The Peace Rose is a wonderful hybrid rose that was developed by Francis Meilland in France between 1935 and 1939. To preserve the species in World War II, he sent specimens to friends to hide them. The "Peace Rose" was later given its name and presented at United Nations inaugural meetings after the war ended; and aren't we glad?
Ranging in color from pink or white with red edges, to yellow tipped with vibrant coral, it is a stunning garden addition and I believe, not as much trouble as people seem to think.
Caring for it is not as hard as busting up the limestone rock in central Kentucky to make room for the plant itself. That uses up a lot of cuss-words and in yards like mine, hardly seems worth all the effort. However, as you can see by the photo, if you persevere and find a spot that receives 6-8 hours of strong sunlight every day, with minimal care, you can have lovely blooms.
This one is only two years old and I got it at "rescue" prices at that big hardware chain starting with an "L". You simply have to dig a hole as deep as the root is below the "knob" at the base of the plant. To get the plant out of the plastic container, lay it on its side and gently push and roll the container in a few places, turn upright and try to gently wiggle it out of the container by the knob. If it does not slide right out, try again.
Most commercial roses, especially in early spring, are sealed with wax on the tops of the stem while they are dormant, so cut the stem an inch or so down from the top to expose the stem for new growth. Moisten the roots and the soil in the hole, put in a little fertilizer and lightly tamp in the dirt around the plant roots.
Good to know: make a shallow moat around your new plants so that water drains into it, not off of it. If you mound the dirt up like a cone around the plant, it is not as likely to capture the moisture that you are trying to give it. Water lightly every few days in dry times, cut the spent blooms off (deadhead) for more vigorous blooming. Don't worry about pruning just yet.
If it happens to be raining a lot and the leaves get black spots on them, that is a mold that you cannot do much about. You can try the sprays below but they do not always deter weather-related issues. When roses are healthy, the leaves are a dark green with no holes or spots in them.
Bugs and issues: not to worry, a $5 bottle of flower and vegetable plant spray on the leaves and blooms will keep them at bay. Leave lady bugs; they eat aphids which are tiny little pests that start eating the very small immature buds and appear on the stems and under side of the leaves. Adjust your bi-focal distance or look really closely. If they are there, it will be several to a stem or bud, usually.
In our area, we also have have a pestilence called Japanese beetles that start coming out around June and do not leave until August. They love to eat anything that you have paid for. Weeds, they do not care about! Put that same kind of spray out there for them. Grub control on your lawn in the fall and spring is also worth the price; it really cuts down on the Japanese beetle population. Those guys are about the size of your little fingernail, green and shiny. If you want to know if you killed the little buggers, check the most recent layer of leaves. No holes or jagged edges from snacking tells you that you moved them along.
Traps for any kind of insects? My feeling that is that it announces the bug party is at your house so I prefer to simply deploy the ones that are present. For people who do not like insect spray, you can try mixing a bit of dish detergent in a spray bottle of water. Some people say vinegar will work too. have not tried that remedy. I am not a bug person, so you won't see me taking them off and snapping them with my thumbnail; some people don't mind eradicating that way.
What I like about "Sevin" (or any generic vegetable-flower type spray like it) is that it is developed with human consumption in mind. If you spray your tomatoes and vegetables, just wash them with dish soap before you eat them. I think most people do that nowadays anyway,even fruit and veg from a grocery. If nothing else, you get rid of the crud from the people who touched it getting it to your table.
To prolong the bloom, I cut the stem at a diagonal, put it in a bud vase in the frig for a day or two, then bring it out.
There is nothing so wonderful as a home-grown rose, to me.
Did you know that some roses have a peppery scent and others, the more commonly known delicate perfume smell? I think that roses are much like women; they come in all kinds of sizes, shapes, purposes (climbing, shrub, floribunda, hybrid tea, miniature) colors, and provoke all kinds of memories.
Make yourself a special contribution to your garden and buy a rose plant. Just after Mother's Day, you can get really good ones discounted at your favorite nursery. It is worth the expense sometimes!
Inhale, close your eyes, go to that wonderful place of peace in your heart~
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