The Rose Garden is one of the many gardens and habitats you can see along our walking trails at the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary.  The garden is located at the site of the former residence of a long-time employee and friend of Mr. Norcross, Robert Begg. To honor him and his work here at Norcross the garden is aptly named: The Robert Begg Memorial Rose Garden.

       As this is not a native habitat, we decided to incorporate as many varieties of the many types of roses as possible. In a relatively small garden, you will find at least one representative of each of the types of Old and New garden variety roses.

      Whenever possible, links to more information and images of the roses here at Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary have been provided. All images of the roses and garden were taken in our garden. Finally, some practical information has been added to enhance or encourage you and your roses.

The original old roses, species roses, are wild roses that have been given names. Hybridizers often use these roses

for root stalks when developing new varieties because they are hardy and disease resistant.

EUROPEAN VARIETIES:

ALBA:

This is an old rose group with Rosa canina as one parent and either Rosa gallica or Rosa damascena as the other

parent. Alba roses are the tallest of the old garden varieties. These are hardy roses with attractive foliage, often with bluish-green tones. These varieties bloom only once a year, and tend to be white to pink shades.  They make up for their short bloom time with their sweet fragrance.

CENTIFOLIA:

Centifolia, when translated, means 100 petals. Centifolia roses are a hybrid of a number of species. These roses have an open habit, are fragrant, and once blooming. Their blooms are large and often referred to as "Cabbage Roses".  The Dutch made Centifolia roses famous. 

DAMASK:

Damask’s are hybrids of Rosa phoenicea and Rosa gallica. Old garden roses descended from gallicas. Monasteries grew damasks for medicinal reasons, as well as for potpourri due to their wonderful fragrance. They are mostly double flowers ranging in color from white to crimson.

Considered the oldest of the cultivated roses. Gallica roses are extremely hardy and tolerate a wide range of

conditions. They bloom once a year on old wood. Colors are usually crimson, purple and mauve. These roses are

quite shade tolerant.

MOSS:

Moss roses are a mutation of centifolias first seen in Carcassone, France in 1646. Victorians made this rose

popular between 1850 and 1870. This group has a mossy growth on the buds and stems. Most Moss roses

are once blooming.

BOURBONS:

Originally from the Isle de Bourbon, these roses date back to the beginning of the 1800’s. It is believed they are a cross of Autumn Damask and Rosa chinensis . Most bourbons are repeat bloomers. All have double, cupped flowers and can be trained as low climbers.

CHINAS:

The first of the race, Rosa Chinensis, was identified in 1768.  This is a fairly hardy group of roses which bloom in

shades of white, pink  and maroon.

DAMASK PERPETUALS:
This group of roses is referred to as a heterogeneous collection.  The original two Damasks are classified as Rosa

damascema bifera and Rosa damascena semperflorens.  As this group is subject to cross-pollination and genetic

mutation bloom color, sizw and type range even within the same genus and species.

HYBRID PERPETUALS:
First developed around 1837, Hybrid Perpetuals are European by nature and Chinese in characteristic, although

their name implies recurrent bloom, they bloom most heavily in June followed by an intermittet number of blooms the remainder of the summer and early fall.  These roses have large, double and fragrants flowers. 

RUGOSAS:

Although they are considered by many to be native to North America, Rugosas are in fact native to Japan and

western Asia. Rugosa roses are very hardy, vigorous growers. They have crinkly foliage on thorny stems with

single open, fragrant flowers. The flowers are recurrent and produce showy red hips in the fall. This group of roses thrives in intolerant conditions.

TEAS: 
A group of roses distinguished first and foremost for thier fragrance.  Teas are also known for having elegant form and delicate colors.  Acute on the senses, these China natives also require a great deal of attention to keep

them performing at such an intensity.  Several hundred varieties have been cataloged since their classification in the late 1700's.  

CLIMBERS:

Long-caned roses are roses from many backgrounds. Hardiness is the key for climbers to perform well.

DAVID AUSTIN ENGLISH:

These roses act as the bridge between old and modern roses. Named after the breeder, David Austin English, these hybrids have the fragrance, form and charm of the old garden roses but have the repeat bloom of the modern roses.

EXPLORER SERIES:

Agriculture Canada has developed a number of roses over the years. This group of roses offers a wide variety of

shrub and climbing roses that are winter hardy and disease resistant.

FLORIBUNDA:

A Dane by the name of Paulsen created the first floribunda. Abundant clusters of blooms on short shrubs.

They make nice borders and hedges.

HYBRID TEA:
Introduced in 1867, these mark the start of modern roses. Long stemmed, double blossoms are found on upright

shrubs. Hybrid teas have a huge range of colors from white to nearly black. These roses are great for cutting.

LONG CANE:

These roses can be considered climbers, groundcovers, ramblers or pillar roses. Overall, most are good for

hybridizing.

MINIATURES:

In 1922 Major Roulet found a number of cute pink roses with blooms less than half an inch in diameter growing

on window ledges of Swiss cottages. Hundreds of varieties have been created. They bloom from late spring

through the fall.

POLYANTHA:
The first polyantha was developed in 1875 using Rosa multiflora and an unknown china rose. These roses are

small, hardy, and healthy.

SHRUB:

Parentage, hardiness, and characteristics of these roses vary widely. Most are fairly hardy and re-bloom through the summer.

 PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR ROSES

1) Dig hole 2 ft. deep and 1.5 ft. wide. Add 20 lbs. humus to soil and mix well.

2) Place amended soil into the planting hole to form a cone-shaped mound, which allows the rose to sit at the correct height for planting. Grafted roses need to be planted so the graft union is just below soil level; for own-root roses the union should be 1 inch below soil level.

3) Trim off any dead or broken roots and prune back top growth to 6 inches or less to an outward-facing bud if possible. Place the rose on the cone and spread the roots out around the cone in the direction of their natural growth.

4) Fill the hole in with soil 3/4 full, then add 2-3 gallons of water. Let it drain completely, finish filling with soil, water again.

5) Mound soil over the canes so they are covered almost completely but leave the tips showing. This should be left in place for 1-2 weeks, once the buds begin to break gradually rinse or brush off the soil over a week's time.

6) After Planting Care: Do not fertilize or prune new plants, except to shape until after the first period of bloom. Newly planted roses also must be watered with 1-2 gallons per plant every 3-4 days until they’re established.

CARE OF ESTABLISHED ROSES

Pruning-- General Rules

All cuts should be made at a 45 degree angle about 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud. This creates an open center for better air circulation and fewer disease problems and gives a nice shape to the plant. With many rose varieties, pruning isn't critical and there is a lot of room for error.

Modern roses (hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras) require heavy pruning in the early spring.

Climbers and ramblers require a heavy pruning after the first bloom in June because they bloom on last year’s wood.

Old and species roses (blooming on last year’s wood), should be pruned after the June bloom, cutting back the long canes by 1/3 and taking a couple inches off the shorter canes. For old roses that re-bloom such as polyanthas, miniatures, and shrub roses, just trim them to a good shape and don’t cut back too heavily.

Spring pruning

1) Wait for the forsythia to bloom before pruning the roses. They should not be leafing out when you prune, but winter protection must be removed and danger of frost past.

2) With all roses, prune out anything that’s dead, which can harbor insects and diseases, making cut about 1" below dead area. If unsure about whether a cane is dead, nick it with the shears-- it’s alive if the nick is green.

3) With all roses, remove weak or deformed growth, canes that grow towards the center of the bush, or crossing branches. Remove suckers (on grafted roses).

4) For hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, polyanthas, prune remaining healthy canes to create desired shape, cutting down to an outward-facing bud. Moderate pruning is probably best with these roses, which creates a larger shrub than heavy pruning (usually only done for exhibition roses). Leave 6-12 canes about 1.5-2 feet tall (about 1/3 to 1/2 of the growth). If you want to prune lightly, cut the plant back to 3-4 feet only. You can remove 1-2 old canes on any type of rose to rejuvenate the shrub after several years' growth.

Summer pruning (for all rose types)

1) Remove spent flower heads, pruning back to the first 5-leaflet leaf, or back to 3-leaflet leaf if there is growth or buds present. Remove up to 12 inches.

2) Remove buds which are growing toward the inside of the plant, but don’t remove those facing out. This encourages full growth and better air circulation within the plant and cuts down on fungal infections.

3) Stop pruning 4-6 weeks before the first expected frost.

Watering

Roses need a lot of water, about 1-2 inches per week, which translates into 1-2 gallons per plant per week. This watering regimen must be continued into October. It is also wise to water 24 hours before applying fertilizers or pesticides to ensure proper absorption and to prevent burning the plant.

Fertilizing

Established roses should be fertilized once a month anytime from April to August, but not past Aug. 15, for a total of 4 applications. The soil must be at least 55 degrees before fertilizing, so if spring is late in arriving, there may only be time for 3 applications. This encourages basal breaks, or new growth from the base of the plant, which will mature and harden off before autumn so they'll survive the winter. Newly planted roses should not be fertilized until after the first bloom period. If you follow a typical feeding program using inorganic fertilizers, there are a few steps you should follow.

1) Water the plants 24 hours prior to fertilizer application to lessen the effects of fertilizer salts, which pull water from the root zone. This isn't necessary if using organic sources.

2) Remove mulch from around the plant. Sprinkle 3/4 to 1 cup fertilizer around the drip line. If magnesium levels are low, add 1 TBSP Epsom salts in the May and June feedings to encourage basal breaks. Scratch gently into the soil, but avoid root disturbance (shallow roots feed the plant, deep roots anchor it).

3) Water 1 gallon per bush.

Winter Care

Nearly all roses need winter protection. Four to six weeks before the first hard frost, stop pruning away spent blooms. Immediately after the first frost, mound soil or compost around the base of the plant about 6-10 inches high; when the weather gets really cold apply leaves, wood chips, pine needles, or saw dust. Some climbers need extra protection and should be wrapped in burlap as well. You may want to prune back the plants to 18-30 inches before mounding the soil up. Do not remove winter protection to early, wait until it really starts to warm up because even a light frost can damage plants. Remove protection gradually.