(Loren Holmes / ADN file)
Spring is imminent. Not here, of course, but everywhere in the Lower 48. I know because I am seeing advertisements for roses. They must be good clickbait. They surely got me!
One advertisement you may have seen shows a spreading rose covering the entire front of a house. This is the sort of ad that used to grace the back of Parade Magazine, if you’re old enough to remember — it appeared in 700 papers every week. The plant must have hundreds of red blooms. I am pretty sure it is not viable here in Alaska or we would all be growing it.
Anyhow, you do not need me to tell you that Alaska is a long way from the rose season. If you are going to think roses nonetheless, stick to Rugosas, Canadian Explorers, Parklands, Campfire, Knock Outs and Felix Leclerc, along with a copyrighted set known as Northern Accents. These rose series survive reasonably well in Hardiness Zones 3 to 5, provided we have snow cover. Roses should survive easily this winter.
You can find these roses on the internet as they are all available from multiple sources. You should be able to order them now to start them in pots. Or you can arrange for a suitable Alaska shipping date.
One site to check out is David Austin’s Roses. Search his site for hardy roses.
Huge warning: You will be severely tempted to buy every single rose you see that will survive here. We have had a terribly long and harsh winter and these are really seductive photos. Tie yourselves to a mast, as did Odysseus to protect himself from the Sirens.
During summer months you can wander through town and find unknown varieties of roses that were planted by pioneers who didn’t have the forethought to label them. If you ask the homeowner, I am sure you will get permission to take a cutting. I have a white rose taken from a downtown sourdough’s cabin. Fortunately, I noticed it was a spreader when I took my cuttings, so I grow it with roots contained. You really don’t want a spreading rose running wild.
The current clever advice for how to root rose cuttings is to remove all but the top set of leaves from a cutting, snip a diagonal cut at its base and stick it into a potato. Plant each potato in a pot filled with a good compost soil.
Both the soil and the potato will nourish the plant as it develops roots and grows. A dip into a rooting hormone is suggested by many, but I wouldn’t go out and buy it specifically.
Gentle watering is in order as the potato contains plenty of moisture. Remember, they sprout in dark potato bins without any assistance.
Finally, you will be able to buy plenty of roses locally, from nurseries and box stores and don’t forget the Alaska Botanical Garden. Some roses you will be able to plant as perennials. Others you can simply pot up and enjoy for the season. Either way, you will have roses to enjoy, even if it isn’t now.
I guess one last note is in order. If you are really jonesing for roses right now, consider miniature ones. These average less than a foot in size and are available in all manner of blossom varieties. You can often find them at florists, but there are dozens of places from which to purchase on the internet.
Of course, you will need lights under which to grow them in the winter months, but that shouldn’t be difficult as you already have a set-up, right?
Jeff’s Alaska Garden Calendar:
Alaska Botanical Garden: Members get first notice of events and classes. Join now. Just do it. It is what I charge you for this column!
Vegetable seeds to start: Celery.
Flower seeds: Sweet peas if you pinch them back every two or three weeks.
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