Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Okay so now you know how to prune from part one of this article, now it’s time for you to learn which rose varieties to prune now, which don’t even need you to prune them, and some that take a little special pruning attention.

Don’t Prune Every Year!

Some new rose varieties such as Knockout, or any of the Canadian Explorers do not need pruning every year, so it is important to know what kind of roses you have in your garden. However, every rose should be pruned at least every three years regardless– it’ll make them grow better!

Old Garden Roses

If you are unsure whether your rose is an old garden variety or not, here is a good little trick: Old garden roses bloom in the Spring and only last four to six weeks! Don’t prune them until after they’re done flowering! So basically: Prune after Bloom! This is similar to your lilacs and most of your Spring blooming bushes.

Some examples are: Harrison Yellow, Seven Sisters, Madame Hardy

Rosa Mundi (left) Apothecary (right) Both zone 4!

Hybrid Teas

Your Hybrid Teas are usually cut back in the fall because they are tender roses– not winter hardy in our climate. Just remove winter protection and see what needs to be done. Usually I just shape the top in a arc and let them go! However if you did not cut your Hybrid Teas back in the fall you must prune them back to a healthy green cane. See the first part of this article for great step by step instructions!

Hybrid Teas: Audrey Hepburn, Mr. Lincoln, Chrysler Imperial

Let Freedom Ring (left) Double Delight (right)

Floribunda and Grandiflora

Floribundas and Grandifloras are in need of cutting back to a healthy cane as well because they are not winter hardy for cold climates! There again, remove the winter protection, cut back the black cane to the healthy tissue (green cane) and remove branches or stems growing towards the center. Pruning should be done in the Spring after the last frost.
It helps if you can get Floribundas and Grandifloras on their own root because they always come back no matter how severe the winter was!

Floribunda: Nicole Rose…

Grandiflora: Queen Elizabeth…

Climbers

Climbers that are not for this zone (such as Altissimo, and Blaze) need to be buried in a deep trench every fall after they go dormant. If you are not willing to go through the trouble of digging a deep trench (and by miracle your climbers are still alive) then you must trim back to the healthy tissue or buy a hardy variety for cold climates. As said before, these do not have to be pruned every year, but must be pruned at least every three years!
Climbers for Cold Climates: William Baffin, John Davis, John Cabot, and the latest is Ramblin’ Red.

Climbers for cold climates are great for a practically care free garden! Here are a few that I’ve had a lot of luck with…

Zephirine Drouhin (left) and New Dawn (right)

Iceberg (left) and John Davis (right)

John Davis does not need winter protection, however, all other climbers listed here do need it since they are Zone 5!

Miniatures

Miniatures basically need a hair cut every Spring and later in the season when they become leggy (when they get tall and stop flowering). It is as simple as that!

Jeanne Lajoie: a miniature climber for zone 5

Shrubs

Shrubs are also very easy! Every three years just trim the top! And what could be better!? Most don’t even need winter protection!

Robusta (left) Knockout (right)

Roses can be a lot of fun and are so beautiful! They add a lot of pizzazz to your garden! The myth that they are difficult is just that– a myth! Roses are very easy to care for if you just get the right varieties for your zone!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Pruning for those of us in zones 2-5 is pretty simple! It all comes down to this:

Marie Suzanne’s Six Steps to a Happy and Healthy Rose!

What you need to get started: A good pair of leather gloves (mine are getting worn out!), a bottle of Elmer’s school glue or a rose sealer (more expensive), a good pair of pruners, and a spray bottle filled with the Clorox mixture talked about below…

Pruning is simple in cold climates because we are dependent on how much snow coverage we get every year. The height rule that applies in warmer climates does not apply here since winter kill is different for us every year. Winter kill causes the cane to turn black and die back, all you really have to do is cut down to the healthy tissue! See below
However, all other rules as you can see in the following diagram do apply!

You must wait after all danger of frost is past before pruning your roses. The reason for this is that as soon as you prune, the rose awakens and starts to produce. If it is too soon and you have an unexpected frost then it will kill the new growth and perhaps the whole rose as well. So it is very important to wait!

What Must Be Done…

First, remove all broken, diseased, old branches, and any branches that rub against one another.

If your rose is more than 3 years of age then look for a dark gray cane to remove. It will keep your rose young and producing for a long time if you do this every couple of years or so.

Second, cut back all the black discolored stems down to the green healthy area.

Third, look for an outward facing bud! The reason for choosing an outward facing bud is that it keeps the center of your rose plant clear for air circulation therefore preventing diseases.

Buds face upward and resemble the shape of a human eye, thorns face downward! See below
Forth, make a 45 degree cut a ¼ inch just above the previously chosen outward facing bud and cut back to a creamy white center! The end result of your pruning is your rose should be in the shape of a urn or a vase!

Fifth, apply white Elmer’s glue or a rose sealant to each cut. This will prevent cane borer’s who like to enter the stem and eventually kill your rose!

Spray your pruners with a Clorox solution in between plants so you do not carry fungus to other roses. Clorox solution is made with 1 tablespoon of Clorox per gallon of water!

Finally, after pruning, you must clean up your rose bed! This helps to prevent diseases. All stems left from the pruning must be removed and taken away– and do not take them to the compost pile for they may carry some fungal diseases!

I like to fluff the old mulch a bit to allow the rose to get some water. Otherwise the mulch forms an impenetrable blanket which may be great for winter protection but when Spring comes and the danger of frost is passed you want to fluff it to allow some air circulation and water penetration.

I also use this time to add a circle of manure around the rose, with some alfalfa meal, and another organic slow release fertilizer (example: 10-10-10) This will help to keep weeds down and give some much needed nutrients to help the rose along after a long hard winter! Make sure to check out my article on fertilizer’s entitled “Fertilizer 101!”

Alright, I don’t want to throw too much at you all at once, so make sure to check out Part 2 of this article coming very soon! It will help you figure out just what rose varieties need pruning and when!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

To honor those who gave their lives in the horrifying attack on September 11, 2001, there is a special non-profit organization that is dedicated to the Remember-Me Rose Garden project. This project is the brainchild of Sue Casey “a law firm receptionist in Portland, Oregon, who wanted to do something for victims and families.”

The first part of this project is three beautiful rose gardens– one each in New York City, Washington D.C., and another in Somerset Pennsylvania.

The second part of the project is ongoing, and that is nine roses honoring the victims of 9-11. So far four roses have been introduced– one each year since September 2003.

The first was the Firefighter rose: “A red hybrid tea rose to honor the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.” This beautiful red rose is strong and scented and is even disease resistant! It grows to 5 or 6 feet in warmer climates, for our region however, I recommend the graft be planted at least 6 inches below the soil line or at the very least add plenty of winter protection! Take these precautions and you’ll be able to enjoy this wonderful rose even in our cold climate!

The second was named the Soaring Spirits rose: “A new cream pink and yellow stripped climbing rose to honor the more than 2,000 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 as they worked in the World Trade Center Towers.”

This beautiful rose is a climber, blooms from Spring until Fall, is apple scented, and grows between 8 and 12 feet and is good for zone 4!

The third rose is the We Salute You rose: It is in “honor the 125 service members, employees, and contract workers who died in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.”

This pretty hybrid tea rose grows to between 4 and 5 feet, the flower size gets up to 5 inches, and the rose has a spicy fragrance! If planting in a cold zone take the same precautions mentioned for the Firefighter rose.”

Finally, I wanted to tell you about a wonderful new rose that *sigh* won’t even be out until next Spring!!! The latest in the Remember Me Roses is the Forty Heroes Rose created by legendary rosarian Ping Lim for Bailey Nurseries!

What Remember Me Rose has to say…

“…a beautiful golden yellow rose is named for the crew and passengers of United Flight 93. Courageously they fought back forcing hijackers to crash the plane in rural Pennsylvania instead of the intended target in Washington, D.C., changing the course of history.”

I encourage you to start a remember me rose garden of your own! Fifteen percent of the sale of these beautiful roses goes towards the maintenance of the Remember Me Rose Gardens, or if you would like you can donate directly to the Remember Me Rose Organization here. Let’s not forget our nation’s heroes, and as gardeners we can donate our special talent to help keep those heroes alive, if not in just a single bloom.

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne