ROSES
Barbara Duno

When I moved to Santa Fe 10 years ago from Philadelphia, I was thrilled to able to grow roses again because of the sunny, dry climate which discourages disease. In Philly we called them suicide plants. My garden is now replete with floribundas with their abundance of clustered blooms, delightful miniatures and trellised climbers giving vertical interest. Through the years I have learned that growing roses here is not quite the cake-walk I imagined. However, the effort is well worth it for the abundance of repeat blooms from May through October.

I like the way warm bicolor roses go with Santa Fe’s adobe style. It is fascinating to watch the colors change as the blossoms mature. Betty Boop, my favorite floribunda, changes from yellow trimmed with red edges to almost white as the flower ages. George Burns, a yellow splashed with red, October Fest and Playboy (orange-yellow) are also good bets. Long Tall Sally derived from Sally Holmes is a stunning upright floribunda that goes from white and buff to pure white with a yellow center - superb against a wall. For a cooler look, try Blueberry Hill an easy and vigorous flowerer. Fourth of July, though not very tall as climbers go, gives a festive show of white and red splattered petals with a yellow center. There is nothing better against a low wall or in a sunny corner. Pinata is a warm colored bi growing to about 8 feet.

Recently I have begun letting clematis grow up through the climbers. While slow to establish, they give added interest to the rose as long as they are not allowed to take over as the more vigorous varieties can. The small flowered clematis do much better in Santa Fe than the large flowered hybrids which seem to die back as the heat comes on. Try Etoile Violet. Rebar makes an excellent and economical support. Small, blue-belled Rooguchi clambers through floribunda Betty Boop in my courtyard.

Miniature roses are good substitutes for annuals for the front of the garden giving abundant blooms all summer every year without replanting. They can also be striking in mass plantings like the Rainbows End I have clustered around a fountain in back. Mass plantings can be prone to disease due to lack of air circulation, so be sure and monitor them for black spot in a wet year. Hot Tamale is another good bicolor miniature with Santa Fe cache. ARS winner Sun Sprinkles features a saturated crayon yellow. Gourmet Popcorn is an easy, biggish miniature that bursts with masses of small white, yellow centered flowers all summer. I also grow them in large pots in my courtyard. Potted roses need extra vigilance on hot days – monitor for water. A good miniature climber is yellow King Tut.

Roses do need maintenance even here in this blessed dry air. Start with dormant spray in the early spring. Prune the floribundas halfway starting in March. Wait for the severe pruning until early April – late frosts can be killers on tender shoots especially on the miniatures. Aphids arrive in waves starting in April and spidermites on white roses (especially against a hot wall) can be a problem in June in a dry year causing leaves to brown. I use the mildest weapons first, Safer’s Soap for aphids and BT for caterpillars which are rare. Spider mites call for a miticide before it is too late to save the bush. I use Floramite and, I alternate spraying my black spot prone roses with Banner Maxx and Compass. Once you have black spot, the only answer is Pentathlon DF. A good, self powered sprayer is a must have tool along with a great pair of pruners and gauntlet gloves.

Roses must be fed frequently for continued health and bloom. Mills Mix, an organic, available from Rosemania.com (as well as all the above) is a good choice. I have begun adding some time release particles and Epson salts to my fertilizer mix. Regular deadheading promotes repeat bloom. Roses do need regular water. Luckily in Santa Fe, the summer monsoons arrive just when their needs are greatest.

A good way to learn about roses is to join the American Rose Society and the local Rose Society. The ARS monthly magazine and web site is full of rose lore and pictures of a variety of rose types. Each year they publish the Handbook for Selecting Roses which rates roses of all classes including a list of ARS winning roses which are always good bets to try. Buy your roses in the largest pots available. Roses grown in small pots may not make it through the next winter.

Santa Fe’s climate can be ideal for the rose lover who is willing to put in the care these sweet smelling and floriferous plants need to do their best. They will reward you with a longer bloom period than any other perennial year after year.