Over a century ago in Harrisburg, a friend of Milton Hershey, J. Horace McFarland, began a society dedicated to horticulturalists and gardeners who admire roses. Every year the American Rose Society hosts shows across the country for the public to enjoy and learn about roses.
On September 16-17 2023, the Penn-Jersey Rose Show was hosted at the Hershey Gardens.
Inside the garden conservatory, tables and easels were set up with roses from members of the Penn-Jersey District of the ARS. Garden visitors could take pictures of the show free of any additional charge.
Besides the displays of roses and rose photography, garden visitors were able to participate in a variety of rose-themed activities, such as a flower badge making session with Girl Scouts. The show also included an ice cream truck from Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream, live music from Segno, and string instrument players Sylvia Sweigert and LillieMae Sweigert.
Visitors were able to learn about both the anatomy and care of a rose through demonstrations. One demonstration showed how to prune a rose, which involves cutting obstructive parts of the rose in order to allow new growth.
“Cut off anything that is damaged, dead, “dinky,” diagonal, or growing in the wrong direction,” Penn-Jersey District Director Bill Dorn said.
If two canes are growing diagonally and rubbing against each other, it can create blisters on the rose bushes, so one of the canes should be cut. Rose canes that grow inward should also be pruned so that they do not disrupt the growth of other canes.
However, bushes should not be cut back to more than half of its original size, as it can shock the rose and cause it to die. Additionally, the roses should be pruned in the shape of a vase to allow ventilation and to prevent any fungi from growing.
“Roses should be pruned twice a year — fall pruning is mainly to prevent any bush damage from the winter winds, but the spring is when most pruning is done,” Penn-Jersey District Assistant Director Curtis Aumiller said.
In addition to pruning a rose twice a year, gardeners should allow roses to get an adequate amount of sunlight in a day. They require up to six hours of sunlight, but rain is also beneficial for hydrating the rose.
“Some people usually think that roses are harder to take care of than other flowers, but that’s because they love the rose so much and want to put more attention on it,” Penn-Jersey District Assistant Director Curtis Aumiller said.
Also, many of the roses found in the rose show are different species than those from the garden. There are over 12,400 kinds of roses in the world that can be separated into eight categories based on sets of characteristics. For example, hybrid tea roses have large flowers that grow on a tall, upright stem with cyclical blooming periods. Meanwhile, climber roses usually have long canes that need to be tied to a support such as a fence, and they bloom during the spring. Other rose categories include grandifloras, floribundas, miniatures, shrubs, old garden roses, and tree roses.
Beyond its competition and informational aspect, the Rose Show also provides a way for rosarians to connect with other like-minded people. Visitors have the opportunity to ask questions to expert rosarians about rose care and other information about the Hershey Rose Garden.
“Roses make me feel happy and peaceful,” Dorn said.
