NEWS RELEASE
13 June 2008
Pruning Day a great way to get roses back on track
Anyone with rose bushes in their garden and no idea what to do with them, should head to the Botanic Garden on Sunday 22
June for some free advice.
It’s Rose Pruning Day and Botanic Garden staff and enthusiasts from the Wellington Rose Society and the Wellington
Heritage Rose Society will be out in force with their secateurs demonstrating the best way to prune roses for beautiful
summer blooms.
Wellington City Council’s Botanic Gardens Manager David Sole says pruning roses correctly isn’t difficult once you know
what you are doing and plays a major role in keeping roses healthy.
“It helps reduce the incidence of pests and disease and will ensure better blooms.”
The Lady Norwood Rose Garden has some 3000 rose bushes, and more than 250 old-fashioned roses ramble among the historic
grave stones in neighbouring Bolton Street Memorial Park.
Mr Sole says Botanic Garden gardeners do everything possible these days to keep roses healthy so they can minimise the
need to spray and are only too happy to share what they have learnt while caring for the city’s biggest and best rose
garden.
“People will also be able to get some great advice from members of the rose and heritage rose societies, who are
passionate about roses.”
Anyone interested in learning how to prune modern bush and climbing roses can do so between 1pm and 2pm. Meet at the
Lady Norwood Rose Garden fountain at 1pm.
From 2pm to 3pm, the heritage roses will be in for some attention. To learn how to prune those, meet at the Seddon
Memorial at the entrance to Bolton Street Memorial Park at 2pm. No special gear is required.
The free pruning demonstrations will happen in the Begonia House foyer if the weather is wet.
ends