SAN JOSE HERITAGE ROSE GARDEN

Here's What's Going On in the Garden

This page will be updated from time to time to let you know what's up in the garden.

June 1999 Status:

bulletLast report I told you how really cold temperatures had given the roses true dormancy. I Predicted a gorgeous spring bloom and how right I was! Cool nights persisted into the first days of April staving off the earlier bloomers. R. lavigata (Cherokee Rose), which usually blooms in late February, waited until April. The Chinas and Teas were perfect for our "Spring in Guadalupe Gardens" event on the 24th. The Hybrid Teas peaked a week later with the European Old Garden Roses, two weeks after that. Polyanthas are peeking now while the rest of the garden is meandering toward its first rest and buildup for the second flush which I expect by the end of June. Still, there is lots to see in the garden as there will be until November.

 

bulletMaintenance Activity.  We completed pruning the European Old Garden roses in late February and fertilized the garden with 12-14 month Osmocote with minors the next two work days. Since then, dug duplicate rose varieties, planted about 100 new varieties and cut out understock suckers. Deadheading now goes on in earnest. More varieties are to be planted, budwood is to be collected for budding the understock stuck last winter and mini rose cuttings will be started.
bulletFinal planning is in progress to present the City of San Jose with a proposal to replace the original irrigation system which is failing with the more durable, maintainable and simple Liggett system. This would be installed by volunteers over the next two years.
bulletWe have been granted an exciting opportunity to expand the garden. The University of Santa Clara has a 1/2 mile x 7' fence at the junction of main streets. They will plant climbers we provide. We are starting to collect climber varieties that are either not in the main garden or are overgrowing their space and need to be moved. We estimate 270 varieties can be placed 10' apart on that fence. What a glorious sight that will be in several years. We are particularly happy with this offer as the university staff will plant and care for these roses. The University and Mission are already justifiably famous for their roses.

 

bulletVolunteers.  Our group continues to grow and the group is becoming close friends. For the summer, the Wednesday group will be bringing salad makings the first Wednesday of every month. Our volunteer coordinator uses makes the salad while we work. We are now concentrating on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 - 12.  Beginning June 14th, we will be adding Mondays from 9 'til 12 as our third weekly work day. Marianne Sugg will be the Monday supervisor.   For info, call the Garden Center at 408-298-7657. Especially needed are knowledgeable rosarians that can take supervisory responsibility for work days.

Note. I have been getting a number of email requests to buy roses. We do not sell roses. Nurseries who do are found on the links page.

Mel Hulse, June 1, 1999

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Links to past status pages:

October 1998 Status:

September 1998 Status:

June 1998 Status

May 1998 Status:

April 1998 Status:

March 1998 Status:

 

This page was last updated on 02/27/06.

Address comments to Mel Hulse