Everything's Coming Up SCARLETT'S ROSES.
Only the second season, and our roses are already blooming as if they have been established for years! Here's what worked:
Sunlight. Nothing substitutes for full sun
Fertilizer. Flower-tone or Rose-tone.
Mulch. In early May or late April
Watering. Weekly directly into the soil annually.
Placement. Plant with non-competing plants, such as boxwoods.
Roses growing this summer
Roses immediately add a romantic, classic element to your garden and in Scarlett's garden, we have experienced planting plenty of varieties. Our favorites?Â
Currently, Double Knockout Roses, New Dawns and the Cécile Brünner are the varieties we are planting, establishing and caring for in Scarlett's Garden this Summer. Sharing our lessons for your planting.
CLIMBING ROSES
ALL ABOUT THE "NEW DAWN" CLIMBING IN SCARLETT'S GARDEN
NEW DAWN HISTORY
The New Dawn was inducted into the World Federation of Rose Societies "Hall of Fame" in 1997.
New Dawn Rose was a happy accident derived from a variety of the Dr. Van fleet Rose.
The first U.S. Plant Patent Number 1 to ever be issued was for the "New Dawn" in August of 1931. It was issued to New Jersey resident Henry Bosenberg for the New Dawn, which was "characterized by its everblooming habit."
APPEARANCE
Glossy dark leaves surround the New Dawn semi-double blooming roses.
The blooms bear light pink petals. The exact color can be described as a very light pink or even a "champagne" colored petal.
These petals are lighter and sweet in contrast to their deep green leaves. The foliage appears darker compared to other climbing varieties.
CONSIDERATIONS
Height: Mature at 8 to12 feet
Width: Given the space to weave, these climbers will branch out laterally at 5 to 6 feet.
Zone Hardiness: Zone 5b - 9. SG has had great success planting in Zone 6 (after all, the New Dawn was first discovered in none other than Somerset, NJ!).
Environment: a sunny spot with a good breeze for enough exposure and air circulation.
CLIMBING HASSLE-FREE ROSES
FROM SCARLETT'S GARDEN, TIPS FOR TRAINING CLIMBING ROSES
CHOOSE A LOCATION
Before planting, we found a spot that receives sun for most of the day (at least 6 hours of direct exposure) that faces east.
STICK TO A STRUCTURE
The structure can be a fence or trellis that can carry the weight of the roses once mature. Depending on the rose variety, these climbers are known to reach up to 20 feet (and get heavy), so space and strength of the structure are key.
PLAN YOUR PLANTING
Prepare to dig with enough depth so the root ball of the plant meets the level of the ground. The area we chose already had about 2" mulch to work with, which is recommended when planting climbing roses. After loosening the base of the plant, we placed the plant to angle the stems slightly toward the structure where the roses will get the most sun early in the afternoon. We then backfilled it with organic soil that we dug up and mixed in compost, topping it off with rose tone before the initial watering.
GUIDE THE GROWTH
We have been training our roses to grow in a lateral direction instead of straight up in order to get the most density out of the booms. Using ties to the structure is also helpful, but we suggest using loose ties to avoid inhibiting growth or plant damage. Also, well-drained soil and March pruning are sure to help our roses continue to climb! We learned that it's best to avoid pruning the more aggressive stems and instead train these to climb through the structure, which should pay off with more vigorous growth.
After the fall leaves drop and before the winter, prune out old or non-producing canes at their base, then work outward to thin and remove closely packed stems.
Remember, even after fertilizing with planting, it's recommended to continue to fertilize, especially again after the first bloom.