How Do Garden Roses Differ From Standard Roses?

Largely due to their common association with love, coupled with their wide range of varieties and colors that are commonly associated with specific meanings and different types of love, Bloomsy Box notes that roses are the most popular flowers in the world, but they are also by far the most prevalent type of wedding flower.

According to Jackson & Perkins, there are over 300 varieties of plants belonging to the Rosa genus that have been discovered all over the world, with most of those varieties being categorized as either a garden rose or a standard rose (per Dream World Plant).

While there are several notable differences between the two categories of stunning roses, the main difference is the purpose they are each bred and used for. Dream World Plant notes that garden roses were originally bred to be grown outdoors in an uncontrolled environment to be enjoyed on a lawn or garden, while standard roses are bred in greenhouses for florist purposes to be sold in bouquets.

Because standard florist roses are specifically bred to be kept indoors in a vase or other type of bouquet arrangement, one of the key differences between them and garden roses is the conditions they each require to grow and thrive in.

Florist roses are bred to not require as much direct sunlight as garden roses due to the fact that they are meant for inside use, which is why Dream World Plant says they are typically grown in greenhouses. Garden roses, on the other hand, can much more easily survive the uncontrolled natural elements, unpredictable weather patterns, and sunlight that greenhouses are meant to protect against.

Dream World Plant also adds that while most types of roses will grow decently well in the ground, standard florist varieties that are developed in greenhouses are most commonly matured in pots and other types of planters, unlike their outdoor counterparts.

According to Dream World Plant, standard florist roses tend to require more care and attention in terms of watering and fertilization simply because they are not bred to withstand the unpredictable and uncontrolled conditions of the unprotected outdoors.

Newly planted garden roses can be watered every two to three days, with more established garden varieties only requiring water twice a week. Better Homes & Gardens also adds that standard greenhouse roses grown in pots will require a much more constant stream of water throughout their life cycle because they have less soil to provide them with moisture.

Roses in pots will need to be watered every day if the weather is particularly hot or windy — these are instances in which water can be more easily evaporated in the hot sun and particularly dry soil can be easily blown away. Better Homes & Gardens also reminds gardeners to keep in mind that roses grown in unglazed pots tend to lose moisture to evaporation more rapidly than those grown in plastic or glazed pottery. Furthermore, standard roses grown inside greenhouses might also require more frequent fertilization — as often as every four weeks — while garden roses will likely be fine without frequent fertilization.

While standard roses are the ones that are specifically bred to be used in vases and flower arrangements, their garden counterparts are also often found in flower arrangements due to their larger size and fuller look, which make them a popular choice for weddings.

According to 1-800-Flowers, peonies are a very popular event flower, but because of their seasonal accessibility, they are often not available to be used for summer events. That is why many people opt to utilize garden roses instead for their summer weddings, as the look of their full and fluffy petals mimics that of peonies at a much lower price.

And while both garden roses and standard roses make an excellent choice for vases and other arrangements, Botany Studio says standard types tend to last longer once cut — simply because they were bred to. Triple Wren Farms adds that while most garden roses will usually start dropping petals about five days after being put into a vase, standard varieties can survive notably longer.