Best way to prune roses? Workshops tell how

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Growing roses isn’t difficult, but for some reason the thought of chopping back such pretty plants come January -- pruning time -- sounds so daunting. Never fear. A plethora of pruning demonstrations are coming up. Get some sharp pruners and a pair of gloves, and then get to class:

On Jan. 8, Jill Morganelli, curator of the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden’s Victorian Rose Garden, leads a hands-on workshop on rose pruning and rose care. Disease control and soil building will be covered. The class runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. The fee is $25 for members, $28 for nonmembers. Call (626) 821-4623 to register or pay at the class.

Also on Jan. 8, Clair Martin, curator of the rose and perennial gardens at the Huntington Botanical Gardens, leads a workshop in the garden focusing on the tools and techniques of rose pruning. The class runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. The fee is $30 for members, $40 for nonmembers. To register, call (626) 405-2128.

Over at Descanso Gardens, rose horticulturist Amanda Everett will go over the basics of pruning different types of roses at 11 a.m. Jan. 8. Find out why pruning is necessary, what tools to use, the best times to prune and how. The class is included in the garden’s regular admission, which ranges from from $3 to $8. Meet at the Rose Garden Pavilion of Descanso, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. Information: (818) 949-4200.

On Jan. 9, garden designer and rose fanatic Nina Rumely leads a free workshop on winter rose pruning at the Ocean View Farms community garden in West Los Angeles. Bring gloves and pruners, as the class will walk through the hillside plots overlooking the Pacific. If it’s raining, the class will move to Jan. 16. Ocean View Farms Community Garden, 3300 S. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles. Information: (310) 915-1123, educationchair@oceanviewfarms.net.

-- Lisa Boone

Photo credits, from top: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times, Christina House / For The Times