September 26, 2018 – The delight of late summer
roses
I
like tall flowers in my gardens so that I can cut them and bring them in to arrange
into bouquets. Having a “tall” floral
garden takes more effort than the typical bedding out of edging plants that don’t
need to be cut back just watered and fertilized.
After
finishing the basket weave brick patio at the back of my house this spring, I
have been re-working the gardens that flank it.
I left the tall Missouri Primrose, Oenothera
macrocarpa, until they faded and produced seed. [They look awful at that
stage, but I was desperate for the seed and had to deal with the messy look.]
When
I cut back the Missouri Primrose, I also took out the 20 year old blueberry
bush that had seen better days, along with the poison ivy that had intertwined into
a Chrysanthemum. [I had enough cuttings of that Chrysanthemum and it is doing
well elsewhere in my gardens.] I yanked
it and half a wheelbarrow of mint. That
smelled grand while I was clearing the garden.
To
complete the garden clean up so that I could re-plant with some spring bulbs
and continue the zig-zag Siberian Iris design, I cut the roses back. [Rose
varieties that have been around for decades.] I have three, and remember the
names of two of them, the third name escapes me at the moment. They are Queen
Elizabeth which is pink and Mr. Lincoln which is red. Both are fragrant.
My
husband always is shocked when I cut them severely back and by severely back I
mean within 8 to 12 inches from the ground.
I took all the fallen dead leaves from around the bushes away and
watered them heavily for the next few days.
Then, lucky for me – nature took its course and we received more than ample
rainfall.
Still
thinking about the layout of the garden, I glance at it when I walk the dog or
sit out. In a matter of only a few weeks
up shot fresh growth with buds galore! Beautiful blooms followed. Always a delight! We have fine weather here in the Carolinas way
into fall and some years I think I have better late summer and fall roses than
the spring flush of blooms.
I
haven’t always been this fortunate with roses – but these old timer varieties seem
to be happy in this location and I have managed to keep them in good shape for
almost 15 years.
The
point of this blog is – roses like to be cut back in order to put
out fresh growth. So, if you
want to keep the color in your landscape to enjoy do so, but after they bloom,
you need to cut the faded blooms the correct way in order to get more. [Not severely to the ground every time – but below
I note a wonderful website that walks you through the pruning aspects.]
That
is why every time my husband complains, “You are cutting all the roses.” I reply, “That
is what they are for – to be cut and brought in up-close and personal.”
What he doesn’t comprehend is that I am
cutting them to encourage more growth to get more blooms.
If
you haven’t planted any roses in your landscape, now is the time to think about
it and research it. There are so many
varieties to choose from. But, research
you must do as roses require ample care or you will only be disappointed.
Some gardeners have
much luck with roses, while others don’t.
But, if you don’t try – you will never know – now will you?
Helpful websites to get you started on your
research journey:
P.S. If
anyone knows the old wives tale – you need ___ number of roses to get a bloom –
please advise me. I once had a rose
culture book that discussed how many leave were necessary for a rose to produce
a bloom and I used to toss that number around when people came to my rose
garden at Trojan Lane. The number has
escaped me, but I do remember reading it in a horticulture book on roses. Thanks in advance if you know and email it
to me. [Send it through the comment section.]
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