Have you ever seen these critters in your rose garden? Or worse yet, do you have any of these symptoms that they’ve been there? Roses with petals that resemble Swiss cheese. Young buds and stems that have holes or are broken just below the bud. Meet the really bad guys of the rose garden – […]
Garden Bad Guys – Rose Curculios Read More »
It is often difficult for rosarians with limited space to plant a rose that blooms only once, especially if it gets rather large. In the case of ‘Complicata’ it is worth it! In The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book, Thomas says of ‘Complicata’, “In the light sandy soil in my garden, in close competition with
Time – there never seems to be enough of it! I’m always looking for ways to better manage my time. While I love working in my garden, I’d like more time to simply enjoy it. That got me thinking about possible ways to give roses the care they need and conserve time and energy. Here
Simplify your rose care Read More »
I love April. A chickadee family has already moved into one of my birdhouses, there are daffodils, blossoming trees and birds singing everywhere. Now too, the roses have begun their season. Amazing to me that only weeks ago they looked like dead sticks and now they have the most beautiful shiny, lush green or red
Rose Care for April Read More »
This rose is special to me because it bears the name of one of my family ancestors on my father’s side, the French part. The rose was given to me by Gail Trimble, and that makes it even more special. It is a hybrid perpetual and retains the old rose form. It has large, globular
It’s a good time now to give your roses about two cups per plant of alfalfa either pellets (buy at a feed store) or meal (sold at some nurseries). Alfalfa is a great soil amendment and provides a bit of nutrition, it contains a growth hormone triacontanol which is said to be a plant growth
Rose Care for March Read More »
‘Betty Boop’ was hybridized by Tom Carruth from a cross of the red blend floribunda, ‘Playboy’ and the pink blend floribunda, ‘Picasso’, and was introduced by Weeks Wholesale Roses in 1999. It is classified by the American Rose Society as a red blend floribunda with 6-12 petals and a very good garden rating of 8.1.
Here in northern California, we prune roses from January until mid-February, putting our roses into dormancy to provide a good bloom cycle in the spring. Most of the varieties bloom on new growth. Remember the following: dead, diseased, crossing, and skimpy. Use these four words as a guide to remove canes for all hybrid teas,
Rose Care for February Read More »
Winter is a great time to shop for new roses. Whether you’re looking for the newest rose on the market or searching for that special rose to fill a corner of the garden, this is the BEST time of year to shop! The selection is the widest and prices are generally lower than container plants.
Shopping time for new roses Read More »
We’re deep into the winter pruning season. This is the brief period of time when roses in Marin go into semi-dormancy, and the best time to do your annual pruning. If you’re not quite done, or are just getting started, here are some things that may be of help: Learn How to Prune Roses in
Done with your pruning yet? Read More »