Exploring the many methods of raising a rose

Steve Kawaratani

“Now that your rose is in bloom ...”

-- SEAL

“Reign endless, rose ... “

-- HERMAN MELVILLE

The roses in Laguna’s summer gardens are at their peak now, and

more can be selected for their bloom and delightful fragrance

(something you can’t do during bare-root season). Your favorite

nursery should still have ample variety .... from the antique roses

of yesterday to today’s disease-resistant English, hybrid tea,

floribunda and shrub roses.

Roses bought in containers can be planted in the garden at any

time of the year. The “perfect” hole for your rose should be 1 1/2

times as deep and two times wider than the container in which the

rose is growing. Create a backfill mixture beneath and beside the

rootball with a combination of 1/2 native soil mixed with a

good-quality planter’s mix, 1/4-pound of Gro-power, and the rose

cocktail (see below).

Avoid disturbing the rootball during transplanting. I recommend

that you cut and remove the bottom of the container and place the

rose in the hole; the bud union should be about 2 inches above the

ground. Cut the sides of the container and fill the hole loosely with

soil. Remove the sides of the container carefully, and the rootball

will remain intact. Water thoroughly with a solution of 1 tablespoon

of Vitamin B1 (further insurance against transplant shock) to a

gallon of water to settle the soil. Check for settling, add more soil

if necessary, then water again.

Catharine’s Rose cocktail

1 cup of gypsite 1 tablespoon soil sulfur

1 tablespoon chelated iron

1 tablespoon Epsom salts

In compiling another Plant Man list of favorite roses, I have

selected roses that are particularly fragrant, disease-resistant and

easy to grow. And of course, Catharine has personally approved them.

Especially fragrant roses: David Austin holds the shrub rose,

Gruss an Aachen, in high esteem. He has even adopted it as one of his

English roses. The deeply cupped blooms have a pleasing fragrance,

which turn a pearl-pink to creamy-white.

Possessing an old rose perfume, Othello is a standout rose. It

produces large, cupped blooms of crimson fading to purple. Sean tells

me the blooms are excellent in flower arrangements.

Tiffany is treasured for its large, pink blossoms that are very

fragrant. This hybrid tea grows vigorously upright with long stems

and elegant buds.

Disease-resistant: The emerald green foliage of Pristine is the

first indicator that mildew should think twice about invading this

tough rose. It’s graceful, crimson blooms edged with white look

wonderful in a vase.

Royal Bonica continues the trend of modern roses, free-blooming,

disease-resistant and not fussy about pruning. Pale-pink blooms cover

very green and shiny foliage.

I recall when I first introduced Winifred Coulter into my garden.

That was nearly five years ago, and its glossy green leaves have yet

to be sprayed for either insect or disease. This floribunda’s

rose-pink blooms seem almost never-ending.

Easy to Grow: One of the most rewarding of the climbers is the

single, blood red blooms of Altissimo. Very fragrant and excellent as

a cut flower, this rose blooms freely throughout the year. This is

the strongest-growing red climbing rose for Laguna gardens.

A vigorous and bushy plant, Heritage is a perfect rose. The blooms

are a lovely soft pink with a nice fragrance. Not fussy, it requires

very little care.

The nonstop bloomer, Iceberg, is a climber and bush that doesn’t

quite reach pure white in our coastal clime. Very fragrant and nearly

disease-resistant; if you only have space for one rose, this is the

one.

The rose reigns supreme in Laguna. In fact, if my wife had her

way, our entire garden would be filled with roses (well, maybe

vegetables). Come to think of it, there probably is some space for a

couple more roses. As you know, Catharine knows best. See you next

time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is an avid gardener and story-pole gazer. He is

married to local artist, Catharine Cooper, and has two cats. He can

be contacted at (949) 497-2438 or [email protected].