Gardeners are a great combination of dreamers and planners as well as the get it done crew! January is when we take a look at that blank slate and start filling up!

SUPPLY/DEMAND

Supply and demand being what it has been the last couple of years has taught us the true value of buying early. The only problem with that is that I buy early online but as roses/seeds/tubers become available locally, I get equally excited about those. I’ll be calling on my self restraint a lot in the coming weeks. Someone please keep reminding me that my garden has a limited amount of space.

So far here is where I am with orders for roses and dahlias…

ROSES

• THE GENEROUS GARDENER
• PLUM PERFECT

Recently I posted about these two roses on Facebook (on my page, Rose Chat Group page and on the Rose Geeks page) asking for comments and pictures of Plum Perfect growing in their gardens. I didn’t have to ask about the Generous Gardener because it is already a favorite in my garden! Regarding Plum Perfect, so far there has been a ton of comments and all very, very positive. Many raved about this rose saying they were adding another this year. They gave high marks for the health of the rose too. Take a look…

FROM STAR ROSES & PLANTS WEBSITE

Intense, Plum Color • Performs Well In Heat and Humidity

Sunbelt® Plum Perfect™ has numerous, very intensely plum-colored, double flowers. The foliage is a healthy and shiny, medium green, and the variety performs well in heat and humidity.

IRS ROSE SALE

Fortunate for me Plum Perfect is part of the Indianapolis Rose Society Rose Sale. If you are local, this is a great sale with many beautiful roses for a great price. The sale is NOT just for members although members do get a very nice discount on the roses. Don’t delay. I have my eye on a few more! 😱 Transparency Note: I bought 3 PPs. Requiring me to get creative in where to plant them! 💜

If you are local, take a look at the list of roses here.

DAHLIAS

If you want specific Dahlias you truly must order early. But, oh my goodness there are so many beautiful ones out there. Last year I bought dahlias from Longfield Gardens, Swan Island Dahlias, Home Depot, Lowes and Country Harmony (local garden center).

Three years ago I randomly bought from Lowes what has become my very favorite Dahlia – Milena Fleur. A medium sized peachy/pink bloom and plant that stays around 4′. Great for arrangements! Lowes sold Milena Fleur again last year, To ensure I have her this year, I ordered again even though I have her hiding out from the winter in the garage.

2023 Dahlia Order from Longfield Gardens

• Melina Fleur
• Karma Lagoon
• Labyrinth
• Cornel Bronze
• I will also have 3 Cafe Au Laits coming from Longfields as replacements for the ones I received in 2022 that turned out not to be Cafes!

OVERWINTERING DAHLIAS

I am trying again to over winter my dahlias from last year but I checked them two weeks ago and they certainly don’t look like the plump tubers I packed away. 🤔 Time will tell. Last year one of the three I packed away made it. I packed them in pet bedding chips but they seem awfully dry – I do spritz them occasionally but that is so tricky for a novice. If they don’t turn out well, I plan to try a new method next year. How do you store Dahlias?

SEEDS

I saw this image on IG from @wildwestgardeneringeorgia and it spoke to me. Actually, I can’t express how much I love seeds. Everything about them. I image that during creation seeds must have been a favorite of God’s too. Even the tiniest seed contains everything needed to create the plant AND the ability to actually die and leave us with new life in the form of more seeds.

One of the tiniest seeds is the mustard seed (1 to 2 millimetres) that grows to a tree up to 20′. Jesus told us we only needed the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains. 😱 Yes, seeds give us much to think about and look forward to.

Oh Happy Day: The start of seed organization

Seriously I have bought so many I won’t bore you with the list. Not just online but there was that day I walked into Armstrong Garden Center in CA in December to find their wall of Botanical Interest seeds staring down at me. You know how that ended. I really found so many I was looking for and some I didn’t even know I needed! 😱🌱 🎉 🌱 Have you ever noticed just how pretty those seed packets are!

WINTER SOWING

I am sooooo excited that it is time to start winter sowing. So far, I’ve gotten as far as making a list. More about winter sowing next week.

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

On Sun, January 22 the 2023 Rose Chat season begins. First up is Jason Croutch of Fraser Valley Rose Farm — Roses in Stories and Culture.

In this episode we take a look at some of the stories and legends behind the roses and how roses have weaved their way into Western culture throughout the ages. Some of them are fun and some of them are shocking!

You can follow Jason on his very popular YouTube Channel HERE.

GARDEN WORK

We are having warm temps for January and I’m ready to get out and clean things up. I know I need to wait — horrible cold and snow could be just around the corner. Yep, I better stick to winter sowing.

Are you adding roses or dahlias to your garden this year? I’d love to know varieties you decide on!

Have fun planning and plotting! 🌹🌸🪴🌼🌱💐