Garden Roses
Normally, garden roses are shipped with guard petals in order to protect the blooms during shipping. Upon arrival and removal of the protective packaging, you can decide to remove any brown or discolored guard petals. It is not uncommon to do this, but you can ask yourself “How much do I really want to take away?” Also concerning the leaves and thorns. "How much shall I remove?"Sometimes less is more
In general, garden roses will be at their most beautiful when you take away as little as possible. And while removing some parts of the flower may well be necessary, there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. When processing garden roses, sometimes less is more for optimal performance. Prep time is well spent when you are protecting your quality investment in premium garden roses, says J Schwanke of UBloom.com, one of the world’s best-known flower experts. In the past, florists working exclusively with hybrid tea roses often began by stripping away the leaves and thorns, then plucking off the outer petals as a matter of course. Today, the thinking has evolved—and the popularity of garden roses, with their opulent, natural look, is one reason why.
The First Cut: Trimming the Stem
Preparing and processing Garden Roses roses involves one essential step of removal: always cut an inch or more from the bottom of the stem with a clean, sharp knife or bypass cutter, to facilitate renewed uptake of water and nutrients. With garden roses, this is advisable even if you are using a no-cut flower-food solution.Leaves to Be Desired and De-Thorning Techniques
Rose leaves function as the lungs of a plant. On their underside are pores, called stomata, that facilitate gas exchange. They literally allow the rose stem to breathe. And that “breathing” encourages the flow of water and nutrients up the stem, allowing the cut flower to open and color up. Leaves that fall below the waterline in a vase or processing bucket tend to favor the growth of bacteria in the water. These leaves should always be removed with a clean, sharp knife. And yes, often you will need to remove all the leaves on a rose stem to accommodate your design. But whenever possible, it’s helpful to the vase life of the rose to leave any foliage intact that won’t be submerged or crushed.
Left: SABRINA® Right: PRECIOUS MOMENTS®

ALABASTER®
Guard Petals: The Guardians of Beauty
Garden roses are famous for their subtle color variations, their high petal count, and the way they open up all the way and hold in that position—like a ballerina on point. The outermost petals play a role in all of that, adding to the fullness of the bloom and the depth of its delicate palette.
Left: ALABASTER® Right: SABRINA®