Content
Blue and blue roses are still a pipe dream of breeders and rose growers. But sometimes specialists manage to come close to its implementation. One example is the Blue Perfume rose, which stands out with a very unusual lilac-lavender shade of petals. It belongs to the category of hybrid tea, so caring for it is relatively easy.
Breeding history
Blue Parfum is a hybrid tea rose bred in the world famous German nursery Tantau for quite some time - in 1977. Some experts, based on the specifics of flowering, classify it as "floribunda". In addition to the official name, it is sometimes found under the names Blue Perfume, Violette Parfum.
Nothing like blue and blue roses exists in nature. They are bred exclusively by breeding. The process of creating the Blue Perfume variety took almost 10 years. Experts introduced the viola gene ("pansies") into the plant genotype, which "carries" the pigment delphinidin, which provides flowers with a lilac, blue, violet hue in natural conditions.
Description of Rose Blue Perfume and characteristics
The name of the Blue Perfume rose immediately "informs" about its two main characteristics, thanks to which the variety enjoys steady popularity among flower growers. Firstly, it is a very unusual shade of flowers. Only the formed buds are colored in a rich purple hue. As they dissolve, they gradually brighten to crimson. When fully opened, the outer petals remain lilac-crimson, the inner ones “fade” to lilac and lavender.
The second feature is a very rich, literally "heady" scent of a rose Blue Perfume. The aroma is typically pink, a cross between carnation, lily of the valley and violet. Experts detect honey and spicy (cinnamon, vanilla) notes in it.
Blue rose bush The perfume is low, compact, densely leafy. Practically without the help of a gardener, it takes the correct shape, close to a ball with a diameter of 60-80 cm (under optimal conditions, it can grow up to 1 m). Leaves of dense dark green color create a spectacular contrast with flowers.
The buds are elongated. Most often, one flower on the stem, occasionally there are "inflorescences" of 2-3 pieces. Blooming Blue Perfume roses are very elegant, with a classic goblet shape, reaching 10-11 cm in diameter. A light wave goes along the edge of the petals, sometimes they are even "torn".
The first buds open at the junction of June and July. The "wave" of flowering Blue Perfume stretches for 3-3.5 weeks. Then, until the end of summer, individual roses appear. And if August is warm, at the beginning of September you can see the second "wave".
The unusual color of the Blue Perfume rose will not let the bush get lost even in the largest rose garden
The variety shows good resistance to fungal diseases. Powdery mildew and black spot of the Blue Perfume rose only become infected when damp, cold weather, favorable for their development, sets in for a long time. Pests of the bush are also not particularly interested. It is much more dangerous for flowers to rain - they quickly "crumple" and crumble, the buds fall off.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The undoubted advantages of the Blue Perfume rose variety include:
- unusual and rare shade of flowers;
- the compactness of the bush, the neatness of its crown;
- very good cold resistance for roses;
- re-flowering, very abundant in the first "wave";
- the ability to survive heat, drought without much harm to oneself (as a result, not capriciousness in care);
- good resistance against diseases typical for the culture, rare attacks of pests.
There are much fewer disadvantages:
- instability of flowers and buds against rain;
- unsuitability of roses for cutting (stems are too short).
A relative disadvantage can be considered the fact that when planted in direct sunlight, the shade of the Blue Perfume rose fades. But some gardeners, on the contrary, like it - the contrast of the shades of the outer and inner petals intensifies.
Reproduction methods
The optimal propagation method for Blue Perfume hybrid tea roses is cuttings. It makes no sense to grow them from seeds, since the unique shade is not transferred to the seedlings. And when dividing a bush, it is easy not to get two new copies, but to destroy the only one available (especially in the absence of experience).
The most appropriate time for the procedure is the end of the first "wave" of flowering. Blue Perfume rose stalk is the central part of an annual stem 12-15 cm long. The upper cut is made horizontal, the lower cut at an angle of about 45º. Then they act like this:
- Cut off the leaves completely from the lower third of the cutting. Shorten the remaining ones by about 2/3.
- Sprinkle the oblique cut with a powdery root stimulator or place it in a container with its solution for 2-3 hours.
- Plant the cuttings at an angle of about 60º to a depth of 2-2.5 cm in a mixture of peat chips and any "baking powder" (perlite, vermiculite, sand, coconut fiber). Cover the top, creating a greenhouse.
Blue Perfume rose cuttings are best harvested in the early morning, when plant tissues are saturated with moisture as much as possible.
Growing and care
One of the undoubted advantages of hybrid tea varieties is their relatively undemanding care. This also applies to the Blue Perfume rose. But there are still important nuances of agricultural technology:
- Watering... In the first season after planting and during budding - every 2-3 days. In other cases - about once a week (taking into account precipitation), allowing the substrate to dry 4-5 cm deep. Rose Blue Perfume is watered exclusively at the root. The water is used soft, not cold.
- Fertilization... Top dressing is carried out 4 times per season. At the beginning of the active growing season, organic matter (humus, compost) is introduced into the soil to maintain soil fertility and nitrogen fertilizers necessary to build up green mass. During the period of bud formation and at the end of the first wave of flowering, Blue Perfume uses complex dressings for roses. At the end of September, the bush needs phosphorus and potassium (one-component, special "autumn" fertilizers or wood ash).
- Pruning... Blue Perfume does not need a forced formation of a rose. But she needs sanitary cleaning. Before the start of active sap flow in the spring, they get rid of frozen shoots that have broken under the weight of snow. In autumn, when the plant "goes into hibernation", cut off the faded buds, dried up stems affected by diseases and pests.
- Preparing for winter... The construction of a special shelter for Blue Perfume rose is necessary only if the temperature is forecast below -25 ºС. Otherwise, you can limit yourself to pouring humus to the base of the bush (they form a mound 15-20 cm high). In more severe conditions, the trunk circle is covered with the same humus, peat or compost (layer 10-12 cm), spruce branches or fallen leaves are thrown on top.The branches of the bush are tied, a special cover, a cardboard box, a wooden box is put on it (the dimensions of the Blue Perfume rose allow it) or wrapped with breathable material in 2-3 layers.
Rose Blue Perfume from the moment of planting is best watered by hand and under the root, in order to "get used" to this method
Pests and diseases
The Blue Perfume variety is not susceptible to the most dangerous diseases for roses, therefore, regular preventive treatments with proper care are not required for the bush. Only if a favorable weather for the development of fungi is established for a long time (a month or more), it is recommended to spray the leaves and soil under the plant with a solution of any fungicide every 12-15 days.
Pests typical of roses - spider mites, caterpillars, leaf rollers - pay attention to Blue Perfume on rare occasions. This does not only apply to "omnivorous" aphids. Small insects of lime, light green, brown, black attack the bush en masse. Most often, they concentrate on the tops of the shoots, buds, and opening leaves. Aphids feed on the sap of the plant, the affected tissues gradually dry out.
Aphids greatly spoil the appearance of rose bushes, and if nothing is done, the plant will die.
To prevent infection, you can use folk remedies by spraying a rose:
- laundry soap foam;
- any sharply smelling infusions (needles, garlic, onions, orange peels, wormwood, tobacco);
- a solution of ordinary or soda ash;
- infusion of wood ash.
There are plants that attract aphids. They need to be planted away from the Blue Perfume rose:
- mulberry;
- bird cherry;
- viburnum;
- nasturtium;
- petunia;
- mallow;
- poppy.
But any spicy herbs (especially mint, parsley, fennel, thyme), as well as sage, daisies, lavender, marigolds are good "neighbors" for the Blue Perfume rose. Aphids do not like their smell, so they will bypass the flower bed.
Application in landscape design
An unusual shade of flowers turns the Blue Perfume rose into a variety that is quite suitable for planting as a tapeworm, despite the modest size of the bush. During abundant flowering on a green lawn, it looks very impressive.
The short stature of the Blue Perfume rose allows you to create a border from the plants
Any not too tall conifers (juniper, thuja, boxwood) and ornamental shrubs (cotoneaster, barberry) will create a suitable background for the Blue Perfume rose. In both cases, it is desirable that their crown is dark.
Judging by the description of the Blue Perfume rose, as well as by the photos and reviews of flower growers, the shade of its petals is most harmoniously combined with white, yellow, pink. You can choose any flowers in this range, "diluting" the flower bed with decorative deciduous ones with bluish or silvery-gray foliage.
Conclusion
Rose Blue Perfume stands out for the originality of the color of the petals, even among hybrid tea varieties, characterized by a fantastic variety of shades. She also has other advantages. This determines its popularity among several generations of rose growers, despite the constant "competition" from new breeding products. Caring for her is possible, even in the absence of rich experience, the flower is not particularly susceptible to diseases and pests.
Reviews with a photo about rose Blue Perfume
