Question
Sept.19th was my birthday and my daughter bought me six beautiful (apricot color) long stem roses. it's now October 6th and you should see how the stems have all developed new growth...the leaf stems are quite big!!  will i be able to successfully plant the stems in a pot to grown rose bushes?  i keep replacing the fresh warm water at the end of the week with some plant food.

Answer
Florist roses are varieties that grow well in a cool greenhouse. They do not make good looking blooms outdoors as they are damaged by rain, wind and also the flowers burn in the sun. They are not winter hardy as these roses are chosen to make loads of blooms indoors but look pathetic in the garden. The chances of them rooting are very slim indeed.Because water makes thin, soft roots, place in a mix.
However here is how to make a cutting from a florist type rose make sure you use them all as some will not take.
Mix mainly half sand and half peat moss plus a handful of potting soil in a quart container. Wet down the mixture. Make a couple of vertical slits in the base of the rose cane. Make a hole with a pencil and carefully insert the cutting firming the soil around it. Place a large pop bottle over the cutting and screw the top back on. Place  in a cool place, as roses will make roots best when the temperature is between 50?and 60'.  When you see leaves forming take the bottle off during the night and replace during the day. Finally when the plant is starting to really grow take the bottle right off. Fertilize using a half strength house plant type like Schultz. If the rose has a good vigour then you will be successful but if it lacks vigour you may have problems so don't blame yourself if it won't take. The next spring, if it is doing well, pot it up and place it in the garden where you want it to grow. Finally next spring remove it from the pot and re-plant it in the hole. Because the rose is not budded onto an understock like most garden ones, it will be frail and need extra care such as potting it up for a year to make sure it has enough energy to survive outside. Hope this helps.