An Almost Insect-Free Rose Garden

Image Gallery CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Color Magic is just one of the varieties that flourish in Lynn Smith's rose garden .... Dwarf marigolds help protect rose roots from nematode attack .... This cluster of perfect blooms is ample reward for the rose lover's diligent garden planning, bed preparation, and plant care. The variety shown is Circus .... This lovely example fully lives up to its name, First Prize .... Grandiflora roses?which can attain heights of 8 to 10 feet?are good choices for tall hedges and background plantings. This one's called OW .... Parsley sown near the miniature Puppy Love helps the plant to ward off bugs (by the way, this specimen won first place in four straight flower shows) . ... An almost insect-free rose garden . ... Hardy and disease-resistant Pristine. PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR

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Floriculturists can use the same natural pest-control methods as vegetable farmers.

Lynn Smith

Like most folks, I grew up believing that the only good bug was a squashed bug. The sheer abundance of insects around my childhood Florida home made any attempt at eradication impractical, though, so I spent my young years in an uneasy truce with the world of six- and eight-leggers.

After I'd grown up, moved to Virginia, and planted a good-sized rose garden, however, I resolved to go on the offensive. In an almost frantic struggle to protect my blooms, I marked anything remotely resembling an insect for immediate elimination. Every week I'd don a mask, gloves, and goggles . . . and set out, carrying an arsenal of pesticides, to wage war on the enemies of rosedom.

My chemical efforts were successful, too, but—in the course of zapping the bad bugs—I also killed the beneficial insects and drove away the birds I'd labored to attract to my garden. It wasn't long before I noticed that our pileated woodpeckers had ceased work on their oaktree condominium, and that the fireflies were failing to appear for their twilight show. I'd thought that a pest-free rose garden would be wonderful . . . but I found that I wasn't willing to sacrifice the area's wildlife to have one. So I decided to look for a better way.

Well, I found a solution to my dilemma—after a great deal of research and consultation with fellow gardeners—in the form of a host of timetested natural remedies and deterrents for insect pests. I've discovered that those of us who grow ornamentals can, by employing commonsense planting techniques and a diligent program of garden care, achieve beautiful blooms without resorting to harmful poisons.

PREPARATION PAYS

In almost all kinds of gardening, the road to success begins long before the first plant is set out. And in the case of roses, a grower who's striving for perfect blooms must first devote some time to developing a rich, healthy rose bed. Properly balanced soil will allow the plants to absorb the amount of air and water they need to resist insect invasions. Soil testing services are available, in most areas, through the county agricultural extension office, and it makes good sense to have your intended rose bed analyzed, in order to correct its soil chemistry before you plant.

Once you're certain the bed is as rich and healthy as you can make it, treat yourself to all the roses the growing space (and your pocketbook) can handle. Temper your decisions, however, with the following bits of knowledge: [1] Light-colored blooms are often tastier to bugs than are those of darker hues, and [2] roses that are classified as "disease resistant" are usually reliable choices.

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