making it ideal for borders, small gardens, and containers. The fragrance is wonderfully intoxicating.
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- And remember, rose stems are often armed with sharp prickles, not thorns. A prickle can be easily broken off the plant because it is really a feature of the outer layers rather than part of the wood, like a thorn.
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- Enma cuts the flowers that are newly opened and fresh looking.
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- I also have many other roses blooming right now. A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are more than a hundred species and thousands of cultivars.
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- Roses come in many different colors, such as creamy yellow, pink, peach, white, red, magenta, copper, vermilion, purple, and apricot.
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- I instructed Enma to cut medium length stems for a shorter, more full arrangement in this glass cylinder.
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- Enma removes any leaves from the stem that sit below the water line in the vase. This makes the arrangement look clean, but it also prevents leaves and flowers from rotting too quickly.
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- Working carefully and thoughtfully, Enma fills every space with a beautiful Martha Stewart rose. Using a single variety for an arrangement shows consistent bloom shape, size, and color, making the display dramatic and visually impactful.
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- Always look at the arrangement from all angles to ensure there are no bare spaces.
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- And invest in a good watering can for the flowers – one that allows for controlled use without damaging any of the fragile petals.
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- Enma chooses one of my glass finger vases for the next arrangement. I love these vessels – they fit lots of stems and can be arranged to look very full.
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- Most freshly cut roses should last up to one week if properly tended. When displaying roses, be sure to keep them away from heat and bright light, which will shorten the vase life.
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- Enma fills the vase with tepid to slightly cool water. Always leave a little room, so water doesn’t overflow. Vases need enough to keep stems submerged so they can draw water efficiently, without deteriorating.
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- Arrangements don’t always have to be big. A small glass container like this one will hold four to five stems beautifully.
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- Size up the stems next to the vase being used, so they can be cut appropriately.
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- For longevity, change the water every one to two days and recut stems to maintain freshness.
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- This vase of roses is in my sitting room, where I can see them every morning on my way to the kitchen.
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- And this arrangement of Martha Stewart roses is in my Winter House kitchen, another nice spot where it can be seen and enjoyed every day. If you grow roses, I hope this inspires you to go out and cut a selection of flowers, so you, too, can enjoy their beauty and fragrance inside.
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