Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

roses

Wednesdays in the Learning Garden, May 25

Wednesdays in the Learning Garden, May 25, 2022
Drop-in and Learn!

Wednesday, May 25, 2022
10 a.m.-11 a.m.

NC Cooperative Extension
Buncombe County Center
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806

New in 2022, The Learning Garden, located at the Cooperative Extension Office, 49 Mount Carmel Road will provide opportunities to Drop-In and Learn in the garden. Each month, selected gardens will offer demonstrations and programs, while all our gardens will be open to the public.

In addition, our Helpline desk will be open indoors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for in-person consultations, where Extension Master GardenersSM will provide problem solving assistance. Feel free to bring questions and samples (plant and insect) to the Helpline desk during your visit to the Learning Garden.

May 25 demonstrations will be:

  • Composting Area:  Basics of Composting:  Learn to compost with a multi-bin system: what to use and what not to use, how to mix it, how to monitor the pile, when is it ready, and how to use the finished product.
  • Rose Garden:  Managing Black Spot:  This presentation will cover strategies for controlling this important problem in roses.  NOTE: This program will be presented in the on-site classroom at 10 and 10:30.
  • Vegetable Garden: Square Foot Gardening: A 32 Square Foot Garden can grow 32 different crops. Join us as we explore Square Foot Gardening. Big results in a small space.

Our gardens open at 9 a.m. and demonstration programs will run between 10 and 11 a.m. Come, walk around, and soak in our lovely gardens! Most programs are informal and continuous – exceptions are noted above.

Note: almost all activities will be held outdoors, so please dress appropriately for the weather.

Registration is not required.  Plan to Drop in and Learn!

Happy EMGs Eager to Answer Your Questions!

Additional information about The Learning Garden is located on this website.

 

Saturday Seminar: Spring Pruning in the Rose Garden, March 12

Saturday Seminar at The Learning Garden presents:
Spring Pruning in the Rose Garden, March 12, 2022

Saturday, March 12, 2022
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

NC Cooperative ExtensionPhoto by Judy Deutsch
Buncombe County Center
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Presenter: Judy Deutsch, Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer

In Western North Carolina, roses are pruned in the early spring, traditionally when the forsythia blooms. It’s the time to remove unwanted or unhealthy canes, reduce size, and shape the rose for optimal growth and health.

This in-person program will cover proper tools for pruning and tips on how to prune.  A pruning demonstration will be done in the Rose Garden, and you will have the opportunity to prune as well. Please bring garden gloves and pruners, and dress appropriately for the weather. You will also have a chance to sharpen your pruners.

The talk is free, but seating is limited and registration is required.  Please click on the link below to register.  If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call 828-255-5522.

Working with Roses: There’s a Rhythm to It!

Early Spring in TLG-Rose Garden 2021

When most gardeners are impatiently waiting for the average last frost date, rose gardeners at the Learning Garden (TLG) are starting their annual chores. Roses require the most attention from mid- to late February through April, making the ‘rhythm’ of working with them different from gardening with other plants.

Early season rose garden activities:

  1. We prune our roses when they begin to show signs of new growth—typically when the forsythia blooms. Remove any dead, damaged, or crossing canes; clear out the centers for good air circulation; and cut most roses back by about one third. Check out the short video on Early Spring Pruning of Roses at the end of this post.
  2. Next, we clear debris from beneath the plants and weed the beds.
  3. We transplant any roses that need moving so that they will “wake up” in their new homes.
  4. We also plant new roses from late March to mid- April.
  5. In mid-April we fertilize our roses. In the Learning Rose Garden, we use a slow-acting, organic fertilizer that can take weeks to become available to the roses. We sometimes supplement this first feeding with a liquid or faster-acting fertilizer to give the roses a quick boost.
  6. If you choose to use fungicides to prevent black spot from establishing in your garden, it is important to start early! We start spraying fungicides in April.

Watering is important!
During these spring months, we make sure our roses get enough water.  Adequate water is necessary for new and transplanted roses, as well as for soaking in fertilizer.  April showers are a definite plus in a rose garden! For maximum sustained growth, roses require at least one inch of water per week.

TLG-Rose Garden in bloom, 2020

The payoff?
By May, when other gardeners are busy, we are keeping our eyes on the rain gauge and watching the roses beginning to bloom!

 

 

Article by Judy Deutsch, Buncombe County Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer and Certified Consulting Rosarian

For more information:
Check out this video on this site: Great Roses for Western North Carolina
Here is a short video on Early Spring Pruning of Roses by the University of Maryland.

Contact Us

Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

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