DEL.ICIO.US‘You have to love it to do it’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, June 08, 2009
Award-winning rosarian Anna Davis got her start early in her marriage, when she and her late husband, Verne, had plans drawn up for a garden.
“This takes up half the yard — you’d better learn what you’re doing!” he joked at the time.
JOEY IVANSCO / AJC Special
Rosarian Anna Davis of Sandy Springs grows more than 160 varieties, including the Queen Elizabeth rose.
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Anna Davis’ rose garden was featured in the annual Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour.
Many years and many blooms later, Davis and her garden are both thriving.
She lectures and writes extensively about her favorite flower. Her compact garden of 160-plus varieties of hybrid teas, floribundas, shrubs, climbers and miniatures was featured recently on the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s 25th annual Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour.
Just when she thinks she has room for no more (her Sandy Springs home and garden collectively cover just a quarter of an acre), she’ll somehow find space for a few new ones.
Her most recent addition, of several David Austin roses, honors Verne Davis’ memory, as she has them planted in a small bed where he once tended herbs and vegetables.
Over the years, Davis, a member of the Atlanta Rose Society, has shared her garden’s bounty with friends and her expertise with visitors.
“I’ve grown roses for 40 years and I’ve learned to overcome just about any problem,” she said. “I’ve been asked a million questions.”
She was gracious enough to take a few more.
Q: What’s your spraying and feeding regimen?
A: I spray every two weeks to prevent mildew and black spot. I use Banner Maxx fungicide. If I get mildew, I’ll spray [an extra time]. I use Mills Magic Rose Mix twice a year, in April and July, with a slow release food at the same time. I use Mills Easy Feed if the rose needs an extra boost, like right before a show. I top my soil with Black Kow (composted manure). Usually you prune between the last of February and March 15.
Q: That sounds like a lot of work. What variety should a novice rose gardener try?
A: If you’re real busy, or maybe have young kids, try one of the Earth Kind roses. They don’t require much attention. The Knock Out roses are good, too. There’s a newer, double Knock Out that doesn’t get as big, that has a double bloom.
Q: How do you deal with pests?
A: With aphids I watch for them in early spring. You can knock them off with water or spray the tender new bud growth with Safer. I put Milky Spore pellets on the ground to attack grubs. It will help if your neighbors do it, too. With Japanese beetles, you can just pick them off and drop them in soapy water. With black spot, make sure you get all the [affected] leaves off and off the ground. You may need to prune a little.
Q: What mistakes do people commonly make growing roses?
A: A lot of people don’t take the time to deadhead properly, or keep them fertilized. You can overfertilize. That’s the beauty of organic fertilizer. It doesn’t burn. Drainage is very important. Roses do not like wet feet. You have to love it to do it.
Q: What’s your favorite rose?
A: Dainty Bess. People say, ‘That doesn’t even look like a rose.’ The longer you grow roses, the more you enjoy the single blooms. I love the color of the stamens.
Q: How much time do you spend in your garden each week?
A: I would spend as many hours as I could. It’s real relaxation to me. It’s my life.
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