The garden rose has a full, open, cup-shaped head with many petals and often a strong scent. It is different from the classic tall-bud rose you see in almost every shop, and from spray roses with several flowers per stem. In romantic and garden styling it is often the main flower, sometimes in place of the peony.
It costs more than a standard rose and lasts a little less, because it opens quickly. Italian-grown varieties bloom mainly between May and June, with a second flush in autumn; greenhouse ones are available for longer. The guide to roses at your wedding explains the differences between types of rose; the one on romantic and garden style shows how they are used; the one on flowers in May places them in the calendar.
What to ask: whether they are grown in Italy, how they cope with heat, how much they add to the price.
