Do You Take Time?

Do you take the time to stop and smell the roses at Paradise Valley Estates? Do you walk through the Rose Garden and admire the beauty of each plant?

These beautiful blooms are the result of teamwork — from the design by Richard Murray, the donations by Leo Meiner and Pat and Irving Teranishi — and from the support provided by PVE. The TLC provided by PVE resident team, supported by the maintenance department, has been very critical to the success of the blooms during the past three years. Enjoy an aerial view.

To keep the roses looking their vibrant best and to continue adding new blooms, spent blossoms must be removed from the plant and garden to prevent disease and insect infestation. Your friends and neighbors volunteer their time and effort to maximize the beauty and longevity of the rose blooming season for our enjoyment. Currently there are twelve residents who deadhead the roses. Each one volunteers or joins teams on a rotating schedule to work Monday through Saturday from May through October.

The annual maintenance cycle begins in December or January when six resident volunteers, wearing long protective gloves, strip all leaves from the rose bushes. The bushes are then pruned to about one-third of the previous height. Stems in the center of the plant are removed at the base to create a bowl-like structure that will allow sunlight to penetrate to the center of the bush.

In March, a special slow-release fertilizer is deposited at the base of each plant. Buds will begin to appear on new growth. Depending on the weather, buds begin to bloom sometime in April. Rose blossoms are like “Surf and Turf ” to PVE’s friendly deer. With the first spring blooms a weekly spray of deer repellent begins and continues through the flowering season.

Our volunteers welcome your thanks and smiles so be sure to take time, stop, and smell the roses!