I Have A Giant Rose Bush That Has Been Around…
Charles Asked
I have a giant rose bush that has been around for decades. It overlaps both sides of a wood fence, 4 feet on each side. It runs along the fence for 25 feet and its highest branch is 6 feet. Every year it gives me very large numbers of pink roses that I give to people in town. I cut all the roses that bloom and I have had no roses for more than two months. But today, October 18, there in the middle of the giant bush at the center of the fence was a perfect pink rose with around 16 petals from the outside into the center. I cut it to put in a vase with wildflowers as a shrine to my wife, who went to heaven in early 2009. I found a very colorful small spider living at the center and I let him silk his way to the ground for his great escape. I try to grow spiritually, and when I saw this lone rose today, I thought it was my wife reminding me about her or God letting me know he/she is still around. My question is, is this a rare occurrence for Halifax County?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Charles in North Carolina: I am sorry for your loss and think there are a lot of gardeners out there who would agree that there is something very spiritual about gardening. Your rose sounds lovely and passing the flowers along for others to enjoy is a great way to share its beauty. From the way you described the blooming habits it sounds like this rose is not a one-time bloomer. Roses that are considered re-bloomers can take a hiatus from blooming if the nutrient levels are off kilter one way or the other. Too much nitrogen can actually stop the plant from blooming and lack of nutrients can have the same effect. Sometimes they just go through waves of having lots of blooms and then periods of storing up energy to produce new blooms. But one lone rose on a large plant like yours certainly makes a powerful statement! Enjoy.
