A Mister Lincoln Rose

Roses can be a prickly topic, especially when it comes to pruning them.

Steve Gerischer, proprietor of Larkspur Garden Design, will simplify the art of rose pruning and will share tips on keeping your roses flourishing at the next installment of California State University, Northridge’s CSUN-al Gardening series on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018.

After a brief introduction to the “why,” “when” and “how” of rose pruning, workshop attendees will have the opportunity to put theory into practice when the class goes outdoors to prune a nearby rose bed.

“This class will be a little different from previous workshops we’ve held,” said Brenda Kanno, manager of the CSUN Botanic Garden, which hosts the CSUN-al Gardening series. “This is a young collection of roses, planted just two years ago, and their annual maintenance will have a slightly different focus.”

Participants in the class are encouraged to bring a brimmed hat, gloves and hand pruners so that they can practice their rose pruning technique. (Note: If heavy rain occurs, the program will be limited to the classroom portion of the workshop.)

A respected landscape designer, Gerischer regularly lectures on a variety of horticultural topics. He serves as president of the Southern California Horticultural Society and the Pacific Horticulture Society, and he teaches classes at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, Descanso Gardens and Fullerton Arboretum. He also puts in an occasional appearance on HGTV, most notably on “Landscaper’s Challenge.”

Registration for the free class is required. Email botanicgarden@csun.edu to request a space in the class, or for more information. Driving and parking instructions, as well as class meeting location, will be sent upon registration.

CSUN’s Botanic Garden is operated by the university’s Department of Biology and serves as a field site for botany, entomology, photography, painting and other classes. In addition to geographically themed plantings and a butterfly garden, the garden also features greenhouses where noteworthy botanical specimens are grown. The garden is open to the community.

Visit the Botanic Garden website at www.csun.edu/botanicgarden/ for more information.

CSUN Botanic Garden, CSUN-al Gardening, Department of Biology, Pruning, Roses