Rose Report

Every Midwest rose grower’s hope is that there is enough snowfall to bring moisture to her garden. If there has not been enough moisture, your roses will need at least one good soaking (one gallon per bush) when the temperature is above freezing and the ground is not frozen. Check your weather app for the days in the 50s. We usually have one or two glorious days around 60 degrees. When we have such a day, I will attach my hose to a small circular sprinkler and let each of my beds have a deep soak while the sun is shining! And, don’t forget to disconnect your hose from the faucet after watering to prevent freezing and possible pipe damage.

January is the perfect month to think about adding roses to your garden. The Kansas City Rose Society Rose Library (www.kcrsroselibrary.com) is a great place to start looking at roses that grow successfully in Kanas City. When choosing new roses or replacing ill performing roses, the KCRS Garden Committee, including KC Parks Landscape Technician/Head Rosarian Dana Flemming, Ann Greene, JJ Jensen, Kevin Lane and Martha Negley, looks at several key aspects of a rose before choosing.

The questions we ask are: What is its sustainable reference (meaning is it disease resistant and does the hybridizer have a reputation for breeding disease resistant roses)? Is the recommended rose the color, petal count and variety we need? Is it a repeat bloomer? Is its American Rose Society rating 8.0 or higher (see www. rose.org to order the Selecting Roses Handbook with ratings)? Will it thrive in zone 6? Is it fragrant? Do local nurseries carry it? If we can’t find it locally, can we find it online at a reputable nursery? Do we know anyone who has grown it in this area?

If you are thinking about starting your own rose garden or adding roses to your garden, please spend some time looking at www.kcrsroselibrary.com. For rose care, click on the KCRS main site. I look forward to seeing many of you in the (hopefully snowy) Rose Garden this month. The Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Garden remains the crown jewel of our city!

A spring program of interest to rose growers is scheduled for March 25. See the details listed in Upcoming Events on page 19.

LAUREN ENGLISH Consulting Rosarian

Lauren English is the Kansas City Rose Society Garden Chair at the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden in Loose Park and an American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian. She can be reached at laurenenglish.kcrs@ gmail.com or at the Ask a Rosarian hotline, kcrosehelp@gmail.com.

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