Miniatures

This class of now hundreds upon hundreds of varieties, most of very recent breeding, interests me very little, largely because of its emphasis on flower form, and its traditional neglect of cluster-flowering. Miniaturism can be very charming and certainly has its place in a world of increasingly smaller gardens. Minis often negate their best attributes for the small garden by being nearly impossible to prune, so tightly do they grow, and so small are their branches; one is usually forced to chop at them with shears and put up with the dead wood that ensues. We recommend to those who love small roses to consider the old dwarf Polyanthas