About Pink Roses

Learn about the history, symbolism, care of and commonly grown pink roses for all types of landscapes and garden situations.

History

Species roses are also called "wild roses" and are the wild growing ancestors of the modern roses you often see in gardens today. Many of the original Old Garden Roses had pink blooms, especially roses in the Bourbon, Centifolia and Hybrid Perpetual classes.

Significance

Pink roses have a rich history of meaning and symbolism. In fact, roses were depicted in religious and other artwork hundreds of years ago, like in Stefano Da Zevio's painting from 1410 "Madonna in the Rosary". Light pink roses have come to symbolize sympathy and grace, while dark pink roses stand for admiration and appreciation. Mauve roses mean beauty, love at first sight and enchantment according to the Victorian Language of Flowers.

Effects

The Fairy, a Pink Flowering Shrub Rose

Pink roses have a charming and graceful appearance in the garden. They are popular choices both in specialized rose gardens, and in mixed flower borders, where the cottage garden appeal is most evident. Pink roses combine easily with flowers of many other colors and can be used to assist in creating specific effects in the garden. Pair warm-toned pink roses with yellow, orange or bright red flowers to add excitement and energy to the garden. Gardeners can also combine cool toned pink roses with white, purple or blue flowers for a calming, peaceful feel to the landscape.

Types

There are several types of pink roses available to gardeners today. Miniature roses, shrub roses, climbing roses and more are all available for any garden situation. As mentioned above, heirloom roses are available and are usually highly fragrant. Some popular varieties include Cabbage Rose, Eglantyne and Old Blush. Miniature roses are much smaller and are useful for adding pink flowers to planter edges, rock gardens and containers. Some popular pink miniature roses include Baby Cheryl, Crazy Dottie, Live Wire, Magic Carousal and Rosie. Climbing roses with pink flowers include Abraham Darby, Zepherine Drouhin, Aloha, Viking Queen, Handel and New Dawn. Climbing roses are great for growing over fences or creating vertical accent over a wall or garden trellis. Landscape roses are known for being easy-to-grow and are excellent selections for beginning gardeners. Good landscape roses with pink flowers are Pink Knockout, Oso Easy, Magic Carpet or Bonica.

Considerations

Most roses need full sun, although some landscape roses will tolerate part shade if they still receive 4 to 6 hours of sun per day. Roses also need plenty of water, especially in the first year when the root system is still developing. Be sure to water your roses directly onto the ground, without splashing water on the leaves, to help prevent disease and spotting on the foliage. Well-drained soil is preferred and rich, organic matter will help your roses grow stronger. Adding a thick layer of mulch around the roses will help conserve water, prevent disease and add organic matter to the soil.