Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON
About 10 years ago, Mrs Authorblog and I were buying a rose bush to give to a friend who loves gardening. As we browsed around the nursery, I suddenly noticed that there was a sign proclaiming a new variety of thornless roses.
I was intrigued, for a variety of reasons. Why would anyone want to breed a rose without thorns? More to the point, would the cost of the research and the experimentation actually result in commercial success?
I was intrigued, for a variety of reasons. Why would anyone want to breed a rose without thorns? More to the point, would the cost of the research and the experimentation actually result in commercial success?
Then I remembered what had happened about 18 years ago, when nurseries bean stocking a new variety of ground-cover rose called the Flower Carpet rose. I was lucky enough to get one of the first, as a special promotion - and it was an incredible success.
Over the years, I have bought several more of the Flower Carpet roses. They fall into my special category of PNF plants - Plant N Forget, because they take care of themselves, need no attention at all and provide great colour for most of the year.
Over the years, I have bought several more of the Flower Carpet roses. They fall into my special category of PNF plants - Plant N Forget, because they take care of themselves, need no attention at all and provide great colour for most of the year.
But as far as I know, the thornless roses haven't been a huge seller here. Guess why? Because roses have thorns for a very simple reason. The large, sharp thorns protect the huge, scented blooms. Roses without thorns, I guess, would be susceptible to just about anything.
I haven't yet found a creepy-crawly that is brave enough to tackle a rose bush. Ever wondered why rose thorns point downwards? To deter pests, that's why.
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