The Columbus Rose Club held its April meeting at Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio, where members enjoyed a special guided tour led by fellow club member, rosarian, and Dawes gardener Tyler Wilson. Tyler shared his expertise on “easy-to-grow roses” while also providing a behind-the-scenes look at the history, horticultural practices, and future vision for the rose collections at Dawes.
Before discussing roses, Tyler provided some fascinating history about the arboretum itself.
“Dawes was founded in 1929 by Beman and Bertie Dawes, but they originally purchased the property in 1917, and it was 150 acres,” Tyler explained. “At this point now it sits on about 2,200 acres with a lot going toward wetland restoration, reforestation, prairie restoration, and conservation of native species.”
Tyler has been part of the Dawes team for nearly four years and credits the organization for helping him grow professionally.
“I have been here for almost four years now and really love what I do,” he said. “Through Dawes I have acquired my OGIA certification as well as ODA licenses. They also are what pushed me to join the American Rose Society and pursue becoming a consulting rosarian. All around they have been phenomenal at teaching me the advanced knowledge of native species plus other plants.”
As the group toured the gardens, Tyler discussed how roses are selected and incorporated into the landscape.
“When it comes to picking roses, we typically try to stick to colors Bertie Dawes had, which were reds and pinks, along with some yellow,” Tyler shared. “I do have free reign when it comes to choice, and I can choose whichever rose I feel would fit the area best, as well as collaborate with my supervisor if I am unsure on what color scheme to go with.”
The current collections often support existing garden themes, but Tyler has plans for future expansion.
“Currently our roses mainly fit a color theme within gardens, whether it be foliage or the flower itself,” he said. “I would like to expand our rose collection at Dawes and go into more mixed-color type roses like Pop Art or Fourth of July. Primarily the only areas we have larger collections of roses are at the Daweswood House.”
For home gardeners looking for practical advice, Tyler shared his straightforward approach to rose care.
“Fertilizer and spray, I typically will use BioAdvanced All-In-One Rose and Flower Care as well as Rose-tone,” he explained. “The BioAdvanced is great to start off the year as a systemic for a first fertilization, usually in April or May depending on weather, and then move to Rose-tone by the next fertilization in June or July. I usually only apply once a month until September.”
Disease management at Dawes has been relatively simple.
“Spraying, I have only had powdery mildew that I have taken care of with isopropyl alcohol in an atomizer sprayer, then cleaning the leaves off,” Tyler said. “Typically two to three treatments works to help clear it up, taking about two days between treatments.”
Members were also interested to learn about the arboretum’s sustainable approach to mulching.
“Our mulch comes from logs, branches, sticks, and other woody species that we cut down or have fallen down and need removed off grounds,” Tyler explained. “We collect these at our dump site, and our arborist uses our chipper and chip truck to process as much material as possible. For larger material, we hire a tub grinding service. After that it gets rotated at the dump until it’s ready to be used where we need it on grounds.”
Of course, no rose tour would be complete without discussing favorite varieties. When asked which rose stands out most to him, Tyler didn’t hesitate.
“Personally my favorite rose is Reminiscent Pink,” he said. “The old English look is beautiful for the area that it’s in. I also love the amount of petals that it has. When they drop, it fills the area with a beautiful wave of pink.”
One of the most interesting discussions of the day centered on weed control methods used throughout the arboretum.
“A couple things people may find interesting are our weed control methods,” Tyler noted. “We have a propane weeding torch that we use in gravel areas, driveways, and sidewalks. Another item we use is horticultural vinegar.”
Tyler explained that Dawes uses a 20% horticultural vinegar solution with excellent results.
“Ours here is a 20% concentration, while most on the market is 30%,” he said. “It works wonderfully and will brown out weeds within about 30 minutes to one hour of applying it. We have noticed our best days are a little dry, warm, and sunny. It works on a ton of common garden weed species such as thistle, wood sorrel, clover, bittercress, and more.”
The tour provided members with valuable insights into selecting and caring for roses, while also showcasing the thoughtful stewardship and sustainability practices that make Dawes Arboretum such a treasured horticultural destination. The Columbus Rose Club extends its sincere thanks to Tyler Wilson for sharing his knowledge, experience, and passion for roses with our members during this enjoyable and educational April meeting.