Rose Gardening

Whether you are a seasoned gardener who has been at it for years or a newcomer to the hobby, we all need a bit of gardening help now and again. Whether this refers to getting a few gardening tips or actually having a professional gardener there who is going to be able to show you the ropes, it is important to know about where you can go to get gardening help if you ever need it.

Resources

There are actually quite a few fantastic resources that are available in terms of gardening help. Gardening books are one of the best resources available to gardeners, bar none. There are some incredibly detailed and informative gardening books out there, and they are not only affordable but also you can keep them around your house so that they are there whenever you need them.

One of the best selling gardening books of our time is Gardening Basics for Canadians for Dummies by Liz Primeau, Canadian Gardening, Steven A. Frowine, and The National Gardening Association. With this book you will discover how to pick the best plants for your climate, ensure that your gardening is eco-smart, plan and prep your garden, create unique water and container gardens, and keep your plants healthy.

Then there is the Internet. We all know how helpful the Internet is to us on a regular basis, but perhaps you have not considered using it for gardening help before. With the Internet you are really able to save a ton of time and effort when you are trying to get gardening help, because in as little as a few minutes you can browse through hundreds of different companies and find the information that you need.

There are even gardening courses and seminars out there that offer gardening help, and which you may want to check out. These are great for gardening help because they are one on one. There will be a professional there who you can actually speak to and ask direct questions to, and this is often the favored route because you can see firsthand how to complete a particular gardening task.

Gardening is much more than just an enjoyable pastime. With gardening you can produce beautiful flowers, delicious vegetables, and you are helping do your part for the environment by making sure that we are getting more plants back since we take so many away each day. Many people are scared off by the idea of gardening because they think it may be too difficult or take up too much of their time, but it is really quite easy.

If you have a friend or relative that is an avid gardener, there is no more thoughtful gift than a garden gift basket for a holiday, birthday or anniversary present. At first, you may seem overwhelmed when shopping in your garden center or on the internet. There are a few things to consider when trying to find just the right “flavor” for your garden gift basket to give to the people who love to play in the dirt, so t speak.

First you must determine how much you want to spend for the garden gift basket. After you have the dollar amount, walk through the aisles of the garden center to see what items are available. Of course, you could also do an internet search to see what the most popular tools and gadgets are selling. You will be surprised at the range of goods that are available from the inexpensive to the extravagant. Keep in mind that you will want to get quality products that will last so your friend or relative will have years of enjoyment.

If your gardener is a novice you may want to start with the basics, a pruner, a watering can, gardening gloves, or special nozzles for the hose. There are many garden centers that have gift baskets already made up. It could include some gardening tools and seeds revolving around a specific theme like, vegetables or roses or herbs. If you choose to go with the herb theme and want to do it on your own, include some tasty herb seed packets, some small, pretty pots and a journal where notes can be kept.

If you have a gardener with a well used garden rake and tool belt, you can pretty much surmise that they have all of the state-of-the-art tools and have been collecting gardening equipment for years. Here, a simple but thoughtful gift would be a work apron that has be monogrammed or personalized with a funny garden saying. A well seasoned gardener will appreciate the thought you have put into the gift.

To really get the best gift for your gardener you should know the level of their expertise and if they have a theme. For example there are gardeners that only grow roses while there are others that specialize in herb gardening, knowing this will help you pick out the perfect gift. For instance a scarecrow would look dumb in a rose garden whereas a hummingbird feeder is way out of place in a vegetable patch. And be careful with the “cutesy” garden decorations, some people love garden gnomes or stone gargoyles whereas someone with an award winning exotic tropical garden wouldn’t think of having one.

If after you have gone through all these options, level of expertise and if they have a theme or not and you still don’t know what to buy, the answer is simple. Purchase them a gift certificate from your local garden center. Every gardener needs supplies through the year and your gift will help to offset the expense of their garden.

If after considering the gardener’s experience level and theme of their garden you remain stumped, a gardening gift certificate allowing them to select their own gift is a surefire way to please and inspire them as their garden grows through the years.

With a little inspiration you can find the perfect gift basket for your avid gardener. Don’t forget to put a pretty bow on the basket! Here is a natural pesticide that you may want to print on a card and include in the gift basket:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Every gardener likes to keep the garden as chemical free as they can.

Happy Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Rose is the queen of flowers. It is gorgeous and wonderful but is one of weakest plants, too. Rose is always damaged by diseases and pests. And if you have rose in your garden, here is the information you should know.

Common rose diseases vary by area, as the fungi which cause many of them are affected by temperature and moisture. Some of the most common rose diseases are Black Spot Disease, Powdery Mildew, Rust, and Rose Mosaic.

While rose diseases do not always kill rose plants, they often affect the leaves and make it more difficult for the rose to survive in the winter. Step-by-step sowing instructions:

Black Spot Disease

This disease, as its name implies, appears as black spots on the upper surfaces of the rose’s leaves. It is caused by a fungus, which is allowed to propagate in moisture, which can come from rain or watering over the leaves instead of down at the soil. It can also be caught from other diseased plants, as the fungus can spread through fallen leaves, or even through composting of diseased leaves and stems. It causes most diseased leaves to drop off early, but survives through the winter on any leaves that manage to stay on the rose. It can also survive through the winter on the stem.

Rust

This disease is not harmful at low levels, merely causing small orange growths on the underside of leaves. At higher levels, leaves begin to be damaged, which can damage the plant since the leaves are the part of the plant that produces energy.

Powdery Mildew

This disease is different from other common rose diseases, as Powdery Mildew does not need water. This growth, which resembles a white powder, occurs on the top and bottoms of leaves and on stems. In the summer, if roses are free of any fungi caused disease, Powdery Mildew can simply be hosed off of affected roses and thus, can be easy to take care of.

Rose Mosaic

This viral disease does not kill plants. Many rose gardeners do not need to deal with this disease, as all it does it cause splotches, often yellow and green, to appear on leaves.

There are many other rose diseases, and which ones are the most common in each area changes depending on the weather in that area. Ask for free gardening advice from neighbors, friends, and fellow rose growers, or pick up one of the many books available on growing roses.

To avoid getting rose disease, start by buying disease free plants from the garden supply store. There are also many disease resistant variants of roses, which while still susceptible to disease, are at least less likely to become diseased.

Once a plant is diseased, there are many gardening tips available as to how to deal with these. An easy gardening tip is simply to prune away the affected areas.

Be careful not to leave any diseased leaves on the ground, and don’t put the diseased leaves and stems into compost, as compost does not always reach the temperature need to kill the fungi, and when the compost is used, the fungi will spread to the roses again. To help prevent reoccurrence of the disease, or an occurrence of any other disease, keep the rose beds clean. Clear away fallen leaves and pull any weeds.

These common rose diseases should not be too much of a gardening problem for any rose gardener, as, with early detection, they can easily be destroyed without the death of the entire rose bush and garden.

The ancient Muslim poet, jurist, and theologian, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, may not have stumbled madly upon the very first rose back in 13th century Persia but he certainly immortalized it poignantly in his writing.

Roses are believed to have originated in ancient Persia but their cultivation quickly spread across the Northern Hemisphere, first from China to Europe and finally to North America. Rose enthusiasts throughout time and geography have helped to spread the cultivation and the adoration of this arrestingly lovely flowers to the point that, today, there are more than 20,000 varieties available.

Roses run the gamut of the color spectrum. They come in every color, including the elusive blue and black ones that have dogged rose breeders for ages. Every shade of every color is represented, too, with many rose blossoms sporting multiple colors or shades.

These enchanting plants have been bred to grow straight and tall or trail over slopes and fences. Some roses grow close to the ground while others become bushy. Many rosebushes bloom once in the spring or summer, others bloom again in the fall, and others still bloom from early spring until winter.

Diversity aside, a few rose gardening tips might improve your rose-growing success.

Planting is the first step to consider when compiling a list of rose gardening tips. Folklore tells us to plant flowering plants when the moon is in a waxing phase. Indeed all plants that produce their most desirable growth above ground are said to be best planted during the time the moon is growing into its biggest, most visible, phase.

(In turn, plant carrots, potatoes, and other plants where underground action is most desirable when the moon is waning, or becoming less visible.)

Trim your hair, visit your barber, or comb your dog the day before planting your roses. This, another of folklore rose gardening tips, ensures you have a bit of hair to mix in with the soil in which you plant your roses. Decomposing hair is said to provide excellent fertilizer for thriving roses.

Sunshine is one of the most important rose gardening tips. Make sure to plant your roses, always during their dormant phase, in a spot where they can get at lease six hours of full sun every day.

Rose gardening tips include trees, too. Keep your roses away from tree roots, especially deciduous trees, or they will divert the nutrients of the soil from your hungry roses

Experienced gardeners often wax philosophical about rose pruning and maintenance; leaving prospective gardeners to wonder if they could ever master such a complicated system. But let me let you in on a little secret — caring for your roses isn’t that difficult! There are a few things to keep in mind, but rose care is something that even mere gardening mortals can master. Read on for a few tips on keeping your rose bushes in top shape throughout the year.

Pruning

Almost all roses should be pruned in early spring. To help you remember this, just repeat to yourself, “When the forsythia blooms, it’s time to prune!” Using sharp pruning shears, cut about a quarter of an inch above an outward facing bud. Be sure to cut down and way from the bud at a 45 degree angle. If you cut too far above the bud, the remaining dead tissue could develop disease. But if you cut too close, there might not be enough stem left to support the bud.

The goal of pruning is to remove dead wood and give the plant a good foundation of growth for the upcoming season. If you have a healthy, established plant, you’ll want to choose three or four of the strongest looking canes that will form the frame of your bush. Choose healthy looking canes that are spaced well and prune them back to about 6″ in height. If you’re working with a new plant — or one that’s been neglected — cut back to 12″ in height.

While you’re pruning the plant, remove any suckers that have grown up from the root stock and clean up any dead or diseased leaves that have fallen around the plant base. One of the most common rose diseases is black spot disease — a malady that will cause rose leaves to become spotted, die and fall off the plant. These decomposing leaves can be a breeding ground for the disease, so be sure to clean them up to prevent them from infecting your plant in the future.

Feeding

Roses need extra fertilization to grow big and strong. That’s why it’s so important to have your soil tested by a county extension agency or farm supply/feed store before you plant your roses. If your soil has any kind of nutrient deficiencies, you’ll want to address with fertilizers and soil additives before starting your garden. In particular, look for rose-specific fertilizers that are high in phosphorus and products that add rich organic matter to the soil.

Overwintering

In most areas, your roses will be fine over winter with a little mulch or straw around the base to keep the plant and its roots protected. However, if you live in a colder climate — typically Zone 6 on the USDA Plant Hardiness Chart or below — you’ll need to take a few extra precautions. To protect your plant from harsh weather, construct a shelter out of garden stakes and burlap fabric then stuff the tent full of straw. You can also use pine boughs or other similar material to construct the tent.

Rose care and maintenance doesn’t have to be that complicated — despite what so called “experts” want you to believe. If these steps sound complicated, don’t worry — as time goes by and you learn more about your roses, you’ll become more comfortable caring for them. With a few simple steps and adequate precautions, you’ll be well on your way to building a strong, thriving rose garden.

The Roses are universally favorite plants. The bright vibrant hues give gardens a splash of color. You can smell the heady perfume of roses during summer as they fill the air. With so many different varieties to choose from rose gardening is a marvelous experience.

While it’s true that there many roses that you can choose from, the type is not important. What is important is that you plant them where you can reap the benefits later on. Roses are hardy plants. With so many gardeners breeding new hardy varieties, roses can now grow in any type of condition. Difficult soil and garden problems are no longer a barrier to well grown rose gardens.

The key to rose gardening lies in buying plants that are at least two years old, that have been field grown and are budded. If your young rose plants are pruned then the heavy stems need to be 1/4 inches in diameter at the top. On the other hand if the rose plant is not pruned, then there should be three or more heavy stems that are 18 inches in diameter.

You need to plant your roses in a sunny, well-drained spot. You should trim of all the bruised and broken stems off. In rose gardening roses needed to be eased into the ground. You first dig a hole 6 inches deeper than the rose roots need, then make the hole wide and big all around so that the roots will not grow crowded or bent.

The bottom of the hole should have small rocks or pebbles in it. This rock formation will aid in the drainage for the roses. After the stones have been placed, mix one tablespoon of fertilizer over the stones. Above this lay good fertile soil until the level is where you will plant your rose plant. In the mound of soil make a small hole and carefully plant your rose bush in there. You will need to make sure that the hole has room for the roots. Then cover the roots with soil, firming the soil every so often.

Rose gardening requires that you feed your roses at regular intervals to ensure healthy growth. The first feeding should therefore be given in early spring, before the roses bloom. The second feeding will come after the first heavy blossoming is finished. The third feeding occurs in late summer. If you are lucky there might be roses that will bloom until about November. If this is the case, then feed your plants a fourth time around

While all this care does help in rose gardening, chemical pesticides are needed to prevent sucking and chewing insects from damaging your roses. This pesticide also works to cut down on the fungus that likes to grow on roses.

Rose gardening is a lovely pleasant smelling hobby to do. If you take care of your plant during the initial days, then you will be rewarded with big, vibrant blossoms that are a joy to behold.

If you love gardening roses, then you will also love landscaping your yard using the beauty of roses. Landscaping includes designing a space for plants, flowers, and trees in your yard, someone else’s yard, or even in front of a business. When you landscape using roses, you will find that the beautiful roses will add a beauty and appeal like nothing else and it will also give you a great sense of pride in a job well done. Merging roses in with your trees, bushes, and flowers, will make the area look more interesting both texturally and visually.

When landscaping, you have a particular space to fill that is a specific dimension, much like you do when you have a regular rose garden. When landscaping, you include the rose garden in a space with trees, bushes, and other flowers that will create a beautiful cohesive garden with. To begin your landscaping, you will want to use a pencil and paper to design the area by sketching where you want to place the roses, trees, bushes, and other flowers. If you do not create a plan, then it will be difficult to plan what plants that you will need and how they will all work together.

Now that you have some idea of where you are going to place your rose bushes, you need to determine what colors will work best with the home or building that the garden will be near and the other plants that are in the garden. For example, orange hibiscus plants are beautiful, but pink roses right next to them may not look that great. Blues and purples coordinate beautifully though, to help keep your landscape well balanced and beautiful.

Rose bushes need space to grow properly so you may need to clear out the area around your roses to allow them room to grow. Too many plants and flowers in an area can look cluttered, so it may be best to choose a few beautiful plants that you can concentrate on, rather than a plethora of plants that is hard to look at because it looks so cluttered. Make your choices wisely to help enhance your landscaped garden, rather than detract from it.

Roses can add both visual interest and a beautiful smell to your garden. Adding them to a landscaped garden can give your garden an entirely new look and feel that you will enjoy and love for a long time to come.

The latter part of last summer was hot and droughty in Westminster. I went to look at a garden, locally, on top of a windy hill that is quite exposed to the worst of winter’s harshness. Included was a small rose garden. Due to the weather and some neglect, all of the roses looked poor, except one. This was a yellow hybrid tea, fully foliated and loaded with buds about to unfurl, still bearing the remnants of what was obviously a heavy spring and early summer bloom. It had about eight husky canes and stood every bit of 5 feet tall. As a class, yellow hybrid teas tend to be the most difficult of all. In general they don’t have a strong constitution. They seem particularly prone to winter kill. For years I have been searching for a good yellow hybrid tea and to stumble across one so serendipitously is truly amazing. The homeowner said the rose was about three or four years old and that this was her best rose; so easy to grow and so reliable. With some investigating the rose turned out to be Aperitif, not budded but growing on its own root. Aperitif is a recent introduction from New Zealand. We checked further and found that in just a few years, Aperitif has developed quite a worldwide reputation for vigor and reliability.

Aperitif has glowing, well-formed, yellow blooms on long, strong stems. The four and a half inch blooms are exquisite, with up to 30 petals and a light fragrance. The long stems, which will reach 18 to 22 inches, make Aperitif an exceptional addition to floral arrangements. The bush is very vigorous and will grow easily in the garden, reaching a height of 60 inches. The glossy, medium dark foliage is quite disease resistant.

Planting and Care

For best results, plant in early spring. Plant 4 feet apart in well-drained soil enriched with compost. Prefers full sun. Fertilize with Rose-Tone monthly from March 15th through August 15th. Prune in the spring. Hardy in zones 5 (with protection)-9.

Click here to view Aperitif Hybrid Tea Rose on the Carroll Gardens website.

England has a great variety of gardens to visit from the Eden project to Blenheim Palace. It can be more enjoyable to visit gardens with a group. To give you a little more information about gardens in England we have compiled a brief overview of some below.

Derbyshire has a number of impressive gardens but Haddon Hall is one not to be missed.  These were replanted in the early 1900’s and have been restored to grandeur of earlier days. There is a gift shop, plants are offered for sale, a restaurant, tea room, public restrooms, light refreshments, coaches are welcome, and parking is available.

Arlington Court is another impressive garden in Devon. This garden is administered by the National Trust and admission is free to members. Thirty acres of lovely mostly informal gardens include a water feature and a garden kitchen.  The usual amenities are offered here and coaches are again welcome.

Hillier gardens

Hillier gardens is situated two miles north-east of the historic market town of Romsey in the county of Hampshire, southern England, the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens (formerly known as the Hillier Arboretum) are named in memory of their founder, the late Sir Harold Hillier (1905-1985), a member of the nursery family. It has 42,000 plants (12,000 different types) which now thrive in an area of 180 acres. The garden also has a good café and often displays small art collections and installations. Visitors to the Gardens will find something to interest them throughout the year. Frosty days of January, with the perfume of the witch hazels’ strange spidery flowers filtering through the Gardens, gradually change to the flamboyant blooms of the spring flowering camellias, magnolias, rhododendrons and azaleas.

Eden Project

The Eden Project opened in 2001, covering an area the size of 30 football pitches. It is a biosphere creating a tropical and subtropical climate in which plant life can thrive. A disused china clay pit has been transformed into the world’s largest greenhouse that contains plants from all over the world. This garden has been created to tell the fascinating story of man’s relationship with plants.

Hever Castle

Hever Castle and Gardens in Kent features a lovely four acres of gardens with a lovely fountain on the premises. Cool Grottoes contrast with a formal garden holding 3000 roses. There are many more acres of forest/park on the estate and all of the standard amenities. Guided tours are available for your group and your coach is welcome here.

Blenheim Palace is set amidst 2,100 acres of parkland landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown, and surrounded by a wonderful mix of sweeping lawns and formal gardens. Those who appreciate the beauty and tranquility of formal gardens will enjoy the Italian Garden (can only be viewed from side path), the Water Terraces, and the beautiful Rose Garden.

Your group can spend the whole day at any of the gardens mentioned here and still look forward to returning. This is the magic of England. Gardens are so plentiful and so beautiful that discovering them is the work of a lifetime.

You can book hotel and coach hire and some garden entry tickets at the web site  www.mygrouptour and www.in-holidays-europe.co.uk

Where ever you look it seems that people are going green. They may try and drive using electric cars, or use natural methods of fertilizer or compost. There are even gardeners who use only organic products and tools in their garden. These organic gardeners will need gardening supplies that are a little different from that of your ordinary gardener. Basically they will need an organic gardening supply to continue with their gardening efforts.

As an organic gardener you will of course need a shovel, a spade and a spading fork to dig the soil in your garden and prepare it for planting. Then to take out the weeds and the rocks that are littering your new bed you need a hoe, a scuffle hoe with its forward pointing blade that you scuffle in front of you as you weed your garden, and cut the weeds at the surface. A pry bar is very good item even for organic gardeners to use in their organic gardening supply. With a pry bar you can dig up those rocks and boulders that sometimes seem to litter the surface of your garden.

Organic mulches are very similar in effect to pine needles and leaves that fall to the ground in forests. As organic mulches are of plant matter, they decompose over a period of time. This decomposed mulch helps to keep the soil moist and the plant roots cool, while keeping nutrients locked in.

There is always some pruning to be done in the garden. Rose bushes need to be cut back, especially if you want lots of big, beautiful flowers. A pair of good quality gardening shears or even a lopping shears can cut those large prickly rose stems cleanly without causing any disease causing breaks.

These however are the conventional gardening supplies that any gardener can use. For an organic gardener there are a few different items that need to be added to their organic gardening supply. Whereas the normal gardener has the choice of using chemical enhanced fertilizers the organic gardener can use bat guano or even worm castings.

With these organic fertilizers all that is needed is a couple of applications per month. Worm castings are the tunnels that are created as worms move through the soil. This movement not only breaks and loosens the soil, it also adds fertilizing nutrients to the soil. Organic fertilizers like these help to increase the growth and health of plants within your garden. Therefore they are an essential organic gardening supply item.

Gardening is said to be like painting. The gardener’s canvas is the ground and the paint brushes are the tools that gardeners use. Whether you are a conventional gardener or an organic gardener many of the tools that you will use are the same. However the organic gardener has special items in their organic gardening supply. These items change the looks, taste and smell of the plants that benefit from them.

Organic gardening is 100% all natural and great for the environment. Why don’t you switch to organic gardening and see the difference it makes to your life!