So far, this fall has followed in the steps of the spring and summer cool, cloudy and rainy. The beautiful, clear fall days that New England is known for have been few and far between. The trees have turned their beautiful colors, but there hasn’t been much chance to enjoy them. Worst of all, we’re nearing the end of rose season.

Rose Season Dying Down

Up to now there hasnt been much to do in the rose garden except enjoy the fall blooms. The cooler temps help to enhance the colors. Ive gone through the garden and recorded how each bush has done this season Im now taking my notes and putting them on the spreadsheet that I started earlier this year. Maybe Ill actually be organized! Ive taken soil samples and, as expected, Ill need to add some lime to the beds. Ill do that just before I cover up the roses. As I walk around the garden, I pull weeds and mentally review the steps I need to take to protect my roses from the oncoming winter.

For most gardeners, active winter protection begins around Thanksgiving. By this time we’ve had a few good frosts so the ground is cold but not frozen. The most common method of protection is to hill up soil or mulch around the base of the bush. This material should be brought in from another garden such as the annual garden, vegetable garden or the compost pile. Dont scrape soil up from around the bush as this will then expose the roots to colder temperatures.

Winter Protection

I should mention here that the purpose of winter protection is to get the bushes cold and keep them cold and at a relatively constant temperature. Winter protection is not to keep roses warm. Many gardeners will cut back their bushes to 2-3 feet to help keep them from rocking in the wind. Other gardeners will put a stake in near the plant and tie the plant to it. I will do this with some of my bigger bushes. On all of my bushes I will strip off the leaves. This makes garden clean up next spring easier and also removes a source of over wintering pests and diseases.

Rose Preparation

The bushes should be hilled up to 10-12 inches around the base. To help keep the soil in place, a strip of roofing paper or several layers of newspaper formed into a ring around the bush and stapled together will work well. That way any winter rains will not decrease the soil mound. Once the ground is really frozen, say after Christmas, evergreen boughs can be placed over the mounds to deflect any rain. Conveniently enough, a good source of evergreen boughs is discarded Christmas trees.

Protecting climbers involves hilling up as for bush roses. In addition, the canes should be secured to a trellis or other support and wrapped with burlap or a porous mulch cloth for extra protection from the wind. Don’t use a film-like material or you will cook your roses.

Post Rose Season Mulching

Miniature roses are readily protected by covering them with oak leaves. Oak leaves break down very slowly and so they are the choice for this. Other leaves tend to mat down and do not offer good protection. To keep the leaves in place, a fence made of poultry netting or porous mulch cloth and 1 x 2 stakes works quite well. Before adding the leaves, trim the bushes to about 12 inches high and while putting the leaves on be sure to work them in around each bush.

After this, there is nothing left to do in the garden except to wait for the snow. Clean up your tools and sharpen your pruners so you will be ready for spring.

Sit back and enjoy your rest. Soon the catalogs will come and then you can dream of a bigger better garden next year.