There is nothing quite as lovely as a rose bud unfurling, framed by lush, healthy, deep green foliage. Rosarians strive to attain and maintain their roses for this often-illusive picture. With the advent of modern roses (developed after 1867), more and more roses have been hybridized, and the results have been variable. Some plants looked […]
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Spiders get a bad rap; many people go to great lengths to get rid of them. Is it their other-worldly appearance? Concern about being bitten by a poisonous type or simply the idea of “creepy, crawling” things? Whatever the reason, before eliminating them, it’s good to understand the invaluable role they play keeping pest populations
Mostly Good Guys for Garden Pest Control Read More »
What in the world are single roses? Roses that grow individually on a stem or plant? Roses that like to grow alone? Well, neither – when we refer to “single roses” we are referring to the form of the flower, in particular the number and arrangement of the petals. Petals are the most visible portion
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Thrips are generally bad news for the gardener, whether you have one type of thrips (the name is the same – singular and plural) or more. Not visible to the naked eye as they often feed within buds and furled leaves or in other enclosed parts of the plant, these extremely small insects cause damage
These Bugs are Bad News Read More »
One of the least common colors to see in most rose gardens is purple – in any of its forms, from very pale lavender to dark, grapey purple. It is a shame, since there are many wonderful roses that cross this color range. A number of the popular roses that fall into this color category
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A discouraging sight to anyone growing roses is that succulent new cane tip that suddenly wilts and dies. This symptom may have many causes, but one of the culprits is a cane borer. There are numerous borers – they’re generally the larvae of a beetle or moth that bore into canes, feed, and eventually cause
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What do George Burns, Picasso, and Playboy have in common? Well, I don’t know whether the two famous individuals fell into the playboy category, but the connection for rose lovers is that they are all beautiful, multi-colored roses. What do I mean by multi-colored? In this context, these are roses that have two or more
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Plants, whether cultivated or wild, generally grow well when the soil provides them with adequate nutrients and moisture, sufficient light reaches their leaves, and the temperature stays within a “normal” range. However, plants can get sick, most often from a disease-causing agent like a bacteria or fungus. But there are also plant ailments that may
What are Abiotic Disorders? Read More »
What comes to mind when you think of the color orange? Tropical fruit? Sunsets? Halloween pumpkins? The San Francisco Giants? Orange is a color that can conjure up all kinds of impressions – like this one from gardening guru, author and television host Jeff Cox as he discusses colors in his book, Landscape with Roses
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It’s the time of the year when our national flower put on a dazzling show, cloaking plants with brilliantly colored, sweet-smelling blossoms. Are your plants bedecked with perfectly formed flowers, or by chance do you see what way too many gardeners do come June, roses with petals that resemble Swiss cheese, young buds that have
These Aren’t Ladybugs Read More »