Roses Outdoors in 

 New England 



By Joseph H. Perry, 



Massa- 

 chusetts 



REFUTING THE IDEA THAT ONLY 

 THE HARDIEST KINDS WILL ENDURE — 

 LESSONS FROM ACTUAL EXPERIENCE 

 IN A CITY LOT GARDEN, WHERE HY- 

 BRID TEAS HAVE FLOWERED ALL SUM- 

 MER AND WINTERED SUCCESSFULLY 



SOME critics assert that New Eng- 

 land is not favorable for roses 

 outdoors because of the severe 

 cold of winter and the long 

 droughts of summer, together with the 

 many insect pests. I did not know this 

 when, more than twenty years ago, I began 

 the cultivation of roses. I only knew that I 

 admired roses, and if we were to have flowers 

 about our home, I wanted some roses. 



Of the original twelve Hybrid Perpetuals, 

 set out, seven are still alive and afford us 

 an abundance of blooms every June. The 

 pleasure derived from these, and those of 

 later plantings, was so great that, five years 

 ago, I was led to set out some Hybrid Teas, 

 that we might have roses throughout the 

 season. And now I am looking forward to 

 increasing the number still more. It may 

 be concluded from this that the outdoor 

 culture of roses has not been all disap- 

 pointment with me, even in New England. 



In my experience, the location of the 

 rose bed is of prime importance. If the 

 roses must grow under conditions, some of 

 which are adverse, then the. favoring con- 

 ditions should be made the most favorable 

 possible. In some books and catalogues 

 we read that rose bushes should be placed 

 in some obscure place lest they offend by 

 their ugliness. I would not give such an 

 idea any consideration; I would only con- 

 sider just where conditions would be most 

 favorable for the growth of roses. In my 

 own case that place happened to be in the 

 middle of the front lawn, situated at the 

 corner of two streets, where there is neither 

 fence nor hedge to conceal. 



Roses need first of all sunlight; then the 

 bed should be so located that it will be 

 exposed to the sun from early morning till 

 late in the afternoon. This condition pre- 

 cludes the choice of a place with trees or 



The rose bed was given the exposed place the plants needed. After spring 

 Perpetuals in centre; Hybrid Teas on border 



large shrubs near by 

 on the east, south, or 

 west sides; neither 

 should such be near the 

 rose bed on the north, 

 for sending out their 

 roots in all directions 

 they soon discover that 

 they may obtain abun- 

 dant food and moisture 

 in the rose bed, thus 

 robbing the rosebushes. 

 The culture of Hy- 

 brid Teas is like that 

 of Hybrid Perpetuals 

 as far as soil and 

 fertilization are con- 

 cerned. A good garden 

 soil is all that is neces- 

 sary in that respect; and for 

 fertilizer ground bone gives 

 excellent results. I am ac- 

 customed to use five or six 

 pounds for a circular bed 

 nine feet in diameter. This is 

 sprinkled over the surface between 

 the bushes, early in the spring 

 after the pruning, then dug in and 

 thoroughly mixed with the soil. Again 

 about the middle of the summer a like 

 quantity is similarly used. 



In other respects the treatment accorded 

 Hybrid Teas is quite different from that given 



Hybrid Perpet- 

 uals. The prun- 

 ing of the former 

 consists in simply 

 cutting away the 

 dead wood and 

 any undesirable 

 growths. The 

 Hybrid Teas are 

 likely to die back 

 quite a little each 

 winter, so that if 

 all live wood is 

 saved, there is 

 none too much 

 for the beginning 

 of the new season. 

 In regard to 



Hybrid 



Frau Karl Druschki, a strong flowering Hybrid Perpetual that "blooms 

 again". White large, not fragrant 



winter protection here in New England, it 

 is necessary to be much more particular in 

 the case of the Hybrid Teas. I have not 

 found it necessary to cover them with earth, 

 but use instead a covering of leaves. The 

 bed is surrounded by stiff wire netting pin- 

 ned to the earth by long nails. Then the 

 leaves are piled on the bed to the top of the 

 netting or above. The shorter bushes are 

 thus completely covered. Narrow strips 

 of wire netting spread over the leaves be- 

 tween the taller bushes serve to keep the 

 leaves in place. In the case of the taller 

 bushes, each is surrounded by a hollow 

 cylinder of wire netting much larger than is 

 necessary to simply surround the canes 

 which are tied together; and then the cylin- 

 der is filled by cramming in leaves on all 

 sides of the canes, completely covering 

 them. A string or two, from the top of 

 each of these towers to the firm wire netting 

 that constitutes the border of the bed, 

 serve to keep these towers in an upright 

 position. 



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