I know it's only November, but February will sneak up on us, so we have to start making preparations for next year's Rose Week. This year's Rose Week was a great success. We had 13 articles, plus a podcast and a raffle. We covered most of the basic subjects and brought a lot of new traffic to the site.

It's time for us to start asking for volunteers to write articles and time to start choosing topics. Please tell us all of the topics you'd like to see covered in next year's Rose Week.

Some of the topics that were discussed last year but weren't covered were the use of roses in the landscape with other plants, the roses most commonly used in the perfume industry, the effects of various factors (humidity, temperature, etc.) on the fragrance of roses, the symbolic connotations of the colors of roses, and the best roses to choose for "continuous" bloom. I have to give Joannabanana the credit for coming up with most of these topics. She also suggested that an article about Gertrude Jekyll might be inspiring to rose gardeners.

I think I'd like to try my hand at the color & symbolization of what the colors stand for. Or maybe I can do an article on the elusive Blue Rose & why we don't have real blue roses & the genetics of blue in roses and why blue roses aren't really blue.. hmm.. that sounds more fun.

That sounds great, Toni. The elusive blue rose will be your topic.

We also need some articles with step-by-step instructions, complete with photos, maybe illustrating the best way to plant bare-root roses or the best way to move roses from one spot to another.

Zuzu - dammit, wish I'd thought of that earlier this year.. I could have taken pics when I was planting.

zuzu said:

We also need some articles with step-by-step instructions, complete with photos, maybe illustrating the best way to plant bare-root roses or the best way to move roses from one spot to another.

If you think you can use it, I believe I have some pictures and a half-finished article on planting dormant bare-root roses. Mine were planted in the wintertime though, so I don't know if it's appropriate for the vast majority of rose fanciers.

I think it sounds ideal, Chelle.

Okay. I'll see how much I have done already and work toward getting it filled out.

No one else is volunteering? Come on, folks! @joannabanana, will you write an article about Gertrude Jekyll or the use of roses in cosmetics? @CindiKS, do you want to take another stab at the landscaping article you were going to write last year?

Short tips count too. Everyone must have a tip or two on growing roses or on the best way of preparing cut roses for life in a vase.

Give me some ideas of other interesting topics, please.

What about the most rain-resistant roses, or the roses that stay pretty the longest in a vase? What about an article with lots of photos showing rose and clematis combos?

You can count on me for an article. I will start my research on Gertrude Jekyll. I would also like to do one on the benefits of using Epsom Salts on roses.

Great! That's really good to hear. Thanks, Joanne.

@Calsurf73, will you write an article for Rose Week in February? You did a great job last time.

I "realllllllllly" wish someone would write an article on combining Clematis with roses and the proper way to do it. My own personal experience with doing so has been hit or miss and frustrating as hell...mainly because I tried doing it AFTER the roses were already established. That seems to be something "they" never tell you about in magazines.

LOL we just cross posted !

Yes. I'll write one.
How about something to the effect of "breaking all the rules of growing roses" ? Lord knows I've broken every one there is.

Sounds great! People love to hear that breaking the rules can work.

There's rules?

Come on, Folks! I only have four articles confirmed. We had 13 last time. @lovemyhouse, will you write something? @porkpal, why are you hiding? Now you can't pretend you haven't seen this thread.

@RoseBlush1, would you be willing to write an article on rejuvenation pruning? You wrote about it in the forum, but it really deserves sitewide publication.

@Calif_Sue, you and I are obligated to write something.

Give us some topics to consider. We don't want to repeat anything we did last February, but there are lots of other topics.

I would really like to have an article on rejuvenation pruning as it is a technique I want to learn.

Growing roses from seed would be interesting.

Various rooting techniques would make an informative article.

As for a topic for me to write about... I really don't know much. Perhaps I could research some influential rose breeder or something? I need suggestions.

Good girl, Porkpal! How about an article on David Austin and his "English" roses? You'd have no trouble finding database photos for illustration and I think most people would like to know more about him and the roses he has created. He essentially came up with a whole new (unofficial) class of roses, combining all the charm and fragrance of old garden roses with the reblooming capabilities and disease resistance of modern roses.

How about an article on what happens when the rose goes into dormancy? The science/biology part of it. How the plant shuts done for winter and revives in the spring.