CHARLESTON LOWCOUNTRY ROSE SOCIETY JAN. 2014 MEETING

The Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society will hold their first meeting for 2014 on Sunday, January 5 at 3 PM at Berkeley Electric Cooperative Office, 3351 Maybank Highway, Johns Island, SC 29455.

The program will be "Your 2014 Master Plan in the Rose Garden" to be presented by Bob Lundberg. Bob is an American Rose Society Master Rosarian and is also the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society Consulting Rosarian Chair. He and his wife, Sandy Lundberg, maintain a rose garden of about 400 roses in Blufton, SC. They are top exhibitors, having won numerous awards from rose shows at the local, district and national level. Bob will go through each month and give an overview of what you should be doing in the garden. He will have a flip chart for each month and will also put the same information on a hand out.

Membership in the Charleston Lowcountry Rose Society is open to anyone with interest in roses. Dues are $15 for single membership and $20 for family membership annually, January - December and includes information-packed newsletter, The Charleston Rose and participation in all society activities. For more info, email Rosalinda Morgan at RosalindaRM@comcast.net.

To join, send dues to Matthew Morgan, Membership Chair, 3056 Sugarberry Ln., Johns Island, SC 29455.

FOURTH OF JULY – A ROSE TO CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE

 

Striped Red and White Rose

Parentage: R. 'Roller Coaster' x R. 'Altissimo'.

Fourth of July is a special day for our country. We celebrate our freedom that we cherish and that our veterans fought and died heroically and some are still fighting to preserve what we enjoy today. Won't it be nice to honor our country by having “Fourth of July” rose in our garden? Yes, a rose by the name of “Fourth of July”. As a gardener, I designed my front garden in the theme of Red, White and Blue. I have white alyssum, blue pansies and red roses. 

“Fourth of July” is a semi-double, gorgeous ruffled petals climber that looks like a burst of fireworks when in bloom. It has long, pointed buds and 3" and 4" blooms with striped red and white petals and glossy, dark green foliage. It is a vigorous plant and can grow 10 to 14 ft. high. It is the first climber to be honored as a 1999 All-America Selection winner for a long time. I planted mine next to a palm tree hoping it would climb the palm tree but the canes were growing away from the tree so I pegged the long cane last week. Pegging or bending the cane down and pegging it to the ground encourages more lateral stems and more blooms.  Next year, I plan to dig it up and move it next to the pillar supporting my front terrace and train it to climb the pillar. 

“Fourth of July” has strong apple fragrance, a very refreshing scent. Color is dramatic. It is a stunning plant, a real traffic stopper. It is an excellent repeat blooming rose with sensational flowers all season long. It is the best climber around winning awards at rose show around the country.  You can plant them attached to an arch, pergola or trellis for a stunning display of colorful blooms.  Some gardeners use them as a shrub in the entranceway to the garden.  To grow them as a shrub, prune them heavily in the spring. 

Best grown in medium moisture, slightly acidic, well-drained garden loams in full sun to part shade. Water deeply and regularly (mornings are best). Good air circulation is important because it promotes vigorous and healthy growth and helps prevent diseases. Summer mulch helps retain moisture, keeps roots cool and discourages weeds. Remove spent flowers to encourage rebloom.  Remove and destroy diseased leaves from plants, as practicable, and clean up and destroy dead leaves from the ground around the plants both during the growing season and as part of winterizing your roses in late fall.  It is very disease resistant and winter hardy.  Few roses can command attention like Fourth of July. It only has 10-16 petals but when Fourth of July is i bloom, it is quite a show.

 A RED, WHITE & BLUE GARDEN

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WHAT TO DO WITH THE ARS ROSE PLATES?

Do you have those rose plates issued by the American Rose Society in the 70s and 80s?  When they were issued at that time, they were intended as collector's plates.  The speculation was the price would go up like other collector's plates.  I collected them and for years they were just sitting in the attic in their original boxes.  Every so often, I saw them at antique stores but they have not appreciated in values.  So I decided to keep my collection hoping for the price to go up.  It never did.

When we moved down south last year, I made a decision to take some of them out of the boxes and use them for decoration.  Since I now live in a townhouse with a miniscule yard, I cannot plant too many roses.  Still, I can have roses indoors be it on my walls and on my plates.  I also have rose books everywhere in my new home.  I decided I’d use some of my rose plates as decoration.  Why not?  What good are they in their boxes?  So I hanged 15 plates downstairs and 7 plates in the guest room. I still have a dozen plates left still in their original boxes.  I also have the 8 mini plate and saucer sets, also in their original boxes.  Someday, I’ll find a place for them or sell them but for now I’m enjoying those hanging on the walls.  

 Both of the above are in the dining room flanking a china cabinet on one wall.

The one is on the small hallway by the back door above a mirror that someone gave me for my wedding 42 years ago.  I love this small mirror with two botanicals printed on the top.

This collection is on the wall in the guest bedroom on the third floor.

Roses are not difficult to grow contrary to popular belief as long as you know what they need. Why do you think Roses have been around for millions of years?  All they need are food, water and sunlight.  Just like you and me.  

 Here at Rose Gardening World, we’ll educate you about the Rose - our National Floral Emblem and the state flower of several states.  Welcome to the World of Rose Gardening or Rose Gardening World where Rose Gardening Tips, Rose Growing Advice, Planting a Rose Garden, Rose Descriptions, Where to Buy Roses, Where to see Rose Gardens, Rose Culture, Rose History, Rose Events, Rose Verses are all here in one place.  

 We are constantly updating our contents so visit Rose Gardening World often.  We want to help you grow Beautiful Roses and we welcome comments.  Take time and smell the roses. 

  Happy Rose Gardening!

 Check my other blogs:

·         YES, YOU CAN GROW BEAUTIFUL ROSES 

·         KNOCK OUT ROSES

·         EARTHKIND ROSES

·         OSO EASY ROSES

·         OSO HAPPY ROSES

·         ROSE SUPPLIERS 

·         PLANTING BARE-ROOT ROSES

·         CLEANING ROSE PRUNERS BLADES

·         PRUNING YOUR ROSES

·         DAVID AUSTIN ROSES

·         DAVID AUSTIN ROSES IN COMMERCE

·         

Visit my website
Join a local rose society
Join the American Rose Society

WOMEN AND ROSES

A poem by Robert Browning dedicated to women and roses -

The dream of a red-rose tree.

And which of its roses three

Is the dearest rose to me?

Round and round, like a dance of snow

In a dazzling drift, as its guardians, go

Floating the women faded for ages,

Scultured in stone, on the poet’s pages.

Then follow women fresh and gay,

Living and loving and loved to-day.

Last, in the rear, flee the multitude of maidens,

Beauties yet unborn. And all, to one cadence,

They circle their rose on my rose tree.

Dear rose, thy term is reached,

Thy leaf hangs loose and bleached:

Bees pass it unimpeached.

Stay then, stoop, since I cannot climb,

You, great shapes of the antique time!

How shall I fix you, fire you, freeze you,

Break my heart at your feet to please you?

Oh, to possess and be possessed!

Hearts that beat ‘neath each pallid breast!

Once but of love, the poesy, the passion,

Drink but once and die! – In vain, the same fashion,

They circle their rose on my rose tree.

Robert Browning

1812-1889

Roses are not difficult to grow contrary to popular belief as long as you know what they need. Why do you think Roses have been around for millions of years?  All they need are food, water and sunlight.  Just like you and me.  

Here at Rose Gardening World, we’ll educate you about the Rose - our National Floral Emblem and the state flower of several states.  Welcome to the World of Rose Gardening or Rose Gardening World where Rose Gardening Tips, Rose Growing Advice, Planting a Rose Garden, Rose Descriptions, Where to Buy Roses, Where to see Rose Gardens, Rose Culture, Rose History, Rose Events, Rose Verses are all here in one place.  

We are constantly updating our contents so visit Rose Gardening World often.  We want to help you grow Beautiful Roses and we welcome comments.  Take time and smell the roses.  Happy Rose Gardening!

Check my other blogs:

• YES, YOU CAN GROW BEAUTIFUL ROSES 
• KNOCK OUT ROSES
• EARTHKIND ROSES
• OSO EASY ROSES
• OSO HAPPY ROSES
• ROSE SUPPLIERS
• WILL THERE BE A SHORTAGE OF ROSES IN 2012?
• PLANTING BARE-ROOT ROSES
• CLEANING ROSE PRUNERS BLADES
• PRUNING YOUR ROSES
• AARS WINNER FOR 2012
• DAVID AUSTIN ROSES
•  DAVID AUSTIN ROSES IN COMMERCE

Visit my website

Join a local rose society

Join the American Rose Society