Rose Cuttings – October, 2007

Most Texas nurserymen would agree that they would like to change the trend from spring planting in favor of fall planting. This is because there are many benefits to planting in fall in Texas and the South. Winter in Texas offers an excellent stretch of time for perennials, roses and woody trees and shrubs to set out roots, get acclimated and poise themselves for the performance we all hope and dream about when spring finally arrives.

Prove it to yourself and try planting one of the Antique Rose Emporium’s new Pioneer Roses, like the yellow-flowered Anson Jones or the Stephen F. Austin (pictured, right), or one of the highly touted Earthkind” roses such as Belinda’s Dream (pink) or Perle d’Or (apricot) this fall. Then compare them to those same roses being sold in the spring. Not only will you see fall-planted roses increase their size over those same plants just planted in the spring, you’ll get more blooms and tougher, better-established plants to go into our hot summers, unarguably the most challenging season of the South. For the sake of the plants, let’s help reverse the spring-planting trend and give our plants what they want and need by planting in fall!

About the author: Mike Shoup is the owner of the Antique Rose Emporium. Visit their Brenham and San Antonio display gardens for endless ideas on landscaping with roses, and to order roses online, visit their Web site: www.weAREroses.com.

The Antique Rose Emporium’s Garden Festival of Roses in San Antonio and the Fall Festival of Roses in Independence offer presentations on many garden-related topics, all in an effort to promote Fall planting. Check out the schedules and dates at www.weAREroses.com. See you in the nursery this fall.