Today’s Garden Ideas

All of us are anxious to see bulbs sprouting, buds unfurling and color splashed throughout the garden. And yes, even though it is a bit early to get your hands in the dirt, there is plenty you can do to gear up for the gardening season. (more…)

Many gardeners love having beautiful roses in their garden but aren’t exactly sure how to care for them, other than weeding around the roots. It’s true that while roses are easy to maintain, they do have certain maintenance required that keeps them looking fresh and beautiful for the entire season or year, depending on where you live. Pruning is one of the these very important maintenance steps and although you may be tempted to take your shears and start snipping away at anything that you don’t find appealing, pruning the wrong things could lead to rose bush disaster. Find out now how to easily and properly prune your roses! (more…)

Roses are a wonderful addition to any garden space and they can bring warmth and brightness throughout the entire year. But without some basic maintenance, those lovely roses could soon turn to a tangled mess and so it’s important to tend to them well. Here are some basic guidelines to keeping your roses looking sharp!

Pruning roses is an important thing to do so that the greenery does not become overgrown and the roses don’t get so tangled, you can’t see the beautiful blossoms. Pruning also takes away unhealthy areas of the plant that could spread illness throughout the entire plant if it’s left. Pruning your roses regularly will also allow sunlight to reach the center of the plant. This is essential to maintain the healthy growth of the plant as well. Pruning will be easiest and most effective if it is done in early spring, when you can just begin to see the new blossoms coming through.

If your roses are in hedges, it is wise to keep the bottom of the hedge a bit wider than the top so that the entire plant can reap the full benefits of the sun. Shrub roses don’t need much maintenance when it comes to pruning. Lightly pruning away areas that are obviously unhealthy is really all that will need to be done to young shrubs. Once the shrub is three or four years old, it’s a good idea to prune away some of the older canes so that brighter and stronger ones can grow in its place.

Fertilizing can be done either by applying commercial plant food or by using organic means. Commercial fertilizer should only be applied once every two weeks to avoid damage to the roses. Manure or green matter compost can also be used if you wish to keep your roses organic. At the beginning of the season, lay a thick layer around the base of the plant when it is still small but strong enough that it won’t be overcome by the organic matter. Fertilizer can still be used on organic roses. Organic fertilizer can usually be found in a slow-release formula and should be applied approximately once a month.

When it’s time to start thinking about watering your roses, a soak hose will yield the best results. These types of hoses lay flat against the ground and can give a garden a very efficient watering. Roses shouldn’t be watered until the area around the roots is almost completely dry. The area then needs to be given a good soak for about forty-five minutes, until the entire root area has been saturated.

With a few simple maintenance measures, it’s easy to have some of the best-looking roses in your neighborhood!

The Don Juan rose is a climbing rose that looks wonderful on a trellis. The Don Juan Climbing Rose will also cover a wall or fence quickly and effectively. The flowers are a bright red, very fragrant and up to 5 inches wide. This red rose is a great cutting flower and looks beautiful in a vase. (more…)

French Lace Roses are a Floribunda Rose with white rose buds that have apricot and pink centers. The flowers are about 3 1\2 inches across and have a lot of white rose petals. This Floribunda white rose Bush can grow up to 3 feet tall. The French Lace Rose has a slightly sweet aroma. (more…)

Queen Elizabeth Roses are characterized by their beautiful soft pink blooms with pale yellow toward the petal’s base. This rose was the first of the Grandiflora roses. (more…)

This climbing rose is on fire! The blooms start out as a deep red bud. As the rose blossom opens golden yellow petals are revealed. These golden yellow petals turn to orange and then back to the original fire red as the flower ages. Joseph’s Coat Roses put on quite a display of color and are sure to turn a mundane garden spectacular. (more…)

The rose name “Love” is a two-toned elegant bloom with red and white petals. You can’t help but to fall in love with this beauty. (more…)