Orin Martin knows roses. Big time. Martin is the manager of UCSC’s Alan Chadwick Garden, and he’s been growing astonishing heirloom roses 
in Santa Cruz for decades. Author of A Rose Primer: An Organic Approach to Rose Selection and Care, Orin Martin will share his techniques for choosing and growing roses organically at a free workshop on Saturday, March 31, from 10 am to 12 noon at The Garden Company on Mission Street in Santa Cruz. If you value your roses, you gotta be there — Martin can clearly demystify even the most intricate fine points of horticulture, and will provide tips on year-round tasks involved in maintaining outstanding roses.
Martin will also chat about the importance of selecting disease-resistant varieties, providing essential fertility inputs, following an aggressive pruning program, and using organically acceptable sprays such as dormant oil to prevent diseases. He’ll have an array of roses and rose books on hand — including his own, which is for sale at The Garden Company — so bring notebook and pen.
The Garden Company is located at 2218 Mission Street in Santa Cruz. You knew that.
