Some say that breeding roses is like "playing god" - and man has no
business doing such things. Well, breeding roses is not playing god, instead in
a way it is getting closer to God, closer to His creative genius - and that’s
what I like about it.
Breeding roses is science, it is art and it is love. But, to me it is mostly
love.
Rose breeding is the process by which new roses are developed - - you put
pollen from one rose onto the stigma of another rose (cross pollination to
produce new rose seeds) to see what you get.
Before any cross pollinations occur, however, the imagination is made to run
wild. A brainstorming session with the imagination is a wonderful thing - the
impossible is possible; the improbable, probable; and the unusual is lovely. Of
course this can result in almost innumerable possibilities of cross pollinations
and the imagination must finally be tempered by experience and intuition.
For me, these times to let the imagination run free occur in the late winter
- a time when days are short and nights are cold. Imagination brings hope.
I imagine things like "wouldn’t that ruffled white rose with a pink
blush crossed with that large fragrant apricot rose produce a delightful
family?" or "how about that beautiful velvety red hybrid tea rose
(that mildews some), perhaps crossed with that sturdy orange rose with clean
glossy foliage would result in a new more highly desirable rose possessing the
best qualities of each parent" and "what do you think you would get if
you crossed that orange/white striped climbing mini rose with that bushy yellow
floribunda?"
And so the imagination runs on.....
As I look at all of creation around me, I am reminded that a much larger
capacity to imagine is behind the creative force of God.
Soon the nights grow shorter and the days grow warmer - new growth in the
chosen parents is bursting forth. Stems lengthen, leaves unfold, at first with
dark red tones and then as the leaves expand, they become dark green and
position themselves to soak up the life giving light from the sun. Ultimately,
this light energy, miraculously produces the fresh beautiful blooms that will
unfurl revealing pistils and anthers needed to achieve the hoped for cross
pollinations.
Anthers are collected from prospective pollen parents and allowed to dry. In
this way, the minute pollen grains are released and made available to accomplish
pollination of selected blooms. The female (seed bearing) parent blooms are
prepared to receive the pollen by removing all of the petals. The anthers are
also removed to prevent self pollination. At last pollen is applied to the
stigmas found at the center of the now petal-less blooms. Soon, male and female
cells unite. A new life is begun. Gestation for baby roses is on average 3 to 4
months. During this time, the rose hip containing the seedling embryos, develops
and enlarges. Finally, a color change of the hip from green to red, orange or
yellow, signals the ripening of the new seeds within.
The hips are collected and the seeds are extracted from them - one seed at a
time. In order for the seeds to germinate properly, they must be subjected to a
simulated winter. The seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 6 to 10 weeks,
wrapped in damp paper towels and stored in zip-locked bags.
After the cold period is satisfied, the seeds are then planted in a sterile
peat-based soil media and germination begins almost immediately and continues
for 2 to 3 months. The new seedlings emerge one by one from the soil - each
first rising bent as in a humble bow, and then straightening out and lifting
their new leaves, outstretched in worship to the Sun.
Growth of the new seedlings is at first slow, but speeds up as each new leaf
is added. Then, after about 6 weeks, the first tiny rose buds appear -
anticipation mounts. As the buds swell, imagination swells once again, too. What
color will the new baby rose have? How many petals? Will it be fragrant? Will it
be strong and sturdy? Will it bloom a lot? Will it withstand disease?
New bloom, after new bloom, each new maturing seedling rose offers it’s
beauty for careful scrutiny by the rose breeder. Now comes the rub: though each
rose seedling is beautiful and unique, the seeds have been planted so thickly
that there is not enough room for all of the now rapidly growing roses to fully
develop in the seedling bed.
Rose after rose is eliminated - this one has too few petals, that one is
unbalanced in bloom and foliage, the next one is too disease prone. And so the
thinning continues.
Finally, the last few remain. Hopefully, these are the best. But, just as
each of the seedling roses that has been discarded, had at least one beautiful
quality, so too imperfections are seen in each rose that remains. How does one
choose the very best? I don’t know.
My best exhibition mini rose was almost thrown into the trash can. This
seedling looks especially beautiful in the bud stage when the sepals fold down
to reveal the clear, light golden colored petals encircling the not infrequent
pinpoint exhibition centers. This seedling happened to be growing in an area of
the greenhouse where the air circulation is somewhat stagnant by virtue of two
competing fan generated air currents. I have since noticed that this area of the
greenhouse is always hit hard by powdery mildew. And this seedling was showing
too much powdery mildew for my tastes. As I walked down between the seedling
benches, coming to this rose, I saw the powdery mildew and placed the pruning
shears at the base of that plant, ready to cut it off at the roots, and add it
to the heap of culls in the trash barrel. Then, just
as my grip was tightening on the handles of the pruning shears, one of those
pinpoint blooms caught my eye. Despite it’s imperfection, I could not bring
myself to eliminating it.
It was given a second chance.
Thinking about that little rose, I am reminded that God has given us all
second chances. Breeding roses in a way, has brought me closer to God. It has
given me a chance to see some of the character of God. His grace, His mercy, His
power and His creative genius. And wow is it beautiful!
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