2015 Rose Introduction

2015 Rose Reveal

Witherspoon Rose Culture is proud to introduce these roses into our 2015 collection!

Our Catalog Launch Party is happening 
October 4th 10am-4pm!

Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras

American Dream (WINbur)

Live the American Dream by filling your rose garden with velvety red, long stemmed roses.  With large, spiral blooms, this excellent cut rose will stand proudly in any arrangement.  (3’w x 5-6’h) (Certified)

Color Magic (JACmag)

Each bloom exhibits a wide spectrum of pink hues ranging from salmon to apricot and pink kissed ivory to deep rose.  With colors that deepen in the sun and an intense fruity fragrance, this rose will excite the magic lover in all of us. (3-4’w x 4-6’h) (Certified)

Dolly Parton

Very large, voluptuous burnt orange-red blossoms invite you over to experience the tantalizingly strong fragrance of sweet rose.  Long lasting blooms live up to their namesake as this rose is a show stopper!  (4’w x 4-5’h) (Star)

The McCartney Rose™ (MEIzeli)

This attention grabbing rose was given to Sir Paul McCartney by his record company to celebrate his birthday.  Massive, brilliant pink blooms pull you in to experience a mesmerizing candy-like fragrance.  (2-3’w x 3-6’h) (Star)

The Wake Forest University Rose

EXCLUSIVE! You don’t have to be a Demon Deacon to appreciate the golden color of this university rose!  This grandiflora, with good disease resistance and a light apple fragrance, is a great bloomer with blossoms that deepen in color with cooler temperatures.  With $10 from every rose purchased going to the general scholarship fund, you can feel good about adding the first university rose to your garden. (3’w x 5-6’h) (Weeks)

Sedona (JACmcall)

Warm blossoms, reminiscent of a desert sunset, burst open to reveal layers of reds, corals, and oranges.  As the bloom spirals open, it will entice you to take a closer look with its strong pear fragrance.  (3-4’w, 5-6’h)  PPAF (Weeks) 

Floribundas

Columbus (WEKuz)

Columbus will entice you to explore the deepest corners of the garden with its deep pink, well-formed blossoms that do not fade in the sun.  (3’w x 4’h) PP8183 (Weeks)

Climbers

Cl. Above All™ (CHEWesic)

This modernized version of the classic Westerland has the same salmon-orange clusters of blooms, but with more petals and improved flower production.  Combine that with a fruity fragrance, great disease resistance, and excellent vigor for a modern climber that will continuously bloom spring through fall. (10-14’h) PPAF (Weeks)

Cl. Coral Dawn®

Deep pink buds open into well-formed, soft pink blooms on this vigorous climber.  Blooming in fragrant flushes throughout the season, this climber puts on a show you will not want to miss! (8-12’h) PP1117 (Certified)

Cl. Malvern Hills® (AUScanary)

Clusters of small yellow blossoms repeatedly bloom in flushes on long arching canes. Experience the delightful rose fragrance that only a David Austin can provide with this free flowering, almost thornless climber. (12’h)

David Austin

Claire Austin (AUSprior)

There is an elegance that only a white rose can bring to a garden.  Let the strong scent of myrrh and vanilla invite you in to fully experience the large cupped bloom.  Long arching canes, coupled with disease resistance and vigor, will add subtle elegance to any rose garden for years to come.  (3’w x 4-5’h) PP19465 

Tree Roses

Weeping China Doll

Sprays of ruffled pink blossoms on long slender canes spill over to create an alluring display worthy of becoming a focal point.  Moderate temperatures will increase bloom production. (48”h) (Weeks)

Spider Mites:  A Mite-y Problem

Mites are the third member of the team that is out to get your garden (fungus, insects, mites).  These critters are a difficult problem once they are established, but there are steps that can be taken to ensure they don't get comfortable in the rose garden. The mite that we deal with most often is the Two Spotted Spider Mite.  Spider Mites are in the arachnid family and are almost invisible to the naked eye. They can easily be seen with a magnifying glass and unfortunately the results of their feeding on your roses can be seen easily with the naked eye.

Spider Mite Symptoms

	Generally leaves will lose their brilliant green color and become faded and brown.  You can often see their webbing on the underside of the leaves.
	The underside of the leaves will also look dusty because of the dirt and debris that get caught in their webs.

What Can I Do?

1.	Keep the roses watered - The best way to avoid any issue is to keep your roses healthy.  In the heat of the summer rose bushes need 5 gallons of water per plant per week.  Well watered buses will be able to handle any stress, including Spider Mites, better than thirsty plants.
2.	Use your hose - If you check the bottom of the leaves and see that you are beginning to get spider mites, spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves with your hose.  I know this seems counter-intuitive because leaves are supposed to be dry as much as possible, but the spray from the hose knocks the Spider Mites off the bush and they cannot crawl back on.  Make sure to do this in the morning so the bush can dry off and keep up with your fungicide application.
3.	Miticides - There are several miticides that are available to homeowners to help control mite problems.  Products such as Avid, Neem Oil, and pyrethrin based sprays are effective to reduce the spider mite colonies.  These should be used in conjunction with the steps listed above for greatest effect.

Keep in mind that if your garden is next to brick or surrounded by rock or concrete you may have more mite difficulties.  These surfaces hold heat well causing a very warm microclimate that mites love.  Wash down these surfaces with water as much as possible. Spider Mites can cause you major headaches in your rose garden.  However, with a little bit of diligence and a lot of vigilance you can keep them out and keep your roses beautiful.

Help!! There Are Holes in My Roses!

Budworms:  This Bud is NOT For You

What is a budworm? You will know the damage when you see it.  If your buds and blooms are full of holes, you have been visited by budworms. These critters can damage a whole lot of blooms in a short time so it is important to learn a little more about them and how we can rid our roses of them.   The budworms that attack our roses are actually called tobacco budworms or Heliothis virescens.  They overwinter in the south, but they can spread as far north as New England during the summer.  Adult budworms are moths that are tan or brown in color with three darker stripes across their wings and they are about 1 inch in length. The eggs are deposited on, in, or under the buds and blooms and they take 2-3 days to hatch. Once they emerge they eat their way through as many blooms as they can.  When they have had their fill they make their way down into the soil where they go through their pupal stage to emerge as moths about 22 days later.  Warm temperatures speed up some of these processes.  Now that we know what they are, let's take a look at some contol measures.

1.	Cut Your Blooms - Since the adult moths use buds and terminal growth to lay their eggs, everytime you cut your roses you are removing a possible incubation site.  It is also important to remove "blind shoots" as they can also be a good incubation spot.
2.	Keep Spraying - Although it is difficult to get spray to the budworms inside the bud, it is important to keep spraying. If they emerge from the bud and eat the tissue that has been sprayed you will have one less adult moth in your garden. Bacillus Thuringiensis or Bt as found in products such as "Thuricide" from Hi Yield is a great biological control that works on caterpillars including budworms.
3.	Help the Good Guys - There are many insects and spiders that feed on budworms.  Avoiding broad spectrum insecticides such as Sevin will help keep the beneficial insects in your garden.  It is also a great idea to encourage birds to visit your garden because they will eat the moths and caterpillars that are causing damage to your roses.

Budworms can be difficult to control but by following good gardening practices and encouraging nature to give you a hand, you can keep them from turning every rose in your garden into swiss cheese.  Your buds are for you to enjoy, not for the budworms.

Pruning Video Tutorial - How to Prune Roses the Witherspoon Way

Witherspoon Rose Culture Presents:

How to Prune Roses the Witherspoon Way!

Pruning roses can be a daunting task.  Often rose growers are hesitant to prune for fear that they will cut out too much.

Fear not rose growers!  We have put together this video tutorial

"How to Prune Roses the Witherspoon Way"

Check out our previous post to download a free copy of the Witherspoon Pruning Checklist!

February Pruning Checklist

Are You Ready for Pruning Season? 

February is the time to prune rose bushes.  Pruning a rose bush prepares it for the next growing season by focusing the plant's energy into the strongest canes.  By cutting out the diseased, dead, or weak canes, you are giving the rose bush a healthy foundation for new growth.  Make sure you have the proper tools before starting and print off our pruning checklist at the end of this article to help guide you through the process.  Happy pruning!

What Do I Need to Prune?

1.  Make sure your pruners are up to the task Before you even step outside, make sure your pruners are free of rust and burrs.  Sharpen them with a tool sharpener and clean off the rust with a multi-purpose lubrication oil.  If your pruners have been neglected for a few seasons, you may need to replace the blade or get them professionally cleaned and sharpened at Witherspoon.  By keeping your pruners sharpened you will put less strain on you body and reduce the risk of accidents.  Most pruning accidents happen when the gardener is fighting the tool.  Make your pruners work for you and stay safe by keeping them properly sharpened!

2.  Protect your hands and arms by wearing gauntlet gloves Rose gardeners know that you will occasionally have to pull a thorn or two or a millon out of your hands and arms legs body etc.  However, there are gloves out there that will make pruning season easier on your hands and arms.  Gauntlet gloves not only protect your hands, but they also cover your forearms.  Trust me, when you are reaching into the center of your Falling in Love rose bush to prune out the center, you will want gauntlet gloves!

3.  Have a place for your clippings to go Imagine this scenario.  You have just pruned your entire rose garden only to turn around and see piles of thorny clippings waiting to be picked up and hauled away.  If only you had thought to contain the clippings as you go!  Having a heavy duty waste bag will save you from the heartache of cleaning up an entire gardens worth of clippings from off the ground.

4.  Heal and protect your hands and cuticles It is easy to forget how much we use our hands until we are painfully reminded with cracked skin and sore cuticles.  Make your life easier by taking care of your hands!  Use a healing salve or lotion to keep your skin moisterized and healthy during the cold, dry winter months.

5.  Witherspoon's Pruning Checklist  Now that you have everything you need to prune your roses, make sure you know how to prune like a pro!  We have compiled a checklist of everything you need to know about pruning your roses.  Print out this handy checklist and take it with you as a guide!

Click Here to Print Witherspoon's Free Pruning Checklist! 

Do you want some hands on experience pruning roses BEFORE you prune your own garden?

Come to one of Witherspoon's FREE Pruning Classes!

 February 15th - 20th - 22nd

@10am

Classes Held at BOTH Locations - Click Here for Directions 

2014 Roses Have Arrived!

Durham has been dreary and cold for the past couple of months.  Few sunny days have interrupted our cloudy days with rays of bright warmth.  The dismal winter months can be hard on rose lovers.  Once you winterize your rose beds, there is not much to do except crack open the Witherspoon Catalog and dream about the new roses you are going to add to your garden in the spring.

2014 Catalog - Click photo to browse our catalog

Even when the days are cold (well what we North Carolinians consider cold) and wet, here at Witherspoon we are always working hard to provide the best roses for your garden.  The gardens are quiet, but here at the shop we are getting ready to unload, grade, and pot up approximately 24,000 roses.  That’s right, 24,000!

Unloading the refrigerated truck from Weeks

The first step in the process is to unload boxes of bareroot roses from refrigerated trucks that traveled from the sunny state of California all the way to Durham, North Carolina.  These boxes of roses have been carefully packed in wet moss and kept around 35° F.  This insures that the roses stay dormant for the entire trip across the country!

Bareroot roses ready to be graded and pruned

We then proceed to unpack and grade the roses.  Here at Witherspoon, we only sell premium grade one roses.  A grade one rose is two years old and has been meticulously pruned to produce at least three strong healthy canes.  Each bareroot is inspected to make sure it meets our standards before it is trimmed up and prepared for potting or placed in cold storage.

Potting Station

Our cold storage unit is 1000 square feet and is kept around 36°.  This unit keeps all of our bareroots cool and moist until they are pulled out, trimmed up, and packaged for shipping or pickup.  We have guys who work in our cold storage unit for hours on end preparing bareroots to ship out as well as make sure that they stay within the proper temperature so that you, the customer, receive a bareroot rose that is healthy and will grow well for years to come.  We are very thankful that they are willing to work in such a cold environment to help us provide the healthiest bareroot roses possible.

Cold frames are filling up!

Even though we offer bareroot roses, the majority of our roses get potted up and grown out in our cold frames until the first of April.  The potting up process can be daunting, but all of the route managers and assistants come into Durham from our satellite locations to help pot up!  It is cold hard work, but seeing the cold frames fill up with pots of roses that will begin to leaf out is exciting!  While the landscape around us is asleep, lying in wait for the warmth of the spring sun, our cold frames are filled with roses ready to wake up and share the beauty and brilliance that only they can offer.

2015 Update:  winterFEST 2015 will be Jan. 23-24, 2015.  Pick out your new roses from the 2015 catalog.

Witherspoon's first sale of the year will be January 25th! 

Visit our Online Store or visit one of our Gardenshops to take advantage of...

$15 Bareroot Roses

$8 Premium Planting Mix

$5 Witherspoon Mini-Nuggets

$18 Witherspoon Planting Essentials