Transporting Roses

Take your garden with you

 

An Indian oil can makes a perfect container-on-the-go.

By Carolyn Parker

AS BUSY ROSE GARDENERS, we need quick, no-fuss formulas for turning out impressive bouquets. Not everyone can come and see the garden–sometimes we have to take it with us.
At a celebration or meeting, it’s a thrill to watch people linger over and appreciate a good size, exuberant bouquet that includes many different roses. A varied display inspires curiosity and burning questions. “What rose is that?”
I made this bouquet out in the garden, this morning. As I write, it’s June 25 th and our roses are well into their second bloom. The container is a hand wrought oilcan from India, which measures 14 inches high. The opening’s diameter is only 2.5 inches, yet it’s holding more than 25 rose stems! The can’s wide bottom makes it almost impossible to tip over and it’s especially easy to transport.
With the oilcan sitting on a table and my trusty dethorners nearby (see them in the picture), I go amongst the roses and pick a few long stems hoping for a nice display of leaves. Then I walk back to the table, remove the bottom leaves and insert the stems into the can. KATHLEEN (on the right) was the first contribution. Back and forth, from garden to container, I go until the oilcan overflows with roses. All colors are welcome. Displayed with KATHLLEN are R. RUGOSA, MRS. OAKLEY FISHER, IRISH ELEGANCE, KATHERINA ZEIMET, SNOWBIRD, OTHELLO, JUST JOEY, PINK GRUSS AN ACHEN, CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE, HERMOSA, NEVADA, REDCOAT, an unknown pink (at the top), and leaves of R. GLAUCA.
For a rose bouquet with a natural look, leaves play an important part. If the leaves are pretty, like the stem of ESCAPADE (shown outside the oilcan) make the most of them. The leaves also help tie in the varied colors and rose shapes.
You might think, well, I don’t have a container like that. I have seen metal cans with a similar shape in garden shops. Old watering cans can also be fun and the narrow, cylindrical French flower buckets are especially great. I have a big collection, only three are from France–knock-offs are readily available. They come in many different materials too, copper, glass, stainless steel, tin.
Though it doesn’t have the nice wide bottom, the flower bucket is an essential container for a rose arranger, because its narrow circumference holds stems in place making it easy to visualize bouquet possibilities. I take one or more into the garden at a time. I usually strip the lower leaves and thorns and then fill those buckets to overflowing. I often style the bucket a little as I go, but very casually, no stress allowed. When the buckets are full they often look so gorgeous, the roses need no further fussing with.
I keep two bricks in my car, ever ready to keep a flower bucket in place. The oilcan is fun and different–the flower bucket is classic and will hold many more roses. Keep an eye out for rustic containers to show off your garden’s roses. You might come across something you already have that displays roses better than you thought possible. Have fun!
Click here for an article on hand-tied bouquets.    http://rosesfromatoz.com/transporting.html