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Welcome to the August edition of my web site. The roses I write about are the Old Garden Roses and select shrub and miniature roses of the 20th century. For tips on rose culture, pruning, propagation and history, see "Other resources on this site". Any time you want to return to this page, click on the "thorn icon" in the margin at left. The previous month's articles are archived and can be viewed by clicing on the month listed in the left margin. "Roses
Are Hard to Grow"
So what went wrong for this gardener? Well several things, actually, and none of them are her fault, really. So many of the problems that new gardeners encounter are the direct result of how the horticulture industry sells and promotes roses. (Note that our friend has purchased "those boxed roses" from a local garden center......it's not surprising that these plants often do poorly because they have about 2/3 of their roots brutally chopped off to fit in that small box!) For a hundred years, the dominant rose in the market has been the Hybrid Tea......a lovely rose, but it frequently comes with its own set of problems. Hardiness is likely the number one issue. If you look at a zone map for North America, you will see that at least one half of the continent is rated zone 5 and colder. In truth, roses like Hybrid Teas are not very good choices for anything colder than zone 6, and even then you will get significant die-back most winters. I grew up in a zone 5 location, and yet the only roses you could buy from local nurseries and hardware stores were ostensibly Hybrid Teas. There were a few climbers and shrubs like Rugosas, but they were few and far between. If the nursery industry made a better effort to market appropriate shrubs for the climate conditions of each zone, then people would be much more likely to report success in growing roses. Why try to grow Hybrid Teas in central Ontario or Minnesota??? There are much better choices!
The
first thing is to determine what your growing
zone is and to compile a list of roses that are suitable for your
climate. Perhaps it is useful at this point to make a list of characteristics
that you want in a rose. Be realistic and be thorough......include not
only plant size and bloom color, but also bloom habit, (once-blooming,
or repeate blooming) disease resistance, fragrance, climbing or shrubby,
cold hardiness, shade tolerance, adaptability to soil conditions, ease
of culture, etc. The key to success with roses is making good choices
for your growing conditions and needs. Many people discover only by
trial and error that Hybrid Teas and Floribundas are poor choices for
their climate. Be smart and do some research to find out what will work
for you BEFORE you purchase. I suggest that you contact your local Rose
Society and ask for a list of roses that do well where you live. If
you contact the American Rose Society or the Canadian Rose Society,
they should be able to help you find this kind of information. While its true that Rugosas and their allied hybrids don't have the same high-centered bloom form of the Hybrid Teas, they are much more suitable roses for zones 3 to 6. There are several Rugosas that do not get any larger than the average Hybrid Tea, if space is an issue. I believe that 'Henry Huson' will stay below 2 feet in height, as does 'Schneezwerg', both of which are double white roses. Some of them can get to be very large, graceful shrubs if that is your desire also. 'Hansa', for example, can grow to be a very large shrub that will take on tree-like qualities if you don't prune it improperly. (Correct pruning of Rugosas involves the removal of dead or weak growth ONLY, in my opinion. If you are having to prune a Rugosa to keep it within bounds, then it is not the right rose for the placement you have chosen.) There is yet another advantage to these roses: they are (with few exceptions) highly fragrant and extremely disease resistant. In fact, Rugosas are very sensitive to chemical sprays, so DO NOT treat them with insecticides or fungicides......they will respond by dropping all of their blooms and foliage if you do! I strongly suggest learning about the Canadian Explorer Series of roses, most of which are bred from the Rugosas. Excellent examples are: 'William Baffin', 'Jens Munk', 'Martin Frobisher', 'Therese Bugnet', and 'Charles Albanel'. Some of the more modern Rugosa hybrids have come from Ralph Moore of California. Two of his landmark Rugosas are 'Linda Campbell', a rich red color, and 'Topaz Jewel', which is a brilliant clear yellow paling to light yellow. One of my favorite Rugosa hybrids is 'Basye's Purple', bred by the late Dr. Robert Basye, known for his groundbreaking work with species roses. This has to be one of the most spectacular roses I grow. I recommend it highly. I
would be negligent if, at this point, I didn't call your attention to
the many excellent roses of the Old Garden Rose classes. Many of these
are excellent low maintenance shrubs that will offer decades of enjoyment
with little attention. Some of the hardiest and most care-free also
happen to be once-bloomers. I realise that these will not appeal to
everyone, but my suggestion is to mix these types with other repeating
roses and mixed perennials. David Austin's English Roses are useful
to mix in with the once-bloomers. It will come as no surprise to people who know me that my favorite Old European roses are the Gallicas. This group is one of the most highly developed and the most ancient of all, and are derived from the species, Rosa gallica. They were named "The Mad Gallicas" during the height of their popularity in the early and mid-1800's because of their rich and often wild colors. Many deep purples and crimsons dominated the palette, but there were a good number of striped, marbled and even spotted hybrids! Many of them have an excellent fragrance along with good disease resistance. (They rarely get blackspot, but they will sometimes get some mildew after their bloom period. This is mostly a cosmetic issue and can be ignored, as it will not usually harm the plant at all.) The Gallicas are also suitable for smallish gardens: most grow between 3 and 5 feet tall. Be sure to buy grafted plants or else these roses will sucker widely and spread through the garden. Some people will not be troubled by this, but I usually recommend that people stick to grafted plants to start with. Some of the my favorite Gallicas are: 'Tuscany Superb', 'Charles de Mills', 'Belle sans Flatterie', 'James Mason, 'Belle Isis', 'Cardinal de Richelieu', 'Desireé Parmentier', 'La Belle Sultane', and 'Camayeux'. These roses are hardy to at least zone 4, and many of them will likely do well in zone 3. They are NOT good candidates or warm climates though. Don't expect them to grow properly in climates warmer than zone 8. They will tolerate poor, sandy soils and some shade, but keep in mind that NO roses will truly flourish in less than 5 or 6 hours of sunlight. (Some of the best roses for a shady location are the Hybrid Musks and the Albas.) Speaking
of warm climates, there are certain types of roses that will not be
suitable for hot places. As I mentioned, Gallicas are not going to do
well if you are in zone 9 or hotter. The Damasks, Albas and Centifolias
are not going to be much better either, but some of the Damask Perpetuals
will do ok. The Chinas, Noisettes
and Teas will be spectacular in zones
8 and warmer, as will some of the Bourbons,
like 'Souvenir de la Malmaison'.
The key to success is to research what is appropriate for your particular
climate. Just as important as choosing good varieties for your climate is planning the garden location, preparing the soil, and knowing how and when to plant. Many people don't know that the best time to plant new roses is in the fall. Why? Because a rose planted in the fall will spend the winter making its new root system which will translate into better blooms and sturdier growth the following spring. You can plant potted roses any time of year that they are available from a nursery, but bare-root roses are best planted in late fall/early winter. Spring planting is second best and should be done before warm weather encourages the first growth. Two
other details that many people don't know about planting new roses: 2) You will get a bigger plant faster if you prevent the rose from blooming in its first season after planting. I know this will sound outrageous to many of you, but I can assure you that by disbudding the plant, you will force it to put all its energy into making strong new canes and roots. The plant will become big, faster, and you will have a better display in the second year. If you really can't bear to do this for the whole first season, then at least disbud until the fall, allowing the plant to show you a few blooms in September/October. This treatment is not essential, but it will help the plant become established faster. Next month I will put together a detailed article about planting roses in the fall.
There
have been |
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Sound
familiar? It does to me. I have heard this conversation on many occasions
over the years. Often, I have been the friend on the other end of the
discussion who tries to help the struggling gardener with their woes.
For many of you, its not hard to imagine where the problems lie.
It
seems that gardeners are motivated by a complex set of issues. Once
upon a time I would have said that I believed all gardeners to be "nurturers".........people
who are intensely interested in learning the ways of plants and developing
the language necessary to truly understand and care for their plants.
I realise now that there is a dichotomy between gardening attitudes:
some people want to spend time with their plants and learn how to care
for them lovingly, and some want nice looking plants that require as
little attention as possible to be healthy and grow well. Both approaches
are viable, but the former requires more skill and effort than the latter,
naturally. I believe that the most powerful tool that any gardener has
at his disposal is information. Teach yourself all you
can about the plants you wish to grow, by any means you can. The trick
(if you can call it that) is to know your subject. There are many fine
