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SAN JOSE HERITAGE ROSE GARDEN The Latest from the Heritage! This page is updated from time to time to let you know what's up in the garden. Mel Hulse, Garden Maintenance Director Garden Report, End Summer 2005 Another year of unusual rain and a warm winter followed in July by some hot days and August/September by pleasant days. Tea roses started blooming early March, almost a month early. Sadly, the early flush was followed by a sea of powdery mildew which desiccated the leaves. The result was a poor, early second Tea flush in Mid April. The rest of the garden, though early, did very well in mid-April. Then, late April and May rain brought wall to wall disease (Powdery Mildew, Rust, Blackspot, etc). As a result of the disease, the leaves on those most affected desiccated or fell off. The plants took a while to get around to it, but in late June they got serious about growing new foliage... and then the heat hit in July... crispy leaf tips! It was not a shortage of water. They have plenty. Obviously, disease resistant roses didn't participate because they went into the heat with mature, clean foliage. Mid-August has brought seasonable or below seasonable temperatures. The roses are recovering and beginning to work toward a nice fall flush We are still losing plants to a mysterious canker-like disease. We had Dr. Robert Rabbe, a leading plant pathologist down. He took samples to culture. We are awaiting the results. The Heritage Nursery. We are slowly planting the nursery roses as they reach adequate size. Workdays. Workdays are Wednesdays and Saturdays, starting 9 - 12. Bring a hat, bypass shears and leather gloves if you have them. We'll show you how! Its “SNACK and YACK” time in the Garden center on Wednesdays after the work session. Stone soup time is the first Wednesday of each winter month. Bring a vegetable! But, most of all COME and work in the roses for as long as you enjoy it. Catalog. Our year 2004 catalog is available at the Garden Center for a $12 donation and by mail for $15. E-mail oldroser@gmail.com for details. Peak Bloom. There is always bloom to see at the Heritage. The first big show of the year is at the end of March when the old China and Tea roses produce a glorious bloom. The peak Spring modern rose flush is (usually!) the end of April. Old Garden Roses peak about two weeks later and Polyanthas and Miniatures, a week after that. The peak Fall flush is mid-October. Garden Center Staffing. There is someone at the Garden Center from 9am-4pm, Monday - Friday. You can call with questions about the Heritage and other elements of the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens. Phone: 408-298-7657. If you get the answering machine, staff is probably out in the garden. Leave a message including your interest and they will return your call ASAP. Mel Hulse, September, 2005 Links to past status pages: This page was last updated on 02/27/06.
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