Rose (member) Garden  

Listing last updated on Wed Aug 2024

United States

A varied and increasing collection of roses in beds and containers.

In the Sonoran low desert, USDA 9b, Sunset 13. Alkaline, clay, hard water. Mild winters, hot/dry summers, generally Mediterranean in climate but broken by a short monsoon season. Annual total rainfall is around 10" in a good year. When storms bring heavy rain too quickly, the water can't be absorbed by the clay and floods the streets and washes.

However, it is actually good rose-growing territory, as evidenced by the many commercial operations in the Valley.

Diseases are usually a non-issue, though some fungal diseases exist here. Potential for flare-ups exists in early summer (Apr-May, when watering increases) and monsoon season when it is both hot and humid. (This is mainly shown by old fruit trees at the end of their typical lifespan. Rose issues are uncommon.) Pests rarely pose serious problems, though they can be annoying. (Aphids, leaf cutter bees.) We occasionally use copper fungicide on the fruit trees and Neem oil on the roses. In the past few years, we have also added predator bugs during the spring. (Ladybugs and praying mantises.)

The garden has bees (of varying friendliness), wasps, and dragon flies that zoom over a nearby pool. I have found worms and even tiny harmless snakes that live most of their lives underground. For annoyances, we have ants and nowadays mosquitos in summer. (A new type spread through the area, smaller and harder to prevent.)

The garden is cat-, dog-, small bird-, tortoise-, and butterfly-friendly, but in a timeshare fashion, not all at precisely the same moment. (Do not mix dogs and tortoises!)