Santa Rosa rose pruning workshop benefits floral-focused nonprofit

A little rain didn’t stop flower enthusiasts from coming to the Redwood Empire Rose Society’s annual rose pruning demonstration Jan. 7 at the Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center in Santa Rosa.

The rain-or-shine, admission-free demonstration, the first of two Saturday morning events hosted by the nonprofit society in January, was led by co-president and rose expert Karen Ernsberger.

“I thought it went really well, people came prepared to help,” Ernsberger said. “There were a lot of good questions and they got more comfortable with pruning, so they actually did it themselves.”

Ernsberger and about 20 attendees got their hands dirty pruning the more than 60 rose bushes in the center’s garden and patio. Attendees included Piner High School senior Derek Sadorra, who said he does the rose trimming at his house, and two employees of a local vineyard.

The workshop raised more than $100 for the rose society through the sale of gardening tools like gloves and pruning shares. Three people also signed up for $25 annual memberships during the event.

Ernsberger said all money raised will go toward the costs of operating the art and garden center, which the rose society occupies along with other local gardening clubs.

The rose society’s annual pruning workshops have been held at the center since 1982, when Ernsberger said the nonprofit first planted the rose garden there. Before that, the society held pruning workshops at the home of Luther Burbank on Santa Rosa Avenue in Santa Rosa starting in 1972.

Formed in 1965, the Redwood Empire Rose Society works to create an appreciation for roses in the community and promotes propagation and development of the many varieties of roses through monthly lectures, publications, plant sales and rose shows.

For more information, go to www.sonomaroses.org.