BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Trendy

Garden trends for 2023 have been released and many of them are no surprise!

GARDEN DESIGN MAGAZINE 2023 TRENDS

  1. Growing Your Own Bouquets (OH YES ON THIS ONE!)
  2. Creating Cottage Gardens (NEAR & DEAR TO MY HEART!!)
  3. Designing Mediterranean-Style Gardens
  4. Swapping Lawns for Meadows
  5. Expanding Houseplant Collections with Rare & Unusual Varieties
  6. Adding Texture with Foliage Plants
  7. Going Vertical
  8. Making Outdoor Spaces Cheery & Bright
  9. Using Natural Materials (LOVE THIS ONE!)

More Info here.

Veranda MagazinE: 6 Garden Trends for 2023…

  1. Garden of Eden
  2. Architectural Simplicity
  3. Upscale Relaxation
  4. New Victorian
  5. Scandinavian Minimalism
  6. Waterwise Plants

More info here.

2023 Perennial Plant of the Year

Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’

The Perennial Plant Association is pleased to promote Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’ as the 2023 Perennial Plant of the Year. ‘American Gold Rush’ is a stunning addition to any garden. At the height of summer, it turns up the volume for a long season of dazzling color right up to autumnal frosts. The bright golden-yellow flowers feature arching rays and a reddish halo surrounding dark chocolate cones. Three-inch flowers blanket the compact plant, which is only 22-27 inches tall with a broader width to 40 inches if given room to grow.  Read on here.

NATIONAL GARDEN BUREAU year of…

Each year the National Garden Bureau selects one annual, one perennial, one bulb crop, one edible, one houseplant, and one shrub as our “Year of the” crops. Plants are chosen because they are popular, easy-to-grow, widely adaptable, genetically diverse, and versatile. Here’s the lineup for 2023…

  • Year of Celosia (YES!)
  • Year of Spirea
  • Year of Broccoli
  • Year of the Orchid
  • Year of the Rudbeckia
  • Year of the Amaryllis (YES!)

Read more here.

PANTONE COLOR OF THE YEAR

Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.

Additional details here.

STAR ROSES & PLANTS WEIGH IN ON THE NEW COLOR

In the most recent newsletter from Star Roses and Plants, they list plants from their BLOOMABLE collection that are in the Viva Magenta family. Here are two plants from their collection

MORE TRENDY BLOOMS FROM THE BLOOMABLE COLLECTION

MY GARDEN

Star’s article got me thinking about my garden and where this magenta color is represented. You know I am very “heavy” on pink and peach!

Here are some that are close to being “on trend.”

CHRISTMAS WONDER

As I write it is 17 days ’til Christmas and we are currently celebrating with our grandboys and their parents. It is so special to see the wonder of the season come alive in the eyes of children. Makes me think of that most wonder-filled night when Mary and Joseph experienced the brith of Jesus as they shared the experience with adoring shepherds and Angels from on high. Oh Holy Night. May we all experience it.

Well, I’ve been buying more seeds and probably need to have a confession post soon. 🙄

Until next time… wishing you all the wonder.

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: A season of Ups and Downs

2022 had its ups and downs around here for sure. 

Our garden season started out extremely wet. We had so much rain right up to my open garden on June 12. I almost cancelled because it was pouring rain and the garden had standing water! I started hearing from people early morning to see if the garden would still be open. So I sent out a message that if we were in England we would not stop the show for rain, so grab your umbrella and  don your wellies — the garden is open. And so many did – it was such a fun day.  (More about open garden here.)

30 minutes before the open garden was to begin, the rain stopped, the sun came out, the clouds moved away  and did not return for weeks and weeks and weeks.. We had very little measurable rainfall all summer. We do not have a drip system. Hand watering is what happens here but hand watering was complicated by those hot hot hot days. 🔥 The gardener was hot!

Regardless of the weather scenario, we had beautiful flowers! Many plants just didn’t care about the conditions. Many roses bloomed and bloomed. Zinnias were fabulous. With less moisture, there was less mildew pressure for them. Also fabulous were snapdragons, lisianthus, phlox, foxglove, alliums and all the herbs – they like it hot!

SUMMER MEMORIES…

A BIG TOMATO SURPRISE

For the first time  I planted tomato seeds using the winter sowing method. (More about winter sowing here.)

I put them outside in a jug on April 2, left them alone and had amazing plants in mid May ready to take their place in Mr. G’s driveway garden. The 3 varieties I planted in this jug were Gardener’s Delight, Steak Sandwich and Beefsteak.

ONE THING I WON’T DO NEXT YEAR

One thing I’m glad I did but won’t do again was starting dahlias from seed. My germination rate was fabulous and I had many plants to put in my garden and share with others but none of them turned out to be varieties that I really wanted in my garden. I’ll admit to being a bit picky about what goes in my garden, so there’s no need to plant something that will be that much of a surprise. 😳

UNWELCOME VISITOR

During the distracting heat of summer, stealthily, Ms Midge crept into the garden.  When the final flush or should I say “big finish” should be happening, I found this…

What looks like burnt match sticks where beautiful blooms should be. Luckily it was not all over the garden but without treatment it soon could be.

The mosquito looking Midge has been  stealing rose blooms for a long time.  I’ve read that the earliest recorded information is from 1884 when midge was wreaking havoc in greenhouses growing roses in New Jersey.

My first encounter with Midge was about 10 years ago. At an ARS IL IN District meeting I had the chance to talk about this problem with Dr. Andy Plasz. Andy is not only a rose expert and wonderful teacher, but before retirement Andy was Director and Global Head of Analytical Chemistry Research for Abbott Laboratories. He had a lot to say about my midge problem as he was dealing with the same problem in  his garden.

His counsel was so needed as I do not spray for bugs and had no knowledge of what to do.

His recommendation was a product called Cyonara – spraying in early spring as roses are coming back to life and then again 3 weeks later. I hate to bring out the insectide but I do want blooms on my roses so…. Cyonara helped me then and I’m sure it will help me now.

More information: If you would like to read a comprehensive article on Rose Midge, my good friend and rose expert John Hefner wrote an excellent article for the Indianapolis Rose Society. You can read the article HERE

SIDE NOTE: We had far fewer Japanese Beetles this year. I guess they don’t like it so hot.

NOVEMBER…

While I am not crazy about fall, I am completely crazy about the holiday season that starts around here on November 1. We don’t skip over Thanksgiving – in fact it is one of our very favorite holidays but we are known to start listening to a bit of subtle Christmas music and start adding twinkle lights on November 1. 🎄 Well, to be honest we are not so subtle about it… we are rocking out to everything from Bing Crosby to Mannheim Steamroller and beyond!

Yes, November and December give us so much to look forward too. Extra time with family and friends. Amazing food. And, a more focused season of gratitude.

Friends, I am so grateful to you for sharing my garden world. While we are talking about sharing, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving food? Mine is dressing (stuffing) and a cranberry dish we affectionately call Christmas Cran. (Recipe here.)  

SIDE NOTE: If you are an ARS member you will soon be receiving their beautiful magazine AMERICAN ROSE soon. This is their special annual edition. When you open you magazine, you might just see a familiar garden – Bloom Thyme. 😁 If you are not a member of the American Rose Society … take the plunge today and jump into the world of roses! Read more about that here…

Until next time ….

Bloom Thyme Friday: Winding Down and Gearing Up

After a wonderful trip to Southern California, I returned to a dry, dry, dry fall Indiana garden that was ready for a gardener to get her fall self in gear. The to-do list was long but little-by-little the list is disappearing and the chores are winding down.

☑️ Zinnias and other annuals pulled

☑️ Empty annual containers

☑️ Gather Seeds

☑️ Peonies (Dig, Divide, Move)

☑️ Plant Garlic

☑️ Plant Roses (Another Earth Angel, Carefree Beauty, and Rise Up Amberness)

☑️ Plant bulbs

Dig Dahlias

Tie up climbers

Trim back shrub roses to waist high (will wait until is it much colder)

So as you can see, I am making progress but still have a way to go. The weather is so good that it is such a pleasure to be out.

SPECIAL NOTE: We had rain… deep, soaking rain. It had been so long. The garden and I are rejoicing! I think more is in the forecast for next week!! ☔️ 💃 ⛈ 🥳

A SPECIAL FALL MOMENT

I have made my caramel dip for more than 30 years, but it was taken to the next level when Grandboy #1 wanted to be a part of the process. For more fall fun and the recipe… read on here.

DAFFODILS

I know I’m a bit late in this but I’m looking for more white daffodils, do you have ones you would recommend? Even if I can’t find them this year, I can add to list for next year. My favorite white so far is Thalia. Monty Don talked me into that one a few years ago. 🙄 It is exquisite! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

GEARING UP

I simply can’t put one year’s garden to bed without gearing up for another year. As I work in the garden my head is racing with ideas, making new plans, and wish lists. And, there are seeds to buy (before they sell out) and catalogs to pour over. It is such an exciting time. Am I alone?

My first BIG seed decision has been made… which lisianthus seeds to order from Johnnys Seeds! Last year I grew Voyage 2 Blue and from January to today I have loved them. They are still blooming in the garden as I type.

For not year I choose two colors:

Voyage 2 Champagne
Voyage 2 Lavender

Aren’t these gorgeous!!! There are several colors to choose from. Take a look here.

BLOOM THYME

ROSE CHAT

The latest series was WINTER ROSE TALES where we featured the gardener, their garden and how they care for roses in winter. I love each of them and am so grateful to those who submitted their winter rose tales.

WINTER ROSE TALE: PART 1 (LINK)

WINTER ROSE TALE: PART 2 (LINK)

I am busy working on the 2023 schedule and there are some great ones coming!

Friends, until next time, whether you are gardening or dreaming… ENJOY

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not only the body, but the soul.

Alfred Austin

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: CHANGES

I don’t know about you, but things are changing quickly around here. Temps dropping by 30 degrees will do that! I talked with a friend today in Wisconsin and they are expecting their first frost this week. That was a wake-up call for me to get busy.

  • Collect Seeds
  • Take cuttings of the pelargoniums (Robers Rose and Attar of Rose)
  • Bring the much-neglected topiaries into the potting shed
  • Put the heater in the potting shed
  • AND, get serious about garden cleanup!

    BLOOMS GOING FOR A BIG FINISH

    FUN TIMES

    Big thanks to the Colonial Rose District in Virginia for inviting me to their wonderful event. It was so good to be with you all.

    While at the ARS (American Rose Society) Colonial District meeting I met John & Cheryl Smith who hybridize some amazing roses that they were selling! David also told me about their fertilizer (from Microbial Science Laboratoratories) and gifted me some to try next year. Seeing his results, I am very excited to give them a try. Have you used these products? Would love to hear about your experience.

    John & Cheryl were also awarded the prestigious Guy Blake Award for rose exhibition. Many were talking about what great exhibitors they are and how they always take the time to help others! Congratulations!

    Friends, Until next time, I hope you are enjoying your fall days in the garden.

    BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Fall Beauty🍂

    Regardless of how hot it is, all you have to do is walk outside and you know it is fall. It just smells like fall. And the biggest sign of fall around here is all the tiny honey locust leaves we find all over our house. They are so easy to “carry in”. This morning at breakfast we watched them rain down out our window. They are everywhere now.

    While I am in the midst of fall work which includes moving roses, adding roses, dividing perennials and in general making a big mess, there is still beauty to see.

    One of the most beautiful sights in the garden right now is Proven Winners Midnight Blue Caryopteris (Bluebeard).

    If you don’t have this shrub and you are in Zones 5-9, treat yourself to one or two or more. I now have 4 and may add two more next year. These late summer blooming machines are outstanding! Link to more information here.  

    I am not the only one around here who loves them. The pollinators can’t leave them alone.

    Buzz Buzz! 🐝

    DAHLIAS

    The dahlias are putting on a show!

    COSMOS

    Loving this new (to me) cosmos, Psyche White from Floret.

    They are soooooo pretty!  Floret is showing sold out right now but that might change. It looks like it is still available from Select Seeds here. I’ll definitely be saving seeds from this one.

    STAR OF THE WEEK:

    Desdemona! This David Austin beauty thinks it’s spring.

    This pollinator is loving her too!

    ROSE CHAT PODCAST

    We have a new series starting in October – WINTER ROSE TALES. In this series you will hear from rose growers around the country. They will tell us about their gardens and the roses they grow plus share what they do to care for their roses in the winter. I think you will find all of them fascinating and fun.

    In the meantime you can catch up on other recently released show here…

    The Color of Roses Rose Chat Podcast

    THE COLOR OF ROSES Danielle Hahn, Rose Story Farm   On this episode, the delightful Danielle Hahn of Rose Story Farm chats about the family rose farm, growing 40,000 roses, her new book, and helping Martha Stewart with her new rose garden. Since childhood, Danielle has loved roses and wants you to love them too. Join us for this fun chat as Danielle shares so many tips, tricks and behind-the-scenes stories.    ABOUT THE BOOK:   The Color of Roses: A Curated Spectrum of 300 Blooms By Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn   A unique photographic collection of 300 stunning roses that spans the full spectrum of the flower’s shades and hues, creating a breathtaking rainbow that will amaze flower lovers of all kinds.   Few flowers come in as many colors as the beloved rose. Curated by award-winning rosarian Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn, who personally owns more than 40,000 roses, the flowers in The Color of Roses were selected not only for their glorious and subtle color combinations but also for optimal availability, repeat blooming, disease resistance, improved vase life, and fragrance.   Rose Story Farm Website here.    ROSE CHAT TEAM:   Executive Producer & On-Air Personality: Chris VanCleave – www.RedneckRosarian.com Creator of the Rose Chat Podcast. Mr. VanCleave is a nationally known rosarian, television personality, speaker and advocate for the rose.   Content Creator & On-Air Personality: Teresa Byington – www.TheGardenDiary.com Co-Host Teresa Byington promotes roses as an integral part of the landscape, as a Consulting Rosarian, Master Gardener, writer, and speaker.   SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to Rose Chat Podcast Updates: http://eepurl.com/hAC6gP
    1. The Color of Roses
    2. Hybrid Musk Roses – Matt Douglas
    3. Miniature and Miniflora Roses
    4. ROSES THAT RAMBLE
    5. Noisettes … The Southern Belle of Roses

    The latest podcast is an update from Star Roses and Plants where they talk about new roses and new garden trends.

    I’m doing some traveling this weekend to attend the Colonial District Picnic and talk about English Cottage Gardens. So excited to see many old friends and meet new ones!

    Until next time, happy gardening.

    BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: IT’S IN THE AIR

    It’s in the air friends! 🍂 Time for me to tweak my attitude and prepare for fall. Each year I enjoy this time of year more and more … specially since I retired and have more actual time in the garden in all seasons! Fall will never be spring to me but that’s okay. My attitude was adjusted a couple years back with this quote that appeared on a card I received… 

    Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
    Albert Camus

    Another thing that has helped is for the last few years I have become more and more focused on late summer / fall seasonal power bloomers. Dahlias have been a game changer for that. They work beautifully with Zinnias and the Non Stop Roses. Add to all of that, many of my roses that took a break from the intense heat are now budding up and primed for a great fall flush. September is going to be a blooming season! Garden excitement and beauty right up to frost! (Here are five roses I consider some of my Non Stop Roses: Mother of Pearl, Petit Pink, Easy on the Eyes, Music Box, and Sweet Drift. These roses are rarely without bloom.)

    BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

    Mother of Pearl
    Mother of Pearl

    NEW TO THE GARDEN

    I found something new this week at Dammann’s Nursery … Belinda’s Blush. Do you grow it? It is a sport of Belinda’s Dream (Earth Kind Rose) which I do have. I just love the color and fragrance, plus there are very few thorns. If you’d like to know more or purchase one for your garden, read on here. Or if you are local go to Dammann’s – they had several.

    POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

    It’s seed-saving time and first up is Larkspur. I don’t know the name of my larkspur but it’s the one I love so I save the seeds each year. 

    ROSE CHAT

    The latest Rose Chat is one I think you will really like. I chatted with Teri Speight, a great garden friend who not only released two books this year but volunteers in a variety of places making a huge difference! Teri is so committed to sharing the love of gardening and flowers with as many people as possible and works tirelessly to do. I think you’ll find her inspiring. I sure do – she’s a total delight!

    Listen to the podcast here…

    The Color of Roses Rose Chat Podcast

    THE COLOR OF ROSES Danielle Hahn, Rose Story Farm   On this episode, the delightful Danielle Hahn of Rose Story Farm chats about the family rose farm, growing 40,000 roses, her new book, and helping Martha Stewart with her new rose garden. Since childhood, Danielle has loved roses and wants you to love them too. Join us for this fun chat as Danielle shares so many tips, tricks and behind-the-scenes stories.    ABOUT THE BOOK:   The Color of Roses: A Curated Spectrum of 300 Blooms By Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn   A unique photographic collection of 300 stunning roses that spans the full spectrum of the flower’s shades and hues, creating a breathtaking rainbow that will amaze flower lovers of all kinds.   Few flowers come in as many colors as the beloved rose. Curated by award-winning rosarian Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn, who personally owns more than 40,000 roses, the flowers in The Color of Roses were selected not only for their glorious and subtle color combinations but also for optimal availability, repeat blooming, disease resistance, improved vase life, and fragrance.   Rose Story Farm Website here.    ROSE CHAT TEAM:   Executive Producer & On-Air Personality: Chris VanCleave – www.RedneckRosarian.com Creator of the Rose Chat Podcast. Mr. VanCleave is a nationally known rosarian, television personality, speaker and advocate for the rose.   Content Creator & On-Air Personality: Teresa Byington – www.TheGardenDiary.com Co-Host Teresa Byington promotes roses as an integral part of the landscape, as a Consulting Rosarian, Master Gardener, writer, and speaker.   SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to Rose Chat Podcast Updates: http://eepurl.com/hAC6gP
    1. The Color of Roses
    2. Hybrid Musk Roses – Matt Douglas
    3. Miniature and Miniflora Roses
    4. ROSES THAT RAMBLE
    5. Noisettes … The Southern Belle of Roses

    You can follow Teri on Instagram and Facebook.

    IG… here
    Facebook… here

    TERI’S BOOKS…
    Black Flora… here
    The Urban Garden… here

    BLOOM THYME MINUTE

    I am continuing to add short videos to my new YouTube series, Bloom Thyme Minute. You can take a look here. If you like them, please subscribe to be alerted when a new one is released.

    The latest one…

    BACK TO FALL…

    Kudos to Starbucks for joining much of the known world around a seasonal drink. PSL had its first limited launch in 2003. Can you believe that! Want to meet the “father of the PSL? Listen here… (It’s a fun and interesting video from CBS Mornings – about 6 minutes – once you get through the ads.😉) 

    I was a skeptic at first … Pumpkin Spice Latte … Seriously????  Well, that question has been answered and I am happy to tell you that it looks like the 2022 release date for Pumpkin Spice Lattes is August 30 and I’ll be there for it. It’s not a drink I have often as I like my coffee pretty plain but that seasonal “event’ certainly adds fun and flavor to my transition to fall. 

    Until next time

    BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Lisi and Me

    Prior to January 2022, all I knew about Lisianthus was that it was wonderful in arrangements, it was a favorite of my daughter who would be coming for a visit near the time of the first blooms and that I wanted to grow it. 

    Many flower farmers advise not trying Lisianthus from seeds as it takes so very long and germination of seeds is sometimes tricky.

    But, in the dark of January, I was up for the challenge. The long timeline didn’t bother me as I had plenty of time this winter to “baby” Lisi along.

    • Last September I bought Voyage Blue FI pelleted seeds from Johnny seeds. 
    • Jan 20: Scattered seeds in shallow trays (re-used carry out containers) on a bitter cold day! It was toasty warm in the Potting Shed.
    • Feb 3: Seeing a bit of green!
    • Feb 21: Some real growth happening.  I think every seed germinated!  
    • Mar 11: Potted up to Gardener’s Supply self watering trays. These are the best!
    • Apr 4:  Taking on some size now! Finally!
    • Apr 17: Time to start hardening off
    • May 7: Outside they went! Some to the cutting garden, some to the herb garden and a few scattered through the borders. The roots were unbelievable!

    This plant is a true miracle to me in color alone — all of the white buds had me convinced the seeds had been mismarked and these were going to be white instead of purple. Truly they are white until they open to the glorious purple – with a tinge of white here and there! 

    WILL I DO IT AGAIN?

    Yes, if I have time!  However, we will most likely be doing more traveling next winter so I am looking for suppliers who have lisianthus plugs that non-professional growers can purchase. I  sure don’t want to be without these beautiful bokay game changers! Burpee had them this year and I have found a few sources on Etsy that had them too. As this season ends, we will know more what will be available next year. I won’t wait long to order though! And, I’ll have some seeds just in case!

    ONE MORE THING: I will stake them next time! I did get a few staked and it helped so much to keep their long stems from flopping!

    Here’s a bit more about Lisi: 

    Eustoma, commonly known as lisianthus or prairie gentian, is a small genus of plants in the gentian family. They are native to warm regions of the southern United States, Mexico, Caribbean and northern South America.

    From Better Homes and Gardens: Lisianthus, often favored by floral designers when an elegant flower is needed for an arrangement, it is the epitome of a classy, versatile flower. The ruffled petals and elegant buds come in many colors. The delicate-looking blooms are known for not only their beauty, but also their ability to hold up as a cut flower in a vase for up to two weeks or longer. (I AGREE!) Link to more info.

    JAPANESE BEETLES UPDATE

    Seeing fewer Japanese Beetles than last year for sure! There are enough of them to make a mess of the roses but not the “billions” I often see. Maybe the extreme weather conditions aggravated them. (Too wet followed by too dry.)  I sure hope they were aggravated as they sure “aggravate” me!!!

    SOMETHING NEW: BLOOM THYME MINUTE

    I have reprised my YOUTUBE Channel to share short videos of my garden that I am calling Bloom Thyme Minute where I take you on a virtual walk through my garden and we stop for “just a minute” so I can tell you about what we’re seeing. I think that as of today, there are 7 videos and more will be coming.

    Here is the BLOOM THYME MINUTE for Vanessa Bell…

    BLOOM THYME

    The garden was so refreshed by the rain we had this week and the gardener is surely enjoying the cooler temps the rain brought with it. We won’t talk about the heat that’s coming back!


    Formosa Lily reaching for the sky


    Friends, I hope you are having a wonderful week in the garden. Mr. G’s tomatoes are starting to come on and we can’t wait. There is simply nothing like that first BLT when we have homegrown tomatoes! G’s favorite is Steak Sandwich. I grow them from seeds as we never see them for sale. (Link) What are your favorite home grown tomatoes?

    Until next time, I’ll leave you with this greatness…

    BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Navigating July

    As usual July is pulling out all its tricks…

    • Throwing out the welcome mat for Japanese Beetles.
    • Putting us on the heat index map.
    • And, this year being ever so skimpy with rain.

    It’s hard to complain as the drought seems to keep the JBs from overtaking as quickly as they sometimes do. It’s a bit harder to “emerge” out of parched ground.

    Today we are getting our first real rain in 4 weeks. I actually walked outside to see the plants celebrate. Guess who else was celebrating… you guessed it, the Japanese Beetles. Their entrance into their best life has been made much easier and they were everywhere. I picked a bunch of flowers while it was raining as I wasn’t sure there would be any good ones left when the rain stopped. You know with the JB celebration and all.

    Another upside of this glorious rain, I have more time. This morning Mr. G asked me what I was going to do with all the time that I usually spend each day watering! It’s a large garden and we do not have a watering system. I do love to hand water but this weather has put that to the test. I have become one with my Dramm. By the way I think the Dramm rain wand is the best watering device EVER. Gentle deluge for the plants and one that is very calming for me too! I love it so much that I gave Mr. G one for Father’s Day to use on his tomatoes. He loves it!

    ROSE CHAT PODCAST

    Set to release this Sunday (July 10) is an interview I did with Kimberley, the Rose Geek. Be on the look out. It was great to hear her rose story.

    The Color of Roses Rose Chat Podcast

    THE COLOR OF ROSES Danielle Hahn, Rose Story Farm   On this episode, the delightful Danielle Hahn of Rose Story Farm chats about the family rose farm, growing 40,000 roses, her new book, and helping Martha Stewart with her new rose garden. Since childhood, Danielle has loved roses and wants you to love them too. Join us for this fun chat as Danielle shares so many tips, tricks and behind-the-scenes stories.    ABOUT THE BOOK:   The Color of Roses: A Curated Spectrum of 300 Blooms By Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn   A unique photographic collection of 300 stunning roses that spans the full spectrum of the flower’s shades and hues, creating a breathtaking rainbow that will amaze flower lovers of all kinds.   Few flowers come in as many colors as the beloved rose. Curated by award-winning rosarian Danielle Dall’Armi Hahn, who personally owns more than 40,000 roses, the flowers in The Color of Roses were selected not only for their glorious and subtle color combinations but also for optimal availability, repeat blooming, disease resistance, improved vase life, and fragrance.   Rose Story Farm Website here.    ROSE CHAT TEAM:   Executive Producer & On-Air Personality: Chris VanCleave – www.RedneckRosarian.com Creator of the Rose Chat Podcast. Mr. VanCleave is a nationally known rosarian, television personality, speaker and advocate for the rose.   Content Creator & On-Air Personality: Teresa Byington – www.TheGardenDiary.com Co-Host Teresa Byington promotes roses as an integral part of the landscape, as a Consulting Rosarian, Master Gardener, writer, and speaker.   SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to Rose Chat Podcast Updates: http://eepurl.com/hAC6gP
    1. The Color of Roses
    2. Hybrid Musk Roses – Matt Douglas
    3. Miniature and Miniflora Roses
    4. ROSES THAT RAMBLE
    5. Noisettes … The Southern Belle of Roses

    NEW BOOK

    Look what just came in the mail. One of my favorite rosarians of all time, Michael Marriott has written a book. If you aren’t familiar with Michael, he spent the last 25 years as the head garden designer and rose expert for David Austin Roses. He is also well known for his expertise in rose fragrance!

    At first look it is beautiful and starts off with a bang … the first chapter is “The Romance of the Rose” and moves quickly to the subject of rose fragrance with the “The Magic of Scent”. I can’t wait to fully dive in!  If you’d like a copy, you can find it on Amazon here.

    An inspirational guide to choosing and growing the best roses!

    Below are links to two of the most recent podcasts I did with Michael. In both, he shares amazing information!

    ROSES IN EVERY SEASON ..

    https://rosechat.podbean.com/e/roses-in-every-season/

    COMPANION PLANTING…

    https://rosechat.podbean.com/e/companion-planting-for-roses-michael-marriott/

    BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

    Even with all the horrible heat and drought so many plants just keep going! I do water but only a small percentage gets any regular watering. Most just have to make it on their own.

    There is a question I ask myself every July… Why didn’t I plant sunflowers? I love them but just don’t seem to have a place for them. I’m not big on bright yellow but who can resist sunflowers. Maybe next year. 🌻🌻🌻

    July does give us ups and downs, but it also gives us enough heat to get the dahlias going… big plus!

    Featured Dahlia … Creme de Cognac from Longfield Gardens.

    Thanks for stopping by! 💐

    BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: MORNINGS

    Most of you are probably like me and in the midst of a heat wave making mornings so very important to us! To spend time in the garden we have to beat the heat! 

    My favorite way to start the day is with coffee in the garden doing my devotions. My devotions this time of year are centered around the garden. Time began in a garden. Jesus went to a garden before the cross. Jesus said I am the vine you are the branches. There’s a flood. There’s drought. There’s rocky soil.  There’s the mustard seed. You can’t go very far in the Bible without bumping into a garden or garden illustration.  It’s very gardeny.

    I was recently asked for recommendations for gardeny devotional books, so here is a list of the ones I have, they’re all a bit different. Several I bought many years ago but they may still be available through Amazon or other online outlets.

    • Garden Mercies by Laurie Ostby Kehler
    • Devotions from the Garden from Thomas Nelson Books
    • A Gardener’s Little Devotional Book by Worthy Publishing
    • Meditations on a Rose Garden by Carolyn Huffman
    • Down a Garden Path by Karla Dornacher
    • A Well-Watered Garden by Harriet Crosby
    • NIV Gardeners Bible  

    POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

    In the potting shed, I have Foxglove seeds started for next year’s garden. As biennials, in my garden, they make leaves the first year and winter over and bloom the second year. They also are known to be prolific self-seeders and that has worked for me lately but there were many years when we’ve had colder winters that did not happen.  Last year I bought a lovely pot of peach foxgloves. This year in that same area I have 4 peach foxgloves! Self-seeding at its best. Always good to note about this plant ALL PARTS ARE POISONOUS.

    My beautiful self-seeders
    Little miracles

    The seeds I planted are Carousel Mix from Renee’s Garden. They will be a mix of pastel shades.