CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER ROSE EXHIBITOR:

One eminent rose exhibitor's mantra was:
"Pick 'em tight and they'll be alright."

That's true. Don't wait for them to be "just right" to pick. They won't last.

Of course, you could pick them TOO early . . .

Cut in either very early morning, or at sunset.

When you pick, take time to RE-CUT the stem, under water. That prevents formation of a bubble of air that could block their uptake of water.

Bring them into the house, and immerse the stem and foliage in comfortably warm water. That will encourage them to take up as much water as possible. Allow them to sit in the water for a good hour or two -- preferably while they sit in a cool, dark place. Then, they're ready to go, or to be stored.

You can start picking a couple of days before the event, and refrigerate them. One caution: Today's "frost-free" fridges dry things out. So, put a bag or something over the bloom, to prevent that.

We've found that if you sit the vase inside a cardboard milk or juice carton, and pack the cartons together in a box or other container, they can travel safely to your destination.

Be sure the stems are well-into the water, so they don't "run dry." They can suck up more than you think!

Jeri

Jeri is the expert, but you might want to clip the tips of the thorns if people will be handling them.

Or float blooms in plastic bowls so they can sniff different scents.

One easy thing is to pass a leaf on a bit of stem to each and ask who knows if this is a rose? Answer: Roses are defined by having the stipules at the bottom of each leaf.

I think Socks suggestion is a very good one.

I did something like this, btw, years ago, for a class of blind adults. It was really rewarding, to see the folks in the group examine the roses by touch and scent.

Jeri