Rose Care 101 with Judy Brownell

My name is Judy Brownell.  Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing everything I have learned about rose care.  I grew up on a farm in Nebraska.  Early on, I learned that I loved the dirt and growing things.  Because we raised everything we ate, Mom’s standby flowers were marigolds around the vegetable garden to keep insects away.  There were a few irises along the garage and a smattering of zinnias here and there.  By the back gate was a huge bramble climbing rose she had ordered from Gurneys catalog and planted when they bought the farm in 1946.  She never did anything to this rose, as far as I know.  It just stood there rather ugly most of the year.  But for a few weeks in early summer, it burst into color.  I lived for those weeks—the smell; the delicateness of the blossoms, and the richness of the color. 

When I got married and began my learning of gardening and flowers, I was thrilled that there were roses out there that would bloom more than once a year.  Today, they fill my garden with constant color from May until November.  Though I have many kinds of flowers, it is the rose that brings the longest lasting continual performance particularly here in the Northwest.

Today I have 126 different species of roses.  I have been to every rose seminar, pruning clinic, and rosarian learning consortium there is.  I will share what I know in a simple easy format, so that hopefully you can enjoy the benefits of this flower as much as I do.

This is my most anticipatory time-- Gearing up for February.  I  wander through the rose garden looking at canes, shape of bushes, and planning.  Have good hand pruners, a good pair of larger, long-handled pruners, a pruner sharpener (Coastal sells them all), and a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide to dip your pruners in to prevent spreading disease. You also need a good pair of gloves.  My favorites are Kinco’s from Coastal.  They are cheap, fit close to the hand, and somehow are thorn resistant.  

In my next article, I will discuss pruning, which I begin around President’s Weekend (depending on the weather).  I look forward to sharing with you how to transform : This

 into this.