Re: winterizing roses




From: Valerie Lowery@ZEON on 11/10/99 01:58 PM

To all of those tired of coddling those hybrid tea roses or having them
succumb to blackspot every darn year, try rugosas or shrub roses.  These
will tolerate the lazier gardeners like me, who don't have the patience to
spray every other day to keep bugs/disease away.  Rugosas, my fave,
withstand absolutely everything in my garden:  little if any additional
watering, a scattering of fertilizing in the spring, and they actually HATE
chemical sprays of any sort.  They respond by dropping leaves if you try
the spray stuff.  I've had bugs come and go, no diseases have bothered
them, and they will shrug off below 0 degrees with no mulching.  Their
downfall?  Short stems on the blooms don't allow for traditional rose
bouquets and rugosas have some serious thorns and suckering tendencies.

For example, my 6 foot tall 'Therese Bugnet' rewards me with loads of
perfumed powder-pink roses every early summer and will give me orange-red
leaves in the fall.  In winter, the canes are a striking burgundy.  I
couldn't recommend it more for year around appeal!  However, it's not for
the gardener who likes things neat and tidy.  This rugosa will not mind her
manners and will grow like crazy and sucker up everywhere if you're not
careful, but they're easy to remove.  Since the rose is so pleasing, I
haven't the heart to reprimand her and I let her do what she wants within
limits.  If she doesn't bother me, I won't bother her.

There is another e-mail forum like this perennial list just for roses.
Those interested may want to join it.  Does anyone know the address right
off hand or know how to subscribe?  I've seen a couple of you joining in on
some of their conversations from time to time.

Val in KY
zone 6a


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