Hunter Valley Gardens has announced its ‘Winter Rose Pruning Event’, which will be hosted from July 1 to 31, 2010.
With over 35,000 rose bushes in 186 different varieties to prune, visitors to Hunter Valley Gardens throughout July will learn the correct knowledge on planting, pruning and striking cuttings for roses.
"It's easy to understand why people love roses. Apart from their fragrant blooms, they flower for up to six months of the year and are among the toughest and most forgiving of all plants," says Sean O’Brien, horticulturist at Hunter Valley Gardens.
"They will continue to flower even if you neglect them, but they do benefit with a good winter prune and our special event will show rose enthusiasts just how."
The event will feature a program of daily demonstrations and talks with Hunter Valley Gardens’ knowledgeable and qualified Horticultural Team.
And for visitors keen to put their newly learnt skills to practise, each adult will receive a free rose cutting from rose bushes featured at Hunter Valley Gardens, chosen specifically for their fragrance and form. These will be available in the Garden Shed Shop upon departure.
O'Brien’s pruning tips for winter are:
- make sure you remove any dead or diseased wood
- don’t be scared of pruning Roses too hard
- cut out any crossing branches
- regularly clean you secateurs during pruning
- don’t put your cuttings in the compost because this can transmit diseases such as Black Spot
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