A few of the roses in the garden at Willows End
Pruning of modern shrub and climbing roses: A hands on demonstration ($45)
Small group (max three participants) allows for personalized Q and A and a bit of hands on practice
Learn the basics of modern rose types and how they grow and bloom, and how to prune accordingly
Get a handle on pruning equipment and general rose care
Enjoy a walk around the garden, as early bulbs, hellebores and many other plants look great this time of year
Rain or shine - this is a seasonal garden job!
Details
There are lots of annual routines in gardening, and initial pruning of roses is one of my favorite jobs, as it is done at the end of winter and signals the coming spring.
In this small group workshop (limited to three participants), we will be working in the garden. Late winter pruning is typically the most dramatic pruning, setting the framework for each plant to encourage a healthy display of blooms. We will prune parts of several shrubs together:
Koko Loko, a floribunda rose
Rosie the Riveter, a floribunda rose
Fragrant Cloud, a hybrid tea rose
Unknown hybrid tea rose that may be First Prize
Bathsheba, a David Austin climbing rose
We will focus on modern shrub and climbing roses. Species roses (wild roses, rosa rugosa roses) and old garden roses (Damask, Bourbon, etc) have somewhat different care routines, and will not be covered.
In addition to the actual pruning practice, we will discuss equipment used in rose pruning, caring for your equipment, and general rose care. I will offer a handout to recap our learnings (which will be sent digitally as well).
You are also welcome to stroll the garden after.
Who this workshop is for
No special knowledge needed! If you have roses, and feel you don’t know how to care for them, this workshop will be perfect. If you are dreaming of starting your rose collection, but are intimidated by caring for them, this will also be perfect. Or if you already like caring for roses and want to pick some tips, this will offer you plenty of ideas and reminders.
This workshop is in the working garden at my home. There are ten concrete steps (with a solid handrail) to access the garden. Once up the steps, there is a mix of organic stone and mulch paths, but no more steps.
What you need to bring
Bring thicker garden gloves if you want to handle the thorny roses. I typically work without gloves and approach the plants carefully ☺️. Otherwise, no equipment needed, but if you want to bring any hand pruners you have, I’m happy to give you feedback on whether they’re “good to go” or not. Erin has a professional sharpening setup, and if you want to leave any of your pruners here, we can sharpen them for you for pickup 24-48 hours later. We will use my pruners, loppers and (and if needed, saws) in the class.
Please dress for the season, including gloves, hat and raingear if it’s drizzly. The garden is muddy in many places at this time of year, so choose footwear accordingly.
This workshop is rain or shine. In the case of truly poor predicted weather, I will message you by noon the day before, and we will reschedule to a rain date of the following Saturday, March 7th at the same time. If the rain date does not work for you, I will offer a refund.
This workshop will be led by Christopher.