Roses—What to do in Spring

The following rose care calendar is from the book Growing Roses Organically by Barbara Wilde. These suggestions are for zones 7 and 8. Spring is a great time for roses! March: Finish planting bareroot roses early in month, finish winter pruning early in month, check irrigation systems, sow annuals to attract beneficial insects. April: Plant containerized roses. May: Release beneficial insects if necessary, plant containerized … Continue reading Roses—What to do in Spring

rainyleafFebruary 12, 2011March 22, 2011Leave a comment

Plants, Roses

Roses—What to do in Winter

The following rose care calendar is from the book Growing Roses Organically by Barbara Wilde. These are the suggestions for zones 7-8. December: Plant new bareroot roses. January: Prepare new beds, continue planting bareroot roses, prune and train established roses, clean up and dispose of rose debris, spray dormant oil if you had high numbers of mites and scale last season. February: Prune and train … Continue reading Roses—What to do in Winter

rainyleafFebruary 12, 2011February 12, 20111 Comment

Plants, Roses

Antique Rose—Damask

The Damask rose has been cultivated for thousands of years and is associated with the ancient city of Damascus (This capital city of Syria is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, possibly from 6000 B.C.!) Damask roses are grown for perfume in North Africa and the Middle East and are an important cash crop in Iran, Bulgaria and Turkey. Their … Continue reading Antique Rose—Damask

rainyleafFebruary 10, 20112 Comments

Plants, Roses

Antique Rose—Centifolia

Centifolia means ‘one hundred leaves’ and is also known as the cabbage rose. Imagine naming a rose after a cabbage? Picture in your mind a sprawling rose bush, covered in prickles and, instead of delicate pink blossoms, miniature heads of gray-green cabbage. Extraordinary visually as well as pungent. Luckily, centifolia was named for the way the petals fold over, like a cabbage, rather than for … Continue reading Antique Rose—Centifolia

rainyleafFebruary 8, 2011Leave a comment

Plants, Roses

Antique Rose–Rosa alba

Ancient, antique, old or heirloom; these roses have been around a while. The alba rose was grown during the Roman Empire, two thousand years ago. Alba is thought to be a hybrid of R. canina and R. damascena or R. gallica. The flower color ranges from white through medium pink. Blooms are double to very double rosettes, yet rarely large. Typical of old roses, albas … Continue reading Antique Rose–Rosa alba

rainyleafFebruary 7, 2011Leave a comment