Quest for a blue carnation

ROSES are red but carnations could one day be blue — that is if scientists manage to control the hue of one of the world's oldest-known cultivated flowers. Armed with a three-year, $100,000 grant from the Australian Research Council, La Trobe University plant biologist Tony Gendall hopes to crack the Holy Grail of floral engineering and produce blue carnations. Read more:

Growing roses: Part 6 Rose garden pruning and cutting flowers

By Patti Winters
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Orlando Gardening Scene Examiner

(photo by Matthias Engel)

Proper pruning and keeping flowers cut will ensure frequent blooming in your new rose garden. Keep in mind that in Central Florida, you will often see fewer petals on your roses and they may be paler in color in the hottest months of the summer.

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Pruning Hybrid Teas For Long Stem Cut Flowers

This video explains how to a Hybrid Tea Rose to get long stem cut flowers.