Bloom Thyme Friday: Nips and Tucks

Link | August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Yes, is it summer thyme and time to trim up the perennials and annuals that have been beautiful companions to my roses and clean up the beds of debris and fallen blooms and leaves. There are areas that are definitely moving into the jungly stage. I also like to add a bit of mulch this time of year. Fresh mulch just looks so good and it is so helpful in moisture retention.

Some of the roses need a good hair cut too so they can move into making a beautiful fall display of blooms—which we will get to enjoy now that the Japanese Beetles are in their final decent! (Here’s a bit more on pruning.)

To add to the excitement of the summer trim, we have a fall rose show coming up in our ARS Illinois Indiana District to be held in St. Louis (more information on that here). If all goes as planned, I will have some fresh blooms to take to the show. Now I am not the most competitive or competent horticulture exhibitor, but it is quite thrilling to see a blue ribbon on one of my babies. It does happen from time to time.😉 I’ll have a better chance in the arrangement category. I love that best! But, there are so many talented people in this district! #stiffcompetition

Here’s a bokay I picked last weekend to take to a friend’s dinner party...

TIMING

Most roses will repeat bloom in 40 – 50 days after a trim. So wish me luck. It really is a win win situation … I’ll take the beautiful blooms anytime. But, if I have an award winner at the show, you will hear about it. 😱

JUST BE

Wednesday I had a day off and a chance to “just be” in the garden. No real agenda. A little work, but mostly plotting and planning. There is nothing quite like taking some time to “just be.” So grateful for that day.

BLOOMERS THIS WEEK

Here are some of the pictures from this week…

Happy Bloom Thyme Friday from my jungly summer garden!

Bloom Thyme Friday: The Garden at Its Happiest

Link | June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

This week was Garden Party Week!

My garden is never happier than when it is filled with special guests.

The week started with a garden party that included the board members of the Indianapolis Rose Society and our special guest speaker for Rosefest, Pat Shanley, American Rose Soceity President. It was a wonderful evening of friends, fellowship, roses and CAKE. Oh, that cake!

Later in the week came a large group (56 or so) of very special people from our church. Most of them are at the time in their life when they are not able to work in a garden as they once did, but are right at home in a garden and were very excited to be here. It was so special to have them. We laughed, we ate, we talked gardening, roses and friendship.

Mr. G and I are feeling so blessed to be able to share our little piece of heaven with each one of them. I do hope they will all come again. The garden is the happiest when it is filled with those we love.

SPECIAL BLOOMERS THIS WEEK…

ONE MORE THING

If you are local, I will be speaking about growing roses at the library on Wed, June 21 at 6:30. Would love to see you there. Bring your questions!

What a wonderful week I have had. Hope you have too!

Rose Display, Workshops and Much More!

Link | May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

The Indianapolis Rose Society invites you to ROSEFEST 2017. Something for every gardener from flavoring food with roses, flower arranging to all facets of rose care. Details below.

Our special guest, who will speak at 11 am, Pat Shanley, American Rose Society President, is a no chemical gardener. Pat literally travels the world representing the American Rose Society and has a wealth of information to share with us. She has an amazing garden in New York and no chemicals are used! Her book, The Sustainable Rose Garden, will be available too.

Also note…

If you have roses blooming and want to enter them in the ROSE DISPLAY (to be judged by guests), bring them to the 4H Fairgrounds in the morning! Awards will be given out!

If you have rose pest that is bugging you, bring a sample and we will find a solution for you! (See more below)

Mark your calendars! It is going to the a fun day! This event is free and open to the pubic, so invite others to join you!

SAT / JUNE 10 / 9:30 – 3 pm

FREE / OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Hamilton Co. Fairground / 2003 Pleasant Street / Noblesville, IN

A day filled with beautiful roses in the garden and on display. Workshops to help you take your rose gardening experience to the next level. Yes, even in Indiana, you can have the rose garden of your dreams! And, a delightful and knowledgeable speaker who will teach and inspire us all!

SPEAKER:
Pat Shanley
American Rose Society President
Chairman, American Garden Rose Selections

PROGRAM:
Sustainable Rose Growing

Pat Shanley’s first experience growing roses wasn’t rosy. She was frustrated to find her roses needed to be chemically treated to survive. Seeking help, she sought out advice from her local rose society. And the rest is rose history.

Since that fateful day, she has slowly risen to the top of the national rose scene. She has held numerous esteemed positions in the rose world and has much to teach us about growing roses sustainably.

ACTIVITIES

Tour the lovely HCMGA Rose Garden and enjoy the 3rd Annual Tea in the Rose Garden Tea in the Rose Garden will be from 9:30 – 11:30
Rose Display: See hundreds of IRS member grown roses Roses will be on display from 9:30 am – 3 pm. (Public is invited to bring roses to display also!) Voting will be done by guests to the show. Prizes will be awarded at 2 pm.
Workshops Small group workshops will repeat throughout the morning and early afternoon. (see workshop description below)

SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY

9:30: ROSE DISPLAY OPENS (Public will vote on entries)

10:00 & 10:30: WORKSHOP ROTATION

11:00: SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER:
Pat Shanley, President of the American Rose Society
Progam: Growing Roses Sustainably
Pat’s book, The Sustainable Rose Garden, will be available.

1:00 & 1:30: REPEAT WORKSHOP ROTATION

2:00: Awards announced

WORKSHOPS:

Flower Arranging
The Incredible Edible Rose
Soil Prep, Planting & Fertilizing
Rose Types / Choosing the Right Rose for Your Garden
Pruning Roses
What’s Best Against My Pest

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Small group workshops will repeat through the morning and early afternoon.

FLOWER ARRANGING:
Teresa Byington, former florist, garden blogger, co-host of Rose Chat Podcast, Master Gardener and VP of Indianapolis Rose Society will share tips and tricks of floral design using roses, companion plants and greenery–most of which can be grown in your backyard!

THE INCREDIBLE EDIBLE ROSE
Eloisa Garza, our society secretary, Master Gardener and beekeeper extraordinaire, will share tips and history on cooking and flavoring with roses. Did you know that the rose is an herb? Bring your questions and your taste buds for sampling!

SOIL PREP, PLANTING & FERTILIZERS:
Mark Nolen, Past President of Indianapolis Rose Society, ARS Horticulture Judge and Master Rosarian, has been growing roses for 50 years. He grows more than 300 roses and is a winner of numerous awards. Mark has much to teach us about preparing the soil, planting and fertilizer use. Maybe award winning roses are in your future. Mark can help!

ROSE TYPES / CHOOSING THE RIGHT ROSE FOR MY GARDEN
Linda Kimmel, Indianapolis Rose Society President, writer for Indiana Gardening magazine and ARS Horticulture and Arrangements Judge will share rose types and a bit of the rose’s rich history. Did you know that roses have been around for millions of years. Just like the dinosaurs, there is fossil proof!

PRUNING ROSES:
John Hefner  has been given almost every award the rose world has to offer. He is a world renowned rose grower. He has even created new roses that made their way to market! Regardless of the type of rose bush you have (and they are many). He will teach you how to prune for maximum health and bloom of your rose.

WHAT’S BEST AGAINST MY ROSE PEST: Humberto DeLuca, Indianapolis Rose Society Vice President grows a variety of roses from David Austins to Hybrid Teas, Shrubs and Climbers in combination with hostas and companion plants. In every rose gardeners life come the undesirables – pests we want to “discourage.” Humberto will help you identify your problem and offer solutions to what’s bugging your plants!

There will be gorgeous roses and helpful rose products for sale!

American Rose Magazine: I’m in there!

Link | April 12, 2017 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I am honored to have my garden featured in the March /April edition of the American Rose Magazine. Seriously, this is an absolutely gorgeous magazine filled to the brim with beautiful roses, rose stories and rose information! American Rose is a benefit of membership (trial memberships are only $10) to the American Rose Society.

If you are not a member, you didn’t get to see the article so here it is. BUT, before you look, know 2 things … all the pictures were taken by me with my iPhone and the garden doesn’t look like this everyday. LOL I was just walking around in the garden a few minutes ago and I can tell you for certain … she is ready to get going again! Bring it on!

So, here you go… A Gardener and Her Tidy Mess (that’s me!)

Growing Roses & Growing Friends

Link | October 13, 2016April 1, 2017 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

THE AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY

Through the American Rose Society, I have rose friends from all over the country that enrich my rose hobby. This society exists to promote the culture and appreciation of the rose, through education and research to members, to local rose societies and their members and to the public.

Locally our rose growing season is coming to an end, but, like NYC, the American Rose Society is an organization that never sleeps. There will be something going on all winter long. If you are not a member, isn’t this a perfect time to join! So many rosey benefits!

ARS Year in Review 2016

Fun to see what’s going on in the world of the American Rose Society! Look closely, there might be a sighting of yours truly.😉

MEMBERSHIP…

Most ARS members are home gardeners who enjoy growing roses and want to expand their knowledge of rose culture. Starting now gives you all winter for learning and getting ready for spring! If you are not ready to take on a full membership, give it a try with the cost effective TRIAL MEMBERSHIP and see what you think.

FOUR-MONTH TRIAL MEMBERS RECEIVE:

Free advice from Consulting Rosarians.
Free or reduced garden admissions, a $25 value after just 3 uses.
Free online access to five quarterly bulletins, a $45 value.
2 issues of American Rose magazine, $16 value.
Discounts of up to 30% at merchant partners.
A four-month trial membership is valued at $86 for only $10!

For FULL MEMBERS, one of my fav ARS member benefits currently is the monthly newsletter. I am the editor! To see a sample of the newsletter, read on here.

For the trial membership or a yearly membership, complete the online form or call 800-637-6534.

New ARS Website coming soon!

OUR LOCAL SOCIETY … INDIANAPOLIS ROSE SOCIETY

For this society I serve at 1st Vice President and Chairman for website and social media.

In this organization I have met amazing people of all ages. We are all at different stages of the gardening experience and have different passions. Some are into just growing while others with the competitive spirit, enter the most amazing blooms and arrangements in competitions! We have those who use chemicals and others who are all organic. Some members have 1 rose and some have 500 roses. One of the great perks is getting to visit members gardens. This group has some amazing gardens.

But it is so much more…

We spend time enjoying all things “rose” together. We learn, we laugh, we celebrate successes and we deal with failures & issues together. It’s not just roses that keep us together, over the years–we have become family and you are welcome anytime!

This year we have members coming from Marion, Kokomo, Bloomington and most of the surrounding burgs!

Our 2017 year started off with a bang in March. Dr. Mark Windham gave a program on getting our gardens off to a good start and gave us the latest on his research with Rose Rosette.

You can keep up with what’s going on by subscribing to our blog at INDIANAPOLISROSESOCIETY.COM. You will receive posts in your email as we “post” them. Most of our meetings are the second Tuesday at 6:30 pm at the Sullivan Munce Center in charming Zionsville. Get it on your calendar! HERE’S WHAT’S COMING UP FOR 2017.

Come grow with us!

Dr. Buck’s Quietness Rose

Link | September 3, 2016January 28, 2021 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I did a series of reviews from my garden for the American Rose Society and here is my review of the rose Quietness.

Now about those Rugosas…

Link | July 23, 2016July 23, 2016 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

As you probably know I post a lot of pictures of my rugosas and talk about them quite a bit. More than once I have blown up your feed to share blooms! 😉

I just love them. They are the main event in the spring when I’m looking for fireworks and fragrance. (More on that here.)

That first flush of spring bloom is simply amazing. However, in years past the repeat bloom has been sketchy around here. Oh, I always get a few blooms all summer long but nothing like what has been happening this year. The second flush of bloom has been amazing. While it certainly doesn’t rival the spring bloom, it has been impressive and very welcome. Tucking even one of these amazingly fragrant blooms into a bokay is a game changer and crowd pleaser.

Why all the extra blooms this year? I’m not sure. This has been a wetter season that usual–maybe they liked that.

Take a look at the repeaters.

The pollinators are totally in love with rugosas! They are everywhere. One even got a little territorial with me and gave me a bite. Owie!!! 😁🐝I forgave him and all is good. 🐝

MORE ABOUT RUGOSAS

Rugosa roses are species roses native to eastern Asia. These profuse spring bloomers are hardy in Zones 3 – 9 and in a variety of conditions: heat, cold, wind, even salty, sandy seaside conditions. Rugosas prefer full sun (6-8 hours per day) and average well-drained soil. So, with very minimal care, almost anyone, anywhere can enjoy these dependable workhorses in the garden. As for the size of those growing in my garden, Hansa, Roseraie de la Hay, Theresa Bugnet and Blanc de double Corbert are 5′ X 5′ . Moje Hammerly is 4′ X 4′ and Belle Poitevine is 4′ X 4′ too. There are other rugosas that are smaller in general … do some investigating to find the ones most suited for your location.

These rugged plants are excellent choices for the organic gardener. Their distinct wrinkled (regose) foliage is very disease resistant. I have found that the rugosas with the most wrinkled leaves are the most disease resistant. Those with smoother leaves tend to get some black spot and occasional mildew.

In my cottage garden, rugosas are the back drop and anchor for many of my flower beds. They are not fans of pruning and do best when allowed to grow and seek their own shape, so you need to give them some space.

Here are pictures from the spring bloom!

If you want to read more about rugosas, go to the American Rose Society’s website HERE.

Too darn hot!

Just checked the weather and the heat wave we are experincing this week will be gone next week. YES. I felt like Indiana was moving closer to the Equator by the minute. Whew! It has been hot!

Keep blooming where you are planted!
Thanks for stopping by!

Rose Buzz: Companions & Beneficials

Link | October 31, 2015February 5, 2016 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

As gardeners, we learn just how important the right companions are to our plants. Many act as a host to beneficial insects to help combat those who come to destroy! They can also cover up shortcomings when a plant’s beauty begins to fade.

It is the same way for us! We need the companionship of others. They help us grow and learn, but so much more–with the right companions, success is more fun and failure is not so bad.

In a group we can accomplish much more together than we can on our own.

Learn. Grow. Share. Serve. Create Awareness. Celebrate.

As you know, I am a big believer in Social Media! I truly believe social media is shrinking our world and giving us easy access to those who used to be so far away … some even in our own neighborhoods. Our pace of life is often fast and on the go! Multi-tasking has come and gone out of favor more than once.

We are busy.

We are connecting online.

Is it enough?

Of course NOT!

We still need face-to-face.

Much joy is brought to my life by being up close and personal with family, friends and those who share my love of gardening and roses.

JOIN THE FUN.

I am a member of several rose organizations. Two of them are below…

The Indianapolis Rose Society

In this organization I have met some amazing people of all ages. We are all at different stages of the gardening experience and have different passions. Some are into just growing while others with the competitive spirit, enter the most amazing blooms and arrangements in competitions! We have those who use chemicals and others who are all organic.

But it is so much more.

We spend time enjoying all things “rose” together. We learn, we laugh, we celebrate successes and we deal with failures & issues together. It’s not just roses that keep us together, over the years–we have become family.

The American Rose Society

The American Rose Society exists to promote the culture and appreciation of the rose, through education and research to members, to local rose societies and their members and to the public. Read on for more information…

As a member of the ARS, I receive their award-winning magazine and informative newsletters. I have learned about the bigger picture of roses on an international scale! I’ve had the opportunity to attend national conferences where you meet and learn from rose lovers from around world. At these conferences, I have met many rose loving friends who I first “met” online, as well as experts in the field who have become cherished friends.

Exciting Times

Our newly installed ARS President, Pat Shanley, joined us on Rose Chat a few months back to share her dreams and goals for ARS. Take a few minutes and listen to this passionate and energetic leader share her story…HERE.

Yes, growing roses and spending time with my rose companions is very “beneficial” to my health! 🙂

Feel free to share this post and/or the Rose Buzz graphic to help spread the news!

Is 2016 your year to join?

Rose Buzz: Stories from The Convention

September 21, 2015September 21, 2015 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

While the Rose Chat crew was at the American Rose Society National Fall Convention last week we had the opportunity to hear from our rose friends from around the world. We took the time to do some mini interviews so they could talk to you and let you know what they have been up to.

We invite you to visit our You Tube Channel and listen in. Most of the videos are less than 2 minutes but our rose friends sure packed a lot into their time!