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There are 422 rose bushes in our three rose gardens—180 in the two Lakeside gardens and 242 in the Fairway gardens. It is understandable, that with so many plants to care for, the Landscape/Rose Committee has been expanded to 19 members.
The rose year starts with pruning in January. The heavy pruning is done by Susan's crew, followed up by committee members who do the finish pruning—shaping the plant and removing all leaves and looking for suckers. Suckers are canes which spring from their rootstock, rather than from the bud union.They will not bloom true and their foliage is usually rather different in appearance from the rest of the plant.
The roses then receive two tablespoons of a fertilizer that contains potassium for color, magnesium for quality and yield, and sulfur, a requirement for nitrogen fixation. This takes 17 bags for the three gardens. Six weeks later, the roses are given a fertilizer that also provides insect protection and disease control.
During the entire growing season, deadheading is an almost daily job. This is the removal of spent blossoms before the plant has had a chance to develop a seed. When this is done, the plant sends out re-growth hormones, produces a new bloom and tries again.
Now comes the fun part—harvesting. Roses are picked, made up into bouquets and distributed to the reception desks of Fairway and Lakeside, Sales Office, areas in the Health Center, and all of the Resident Services offices.
Enough roses are left to remain in the gardens for all to stop and smell!