My earliest memory of these beautiful plants is from my great grandma's rose garden. Looking back, it was probably only 6 plants she had, but they were all different colors. To a small child, that seems like a lot! I loved looking through her garden, excitedly waiting for the buds to appear, and then to bloom. She had red and orange. I'm know she had other colors, but those are the ones I remember the most.
Then, I remember how my grandad would always be bringing fresh cut roses to my grandma. She'd display them in a pretty blue vase all summer long. Usually there was only one at a time but it would be big and fragrant.
It took me a long time to get up the nerve to grow roses on my own. I guess I thought it took forever to get the plant established, and then I didn't want to spend the money. But, I gave it a go in Illinois a few years ago and loved the instant gratification of it all. I got so many blooms within a few months of planting. And then we moved to Iowa. I'm hoping someone is caring for those roses now. But, after my success in Illinois, I decided the first thing I needed to plant here in Iowa was roses.
So, I went out and bought 4 or 5 bushes and planted them. I have been enjoying roses ALL summer and fall! Some of my rose bushes are taller than I am! It really was incredible to watch them grow.
I don't consider myself a good gardener, but I have learned a few tricks about taking care of roses. When you get blooms, cut them off down to the first 5-leaf. In other words, look at the bloom and from there, go down the stem. You'll see leaves in groups of 2 or 3, don't cut there! Go all the way down to the group of 5 and make your cut right above that. If you do this, it usually means you won't have much color outside because you're cutting them before the flower dies. But, the plant will go crazy with blooms and you will have bouquets inside all summer and fall. If you choose to leave the flower outside, it will add color to your yard, just not as quickly. Some people think that once the flowers die, the rose is done, but with a little pruning, you can have more blooms soon.
Today is November 3rd and I just cut my last rose bouquet of the year. I also had a few lavender sprigs to put in with them. I pruned my roses down, almost clear to the ground. (I hope I did it right, but I heard it's almost impossible to prune the wrong way.) I hope to cover them with mulch soon. I had to prune them since the wind was blowing them over. It was a hard thing to do because they all had many more buds, but I know with the colder weather coming, they wouldn't have bloomed anyway. By the way, we have been spoiled with pleasant weather all fall. I don't think I will have many years with roses this late in the season. I'm thankful for this one! :)
So, I will enjoy my last bouquet, the color, the smell, the memories. Thank you God, for roses!
What is your favorite flower?
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