Some say that breeding roses is like "playing god" - and man has no business doing such things. Well, breeding roses is not playing god, instead in a way it is getting closer to God, closer to His creative genius - and that’s what I like about it. Breeding roses is science, it is art and it is love. But, to me it is mostly love. Rose breeding is the process by which new roses are developed - - you put pollen from one rose onto the stigma of another rose (cross pollination to produce new rose seeds) to see what you get. Before any cross pollinations occur, however, the imagination is made to run wild. A brainstorming session with the imagination is a wonderful thing - the impossible is possible; the improbable, probable; and the unusual is lovely. Of course this can result in almost innumerable possibilities of cross pollinations and the imagination must finally be tempered by experience and intuition. For me, these times to let the imagination run free occur in the late winter - a time when days are short and nights are cold. Imagination brings hope. I imagine things like "wouldn’t that ruffled white rose with a pink blush crossed with that large fragrant apricot rose produce a delightful family?" or "how about that beautiful velvety red hybrid tea rose (that mildews some), perhaps crossed with that sturdy orange rose with clean glossy foliage would result in a new more highly desirable rose possessing the best qualities of each parent" and "what do you think you would get if you crossed that orange/white striped climbing mini rose with that bushy yellow floribunda?" And so the imagination runs on..... As I look at all of creation around me, I am reminded that a much larger capacity to imagine is behind the creative force of God. Soon the nights grow shorter and the days grow warmer - new growth in the chosen parents is bursting forth. Stems lengthen, leaves unfold, at first with dark red tones and then as the leaves expand, they become dark green and position themselves to soak up the life giving light from the sun. Ultimately, this light energy, miraculously produces the fresh beautiful blooms that will unfurl revealing pistils and anthers needed to achieve the hoped for cross pollinations. Anthers are collected from prospective pollen parents and allowed to dry. In this way, the minute pollen grains are released and made available to accomplish pollination of selected blooms. The female (seed bearing) parent blooms are prepared to receive the pollen by removing all of the petals. The anthers are also removed to prevent self pollination. At last pollen is applied to the stigmas found at the center of the now petal-less blooms. Soon, male and female cells unite. A new life is begun. Gestation for baby roses is on average 3 to 4 months. During this time, the rose hip containing the seedling embryos, develops and enlarges. Finally, a color change of the hip from green to red, orange or yellow, signals the ripening of the new seeds within. The hips are collected and the seeds are extracted from them - one seed at a time. In order for the seeds to germinate properly, they must be subjected to a simulated winter. The seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 6 to 10 weeks, wrapped in damp paper towels and stored in zip-locked bags. After the cold period is satisfied, the seeds are then planted in a sterile peat-based soil media and germination begins almost immediately and continues for 2 to 3 months. The new seedlings emerge one by one from the soil - each first rising bent as in a humble bow, and then straightening out and lifting their new leaves, outstretched in worship to the Sun. Growth of the new seedlings is at first slow, but speeds up as each new leaf is added. Then, after about 6 weeks, the first tiny rose buds appear - anticipation mounts. As the buds swell, imagination swells once again, too. What color will the new baby rose have? How many petals? Will it be fragrant? Will it be strong and sturdy? Will it bloom a lot? Will it withstand disease? New bloom, after new bloom, each new maturing seedling rose offers it’s beauty for careful scrutiny by the rose breeder. Now comes the rub: though each rose seedling is beautiful and unique, the seeds have been planted so thickly that there is not enough room for all of the now rapidly growing roses to fully develop in the seedling bed. Rose after rose is eliminated - this one has too few petals, that one is unbalanced in bloom and foliage, the next one is too disease prone. And so the thinning continues. Finally, the last few remain. Hopefully, these are the best. But, just as each of the seedling roses that has been discarded, had at least one beautiful quality, so too imperfections are seen in each rose that remains. How does one choose the very best? I don’t know. My best exhibition mini rose was almost thrown into the trash can. This seedling looks especially beautiful in the bud stage when the sepals fold down to reveal the clear, light golden colored petals encircling the not infrequent pinpoint exhibition centers. This seedling happened to be growing in an area of the greenhouse where the air circulation is somewhat stagnant by virtue of two competing fan generated air currents. I have since noticed that this area of the greenhouse is always hit hard by powdery mildew. And this seedling was showing too much powdery mildew for my tastes. As I walked down between the seedling benches, coming to this rose, I saw the powdery mildew and placed the pruning shears at the base of that plant, ready to cut it off at the roots, and add it to the heap of culls in the trash barrel. Then, just as my grip was tightening on the handles of the pruning shears, one of those pinpoint blooms caught my eye. Despite it’s imperfection, I could not bring myself to eliminating it. It was given a second chance. Thinking about that little rose, I am reminded that God has given us all second chances. Breeding roses in a way, has brought me closer to God. It has given me a chance to see some of the character of God. His grace, His mercy, His power and His creative genius. And wow is it beautiful!