- ROSES BLOOM ALL SUMMER AND FALL,
BUT THE PEAK ROSE SEASON IN OUR STATE IS JUNE AND JULY.
SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO GET TO KNOW
THE FOLKS BEHIND ONE OF THE OLDEST AND LARGEST
ROSE CULTIVATORS AROUND, IN DURHAM.
[PEACEFUL MUSIC]
- [RICK] SINCE THE 1950'S THIS LITTLE EIGHT ACRE
GARDEN OASIS HAS BROUGHT HAPPINESS
AND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PROSPERITY
TO GENERATIONS OF WITHERSPOONS AND THEIR KIN.
WITHERSPOON ROSE CULTURE
WAS FOUNDED IN 1951 BY R.K. WITHERSPOON.
THE GARDENS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE
MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
THEY MAKE A GREAT PLACE TO TAKE A WALK OR HAVE A PICNIC.
THEY'RE ALSO A GREAT WAY TO CHOOSE WHICH ROSES
YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE HOME TO YOUR OWN GARDEN.
- IN THE GARDEN HERE THERE ARE ABOUT 1,500 PLANTS
AND ABOUT 180 DIFFERENT VARIETIES.
- [RICK] WITHERSPOON SELLS AND SERVICES ROSE PLANTS.
THE GARDEN IS A TERRIFIC LIVING CATALOG,
BUT IT'S ALSO A CLASSROOM FOR SEMINARS
AND OTHER EVENTS THE COMPANY OFFERS TO ROSE GROWERS.
ROSES HAVE A TENDENCY TO INTIMIDATE FIRST TIME BUYERS,
BUT DAVID PIKE HAS SOME SUGGESTIONS
TO EASE ANY POTENTIAL ANXIETY.
- I TRY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE
TO START OFF SMALL WITH THEIR ROSE GARDEN,
INSTEAD OF COMING IN AND DOING A GRAND GARDEN,
40 BUSHES OR SO, OR EVEN 20.
I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO START OFF SMALL,
ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE PLANTS.
GET ACCUSTOMED TO WHAT THEY REQUIRE, WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE,
AND BECOME SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT,
AND ONCE THEY BECOME SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT,
THEN THINK ABOUT ADDING TO THEIR GARDEN.
- [RICK] MR. PIKE SAYS MOST ROOKIE ROSE CUSTOMERS
ASK FOR DISEASE-FREE, EASY-TO-GROW ROSES,
BUT AFTER A FEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS,
IT BECOMES CLEAR THEY ARE MORE INTERESTED IN
THE DEEP END OF THE POOL THAN THEY EVER REALIZED.
- WHAT MOST PEOPLE REALLY WANT ARE THE HYBRID TEAS,
THE CUTTING ROSES, AND THAT'S WHAT WE SELL MOST OF.
AND SO WE CAN HELP PEOPLE WITH THEIR PROGRAM,/
AND HOW TO DO IT AND BE SUCCESSFUL
WITH JUST A SMALL NUMBER OF PLANTS.
- [RICK] FRESH CUT FLOWERS IN THE VASE
ARE THE END GAME FOR MOST ROSES,
AND THAT'S WHAT HYBRID TEAS ARE ALL ABOUT.
PIKE LOVES 'EM MORE THAN ANY OTHER FLOWER,
EVEN IN HIS OWN GARDEN AT HOME.
- I LIKE THE REALLY TIGHT BUDS,
TO SEE THAT 'CAUSE I LIKE TO WATCH THEM OPEN,
BUT OTHER PEOPLE LIKE BIG FULL WIDE OPEN BLOOM.
I LOVE THE HYBRID TEAS,
I LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CUT AND BRING INSIDE,
AND I LIKE THE FRAGRANCE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF FRAGRANT VARIETIES
OF HYBRID TEAS THAT YOU COULD GROW.
THE TRIED AND TRUE VARIETIES,
THE ONES THAT WE KNOW ARE GONNA TO PERFORM CONSISTENTLY
YEAR AFTER YEAR, BLOOM AFTER BLOOM,
ARE VARIETIES LIKE MISTER LINCOLN,
THE ORANGE ONE OVER HERE, TROPICANA, PEACE, GARDEN PARTY.
THOSE ARE SOME THAT IF YOU'VE NEVER GROWN HYBRID TEAS,
THEY'RE GOOD ONES TO START OFF WITH.
- [RICK] ROSE BLOSSOMS HAVE THE UNIQUE HABIT
OF BLOOMING EVERY 42 DAYS FROM ANY GIVEN STEM.
CUT A BLOSSOM ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE SIXTH WEEK
AND THE CYCLE RENEWS.
THE MOST SPECIAL ROSE IN THE WITHERSPOON GARDEN,
HAS ANOTHER WONDERFUL STORY THAT'S DIVISIBLE BY SEVEN.
THAT'S THE R.K. WITHERSPOON, NAMED FOR THE FOUNDER.
14 DAYS AFTER R.K. DIED IN 2002,
THIS NEARLY WHITE ROSE BLOSSOMED FROM THE SAME PLANT
AS THE PINK ONE YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE.
THIS ANOMALY LED TO A NEW VARIETY,
THE R.K. WITHERSPOON ROSE,
A VERY SPECIAL PLANT AT A VERY SPECIAL GARDEN TUCKED AWAY
NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF I-40 AND HIGHWAYS 15-501.
I'M RICK SULLIVAN AT WITHERSPOON ROSE CULTURE
FOR NORTH CAROLINA WEEKEND.
- WITHERSPOON ROSES HAS A BRAND NEW LOCATION
AT 4800 GARRETT ROAD IN DURHAM, AND THEY'RE OPEN
MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FROM 9:00 TO 5:00 P.M.
THEY ALSO HAVE A CHARLOTTE LOCATION AT 4401 SHOPTON ROAD.
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO THEIR WEBSITE
AT WITHERSPOONROSE.COM.