The fragrance and color saturation of our first flush came, delighted us, and faded in the hot June sunshine. The first blooms have dropped their petals and the secondary blooms have well passed peak.

Now, what? Is it all over for the year…?

Oh, no, it is only the beginning!

I have always liked to think that God gave us roses just for their sheer beauty and intoxicating aroma. As a rosarian, I know what roses think, too. Roses believe that God put them on this earth to go forth and multiply! If allowed to, they will try their level best to set fruit, or hips, that are full of seeds.

Hybridizing and Pollination

Early in the morning, just when the sun peeks over the eastern horizon, the pollinators arrive in the rose garden. I love to watch and to listen to this phenomenon. Sometimes, I can’t even see the visitor, but I can hear the muffled ‘bzzzzzzzzzzz’ coming from the center of the petals.

The honey bees, bumblers, flower bees and others crawl around frantically inside the petals. This is where the fresh pollen lies at the tips of the stamens, known as the anthers. The pollinators pick up pollen in the baskets on their legs and deposit some onto the female part of the blossom, called the pistil. The tip of this organ is known as the stigma. It secretes a sticky substance that accepts the pollen from the bees’ activity.

Then, the pollen germinates inside and proceeds down into the ovary of the bloom. If left undisturbed, seeds will then form, surrounded by the fruit of the plant known as the hip. Some of my rosarian friends call this ‘Bee Hybridizing’. Some of the pollen came from surrounding plants on the pollinators’ bodies. These rosarians will then leave some of these hips on the plant petals to ripen. This happens in about 90 days.

When the hips turn red or orange, they are ripe. The seeds will then be harvested from the hips and stored in the refrigerator in damp paper towels in labeled plastic bags for 8-12 weeks. This is called ‘stratification’ which makes the seed feel like it has been through a winter period. It is important that they never freeze however…the veggie bin in the fridge works great. After the chilling period, the seeds are planted. Next, it is great fun waiting to see what the bloom looks like, just a few weeks later.

Collecting and Mixing Pollen

My friend, John Mattia, has been playing the part of the bee for the past month. He collects his pollen and labels it. Sometimes he mixes all kinds of pollen together and calls it ‘Cookie Jar’ pollen.

He has made many crosses during this first flush period and it has taken up a lot of his time. Over the years, John has made some beautiful roses. The first one that comes to mind is ‘Elizabeth Park Centennial,’ named for the hundredth anniversary of Elizabeth Park in 2004. He has given me some of his hybridized roses to grow in my gardens at home, and they are really beautiful.

I hope within the next few years I can share with you some pictures of his beautiful babies when they are introduced. Hybridizing is just one more adventure to be had in the rose garden.

Deadheading Spent Blooms for More Petals

In my garden, I know that if I don’t dead-head the spent blooms from my roses, that they will put all their energy into producing hips and not into producing more bloom. I will remove the spent blossoms from my roses up until September…in early Fall, the days are getting shorter and when the plant tries to produce hips at that time, the action will help the dormancy process get started.

Hybrid teas will be deadheaded to an outward-facing stem bud that is strong enough to support a new blooming cane. You don’t have to go down to a 5- leaf petiole as long as the cane is pencil-sized. Put a drop of Elmer’s Glue on the stem to seal it over so borers can’t drill their holes in your canes. Floribundas can be pruned just below the blossom for faster re-growth, or if you wish to keep the plant smaller, you can prune down the cane the same as hybrid teas. Shrubs can be pruned like floribundas, and minis and mini-floras like hybrid teas. Old garden roses that bloom only once don’t need to be pruned at all unless you wish to control their size. If left undisturbed, their hips will produce beauty in the winter garden and feed the birds, as well.

After

When you’ve finished this dead-heading process, step back and keep watch. Summer is time for water, water, water! You will be amazed how quickly your roses will regrow, and they will be blooming again in a heartbeat!

I always save some petals for company. When you come to visit me and it’s time for you to be on your way, I will throw a big handful of rose petals into the air as you pass by! As the petals land in the road, it is a salute to our friendship and to the eternal beauty of the rose.