Blogging from A to Z: Perennials

The definition of a perennial according to the dictionary is “a plant that has a life cycle lasting more than two years.” Roses are perennials … right?

One of my dreams has been to have a rose garden. In Indiana, because of the humidity, it’s not uncommon to find roses growing in vacant lots, along highways and abandoned houses. Our previous townhome in Denver didn’t allow us to plant our own plants. They had a lawn service and they would only “support” foliage that was already there. Many times I was tempted to plant my roses, “be darned,” but I didn’t want the lawnmowers to eat them.

When we moved to Indiana, I thought Joe and I could finally have our rose garden. The spot we chose had light, moisture and partial shade for those really hot and steamy days. Joe’s dad, Bernie, recommended Jackson & Perkins® roses which were pricey but worth it. We bought two plants.

Bernie grows beautiful, long-stemmed, vase-worthy roses with huge, fragrant blossoms. He has them in red, coral and peach – vibrant colors and sweet perfume that last a week on the table. When we visit Joe’s parents, they send us home with a bouquet that brightens our days.

From our two rose bushes, we enjoyed beautiful roses all summer. Our plan was to add one plant for every year we lived in Terre Haute. We learned much about how to feed roses and prune back old blooms to encourage new growth. We were sorry to see the summer end but we cut them back as instructed.

The second spring, we discovered that our roses had died over the winter. I sought the counsel of several people who told us that we needed to cover them to ensure that they didn’t freeze. We bought two more rose bushes. This time we bought a Hybrid Tea and a Florabunda, which produced smaller, more abundant blooms. They were also heartier. We again enjoyed beautiful flowers throughout the summer. Before the first freeze, we trimmed them back and covered them with mulch and clay flower pots.

The third spring, we uncovered the roses. The Florabunda plant survived but the Hybrid Tea had died. Jackson & Perkins® has a refund policy. However, not having the confidence of growing successful roses at our new home, I was too embarrassed to contact them about our second attempt and failure.

We realized that roses need good drainage. And, a tree overhung our rose garden area so it was possible that they were not receiving enough direct sunlight. We bought two more rose bushes and chose an area closer to our front door with better drainage and light.

This year we also moved my mom to Terre Haute from Denver, to be closer to family. She had always wanted to grow roses and she decided to plant a rose bush and a peony. She snagged the rose bush from our local hardware store for $5 mid-season. She planted it, watered it and it flourished. At the hint of winter, we trimmed our bushes back and covered them with mulch and clay flowerpots. I reminded my mom that she needed to cover her roses to survive the winter but she said she’d never heard that. She added a little mulch around the base of the plant but that was it.

The next year, her roses not only survived the winter but had leaves on them a full month before ours. Again, one of our plants survived and the other did not. Mom bought us a rose bush at Menard’s and we planted it again close to the house. We both enjoyed beautiful roses that summer but I was beginning to think that roses were a lost cause for us.

My mom passed away unexpectedly in June of that year. The day of my mom’s memorial service, Bernie asked us if we wanted flowers. I asked if he could bring us a rose bush to plant in her honor. Bernie dug up one of their bushes and brought it to us to transplant. The plant split into three bushes and each took off, blooming several weeks after Joe planted them. We had coral and pink roses all summer from his plant and the plant that mom had given us a year earlier.

The roses at mom’s house bloomed all summer without being tended to –  I couldn’t bring myself to spend much time at her house. Joe spent time getting the house ready for renters but I couldn’t do more than drive by and marvel at her rose bush. Joe learned from a retired Indiana State University professor that it was better to cover roses with burlap sacks and line the edges with mulch. We did as instructed with ours, leaving mom’s bush alone.

It’s the second spring since mom passed away. We’ve uncovered our roses and each one has made it another year.  I’ve decided that I want to transplant mom’s rose bush at the rental house, into our rose garden. While mom is not present with us physically, I feel as if she has talked to the Master Grower, asking him to bless our roses. They have come back stronger and healthier – even the one plant that split into three.

I’ve always thought that the harder you strive for something, the better chance of success. Yet, with growing roses, there is a lot of resting and waiting. It didn’t matter that we bought top-notch roses or added premium soil or Rose food or even that we moved them to sunnier, dryer digs. My mom planted her roses, watered them and loved them – and they fluorished. We’ve now given our roses up to the Creator, and my mom, hoping that between the two of them, our roses will grow and thrive.