The Pikes Peak Rose Society is an affiliate of the American Rose Society (www.ARS.org). Made with Xara Web Designer Copyright ©2004-2010 - Pikes Peak Rose Society A Grooming Kit for Rose Exhibitors By Carol Macon, Consulting Rosarian Every rose exhibitor has favorite tools for grooming roses.  The following is a list of mine.  Even if you do not show your roses, these tools will help you enhance the beauty of the flowers you bring in from your garden.      Sharp, narrow blade, pointed scissors with good balance This is the most important tool you can have for grooming a rose.  You will use it for re-cutting stems at an angle under water and for trimming damaged petals and leaves. I use Joyce Chen Unlimited Garden Scissors, model # 51-0231.  If you do a web search on “Joyce Chen scissors,” you will find many sources.  One source that has a full line of these scissors is www.viecokitchen.com. Friskars also makes a fine-point scissors; I found a pair in a package of three different pruners at a local garden shop.  Use these scissors ONLY to groom flowers.      Eyebrow tweezers with pointed ends Use these to remove unwanted small petals from the open centers of your roses.      Small, flat, soft artist’s brush I use a Grumbacher 626B but make-up brushes are also very good.  Use the brush, not your fingers, to manipulate petals to push roses into shape.      Cotton swabs, such as Q-tips Use cotton swabs to remove pollen and debris from rose blooms.  They are also used to hold a rose open in exhibition form while the bloom is hardening.      Small, plastic water bottle with flip-up top Use it to top up water in rose show vases.  It is sad to see a well-groomed but wilted rose on the show table.  Every exhibitor has made the mistake of put- ting a bloom into a vase with little or no water.  The bottle reminds you to check before entering your bloom in the show.      Cling wrap Use it wadded to prop up a leaning rose in a vase.  This can make a huge difference in the appearance of a specimen.      Deckle-edged scissors These are used to trim torn rose leaves.  The best have a natural-appearing, irregular edge and are sometimes available at craft stores or check out www.scissors.com.  These are not a necessity but are nice to have.  Do not use pinking shears; they leave too coarse an edge.  The idea is to trim a leaf to make it appear natural and less (not more) of a distraction to the judges. If you don’t have time to fuss over a rose, I use the Joyce Chen scissors.      Towel or paper towels to mop up spills      Pen to fill out entry cards      Entry cards If you wish to fill out entry cards ahead of time, you may order your own supply from the American Rose Society.                                           Additional Items for Arrangers The ‘stuff’ used to hold an arrangement together is known, collectively, as the mechanics of the arrangement.  The mechanics should not be readily apparent when viewing a finished arrangement.      Pruners to cut branches      Assortment of needlepoint holders.  See www.countryhousefloral.com.      Floral foam (absorbent)      Florists’ wire, which comes in several gauges      Glue gun      Orchid tubes      Small ruler or tape measure to check size of mini arrangements      Small aquarium filter basket for skimming debris from water in Moribana containers      Permanent markers to touch up pruned spots on branches      Chicken wire to stuff vases; will hold heavier branches in position