In 1999, ‘Fourth of July’ was the first climber to be awarded the All-America Rose Selection in more than 23 years. True to its name, ‘Fourth of July’ welcomes the Independence Day festivities with an explosion of red and white blooms just in time for the backyard picnic. The foliage is bright green, very disease […]
Ready to be an armchair traveler? While we’re not able to saunter through gorgeous new places this year, you can enjoy virtual visits from the comfort of home. No mask required! Start in one of England’s Most Romantic Rose Garden, marvel at the stunning floral displays at the Gardens at Waddesdon Manor and wrap it
Great Gardens to Visit Read More »
This month can be the start of our hot weather, with warm days and cool nights as the summer fog pattern settles in. Maintain good deep watering at least every other day or more if we get a really hot spell. Fertilize with a good balanced liquid fertilizer always after watering so as not to
Rose Care for July Read More »
It’s National Pollinator Week – June 22 through the 28. Even though we’re not growing roses for their fruit, pollinators are important to everyone. It’s estimated that one out of every three bites of food we consume is the result of pollinators in action. Healthy gardens are filled with them – birds, bees, butterflies and
Birds, Bees, Butterflies and even Bats! Read More »
Giving your roses a high-quality environment and balanced nutrition can result in robust plants that produce lots of healthy foliage, an abundance of blooms, and an enhanced ability to resist attack from pests and disease. It doesn’t have to be a lot of hard work, complicated or involve a truckload of chemicals. Consider those old
What Your Roses Really Need Read More »
As summer approaches it’s time to get into the garden maintenance mode – deadheading, weeding and watering. keeping after pests and fertilizing. You can follow the same routine through September, barring any unusual weather. Speaking of weather, late spring can bring us conditions that may cause some strange symptoms in your plants. Freezing temperatures followed
Rose Care for June Read More »
Drought – it’s a scary thing, especially when your only source of water comes from seasonal rains and they don’t materialize. We had record rainfall in the winters of 2017 and 2019 but his past season was relatively dry. While we have adequate water to get us through this season, it’s always a good idea
Keeping Roses Healthy in a Drought Read More »
Spring is here and time for roses to put on their spectacular annual show. To our delight, plants are bursting with a bounty of gorgeous blooms and abundant lush foliage. It’s also the season for lots of insects to make their appearance in the garden. If you see a bug you don’t recognize, don’t squish
Spring has arrived and it is my favorite time of the year. The wonderful shiny leaves in all shades of green, maroon and burgundy and rose buds galore. What is really exciting is the sticks that we planted a few months ago (new bare-root roses} are now healthy plants ready to bloom. The first bloom
You know the saying – a weed is any plant in a place you don’t want it. Are you seeing grasses, dandelions, bindweed and even wild blackberry, popping up among your roses, in your lawn, vegetable garden or other exposed spaces, even in teeny spaces between bricks on your patio? What’s a gardener to do
Stay Ahead of the Weeds Read More »