Evening star., 1938-07-09
Polyantha
Roses Are
Popular
Useful for Cutting
And for Display in
Beds or Borders.

DURING the past few years the So
called dwarf, but better known
as polyantha roses, have been receiv-
ing considerable attention. Compared
with the true dwarfs of the rose FAM
lily, Rosa rouletti and Tom Thumb,
they are real roses and grow from
to 3 feet high. They are quite useful
members Of the rose family and are
suitable for cutting and for garden
display. Most of the earlier origina-
tions were Of the small cluster-how-
cred type. Recently, however, a num-
ber of the larger f1owered varieties
have been offered, and they are more
useful as cut flowers
While polyantha roses are not new,
they did not receive general accept
ance until after the World War, when,
because Of their hardness and strong
but not rampant growth, they were
selected for decorating a number of
the cemeteries in France and Belgium.
This official recognition of their merits
served to impress upon gardeners the
usefulness Of the smaller roses.
Generally speaking, they are ac-
corded the same treatment as are the
teas, hybrid-teas and bybrid-perpet-
uals, although they are not nearly
so subject to black-spot and mildew,
and nearly all of them are quite
winter hardy. They require. as a rule,
almost no pruning-just enough to
keep them shapely-and need much
less protection.
OF the small cluster -fowered type,
Chattilon, medium pink, is becoming
very popular, and Gloria Mundi and
Golden Salmon, orange scarlet and
salmon-orange, are useful as accent
points in front of shrub borders.
Gloria Mundi Is so bright that it
fights" with other colors.
Slightly larger flowered, but still
in the small -howered group and pop
ular, are Else Poulsen, Kristen Poulsen
and Eblouissant. Else Poulsen is q
bright pink; Kristen Poulsen is a me-
dium red, and Eblouissant is a deep
red. Belvedere is another Of the
darker reds.
Improved Lafayette is one of the
best of the large-fiowered polyanthas-
a medium red Of about the same
shape and color as Grenoble. Like
most red roses. Lafayette blues" some
what during the heat Of the summer
There are not many yellows in the
polyantha class. Sunshine, a very
low-growing polyantha, and Topaz
which Is somewhat larger in bush and
flower, are the ones most commonly
offered in catalogues. Both are yel-
low in bud, but fade under the sum-
mer sun. Sunshine Is small enough
to be used as q border for bed.
Nine. Cecil Brunner, one Of the
earlier varieties to be introduced, is
more commonly known as the Sweet
heart Rose. The flowers are very
small and Of q light pink. A free
bloomer, it will always be popular
because of the beauty of its tiny buds.
These are only q few of the many
varieties now offered to the gardener
and are given as examples of the poly
antha group. Some gardeners use
them as borders to beds, others for
mass planting. They are equally USE
full as accent points in the shrub bor-
der, or as foreground paintings in front
Of taller shrubs. Because of their
small stature, however, they should
be planted in groups of six or more
Of a variety.
The polyantha group are free flow
ering. They are seldom without
flowers even in periods Of unfavorable
weather. With good culture and ample
moisture, they are well supplied with
buds and flowers throughout the grow
ing season. Since the bushes have
buds and flowers at the same time,
it is usually desirable to clip the
clusters of spent flowers so as to keep
the bushes looking trim and fresh.