Collecting, identifying, and sharing roses is great fun, and it is a very worthwhile thing to do. The whole focus is to collect and identify roses and assure that someone, somewhere, is propagating them and keeping them alive.
My approach is always to be on the lookout for roses, and to always be prepared to ask for and take cuttings. When I am in the San Antonio area, I carry my clippers, baggies, etc., with me in the car. My rule of thumb, is- if it is a rose that I am not utterly sure that I already have, I ask for cuttings, root them, and plant them in a safe place in the display garden from which I can make more cuttings when needed.
If it turns out to be a rose that I do not want, well, I can give it away and bless someone else. In all cases, I am very careful not to damage the original plant, and I always try to be a good citizen and good neighbor. There is just no point in having the animosity of the public rise up and prevent people like me from rescuing roses. So if you take cuttings from a plant that does not belong to you personally, please read and observe the Rules of Etiquette for Rose Rustlers.
The tools of the trade include’ the following:
Good sharp clippers,
Gallon-sized zip-lock bags
Paper towels,
A pencil,
3 x 5 cards for identification,
I recommend a notebook to keep records of where and when you found the rose, and
If you are really serious (like I am), take a good camera and get close-up pictures of each rose, its bloom, and its foliage. It usually takes 5-6 pictures to capture the details of a rose, and a macro-zoom lens let you get very sharp images at close range.
When you take cuttings, be sure to label them, using the pencil and 3x5 cards mentioned above. Use a pencil rather than a pen so the writing will not fade and run.
There is a lot of information on the Texas Rose Rustler’s page on how to make cuttings. You may want to check out the following link:
www.texas-rose-rustlers.com/ms-pp-ct.htm
Last updated 10/02/2001