We all tend to think of roses in a restricted way, according to our personal tastes e.g in a garden display ; in an exhibition etc.

If we look around where we live, or in area to which we may travel, we will see roses being used to improve the environment. In this day and age, when the environment is so important, roses have a part to play. The are used for municipal and industrial planting and to adorn many public buildings and parks.

This is gardening on a large scale. David Welch, Director of Parks Aberdeen and an important council member of the RNRS, has very forward ideas on the role of the rose, not only in the obvious area of park planting, but in all areas affecting the environment and the public.

He has been responsible for transforming Aberdeen to such an extent that it is now referred to as the "Rose City". Approximately 2 million roses have been planted, making it into one of Britain's top attractions, on a par with Bath and Harrogate.

Plantings have been made in built-up areas, softening the landscape, bringing colour and beauty and arousing public interest. He has planted roses down the middle of roads and dual carriageways and on roundabouts with great effect.

In Duthrie Park a "rose mountain" has been created from thousands of tons of soil and rubble and planted with 120,000 roses - a magical sight for the public to enjoy. (RNRS gardens 30,000)

A derelict cemetery has been restored and turned into a rose garden.

David Welch is a leader in his field and sets an example to the local authorities in the rest of the country, many of whom are following his lead.

Types of Roses Used

Most Authorities use hybrid teas and floribundas because of their colour, hardiness and long flowering. Rugosa roses, hybrid musks and modern shrub roses also have their followers. These have the advantage of covering larger areas per plant, thus reducing costs. They also have the advantage of growing well in poor soils and selected ones will also grow in partial, or even full, shade - near trees for example.

Roses are cheaper to maintain where mowing is awkward or where smaller machines have to be operated by hand. Banks or sloping areas lend themselves to roses.

When used alongside dual carriageways, roses have practical advantages. They are thorny, so they deter pedestrians from taking short cuts, which obliges them to use the proper crossings - a good safety factor! Vehicles which leave the road in accidents are slowed down by the bushes and by the wheels sinking into soft earth. In snowy conditions the bushes define the edges of the road. Litter is trapped by the thorns, instead of being blown about and distracting motorists

The best types of rose to use are the hardy varieties e.g selected hybrid teas, floribundas, rugosa and shrub roses. They have the advantage of establishing themselves quickly, and are tough and hardy enough to resist salt from the roads and traffic fumes.

Costs

Local councils have found roses to be cheaper to maintain, once the initial cost of buying and planting has been overcome. Grass areas and verges have to be mown and edged regularly, whereas roses need less attention, making them a viable proposition. They pay for themselves in the long term.

Rugosa roses have been used to advantage instead of crash barriers, which has greatly reduced costs. They are hardy enough to resist crash damage and fire.

Industrial Planting.

Roses are used in modern planning on industrial estates where factories and hard landscaping are softened by the use of rose shrubs. Rugosa and modern shrubs have the advantage of covering large areas quickly, they are tough and need little attention. Estate access roads and carriageways, when planted up, provide interest and safety.

Public Services

Cemeteries and Gardens of Remembrance.

Roses enhance the area around Churches, Cemeteries and Gardens of Remembrance. Modern thinking regarding their use in these areas advocates long, formal beds which are cheaper than grass to maintain. Gardens of Remembrance are often planted with a single variety: Peace is very popular because of its name and associations. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is responsible for gardens of remembrance throughout the world and has planned many beautiful gardens containing roses.

Derelict Graveyards and Cemeteries lend themselves very well to the modern practice of turning an unsightly area into one of beauty. After removal or relocation work and any necessary levelling has been done, they make ideal sites. The fact that they are often surrounded by walls, railings and gates makes security less of a problem.

Graveyards have also provided a source of "lost" historical roses. A famous example is the variety"Omar Khayyam", an ancient Persian Damask rose. Seed was taken from this rose, which had been planted in Persia at the tomb of the poet Omar Khayyam, and which had grown into a bush. Edward Fitzgerald, the English poet, translated Omar Khayyam' s poetry and when he died in 1893 the bush was, in turn, planted on his grave.In modern times this rose has been propagated and so saved from extinction.