Rose to the occasion
Throughout their long and colorful history, roses have symbolized beauty, elegance and passion. Roses also have attracted a devoted following among growers, for whom gardening is often a labor of love.
Roses traditionally are given as signs of affection, and many growers got their start after receiving roses from loved ones.When Melsina Michaels-Petrak of Cranberry Township first began dating her husband, an old boyfriend sent roses for her birthday."Not to be outdone, my husband sent me roses for Valentine's Day," she said with a laugh. "The ones that my husband gave me rooted and the others died, so he thought that was fabulous."The first roses in Donna Eubanks' garden were also given to her by her husband."I got one rosebush as a birthday gift from my late husband, and from there I started getting a rosebush for every present," said Eubanks, whose collection has grown to include more than 50 rosebushes around her Sarver property.
The garden helps Eubanks remember her husband and also pays tribute to relatives who served in the military with varieties like the Veteran's Honor and Peace roses."My son was a Marine, my brother is retired from the Army and my dad was in the Air Force," she said. "I have Wild Blue Yonder roses for him."Eubanks' American-themed area includes red perennials, white daisies and blue delphiniums. The flowers are arranged around the flag and there are about 20 varieties of roses with patriotic names, including Ronald Reagan, who declared the rose America's national flower.A talent for growing roses ran in the family for Joan Chew of Butler who inherited her garden from her mother."My mother was a gardener and I live in the same house as she did, so it's the same garden," Chew said. "She loved roses and so did my grandmother, who also lived here."One of her special plants is a variety of shrub rose called Mary."My mother's name was Mary and I take really good care of that one," she said of the loose-petaled pink blooms.Like Chew, Michaels-Petrak grew up watching family members in the garden and said her appreciation for roses started with her grandmother, who grew roses in a city lot in Pittsburgh."People would drive from miles around to see her roses," she said. "They were magnificent."Passing a love of roses on to others is the best part of the hobby, said Eubanks, who loves to bring bouquets to Shadyside Hospital, where she works as a nurse."The nurses all comment on the beauty and the fragrance, and they take turns taking the bouquet home with them," she said. "My reward is sharing my passion with others."
Tom McMeekin, manager of Quality Gardens in Valencia, has taught classes on rose gardening at the greenhouse, which sells more than 5,000 rose bushes a year.With proper care, McMeekin said roses are not difficult to grow.When choosing roses at a garden center, McMeekin said glossy green leaves are the best indicator of health."When rose leaves start to develop an off-colored cast, that is generally an indication of something, whether it's a lack of water, some insect symptoms or the early stages of fungus," he said. "If it looks good, it generally is good."Preventive care is more effective than curative care when it comes to keeping roses healthy.Each rose bush needs about five gallons of water each week and McMeekin said the best way to keep plants healthy is to water frequently."A healthy, strong-growing plant has a tendency to resist most problems that come along," he said. "A hot, dry rose is under stress and that's when problems occur."For optimal health, choose an area that gets at least six hours of sunlight per day, preferably a southern exposure."The ideal location is in full sunlight with rich, sandy soil, in an area that is protected to the north to block the cold winter winds," McMeekin said.Plant rosebushes about three feet apart to avoid overcrowding and promote air circulation, which reduces disease susceptibility.Roses bloom in June, McMeekin said, and the size depends on the variety."They can grow from 12 inches to 15 feet," he said. "The biggest ones are the climbing roses and the shortest ones are the landscape roses."If roses are well-cared for, they can last for several generations, he said.Problems typically fall under three categories: insect-related, fungal and viral.Insects like Japanese beetles and aphids can be controlled by spraying leaves, McMeekin said, adding there are organic sprays on the market in addition to traditional insecticides.Fungal problems include powdery mildew and black spot, which can also be controlled with chemical applications.The only solution to a virus is to tear out the plant and burn it, but most consumers should not be concerned."Mostly all reputable suppliers of roses are inspected thoroughly and regularly by the state Department of Agriculture," he said. "If they see anything that even remotely resembles a virus, the plant is removed for testing — and if it comes back positive, it is destroyed."The purpose of pruning is to encourage new growth by removing dead wood and improving air circulation. Pruning should be done every few weeks, depending on the recommendations for the variety, McMeekin said.Roses are heavy feeders and should be fertilized, McMeekin said."If it's a liquid fertilizer, that could be done every time the roses are watered, and if it's a dry granular fertilizer, once a month," he said. "There are also some time release fertilizers in granular form and they slowly release over the summer."Spending time in the garden can help growers identify potential problems sooner, Michaels-Petrak said."Visit your roses often. Don't just plant it and walk away," Michaels-Petrak said. "It's important to monitor your garden and really take part in it."
From natural remedies to chemical sprays, gardeners can choose from countless methods to keep their roses in shape."There are dozens of ways to do everything there is to do in a rose garden, and every single one of them is right," Michaels-Petrak said. "It's really a matter of preference."Although she is an avid Internet user, Chew recommends doing research at the library because the rose photographs are more vivid in print than on-screen."Go to the Butler Public Library and read all the books that you can," said Chew. "We have a wonderful resource in the library and they have a lot of information there."Eubanks started out by reading gardening books, but has been active in the Pittsburgh Rose Society for about 10 years."There's a huge learning curve," said Eubanks, who admits she lost quite a few roses at first. "The books tell you to do one thing, but you really need the tried-and-true methods that people have learned over the years."Michaels-Petrak, also a member of the Rose Society, said she is constantly amazed by the wealth of knowledge within the group."There are people there who have been dealing with roses their entire lifetime, so when I run into problems, I know there's somebody there who can help," she said. "There is so much to learn there, and so much talent."As they learn more about roses, gardeners eventually figure out how to troubleshoot, said Michaels-Petrak.Michaels-Petrak said she once noticed roses declining even though her caretaking had not changed.She realized that stone dust from a wall that was under construction had gotten into the soil and altered the pH."Sometimes there are challenges that creep up," she said. "It was interesting to put it all together. It's like playing Sherlock Holmes in the garden."Growing roses can seem overwhelming at first, Michaels-Petrak said, but people should not be discouraged."Don't be afraid, just dive in," she said.With proper care and maintenance, roses are not difficult to grow, Eubanks said — and in fact, her garden has become a haven."The area where I have my garden seat is surrounded by roses and I just get lost with all the smells and colors," she said. "When I'm in my garden with my flowers, it takes me away from all the other stresses of life."
