Early morning storms on Saturday didn't stop local environmentalists from planting a rose garden at one of the three footbridges over Wesley Lake. By 11 a.m., members of the Friends of Wesley Lake, the Wesley Lake Commission, and the Asbury Park Environmental Shade Tree Commission had planted 80 Knock Out rose bushes in the letters "AP," for "Asbury Park," on the lawn at the intersection of Emory Street and Lake Avenue on the Asbury Park side of the bridge.
The Knock Out variety was selected because it isn't susceptible to aphids and other pests and diseases that afflict other varieties like tea roses and floribundas, said Tom Pivinski, who chairs the Asbury Park Environmental Shade Tree Commission.
Pivinski isn't worried about the "AP" losing its shape as the bushes grow. Knock Outs "need to be pruned yearly, but we don't want to prune them until they've become established. They'll be given a light pruning in early September if they need it," he said.
Knock Out roses are usually pruned to the ground after two years so they can flourish into the characteristic bush. If not pruned correctly, the tops grow big and the stems become stick-like, Pivinski said.
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