The 'Minnesota Tip,' Day of the Dead marigolds and other fall flower stories

CATHY WURZER: Thursday, we'll get another chance for some rain. Gardeners pretty excited about that, although, of course, this is the end of the gardening season. You may have roses, perhaps. And if you do, you know what you're going to do to get them ready for winter.

I'm sure you've heard of the Minnesota tip. It's a method for getting roses ready for the cold weather. In just a few days, volunteers will gather in Duluth for this annual routine, and it's one of the many flower stories that my next guest has been following for her newsletter, Blooming. Joining us to stop and smell the roses, longtime KARE 11 news anchor turned flower photographer Diana Pierce. Di, how are you?

DIANA PIERCE: Yes, I'm doing well. And it's really good news that we're getting rain. Everything around here needs a big old drink before winter arrives.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah, no kidding. My gosh. So with highs in the 70s today, it's kind of tough to think about winter, but it's going to be cold again. So I have never heard of the Minnesota tip. How does that work?

DIANA PIERCE: I was wondering.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah.

DIANA PIERCE: Yes. But you are familiar with the Leif Erikson Park in Duluth?

CATHY WURZER: I am. I am.

DIANA PIERCE: So it's one of the state's largest rose gardens, so over six acres, so there's 3,000 rose bushes there. And part of the Duluth crew does take care of them, but mostly it's community volunteers up there. So this Minnesota tip, developed here in the Midwest, is something that helps protect roses from the winter.

So these volunteers on this Saturday, October 26, 9:00 to noon, are going to stick their shovels or their spades next to 925 roses in that yard. They're going to dig a little hole next to them. They're going to get everything-- they're going to really loosen up around the bottom base of the rose. And then they're going to leave the root going down still, but they'll be able to tip this over on their side--

CATHY WURZER: What?

DIANA PIERCE: --into that little ditch--

CATHY WURZER: No!

DIANA PIERCE: --that we just talked about. They've been doing this for years, Cathy. It started in the 1950s. And then they're going to mound up the dirt over it. They're really tied off with a little orange synthetic twine. This is for visibility, so they can find them again in the spring.

CATHY WURZER: Oh my gosh.

DIANA PIERCE: Isn't that fun?

CATHY WURZER: And so they're uprooting these roses? That just seems odd to me.

DIANA PIERCE: Well, it's how they've been preserving them for years. And I know that Canadians are also very curious about this. Now they've developed hybrid roses that can withstand winter, so they're not doing all-- not all 3,000 roses are doing this. But some of their longer-enduring special roses are the ones that need to be tipped.

They also have rose trees. Those are the ones they will dig up, root ball and everything, take off to a pole barn. They will cover that in some type of chip, sod, or sawdust, something to prevent them. And then next spring, reverse it, go replant all of those rose trees, and make it the most beautiful rose garden, really, that you would never expect up there coming off Lake Superior. I mean, what a beautiful view from that garden. It's just stunning, and I love it. So Carol Borich, she's the co-president of Lake Superior Rose Society-- they're the ones that mostly do a lot of this work. But she says, you could say you're saving a life, a rose's life.

CATHY WURZER: Aw.

DIANA PIERCE: I know. Isn't that sweet?

CATHY WURZER: Yeah. I mean, it is a beautiful park. There's no two ways around that. It's just so cold sometimes up there, that's all. Say, I'm wondering, Dia de los Muertos.

DIANA PIERCE: Muertos, yes.

CATHY WURZER: Thank you. That's where a different flower plays a pretty big role in this, right?

DIANA PIERCE: Yeah, very much so. So that's a cempoalxochitl, if I said that right. It's a marigold, but it's a Mexican marigold. I think when we think of marigolds, we think of the littler ones that are in our gardens. This really grows to be about 2.5 feet tall. It's got a very long stem on it, and very large flower head on it. Anyway, when I read about this-- and have you ever smelled a marigold? It has a very unique scent, doesn't it?

CATHY WURZER: Mm, I have to say, I've never put my nose next to one.

DIANA PIERCE: OK. So It's more herbal than I would call floral. But Monica Vega is an-- and you've interviewed her, an altarista.

CATHY WURZER: Yes. She's great.

DIANA PIERCE: Yeah, she's fabulous. So she's a artist, cultural educator, who creates traditional ofrendas, so it blends her family tradition with community engagement. So the marigold is central to that because they have this unique scent that they believe brings the spirits back home. So she's going to be celebrating with a couple of her altars on November 2 at the Weisman Art Museum and the Midtown Global Market.

And so on the altar itself, it's got to have four elements. So fire, candles. Wind, so these can be flowers, paper flowers. Earth, food and flowers. And then water to quench the spirits' thirst. So they're all represented on the altar. I have a picture that I took, and oh my gosh, she has covered every inch of that honoring her grandmother with something that she knew that her grandmother would like, including a picture of her grandmother. And she's also wearing a little bit of a robe around her shoulders, which the grandmother is wearing in the picture as well.

CATHY WURZER: I tell you what, Di, she is such a talented artist. I love her work. And those ofrendas, the altars, it's just so very meaningful, and I'm so happy you had a chance to talk with her. Say, before you go, with about a minute 15 left here, what other flower stories are you following next?

DIANA PIERCE: Well, November is traditionally known-- so if you like the Farmer's Almanac, they have birth month flowers. And so coming up in November, I'm going to be revealing a picture that actually went to the State Fair for me, and that's the flower of the month. I'm also going to be working with the Arb. They have their flower floral winter display, and I'm going to be talking to find out, what is their theme this year? And then, how did they choose the lights? So you can drive through their lights, and it's all going to be represented at the Arb.

So, I mean, there's several different things. I also have, what are some of the plants that you can buy and not have it affect your cat or your dog during the holidays? So, I mean, there's several different things that are coming up over the next couple of weeks.

CATHY WURZER: Say, just getting back here, because I'm kind of curious about your-- going to the Arboretum, I can only imagine how busy they are getting all of their plants winterized, right? I mean, it has to be--

DIANA PIERCE: Yes. They're also doing their rose tip this weekend as well.

CATHY WURZER: I have never-- this rose-tipping thing, my gosh, I've never heard of this. And I just planted my first roses this year, so I have zero knowledge.

DIANA PIERCE: Well, and you might not have to do it for yours. Like I said, there are some hybrids. If you trim them back and you give them a good old drink before winter, there's a lot of them that will be able to survive just fine through till next year. It's those who are a little picky.

[LAUGHTER]

Roses can be a little picky, and rose-growers know that they can be a little picky, so.

CATHY WURZER: That's right. Oh my goodness. Well, thank you so much, my friend. It's so much fun talking to you. We'll talk to you again soon, OK?

DIANA PIERCE: All right. You can find me, dianapiercephotography.com. Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: That is correct. And you can sign up to get her newsletter, Blooming, at dianapiercephotography.com. That is Diana Pierce, former KARE 11 news anchor, hall-of-famer, flower photographer, fun person to be around.