The Prospero rose and the Green Ice Miniature roses are wonderful varieties for the cutting garden.


The Prospero Rose

If you’re looking for a wonderful rose for cutting Prospero won’t disappoint. Introduced by rose breeder David Austin in 1982, this has become a classic modern rose. There are many reasons to love this rose. First there’s the absolutely wonderful scent. There’s also the perfectly shaped, classic symmetrical blooms. They resemble double gallicas.

Very richly double, they have 40 petals that can look frilled or fluffy. These are mid-sized blossoms. They open as a deep red with mauve tinges. Over time they turn a wonderful shade of purple. The blooms are flat with the petals in rosettes. Very free flowering plants, these bloom from spring to fall.

The foliage is deep green. This bushy, upright, shrub rose is ideal for small gardens and containers. It only reaches two to four feet in height with a spread of two feet. This is recommended for zones five through eleven. However, it does better in warm climates.

Prospero is a connoisseur plant that is considered rather high maintenance. Rather weak and slow growing, it isn’t very vigorous. When given a good rich soil and proper care, it will reward you accordingly with lots of stems for cutting.

This plant was named for one of Shakespeare’s characters—the duke in The Tempest. The parents were an unnamed seedling and The Knight.


Green Ice Miniature Rose

Although this may be a miniature it is well worth growing as a cut flower. This miniature has become a classic rose. A repeat bloomer, this is considered to be among the best of the white miniatures. It blooms almost non-stop from spring to fall, and has lots of flower clusters that are perfect for cutting. The small white to pink buds are exquisite. The pinkish-white double blooms with 30 petals are 1¼ inches across.

They have the classic shape of hybrid tea blooms. These are lightly scented. As the blooms age, they turn a lovely icy green for which they are named. The shade and amount of green color can vary widely from heavy to light. The blooms are somewhat flat. The canes can actually bend under the weight of all the flowers.

The shiny, leathery foliage can be light to deep green and is disease resistant. The dwarf plants have a bushy, spreading growth habit. These are compact yet vigorous. They reach 1½ feet in height with a matching spread. It can have a somewhat weeping shape. The extra long canes are weak and lanky. This is recommended for zones five through eleven and is suitable for small gardens and containers. Grow it on a trellis or in a hanging basket. This is one of the easiest roses to grow.

Green Ice’s parents were Jet Trail and (Rosa wichurana x Floradora ). It was originally introduced in 1971 by Moore in the U.S.