The last few weeks the weather app has been my constant companion. Helping me out by alerting me to frost warnings. While I’m grateful to know, I’m really ready for that relationship to dwindle and those warnings to stop! Whew! With each warning fewer things are getting covered!! I know many of you are dealing with the same thing. Many of you have told me you are dealing with up to 3 weeks late on the growing season.
So far, it looks like there’s little frost damage to the roses but the jury is still out on the peonies! 😏 The Sargent Crabapple didn’t even make it through the first one! Next week is finally going to warm up. To say I’m excited just isn’t enough!
WINTER SOWING
Because of the frosty nights I have kept some of the jugs closed longer than was best for them. Some of the babies where screaming to get out!
POTTING UP DAHLIAS
I have a new area that I am dedicating to dahlias so I needed a few more! The bulk of my dahlia tubers came from Longfield Gardens but I did find a few other places too. To give them a head start for earlier blooming, I am potting them up to live in the potting shed while the weather warms.
I potted them up on April 22 and most of them are showing signs of life. Is there anything that looks less promising that a dahlia tuber???? Well, maybe … a bare root rose! Our gardens are rife with miracles!!
- Cornel Bronze
- Milena Fleur (FAV!)
- Cafe au Lait
- Labyrinth
- Bitsy
- Pacific Ocean
- Karma
APRIL 22…
APRIL 30…
NEW ROSES
Here is my list of roses I am adding to the garden this year. Some of these are duplicates of roses I already have but love so much!
- Crown Princess Margareta (Heirloom Roses)
- Earth Angel (Heirloom Roses)
- Ghislaine de Feligonde (High Country Roses)
- Darlow’s Enigma (High Country Roses)
- Generous Gardener (David Austin)
- Moonlight Romantica (Jackson & Perkins)
- Sweet Mademoiselle (Jackson & Perkins)
- Plum Perfect (IRS Rose Sale)
- State of Grace (IRS Rose Sale)
- Moonlight in Paris (Menards)
- Cornelia (Rose Petals Nursery)
- Champneys Pink Cluster (Rose Petals Nursery)
This is the first time I am seeing this full list all together. #whatwasithinking Finding places for these beauties may get a bit tricky. Well, there’s always a big container in a sunny spot. Maybe Mr. G wouldn’t mind a few roses on the driveway to keep his tomatoes company. 🌹🍅
ROSE CHAT
The latest release of Rose Chat is ROSES THAT RAMBLE with great rose friend Leon Ginenthal from Der Rosenmeister Nursery. His stories are so fascinating! His roses are so amazing. I just wish he shipped from his nursery in Ithaca, NY. Maybe a road trip is in order!
GARDENS OF THE NORTHEAST – Rose Chat Podcast
You might also enjoy seeing a tour of his garden…
Coming up next on Rose Chat is MINIATURE AND MINI FLORA ROSES with Dr. Gary Rankin and Dr. Monica Valentovic. Few people know more than these two on this class of roses!
Release date: Sunday, May 14.
BLOOM THYME
Making the biggest statement is the creeping phlox. Standing up to the cold nights like a champ! The Leatherleaf Viburnums have been glorious and we have several of them!
While not blooming, the self-seeded larkspur game is very strong. Only a few weeks and we will see the spectacular blooms!
Hopefully we are saying goodbye to those cool nights and hello to more of what we love — blooms! Serious Bloom Thyme is coming … SOON! 🌸🌹🌱🌼💐
Happy gardening friends!
Lately I have been thinking about those wonderful days at the Biltmore Rose Trials. What a special time it was!
’til next time… 💐
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the YouTube “A Romance with Roses, and I plan to watch it again and again. Very interesting and quite informative with so many different kinds of roses. I am still at my daughter’s and enjoying her fragrant white Southern Magnolia blossoms. Beautiful! She and I recently toured a lovely rose garden with a lot of different roses in bloom. So many beautiful red ones! And I enjoyed seeing pics of your flowers in bloom. Thank you! Hope you will have a very Happy Mother’s Day and good weather to enjoy.