By Patti Spezaferro
The Peninsula Rose Society started off on the right foot at its January 21st member’s meeting. We had a great turnout as members came to hear Stuart Dalton’s Rose Pruning presentation. February is pruning month and Stuart gave an excellent slide talk on how to prune roses. After the presentation, consulting rosarians Stuart Dalton, Carol Wong and Jerry Georgette invited members to get up close and watch the pros prune and ask questions. As I watched the consulting rosarians prune, I learned why we prune.
• Mainly roses are pruned mainly to keep them healthy
• All canes that are dead, weak, damaged or diseased must be removed to prevent disease or fungus from entering the plant
• Eliminating canes from the center of the rose bush will provide air circulation which will prevent mildew and fungus
• An open center also minimizes the prime area where insects love to live
• Roses are also pruned to produce more blooms, or to produce a balance of blooms and foliage depending on the type of rose and the gardener’s preference
Armed with this knowledge, I head for my shears, start pruning and look forward to creating healthy roses with abundant blooms. Can’t wait to see them flourish this spring.
February is also associated with roses. In 496 AD, the Roman Pope Gelasius officially declared the date of February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day as a day associated with love since it was said that birds started their mating season on February 14. In the language of flowers, red roses symbolize deep love. In Greek mythology, the rose became affiliated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The passionate tale of love begins with the news that her lover, Adonis, becomes mortally wounded by a wild boar while hunting. Grief-stricken she ran to his bedside scratching herself on the thorns of a rose bush. Her blood started to flow and the white flowers on the bush turned to red. From then on, red roses became a symbol of love and devotion.
According to Statista, in 2019 roses were the most popular flower to give to your beloved by 48% and tulips coming in second at 16%. It is estimated that more than 250 million roses are produced annually for Valentine’s Day according to the Society of American Florist. With such a demand for roses on February 14th, it would be a good idea to order them now to be ready for the most romantic day of the year. Head over to one of our club sponsors, Ladera Nursery in Belmont or Portola Valley for most beautiful flower arrangements. They will not disappoint.
Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!