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closeA rose is still a rose in the rain, but it prefers the sun
Cloudy weather means second rose show at Windmill Gardens
Roxanne Cooke
Despite the lack of sunny weather recently, a multitude of roses dotted tables at Windmill Gardens in Sumner last weekend.
The Puyallup Rose Society hosted the rose show as well as seminars on how to maintain roses. The public was invited to judge the roses, but no professional judging was conducted. This was the second year the society hosted a rose show at the Windmill.
“The weather’s been so rotten, so we’re happy to have what we have,” said Puyallup Rose Society member and past president Ed Stevens.
Last year, rose society members brought in more than 700 for the show, but this year it was closer to 200, said Gail Stevens, another member.
Roses are easy to grow, the two said, but the plants do their best with at least six hours of sunshine each day. They should be planted in the spring in a place where they can soak up direct sunlight.
“Be patient,” Ed Stevens said. “Roses are a really fun thing to grow. They’re not hard to grow. Roses love water and sunshine.”
Most roses bloom in the summer, but in the Northwest many are blooming until November, Gail Stevens said. They thrive on more than just water and sunlight – fertilizer is a big deal too.
“Roses love fertilizer,” she said.
Rose growers are spraying pesticides less often nowadays, instead opting for more natural, organic fertilizers, Gail Stevens said. There are many different kinds of fertilizer, so there are plenty of options out there.
“No two rose gardeners are going to do the same thing,” Ed Stevens said.
Beginners should also watch out for bugs and read up on rose diseases, he said.
In professional shows, judges look at petal count, fragrance and how disease resistant the plant is, ample foliage, appearance of the center and how it blossoms out and overall presentation.
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HOW TO PRUNE A ROSE
Pruning roses is done to promote health and direct the plant how and where to grow. It gives roses a shape and style, removes unproductive wood and provides good air circulation. The best time to prune is before new growth in the spring. Fall pruning is only necessary when plants are extremely tall and may be damaged by the wind. Use any pruning shears designed for roses. When in doubt about what to cut, wait. 1. Trim twiggy top growth by about a third so the structure of the plant is visible. 2. Take out dead wood, canes that cross the center of the bush and any shoots growing below the bud union. 3. Shape the plant by removing some canes. It’s safe to cut back five to 10 strong canes. 4. Cut 1/4 inch above dormant bud eyes that face outside of the bush. New growth will come from these eyes.
Source: Puyallup Rose Society
PUYALLUP ROSE SOCIETY
The Puyallup Rose Society meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month except July at the Allmendinger Center, Washington State University Puyallup, 7612 Pioneer Way E.