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 […]
A Dozen Wonderful Orange Roses Read More »
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 »
In the words of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns, O my luve is like a red, red roseThat’s newly sprung in JuneO my luve is like the melodieThat’s sweetly played in tune. Red roses have long been associated with love. It is hard to look at a deep red rose and not have it
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The word soldier can evoke images of militant, aggressive, tough, warrior like beings – hardly something you’d want to have in your peaceful garden, right? If you’re referring to beetles however, you absolutely DO want them – lots of them, helping you combat unwanted garden visitors (the insect type of visitor that is). While the
Who’s that Bug? It’s a Soldier Beetle Read More »
Do you ever notice when walking through a rose garden or nursery that there are more pink, red and white roses than any other colors? The majority of old roses fall into these color classes and have been used most often by hybridizers. There are very few naturally occurring yellow roses, and it is believed
A Dozen Wonderful Yellow Roses Read More »
What happens when you combine spring weather – cool nights and warm days, and a rain that lasts for a day or two? Well, besides the proverbial May flowers, it is the appearance of the BIG THREE fungal diseases of roses – powdery mildew, black spot, and rust. The bad news is that as long
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If it seems like there are more pink colored roses than any other single color, you are not imagining it. Rayford Reddell says in his book The Rose Bible, “I probably imagined that … pink wasn’t a masculine color – foolish reasoning. As for the pink aversion, well, it helps to know that more great
Three Dozen Wonderful Pink Roses Read More »
It’s March and hopefully this winter will be coming to a soggy close soon. Harbingers of spring – daffodils blooming, cherry and plum trees putting on a spectacular show, and deciduous plants begin bursting with new life – including loads of blemish-free green and mahogany-red foliage on roses. Along with this explosion of growth come
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Does the color apricot bring to mind warm summer days, soft colors, and fuzzy textures? Abundant fresh fruit from the tree? Descriptive terms like light orange, soft pastel peach or pale sunset doesn’t really capture the warmth of the color. The American Rose Society (ARS) color classification uses apricot & apricot blend to cover a
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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 of repeat flowering roses. If you’re not quite done, or are just getting started, here are some things that may be of help: Get the
Working on your pruning? Read More »