Allen too, started early with his love of poultry when at the age of he 10 years he proudly showed a white silkie hen in the county fair and took home the blue ribbon!

Meet Amos…

Whether official or not, Amos is on the welcoming committee at Moss Mountain. All the Garden 2 Blog team fell in love with him and chased him around with our cameras. He must have felt like the paparazzi had converged.

Amos … Buff Orpington

Amos is a Buff Orpington … a gentle English breed from the 19th Century. See how they live at Moss Mountain.  Video.

Meet the Silkies…

Allen told us that Silkies are sort of the lap dogs of the chicken world.  C U T E!  The White Silkies on Moss Mountain live in this adorable Greek Revival Coop.

Silkies…

Silkies living in style…

Thinking about adding chickens to your world?

For a list of breeds to consider, read on.

And, you’ll need a coop … so check this out.

Heritage Poultry Conservancy

A group that Allen is very involved with is the The Heritage Poultry Conversancy … an excellent organization dedicated to the preservation and support of all threatened breeds and strains of poultry through the encouragement of education stewardship and good breeding practices. Read more.

This Picture Says it All…

Steve and Caesar… Love at first hold.

My good friend, artist and writer, Steve Asbell of the Rain Forest Garden had his first experience of holding a chicken at Moss Mountain. Caesar looks very confident in Steve’s arms wouldn’t you say? Love at first hold!

Another article you might enjoy…

“If it doesn’t look good, we pitch it and plant something else.” -P Allen Smith

From the delicately fragrant Noisettes to the spectacular bloom of the Knockouts and many other varieties, Moss Mountain is alive with the beauty and fragrance of roses. This amazing garden gets your attention with it’s size, but then draws you to come slow down, relax and meander……

Moss Mountain Rose Garden

Though Allen has always loved roses, it was while doing his graduate work in England that the rose love deepened. Allen became friends with Lady Elizabeth Ashbrook who grew beautiful roses. Upon his return from England he planted more and more roses that led to what you see above … a two acre garden reminiscent of the Gothic style found in Aiken-Rhett House garden in Charleston, SC.

EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY

But, roses are not just in the rose garden, in fact, you can’t walk very far either at his home in the historical district of Little Rock or at his farm, until you see more beautiful roses. Roses have found their way into most every “room” of the farm. Well, maybe not in Poultryville, but that is another post. Psssst… I fell in love with chickens and well–just might have to have some. Especially the Buff Orpingtons. For an article from Allen on  how to raise backyard chickens, read on.

Okay, okay back to roses. Look at these beauties…

BUILDING THE ROSE GARDEN

To hear Allen tell the fascinating story on the building of the garden, watch this…

THE ROSE REPUTATION

Many people say to me that they think all roses are prima donnas that need constant spray and attention. This garden proves otherwise. Sure, roses do need sun, food and water to survive and a little love and attention to thrive, but don’t we all. And, wow … aren’t they worth it!

If you have been reluctant to give roses a try, come on you can do it. I promise! Let Allen’s beautiful AND sustainable garden inspire you.

OTHER ARTICLES YOU MIGHT ENJOY

Then there were the chickens!

Spring Rose Care Top Five

What is Rose Chat Radio

Disclosure: The majority of this trip including room, board and a bunch of neat swag – were provided to me at no expense for participating in the Garden2Blog event. There was no obligation to write about my experiences and all opinions stated here are my own.

There is so much I am looking forward to and not in the least is getting to tour Allen’s rose garden. You know how I am about roses! Allen’s rose garden is about 2 acres. 2 ACRES!

Here is a video taken during the construction of the garden.

Can you believe it??

Allen has been sharing some beautiful pictures of the garden on Facebook this week. What a treat this is going to be!

Stay tuned, I will be posting loads of pictures on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Follow along!

Allen’s Garden…

Sarah Van Fleet…. Ohhhh la la

I have drooled over this rose in catalogs for years and decided this was the year to adopt one… actually I adopted two.

Guinivere sent me the most beautiful plants and I protected them through some very cold days and nights. But baby look at her now. She is truly enchanting!

Here’s what the Roses of Yesterday and Today online catalog says of Celsiana

Damask
Prior to 1750
4-5 feet
One annual flowering
Zones 4-9

The subject of one of Redoute’s most beautiful rose portraits, and a rose to inspire any artist. Leigh Barr Stamler, St. Louis, MO, says, “Celsiana is incredibly beautiful -
arching canes loaded with soft, lovely roses in the most perfect shade of pink! I sit on the grass in front of her for long minutes every spring, drinking in her beauty.”

A graceful plant with smooth, grey-green foliage and clusters of 4 inch warm pink flowers . . . which open wide with a special crisp twirl of crinkled petals showing tall yellow stamens.  True damask fragrance . . . if you plan to make potpourri, this rose should be included in your order.

I would highly recommend you adopt at least one Celsiana for your garden!

How can you resist….

Every year I go into Tomato Frenzy … trying decide which ones to grow that taste the best and produce the most in my limited space. (We will not talk about the fact that I seem to have an unlimited amount of space for roses!) but, back to the tomato…

Last year I asked my garden friends on Twitter and Facebook to tell me their favorite tomatoes. My goal this year is to plant 5 regular sized tomatoes and 3 patio tomatoes. But, my resolve is crumbling and my mouth is watering.

A Favorite tomato QUOTE

“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” – Lewis Grizzard

Recommendations from some SERIOUS TOMATO GROWERS

• Opalka (Robin Follette)
• Mortgage Lifter
• Brandywine
• Tomaccio
• Green Zebra
• Costoluto Genovese (Carolyn Binder)
• Rutgers (Michael Nolan)  (Tomato Casual)
• San Marzanos (Susy Morris)
• Lemon Boy
• Roma (Michael Nolan)
• Cherokee Purple
• Amish Paste
• Beefsteak
• Jet Star
• Vorlon (Chris McLaughlin)

TOMATO TRIVIA … Did you know that?

• When the tomato was introduced to Europe in the 1500s, The French called it “the apple of love.” The Germans called it “the apple of paradise.”
• Thomas Jefferson first ate a tomato in Paris and sent seeds back to America.
• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat between 22-24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year.
• Heinz released it’s first bottled ketchup in 1876.
• Tomato juice is the official state beverage of Ohio.
• Tomatoes are a natural antioxidant and high in Vitamin C.
• In 1897 Joseph Campbell came out with condensed tomato soup.
• The “Hornworm” can eat an entire tomato plant in ONE DAY.

Do you have tomato stories? Ever get in to a tomato frenzy? Come on, you can tell me!

The Grande Dame in my garden Summer 2012

The Grande Dame is a lovely and very fragrant hybrid tea.

Here’s what Weeks Roses has to say about this 2011 release…

Grande Dame…


Everything old is new again … or is it the other way around?

Here’s a clean mean flowering machine whose big bountiful beauties reek with old rose romance, style & fragrance. Each lovely blossom invites you to bury your nose…to swoon from the perfume of the ‘old time’ roses of your dreams. A big vigorous ‘shrubby’ bush whose nodding clusters, abundant deep-green leaves & low-thorned cutting stems provide a perfect touch to a landscape or bouquet.

• Height / Habit: Tall/Upright & bushy
• Bloom / Size: Full, old-fashioned, in nodding clusters
• Petal count: Over 30 broad petals
• Parentage: Meredith x Wild Blue Yonder
• Fragrance: Intense old rose
• Hybridizer: Carruth – 2011
• Comments: A modern antique for all climates.

Mixing old and new is what my garden is all about!

Here is the Grande Dame in my garden last summer. Stunning!

I now have 3 of these lovelies!

Roseraie de l’Hay

Roseraie de l’Hay is a rugosa rose introduced in 1901 and was named for the French rose garden of the same name.

Technically rugosa roses are species roses native to eastern Asia, but to me they are a bit of heaven on earth.

I have several of these beauties in my Zone 5b garden. When these roses are blooming our entire garden is filled with their beautiful fragrance. If someone new visits our garden during this time, the first question is always, What is that?

In addition to beauty and fragrance, the upside to rugosa roses–they are tough, trouble free and need very little maintenance. But, you need some room because these beauties grow to be around 6′ X 5′ in my garden. An extra bonus … rugosas produce large red-orange rose hips that are very high in Vitamin C and I am told make great jelly. We just let the birds enjoy them.

Roseraie de l’Hay is a good repeat bloomer for me, but nothing compares to that first bloom of early summer … see video below!

USDA Hardiness Zones 3 – 9.

What a beauty!

Star Roses and Plants award winning rose!

Here’s how they describe it…

Francis Meilland® is a tall Hybrid Tea rose with a very large bloom, good exhibition form and strong fragrance. It is a multiple award winner in Europe for disease resistance as well as aesthetics. It is one of the first Hybrid Tea roses to win the prestigious ADR contest in Germany. 2013 AARS winner.

This remarkable rose bears the name of a remarkable rose breeder, in honor of his 100th birthday — the legendary breeder of the Peace rose.

My friend, Chris, The Redneck Rosarian, says this rose grew to about 9ft in his garden last year. Wo…. I ordered two this year from Edmunds and they are planted in my new raised exhibition bed Mr. G built for me. I am so excited to see how they grow!

Tall, disease resistance, beautiful fragrance and beautiful form … I hope I have some ready June 15 to enter in the Indianapolis Rose Society’s Rose Show!! Fingers crossed.

SUMMER SALE…
Last summer I saw an extremely healthy Peace Rose on the Lowes sale table. I thought it was time I had a Peace Rose again.

THE DETAILS…

• Yellow blend Hybrid Tea
• Bred by Francis Meilland (France, 1935)
• Introduced in US by Conard-Pyle (Star Roses) on April 29, 1945 as ‘Peace’
• Strong fragrance
• Very large, full (26-40 petals), cupped, high-centered bloom form
• Blooms in flushes throughout the season.
• Height of 4′ to 6½’ (120 to 200 cm)
• Width of up to 3′ (up to 90 cm)
• USDA zone 5b and warmer
• Prune lightly or not at all

AN ALL AMERICAN..
The Peace rose was awarded the prestigious All-American Rose Selections Award (AARS) for 1946, the only rose to receive this honor that year.

HISTORY FROM WIKIPEDIA…

It was developed by French horticulturist Francis Meilland in the years 1935 to 1939. When Meilland foresaw the German invasion of France he sent cuttings to friends in Italy, Turkey, Germany, and the United States to protect the new rose. It is said, that it was sent to the US on the last plane available before the German invasion, where it was safely propagated by the Conard Pyle Co. during the war.

The adoption of the trade name “Peace” was publicly announced in the United States on 29 April 1945 by the introducers, Messrs Conard Pyle Co. This was the very day that Berlin fell, officially considered the end of the Second World War in Europe. Later that year Peace roses were given to each of the delegations at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco, each with a note which read:

“We hope the ‘Peace’ rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace”.  -Wikepedia

What a beautiful history!

Baby plant

Lovely bloom

If you are looking for this rose, check with these suppliers.

Tete e Tete Daffodils

From the tiny Tete e Tete to the gigantic yellow trumpets …  I have always loved daffodils. They scream spring!!

Daffodils are perennial, increase eagerly and are wonderfully deer and rodent proof.

Four years ago they became even more important to me. We lost a beloved family member on March 19,  just as the daffodils were blooming. Uncle Tony (Mr. G’s brother) heroically battled cancer for 20 years. At 49 years of age, it was much too early to lose him. Uncle Tony was a rare and special person … extremely creative, rock solid in his faith, a lover of people, a gardener AND a lover of spring & daffodils.

Just before his death when we were visiting with him, he mentioned wanting to get out in his garden and in particular wanted to see the daffodils blooming. That did not happen.

In the fall of that year, I individually wrapped hundreds of daffodils in burlap, tied them with a jute bow and gave them away to anyone who wanted to plant daffodils in Tony’s memory and so many did!

Each year people give me reports on Tony’s daffodils and I know he is remembered.

He was just too special to forget.

Here are a couple of favorite family pictures….

Uncle Tony, Mr. G and our son Matt when we was about 4

Brothers at the beach…

So many of our family memories are tied to plants and gardening. Here are a couple of other posts about family members and gardens…

Memories of my Mom

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

Do you have plants that hold special memories for you?

I don’t know what this summer will bring, but even if it is H O T and D R Y again, these are some plants I will be able to count on to be companions to my roses.

Top 7 Over Achievers…

#7 Daisies: A determined and prolific bloomer in most any condition. And as we learned in You’ve Got Mail, they are the “friendliest flower”!

Don’t you think daisies are the friendliest flowers? -Kathleen Kelly, You’ve Got Mail 

#6 Black-eyed Susans: Bright, dependable and beautiful in mass.

Beautiful in mass and peeking through fences!

#5 Catmint: Low, sprawling and brings in the bees!

Bees can’t get enough of me!

#4 Autumn Joy Sedum: Truly low maintenance and they say to hot, dry conditions, “Bring it on. We can take it!”

We can beat the heat!

#3 Yarrow: It comes in pinks, yellows, white, reds, lavender and on and on. Great to hug up to and around other flowers and roses and fill in around the edges of borders. Perfect as filler in rose arrangements.

NOTE: Recently I interviewed Baldo Villegas (leading expert for the ARS on rose insects and diseases — entomologist, gardener, horticulturalist and self professed rose nut) on Rose Chat Radio. One of the many wonderful things he said about companion planting as it pertains to the over all health of roses and other plants, was that he considered Yarrow to be one of the premiere companion plants for roses! Listen to the his entertaining and informative interview HERE.

Pink Yarrow

Yarrow is great to fill in the edges.

#2 Moonbeam Coreopsis: Easy, breezy, long blooming and beautiful. Love Love Love! There are so many varieties of coreopsis … check them out!

Moonbeam Coreopsis around pink rose…

Moonbean Coreopsis up close and personal

#1 Feverfew: Tiny little daisy-like flowers that are great fillers in rose arrangements!

Tiny little feverfew…

Feverfew in arrangement…

Do you have plants in your garden that are over achievers —- one day they are all over the place and you are ready to “shovel-prune.” Then the next day they are glorious and you think you can’t live without them?

Janice Kellogg

When I’m ready to purchase roses or looking for information to better care for my roses, I start with these guys:

• American Rose Society was founded in 1892 and is the oldest single plant horticultural society in America. The ARS is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to the cultivation and enjoyment of roses. Rose care info here. Membership information here.

• David Austin started something new in roses–English Roses.
  His first rose, the fragrant Constance Spry, was released in 1961. Since then he has released nearly two hundred English Roses. Few new flowers have caused such a stir in the horticultural world. The website is full of information on English Roses, Old Roses and a few modern roses. And, you cannot beat the pictures of the David Austin rose gardens. Take a look …  David Austin Roses.

• Rose Petals Nursery … Preserving history one rose at a time! Rose Petals Nursery is a little specialty rose nursery in rural North Central Florida. They have a lovely website just full of interesting rose information!

• Antique Rose Emporium is your mail order nursery source for Earth-Kind, Pioneer and old roses. Ever heard of a group called The Rose Rustlers? Read about them here. (Prepare to be fascinated!)

• For historical roses and own-root rose information, it is hard to beat Heirloom Roses. Unlike the majority of rose growers, Heirloom Roses does no budding or grafting and sells own-root roses for hardiness and disease resistance.

• Roses of Yesterday and Today have an amazing selection of old, rare, unusual and select modern roses and is where I purchased one of my first old roses. I still  have one of their catalogs I received about 20 years ago. This was in pre-web days when a beautiful catalog meant everything.

• Paul Zimmerman Roses is dedicated to making sure everyone knows how easy and rewarding Garden Roses are to grow. Excellent how-to videos and a rose forum joining you to other rose experts. And, you just might want to check out his latest rose book, Everyday Roses.

• Rosemania is the place for rare rose care products, rose information and many roses for purchase.

• Wayside Gardens always have a nice selection of roses. I have a collection of their catalogs. Such great information and pictures. I am pretty sure it was through Wayside that I first heard of David Austin Roses.

• Edmunds Roses is where I purchased the roses from the Biltmore collection, Flamenco and Lady Ashe. They have a nice selection of roses. Take a look…

• Authentic Haven Brand  offers a full line of all-natural, premium soil conditioner teas for the home gardener.  Alfalfa has long been associated with being used in livestock feed, but many rose growers have found it to be a “secret weapon”.  Alfalfa has been found to boost bloom production and increase basal breaks.

Miss All American Beauty

Other rose articles you might enjoy … 

• Spring Rose Care Top Five…
• Harison’s Yellow
• Roses Old and New
• New Dawn Climbing Rose
• The Charm of Rugosas
• Roses Standing the Test of Time

In Jesus’ time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
‘Twas strong and firm, its branches interwoven.
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
“Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so.
Slender and twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown,
The blossom’s center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember Me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected, this tree shall be
A reminder to all of My agony.

Not a part of the legend BUT, in the fall dogwoods produce clusters of red berries and if you look closely you’ll notice that for most of the dogwood varieties the berries are not round but rather shaped like a drop of blood! Hummmmmm

Legends are legends, but I am so grateful for anything that reminds me of His love and sacrifice on our behalf….

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Regardless of the tree used, the story does not end on the cross…

He is not here, he has risen just as he said… Matthew 28:6

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28

O Glorious Day!

Mr. G has a new toy that he calls the Rose-A-Matic. We planted 25 or so roses today. It took a fraction of the digging time it usually takes. Mr. G was very happy with his new purchase. You know how boys are with their toys!

The Rose-a-Matic will also be very helpful next week when we are digging post holes for a new arbor … you guessed it for more roses. Francis E. Lester, climbing hybrid musk rose, named for the founder of Roses of Yesterday) will be planted by the arbor!

VIDEO: If you are view on a mobile device you may have to click on title to see the video!

Mr. G is a very good garden assistant, but his “real” hobby is wood working. He has built everything from stage sets to thousands of craft items for places like Michaels (remember the tole painting & craft era?!), to school projects for the kids and garden fences & arbors. And, who could forget the potting shed and the dirt drawer?

When a craftsman wants veggie boxes here’s how it goes…

The project started with a trip to Lowes with Mr. Bennet to pick out wood.

Mr G and Mr Bennet

In the wood shoppe there is everything you need to build just about anything with wood… including a laser guided miter saw. (Whatever that is?)

Laser Guided Miter Saw…

Process…

I think veggie plants will be very happy in these beautiful boxes. However, I must say that I think the mini flora roses on the For Love of Roses website I was looking at last night would fit in there very nicely too. But, we won’t talk about that … at this time.

• They can be planted early when you are just itching to do some real “gardening.”
• They are beautiful.
• They climb and vine on your fence or trellis adding vertical interest.
• Most varieties have a sweet fragrance.
• They look great in early summer bokays!

Sweet pea seeds have a hard shell, so I am soaking them over night and will plant them tomorrow.

Varieties I am planting this year are all from Burpee…

• Moody Blue Mix: Extra large, fragrant blooms in rich shads of navy, ocean blue and rose-pink.
• Cottage Mix: Mix of shades of white, cream , pink, rose, scarlet and purple.
• Summer Wine: Rich wine-colored blooms on full, medium-height vines.
• Eckford’s Mix: Very fragrant, large blooms in a wide color range.

Word of caution…

Even though they are called a “pea,” they are NOT edible.

Denise Schreiber in her book Eat Your Roses shares about herbs and flowers that are edible and those that are NOT edible. If you haven’t seen Denise’s delightful book, take a look HERE.

Denise was our guest on Rose Chat Radio a few weeks ago and you can listen to the archived broad cast HERE.

So, tomorrow I will do some of that “real gardening” I have been itching to do and plant my sweet peas … just before our next snow storm.

If you grow sweet peas, do you have a variety you particularly enjoy?

Other seeds….

Here are a few of my seedlings that are coming along nicely in the potting shed window…

Happy Spring!

It is way too easy for me to get spring fever — regardless of the time of year. I start counting down the days until spring the day after Christmas. So, you could say that today is a day I look forward to most of the year. However, due to current low temperatures, the quote by Hal Borland below is one I am clinging to today…

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. – Hal Borland

Look at this… the difference between this year and last year …. same week!

But, I am not discouraged ….  no, not one little bit. Spring is my friend and I am willing to wait. I’ll be seeing the forsythia and daffodils blooming soon and I’ll be filling buckets with Moo Poo tea to soak those bareroot roses I ordered this winter while I was “patiently” waiting on spring. Soon … real soon. Fingers crossed!

COMING SOON………..

Bare roots soaking in Moo Poo Tea…

Ready and waiting……………

Do you have anything blooming in your garden or are you, like me, “patiently” waiting?

P.S.

I had a little help writing tonight…

Mr. Bennet

This is also true for gardens. I find that the better we know our plants, the better care we take of them and that starts with their name! Honestly, I have to say that for me, it drives me completely crazy when I don’t know their names.

Most of my plant markers are used to identify my roses and visitors to my garden tell me over and over how glad they are for the rose markers.

Mr. G says rose markers are a must. In fact, as soon as I mention I am ordering roses, he says have you ordered “those markers” yet? What that means is, have you sent the order to Wendy @ Harlane. Wendy has wonderful rose markers and we have been using Harlane rose markers for more than 20 years. Some of my markers are original, so you could say they last a long time. To order markers from Wendy … CLICK HERE.

Plant markers come in all sizes and shapes and here are some of the ones we are using…

Here’s our current collection of plant markers.

I bought these, but Mr. G made me a ton of some similar ones that I also used as gift tags for Christmas presents!

Super cute and easy to make!

Slate markers…

Harlane rose markers…

For a garden blogger, this is Mecca!

At this 2-day event in May we will tour area gardens, attend garden workshops, listen to inspiring speakers and just have garden fun!

Allen’s TV shows, books, videos and web presence have inspired me for years, so I feel completely honored to meet him in person! His website is full of garden inspiration, farm chic and lifestyle tips. Allen is dedicated to blurring the lines between indoors and out … my kind of living. Take a look at his blog here.

Another reason I am mega excited is that I will meet so many of my “blogging” friends and my Rose Chat friends.

Chris, The Redneck Rosarian, and I, along with Annie Haven, from Haven Brand Ranch, are the original Rose Chat Crew and this will be the first time we meet “in person.” Yes, we have been doing a weekly internet radio show for more than a year and have worked on the Rose Chat Twitter presence for more than 2 years and we’ve never met. Social media IS shrinking the world!

A huge thanks to Allen and his garden home sponsors for this wonderful opportunity. I can’t wait.

Stay tuned,  I’ll be posting lots and lots of pictures! And, follow along on the Facebook page here.

Everyday Roses is designed specifically for weekend gardeners and homeowners who love roses but don’t have the time or inclination to deal with the care and prevention measures high-maintenance roses require.

This handy reference shows how you can enjoy the best of both worlds: gorgeous, healthy, long-flowering roses with a minimum of fuss.

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Paul on Rose Chat Radio. You can listen to the recording of the show HERE.

Don’t miss one of my favorite parts of the chat … when Paul talks about his friendship with famed British nurseyman and rose expert, Peter Beales.
If  you’d like to purchase a copy or read more about this book and other articles by Paul, hop over to his website and check it out … click here.

ROSE FORUM
Paul also manages a rose forum where you can seek answers and offer advice! Click here.