Rose Garden

In 1922, Gertrude Stein remarked, “A rose is a rose is a rose.” In the time since Stein’s famous words, the world’s fascination with the “queen of flowers” has produced great strides in rose cultivation. As a result of these efforts, today’s varieties demonstrate countless variations in form, color, fragrance, and bloom season. Simply put, no longer is a rose just a rose.

The Rose Garden features over 200 spectacular plantings, all of which are “Modern” rose varieties which display more vibrant color and intense fragrance than their “Old Garden” rose ancestors. The selection consists primarily of Hybrid Teas, as well as Floribundas, Grandifloras, and Climbing Roses which adorn the pergolas. Contrasted to Old Garden roses which grow as shrubs, Modern roses are bred to produce cut flowers, and the varieties are far more vast in number.

Because fragrance is the most common characteristic associated with roses, the Rose Garden was planted with the intention of inviting guests to “smell the roses.” Although the most common smell associated with roses is the scent of damask, rose fragrances can mimic a variety of scents including spice, citrus, herb, fruit, and floral. As a general rule, the deeper the shade of color, the more fragrant the rose. The typical “damask” rose smell is most commonly found with red and pink roses. Roses are most aromatic on warm, sunny days in the early to mid-morning, when the soil is moist, and the sun is just reaching the blooms as they begin to open.

Caring for Roses

Sun and Water

Roses should be planted in full sun and need at least 4 -6 hours of direct sun per day. They also require lots of water, and it is best to water in the mornings in order to dry the leaves and help prevent disease. Water roses deeply 4 – 7 days per week, as each bush needs about 4 – 5 gallons per week. Deep watering is preferred to light watering as it helps promote a deep root system. Deep root systems help roses survive both droughts and winter freezes. Frequent, light watering causes roots to form very near the soil surface, making the plant more susceptible to summer “baking” and winter freezes.

To determine whether a rose needs watering, scrape the surface of the bed. The soil 1″ beneath the surface should be moist, if it is dry, the rose needs more water. However, be careful to never let roses grow in standing water, as it leads to disease.

Soil and Fertilization

Roses that thrive in Colorado tend to be resistant to insect damage and disease, hardy, and tolerant to wind, drought, heat, and extreme cold. Accordingly, they require well-irrigated and well-amended soil. Roses can be fertilized first after all of their leaves appear, again after their first bloom, and finally, six weeks before the anticipated first frost of fall or winter (provided it is not after September 1st).

Pruning

Roses require regular pruning as it keeps them healthy, influences them to grow in a desired shape, and encourages blooming (either more blooms or bigger blooms). Proper pruning opens the bush up to increase air circulation which not only helps prevent disease but also allows the nutrients to reach the largest and healthiest canes.

Roses should be pruned only lightly until they establish a strong root system, which typically occurs after 1-3 growing seasons. After a rose is well-established, it is best to prune roses in the spring after the leaves begin to form. Light pruning produces more flowers, whereas aggressive pruning allows larger but fewer blooms.

Pruning should be maintained throughout the rose’s bloom season using a technique called deadheading. Deadheading consists of cutting off old blooms that may have been pollinated and which may begin to form seed pods (hips). By preventing the formation of hips, deadheading encourages the rose bush to grow new flowers as the formation of hips requires a lot of energy from the plant and slows flower production. In Colorado’s climate, September 1st is the last date on ·which you should deadhead. After this date, hip production is valuable as it slows growth, inhibits blooming, and makes the plant more frost hardy

Over-wintering

An over-wintering schedule should include removal of plant debris from the rose bed, application of a dormancy spray such as Lime Sulfur, and covering at least the bottom of each plant with a mound of soil or straw at least 6″ high (the entire plant may be covered with straw if desired) to protect the roots. It is advisable to continue to water roses regularly throughout the winter months if there is little precipitation. Over-wintering should not include pruning as rose hips help prepare the plants for dormancy.