Ahh, there's nothing like the rose

THE GARDEN FANATIC

"Long ago. Far away ... "

--Harry Nilsson

"The rose represents love, magic, hope and the mystery of life

itself."

--Diana Wells

The rose has held a mystical relationship with man since the

earliest times.

For the ancient western civilizations across the Atlantic, the

rose came to symbolize love and passion. The Romans featured roses in

their many feasts and gatherings, mainly to mask unpleasant odors.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the inscrutable Chinese

preferred to honor roses a bit more poetically -- one rose was named

"Yu-go-tain-tsing" ("Clear Shining after Rain").

The rose advanced from a ceremonial constituent of paganism to

serious usage by practitioners of health. Rosa gallica, the

Apothecary rose, became a cure all for almost any ailment. The Dog

Rose, Rosa canina, was reputed to combat rabies, and the Damask rose,

thought to have originated in Damascus, was used to make rosewater.

Roses are approaching their blooming peak in August and can be

inspected for their bloom and delightful fragrance -- something you

can't do during bareroot season. Your favorite nursery should still

have ample variety for your collection -- from the antique roses of

yesterday to today's disease resistant English, hybrid tea,

floribunda and shrub roses.

Roses bought in containers can be planted in the garden at any

time of the year, but this is a great time to establish roses prior

to the predicted mild winter rains. The "perfect" hole for your rose

should be one and a half times as deep and two times wider than the

container in which the rose is growing. Create a backfill mixture

beneath and beside the root ball with a combination of 1/2 native

soil mixed with 1/2 Nurseryman's planter mix, 4 tablespoons of

Gro-power, and the rose cocktail (see below).

Avoid disturbing the root ball during transplanting. I recommend

that you cut and remove the bottom of the container and place the

rose in the hole. The bud union should be about two inches above the

ground. Cut the sides of the container and fill the hole loosely with

soil. Remove the sides of the container carefully and the root ball

will remain intact. Water thoroughly with a solution of 1 tablespoon

of Vitamin B1 (further insurance against transplant shock) to a

gallon of water to settle the soil. Check for settling, add more soil

if necessary, then water again.

Catharine's Rose cocktail

1 cup of gypsite 1 tablespoon soil sulfur

1 table spoon chelated iron

1 tablespoon Epsom salts