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Fahaam Razack reports on |
The Heavenly Roses
our rose garden next to our wetlands |
 drawing
by Sara Kempton |
pruning a rose bush |
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The Enchanted Garden at John. F. Kennedy
High school consists of many breathtaking scenes. However one area that
I think truly expresses the Garden's beauty to its fullest is the rose
bed. The rose bed was made possible by the class of '97, which was generous
enough to donate a large sum of money, which was then used to make the
purchases for our rose bed. Throughout time, this Enchanted area has caught
the attention of many individuals. Whether it's students or politicians,
they all haaave marveled at the beauty that the rose bed has to offer.
This part of the garden is made up of five Red Blaze and fifteen
Mida's Touch rose bushes. To add, the rose bed is not the only
area in the garden thats consists of roses. There are many other strategic
spots that convey these heavenly beauties. In addition, the rose bed consists
of what we would like to call companion plants, namly lavender,
lamb's ear, and chives (wild onions) to name a few.
Aside from this, even though the rose bed is a thing of beauty, it is
not easy to maintain. These precious roses demand a reasonable amount
of water and a little pruning. While pruning these roses may be fun, it
can at times be painful if you are not careful. All of these roses possess
thorns, and for this reason, I would highly recommend you wear gloves
when working with these plants. Taking everything into account, the only
problem we are facing with the rose bed are the bindweeds. These determined
invadors are reluctant to leave, and we predict that they will pose a
problem to the rose bed in the years to come. |
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The Mida's Touch (Hybrid Teas) is one of the types you can find in the rose bed. Like the Red Blaze, it requires a reasonable amount of water and some slight pruning. This heavenly rose progress well in the sun and does not take up a lot of space. In addition, like the Red Blaze, the Mida's Touch also produces thorns which can be very painful if you do not take the necessary precautions while pruning. |
Frederic
Mistral (Hybrid Teas): This rose is a companion rose and like the
Mida's touch, it too requires the same attention. The Frederic Mistral
is found near the rear of the garden, and projects fewer blooms than the
Red Blaze or Mida's Touch. But it's blooms are worth the wait!There is
a truly heavenly fragrance that comes from these blooms!. Aside from this,
the Frederic Mistral is overall disease resistant, especially to black
spots. |
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The Red Blaze: Like the Midas Touch, the Red Blaze is one of the most common roses in the Rose Bed. On the other hand, this is a vining rose, and is much more agressive than the Mida's Touch. It is constantly extending it's branches into far away places. This is an ideal rose to have along the fence, as we tie some of it's branches to the fence, and let it spread. This type of rose compliments the more compact Mida's Touch well, and the plesant result is a perfect symphony of yellow and red. |
Lavender:
this flower is also considered a companion plant and unlike the midas
touch and red blaze it require less care. The lavender requires a lot
of sun and is drought tolerant. Horizantal to that, the lavendar requires
little space and it sends out beautiful purple blossoms in the summer.
Aside from this, the lavender seems to be a good neighbor, helping to
give the Mida's Touch and Red Blaze a beautiful appearance. |
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Chives
(Wild Onions):Chives are also a companion plant. It requires a lot of
sun and a reasonable amount of water. Aside from the essentials, this
plants can basically survive on its own. In addition, if you look at the
pictures closly you can see that the chives are also a good source of
pollination for bees. |
The Bindweeds: Bindweeds is not a welcome guest, but it is determined to stay. From a few years back, the bindweed has posed a problem for the rosebed. It would constantly entangle itself around the roses, making it hard to remove without bloodying a finger. This unwelcome guest propagates itself by seeds and rootstalk. As a result of this, the bindweed otherwise known as the creeping jenny can be eradicated by hoeing and weeding, providing it does not take up a lot of space or with two to three applications of sodium chlorate providing it takes up a lot of space. |
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The Lamb's Ears:
The Lamb's Ears is also a companion plant and does not require much attention
at all. All it needs is a little sun and some water and it will practically
take care of itself. The Lamb's Ears require little space and has a very
eccentric, but soft and cuddly texture. Aside from all of this, the lamb
ears are among the easiest plants to take care of. It fits in nicely with
the roses, as a good low foregrond plant . Aside from this, it attract
many varities of bees and and butterflies |
In closing, I have learned
that pruning is a vital process for the blossom of many roses. By constantly
pruning away the weakened roses, we are assuring that the stem will produce
new and healthy roses which will enhance the beauty of the rosebed throughout
the blossoming season. |
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This web page was completed by Fahaam Razack on August 30, 2002
All photos, with noted exceptions, were taken by Fahaam with a digital camera in the garden all through August
This is a student Web page. Opinions expressed on this page shall not be attributed to the New York City Board of Education or the student's school.
