Impressive Numbers for Year-One of the EarthKind Trials

Posted in People, Video on December 8 2011, by Rustin Dwyer

With wintery weather on the way, it hardly seems like the time to be talking roses. The forecast looks chilly and the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden has been “put to bed” for the season, so what is there to talk about?

How about completely changing the face of rose growing for home gardeners in the northeast? That’s what rose garden curator Peter Kukielski hopes to accomplish with the EarthKind™ Rose Trials beds, located just south of Daffodil Hill. The goal of the EarthKind™ program is to identify cultivars that combine beauty with proven durability in the landscape, and that means they’ll receive no water other than what falls from the sky, nor fertilizers or pesticides of any kind.

“Basically, these plants have good genetics,” said Peter. “The whole idea is to get the American gardener to grow roses again.”

Originating in Texas, most of the current EarthKind data is relevant only for that area of the country. But with our local climate in mind, Peter has helped establish the first trial of this kind for the northeastern region. If it continues to be successful, some of the roses may earn the designation “EarthKind” for their hardiness and ability to thrive without chemical sprays or excessive watering.

We caught up with peter last month and asked him to give us an update on how the trials are going. Check out the results in the video below!