After the long, hot summer, October has finally arrived. The days are getting shorter more rapidly and the shadows are stretching out longer every day. My front garden gets very little sunshine now that the sun has dipped below the southern tree line, but the blooms are still lovely.

Looking around the rest of the gardens, the story is pretty much the same. It’s taking a lot longer for the blooms to open because of the shorter days and the chilly nights, but the blossoms that you cut to bring in for the table now are loaded with sugar. They will last much longer in the vase, the colors are much more intense, and so are the fragrances.

October Gardening

So, what does one do with the rose gardens in October? In my gardens, I am always careful to water my plants if the weather is dry. I believe a well hydrated rose will have an easier time making it through the winter. I generally give up my spray program about October 1st. It’s perfectly fine to continue spraying, but I always feel like I’m on vacation when I give up my spray program for the season.

Here in Windsor, CT, our roses will be going dormant within the next four or five weeks, so I pack up my sprayer and bring it into the basement. I also pack up my spray materials and bring them in the cellar as well; they are stored in a locked cabinet to wait for the following spring. If you live in a cold area, you won’t want to leave your spray materials in the garage as freezing temperatures will probably dramatically shorten their efficiency. The stuff’s expensive…we want it to last for as long as it’s meant to.

Time to RElax

This is an easy time out in the garden. Cut and enjoy some of your blooms, but leave some on the rosebushes until the petals are ready to fall. That’s when my grandsons and I have rosepetal fights! I also gather rose petals and broadcast them on the front sidewalk…my neighbors walk on rose petals! Sometimes, my husband and I will throw them into the road with wild abandon! The rose confetti blows all over the place as the traffic passes by!

Don’t do any more deadheading this time of year. We want the plants to get the idea that winter is coming. We think roses were put on this earth to give us pleasure, but roses think they were put here to reproduce themselves. All summer long, we have been deadheading our bushes to keep them from going to seed (making hips). In essence, we fool them into constant blossom. Now, we want them to take a deep breath and prepare for their rest period.

So, basically, what do I do in the rose garden in October? Not much in the way of work!! Do visit daily. I cut some for the table. Do breathe in the sweet fragrance. Don’t deadhead, and don’t cut back! We don’t want to stimulate new growth and lose all that energy when the temperature gets down into the 20’s.

Next time…bedding down the garden! Till then…just enjoy!