When the coldest frosts of winter hit, some see it as Mother Earth’s reminder to prune the roses. 

The annual rose pruning is upon Kiama at Peace Park on Sunday July 13 at 9:30am, where locals are invited to join Friends of Peace Park, members of the Illawarra Rose Society, and Kiama Garden Club for a morning preparing the park’s many beds for the upcoming season.

Peace Park coordinator Colin Hollis explained to The Bugle the process and benefits of pruning roses, a brief history of the park and the many "hedges" that the volunteers face with Kiama Council.

“What you are doing when you are pruning your rose, you are rejuvenating it,” Hollis said.

Like many things in life, having "an eye" for something takes years of practice and experience. Hollis exerts this with his rose pruning, sharing with those who take the time to learn.

“We encourage people to do a bit of pruning themselves, because that is the way you learn,” he said.

“Pruning is the greatest fear of many gardeners.”

Hollis is of the opinion that the best garden bed in Peace Park is Golden Beauty: “it was a mess, so we dug it out, took the old roses out of that, and replanted it, and in the good season, from September up until about March, that is just a mass of golden blooms.

“It really is great.” 

Among the many beds within the garden, are plantations dedicated to different significant global themes and commemorations.

Many years ago, Peace Park was a vacant block with scattered trees and through the advocacy work of Kiama visionary Winsome Barker and Hollis, it was transformed into a rose garden.

“Winsome used to walk through here and thought that this would be a good place to have a rose garden, and (if) would the Illawarra Rose Society be interested, and it went from there,” Hollis said.

“We entered an agreement with Council that we would put roses in here and look after it, and Council would cut the grass.

“We continue the Rose Society, all the volunteers here provide the roses, and the Council, apart from occasionally cutting the grass, gives us nothing."

Within the park is a walkway which is bordered by bricks, which was Barker's idea to feature the names of people “as a sort of celebration”.

“Barker came up with the idea of selling bricks, and the bricks cost, I think $100 each, with the funds to go into developing the park,” Hollis said.

“We don’t see a penny of that, they (Kiama Council) always claim that is what it costs them to make the bricks, and it cheeses me off to no end.”

A council spokesperson said that: “The funds raised by selling the Peace Park pavers – at $120 per paver – are far outweighed by the expense to Council of the associated administration, preparation and installation – which costs Council roughly $160 per paver.”

Demonstrations of the rose pruning will be held from 9:30am with participants encouraged to bring their own equipment, such as secateurs. 

The Illawarra Rose Society meets at Peace Park every Tuesday at 9:30am.