Once your roses are done with a nice flush of bloom you can let the petals slowly fall away ….or….you can “dead head” them by cutting off the old blossoms to an outward facing leaf, feed them and stand back for another round of color!
Right around the 4th of July these Iceberg roses finished blooming and I let them sit that way till last week:
While, at the same time, these roses were “dead headed” right after blooms faded…with this result:
In our area, (northern Calif.) we have time for at least one more good flush of bloom before things start shutting down! So, get out there and “dead head” today! Give a little fertilizer for the last time of the summer, keep well watered, and you will be rewarded with fresh blossoms for weeks of enjoyment as summer winds down… It’s worth the extra work to enjoy more roses…I was able to extend bloom on my Icebergs and my favorite, Pink Promise, a rose designated to raise funds for the America Cancer Society, a cause near and dear to my heart!
All photos by Donna Jones
Want to see more of Donna’s Inspirational Photography? Check Out Gardening With Raised Beds
To learn more about Donna’s work visit www.donnajonesphotography.com
Leave a Reply