Multi Coloured Roses ...... Do they work?

I've been looking for something different to brighten up my garden and seen these multi coloured roses online.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rose-Seeds-Bulk-Multi-Colored-Mixed-Blue-Red-Rainbow-Yellow-etc-UK-Seller-/251246968649?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&var=&hash=item3a7f7c7f49

Has anyone had any experience with them?

I too have seen these seeds for sale and did some online research to get more information. From everything that I have read, these are fake and do not grow off the plant like they are pictured. The multicolored roses in the picture are dyed to make those rainbow colors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_rose

http://burbblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/are-rainbow-roses-real-or-fake.html

http://pinappu.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-make-Rainbow-Roses-a-Step-by-Step-Guide

It says in the ad that you get the multi-coloured effect by cutting the roses and putting the stems in dyed water.... So at least it's honest though still utterly ridiculous. In other words, you can get the same effect with any light coloured rose. It is certainly meant to appeal to very inexperienced people... The notion of growing some unknown rose from seed for this ultimate purpose is bizarre to say the least.

This message was edited Mar 22, 2013 7:31 AM

It would be beautiful if they could actually grow that way though :-)

Shauna, your so right, it would be wonderful IF these Roses you would love to have but, believe me, there is a limit to what nature will allow us to do, growing Roses from seed is a very long process indeed and at the end of the day there is no guarantee that you will get what it said or showed on the packet.
There are better ways to increase your Rose collection and layering, taking cuttings or budding onto special Rose wood specially rooted for that, is easier than waiting maybe 2-3 years or even longer to get bushy plants to a reasonable size, is usually beyond the novice gardener.
On saying that, there will be someone somewhere who will be in here to tell us they grow all Roses from seeds or something like that, believe me, I am fairly experienced with Roses and seeds is not something that is easy with Roses, it's time consuming, expensive looking after seedlings and compost, feed, maybe heat depending on where you stay.

I remember one year at school we had to take a few single coloured roses (in tight Buds) to school along with 2 small glass containers, we cut the stems in half with razor blades about 6 inches in length, put a matchstick into the cut stem to hold the half stems apart and into each small glass we inserted half stems, added food colouring (2 colours, say red and yellow) we watched in amazement when the following day the Roses were coloured 2 different colours, half red half yellow but that was about 55 years ago and now I think growers inject colour into plants in flower especially at festive times.

There are already some wonderful multi coloured Roses on the market from Red/ White, Pink fading to white as the flowers open, Blue, purple, orange stripes, gosh the colour and variation is endless so send away for some Rode producer / growers catalogues as you will gain much more info, much more coloured and a huge variety of Roses from bush, climbing, Old English with beautiful perfume but these usually only flower once each year, Hybrid T roses come in huge size and colour range but be sure to look at hight, colour, sun / shaded area as well as perfume, disease resistant ect are all areas you need to look at, it's fun and easy to grow when you select the right ones.
Good luck, have fun and just enjoy.
Weenel.

Like Weenel says, there are so many different types/colors of roses these days. I think the only color they have yet to make is a true blue (although I am sure there are people out there trying to make one). If you want a rainbow of roses Welchy...get a variety pf roses in different colors and you can make your own rainbow.

One of the links I posted shows you how to dye them, using the same method you did in school Weenel.

Personally, I love the striped roses because every bloom is different but growing roses here is difficult due to the high humidity we have. Fungal infections run amok!