Rose Cuttings – October, 2007

One of the worst distractions to an otherwise beautiful garden is the visual chaos created by an improperly trained climbing rose. In some gardens, climbing roses can casually weep from fences or mound over themselves, making wonderful additions without hours of laborious training. But, if you want to embellish architectural features such as trellises, arbors, arches, or pergolas, then tastefully trained roses are key.

September is an excellent time to train your climbing roses. As gardeners, we must harness the rose and not let the rose harness us. Excessive or unruly canes should be removed. Train others to weave closely on and through the structure. Manipulation of the canes encourages bloom.

Shrub roses need a little shaping right now, as well. Prune or shear overgrown shrubs that are out of scale with the rest of the garden. For every cane you cut, you’ll encourage at least three or more additional canes that flower. That’s a good rate of return in anybody’s bank!

A little effort now will be enjoyed through the fall and, if you are lucky, you’ll have a bounty of roses for your Thanksgiving or holiday table.

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