BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Before We Dive In…

Link | January 3, 2025February 26, 2026 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Don’t judge me, it’s January and I don’t have a word of the year. None seem “just the thing.” I do, however, have a phrase. During the Christmas season we watched “I HEARD THE BELLS “movie and while there were many phrases that caught my attention, there was one I wrote down … “Let’s be up and doing…”

Note: The full phrase, “Let us, then, be up and doing,” comes from the poem “A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

I loved the movie! If you are not familiar with the movie it is about the origins of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow writing the Christmas carol, I HEARD THE BELLS.

SIDE NOTE: I learned of this movie when Danielle of Northlawn Flower Farm on YouTube said her husband had a role in this movie! If you don’t follow Danielle (link), I think you would enjoy her garden adventures… and I think you would enjoy the movie.

2024 HIGHLIGHTS

Before we move fully into 2025, let’s talk about some standouts from the 2024 season.

TRAVEL

Our travels often take us to New England and England and we love that. But we added a destination this year… Italy. And we are so glad we did. A year of travel highlights indeed!

FIRST YEAR ROSES…

BOLERO

Such a gorgeous and healthy rose. For a first year rose it just bloomed and bloomed and the booms were beautiful and the fragrance so yummy. I read one review that called the fragrance “romantic”. I would agree. Bolero was also very healthy. This rose would work in most any size garden as it only grows to about 3.5 H x 3 W. I suspect it would be fantastic in a container too. I can’t wait to see all the blooms that will come with the second season. One more thing …. outstanding cut flower!

ELIZABETH (David Austin)

This David Austin rose just wowed me with every bloom and her growth habit. She is a large rose and I am so glad I gave her plenty of room — she needed it and will need it even more as she gets established. David Austin voted her Best for Health, Best for Fragrance and Best for Flowering. I would agree. She performed so well. When I saw the picture of her online I thought she would have very delicate, easy to shatter blooms. She does not. Size is about 4.5′ W X 4.5′ H. She had several blooms throughout the season but I know it was just a tease to her production for the second year! Great cut flower.

ESTABLISHED ROSE STANDOUTS

PLUM PERFECT (Kordes)

Oh my word. She would not stop blooming – even in the drought. She held on to those incredible blooms forever! A truly wonderful rose. I am so glad I have two! This year she grew about 3’ H and 2.5’ W. Healthy, beautiful but only a light fragrance for me. I enjoyed her so much in the garden that I didn’t cut very many for vases. Just enjoyed her immensely in the garden.

REMINISCENT PINK (Proven Winners)

This rose has grown into a large easy care shrub and deserves some space in the garden. Size is 3.5′ x 3.5′. She sometimes sends out long arching canes in that old fashioned romantic way. If you love old fashioned blooms in form and fragrance, you’re gonna love this one! When I see her from the window I can’t believe she is not an “old garden rose”. She was covered with blooms off and on throughout the season. Great in a vase too. Simply outstanding.

PETITE PEACH

Petite Peach had another fantastic year proving to be an almost bullet proof power bloomer! So proud of this rose. I hear great reports from people all over the country. Those blooms last forever in a vase and dry well too. You can purchase at High Country Roses here.

OUTSTANDING COMPANION PLANTS

GOMPHRENA (Globe Amaranth)

I started two colors of Gomphrena from seed via the Winter Sowing method (link). Couldn’t have been easier. Once these little plants were in the ground, they exploded and bloom literally all summer long. I used them in so many arrangements! And they dry perfectly too! This year I am growing 3 colors.

Planted in jug late January and planted in the ground in early May. Starting blooming in mid June and bloomed until frost!

BOXWOOD BASIL

Linda Vater on her You Tube Channel (link) was all about boxwood basil so I had to try it. This too was planted by seed using the winter sowing method and it was a huge success. I think every seed germinated and I had little boxwood balls all over the garden. Visitors couldn’t believe it wasn’t boxwood! Look at the pictures. Hard to tell! And the fragrance was fantastic. What a great return on investment! Planted in jug on April 9, planted in garden mid May and these plants were going strong all summer. From a small seedling came these amazing “boxwood” basils.

LISIANTHUS

What an outstanding addition to a cut flower garden! Started from seed in January, planted out in late May, blooming from June to October! So beautiful and wonderful in arrangements. Literally lasts forever as a cut flower. Downside… in my growing zone (6a) she has to be “babysat” in seed trays for so so long!

OUTSTANDING SHRUB

Fire Light Tidbit Hydrangea

I have so many hydrangeas – my notes say I have 40 / 10 different varieties. But the Fire Light Tidbit is such a standout. She is a good size to pair with roses too. Growing about 3.5 W X 3’H.

Here she is hugging up to Pomponella rose! (An outstanding rose I might add.) What a combination! I now have 6 Fire Light Tidbits and plan to add 2 more in 2025.

FAVORITE BOKAY

This is a bokay I made for myself when I couldn’t be out gardening. I had hand surgery in early August and it certainly slowed me down for a few weeks. But these beauties sure cheered me up!

INDIANAPOLIS ROSE SOCIETY

The Indianapolis Rose Society is Zooming into the new year with special guest Robin Jennings of Heirloom Roses… Additional Details here.

ROSE CHAT

Rose Chat 2025 kicks off in February and there are so many guests already on the calendar to join me! Some are repeat favorites and many are brand new to the conversation. We are going to cover subjects like… the importance of soil, moving from a spray garden to a no spray garden, growing roses from seed, new rose releases, miniature roses, Earth Kind rose releases, the herbal properties of roses, climbing roses, and on and on!!! Whew! I can’t wait!

If you have extra time and want to catch up on last year’s chats… there are so many good ones here….

HAPPY 2025

Happy New Year friends. If you are like me you are looking back AND planning for what’s to come while cleaning out closets, making list and going through garden catalogs!

So, “let’s be up and doing,” adding loveliness to the world around us. Our world sure needs it.

Until next time, happy garden planning.

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: SOFT FALL

Link | September 13, 2024February 26, 2026 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

It’s that time again.🍂 .🍂 .🍂 If you have been following for a while you know that Fall is not my favorite. (Spring 💐) Getting closer to the long, dark, cold winter does take a bit of getting used too. Mr. G loves all things fall so his euphoria is rubbing off. He even has me totally excited for snow days!

For many of my gardening years I lived in a sea of variations of pink, white, purple and the palest yellow! I tried many reds, yellows & oranges but they didn’t last very long.

PEACHY THINGS

Peach was my gateway color — when I planted my first Mother of Pearl Rose. Mother of Pearl can go from pink to peach. In my garden she is more peach. So, I now have 9 of them. Then in 2019 I found a “sport” on a Petite Pink rose that became Petite Peach! What a wonderful ride that has been!

ADDING MORE FALL

For the last few years I have been on a journey to add more fall into my life in the form of fall colored blooms. I have been successful with having dahlias that blend summer and fall and now I’m moving to Rudbeckias. A bad experience with a rudbeckia pass-along plant given to me 25+ years ago has me very skittish. Regardless of my efforts, that plant keeps popping up and trying to take over!

Have you seen all the rudbeckias out now. There are some beauties out there! Many are annuals in my zone and maybe that’s for the best! 😉 I started the Sahara blend using the winter sowing method and they are just now beginning to bloom. They are gorgeous but I believe I have them planted where they aren’t getting enough sun – so they are blooming later than expected. (They were planted safely tucked out of main sight in case they proved to be too garish!😄) I love them. Next year I will bring them out into the light of day!

While researching rudbeckias on You Tube I came across the Hello Garden account and a particular video on rudbeckias. While Kate was showing some of the beautiful rudbeckias she was planting she used the terms SOFT FALL and GENTLE FALL and talked about easing into the fall with your color palette. PERFECT. I keep thinking of those words and have decided it is my new fall mantra! I want Soft Fall colors in my garden and I want a soft, gentle fall attitude.

Thank you Kate for a new perspective and all the great garden information on the Hello Garden site. You can link to Hello Garden here. She’s also on IG here.

MORE TO COME

I know my journey into fall colors is not over. My friend Dee of RedDirtRamblings has me getting very excited about Marigolds. Marigolds! I have never been excited about marigolds before. Well except when I heard the story about how roses became the national floral emblem and the fact that marigolds were a part of that story. Read here.

Back to marigolds… Dee’s right, there are some super pretty ones out there. Mercy, is there no end! Of course there isn’t! 🎉🎉 While the oranges and reds will probably never work their way into the main borders & beds around here, I can find places where they can work their particular kind of magic!

Do you have a favorite rudbeckia or marigold I need to know about???

Other plants in my garden that are giving me a SOFT, GENTLE FALL vibe …

Hydrangeas as they fade to deeper rose and rust colors

Dahlias … so many beautiful colors of dahlias that go from summer to fall beautifully.

Winterthur Viburnum berries

Grasses

And Zinnias!

ON THE OTHER HAND

Three weeks ago I had hand surgery (right hand 😏) that has certainly curtailed any “real” gardening. On the other hand, it has not even slowed down my planning for next year, my seed, dahlia tuber, and plant research or endless list making! And, I’m finding out how important that little microphone by the text box on my iPhone truly is! Voice to text! A winner – if you proof read!! 😳

Since I couldn’t be out among the flowers as much, I filled my window with vases of cut blooms. We loved it so much that I continue to refill the vases!

This project has certainly given me the opportunity to observe how each of these perform in a vase! Something I have been wanting to do! So far big winners are Plum Perfect, Petite Peach, Quietness and Bolero.

Here is Bolero proving what a winner she is. I do love this rose. So glad I added two of them this year. So fragrant too.

Hand is healing very well, big bandage is long gone and now I just have to protect and do the hand exercises. No “real” gardening for a few more weeks. I’ll ease back in!

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

This week on the podcast I chatted with Gaye Hammond about US Rose Trials. Boy did she bring some interesting facts and behind the scene stories!

U.S. ROSE TRIALS PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
Gaye Hammond, Master Rosarian

Gaye has been an integral part of several U.S. Rose Trials and has much to share with us regarding rose trials of the past, the present, and will take a peek into the future. Gaye will guide us into how they are conducted and the valuable role they play in bringing beautiful and healthy roses to our gardens. Get ready to learn and laugh as Gaye educates and entertains us!

You can LISTEN HERE.

UNTIL NEXT TIME…

Yes, fall is coming fast and aren’t we fortunate that God’s creation gives us much beauty in every season. Let’s take our time and enjoy it slowly.

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Rosemania Part 2

Link | June 14, 2024February 26, 2026 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

The storms (with hail) and rain continued through the early part of the first flush so we have not had an epic season. But, we have had a good season and the garden has given me enough roses to fill a very special request for a graduation event and enough to participate in the Rosefest rose show last week.

The most wonderful days are when I get to fill my wagon with blooms to make bokays for friends!.

Table arrangements for a special event…

Here they are in their traveling boxes Mr. G made. These boxes are fantastic and keep everyone safe in transit!

GETTING READY FOR ROUND TWO OF ROSES

With the first flush leaving, I’m busy dead heading, leaf picking, and adding another round of fertilizer (RoseTone and Heirloom’s Founders Fish Fertilizer).

When I say “I am leaf picking”, here’s what i’m doing…

Removing any diseased leaves AND removing leaves that are at the bottom of the plant. Those leaves are in the lines of fire from dampness and fungal spores and are bound to get into trouble.

I first heard of removing the bottom leaves from an article I read from the great rosarian Monty Justice the father of Monty’s Joy Juice Fertilizer. Monty was a passionate and inspiring rose gardener dedicated to growing the most beautiful roses and helping others to do so. If you’d like to read more about his life, here’s a link to a great article about him. (LINK)

Rose standouts from the past couple of weeks…

STATE OF GRACE

I planted State of Grace last year and she did okay but this year she decided to go for it. OH MY WORD!! Yes, she went for it!! The blooms start out vibrant but fade to more muted tones – very much like Distant Drums I think, so you get a wide color spectrum. The blooms hold on well and she needed all her strength with the rain and wind! Light fragrance and outstanding in a vase. Highly recommend! ⭐️

Here she is paired with Petite Peach. Much more muted than she started.

SAVANNAH

Savannah was on her way to being spectacular but in the end the storms kept her from getting to shine like she normally does. She was great on the shrub but not quite up to being the star in a vase as she normally is. She’ll be back. Such a strong performer and so fragrant.

QUIETNESS

This is a rose I think every rose lover needs. She is just about perfect. This power blooming medium sized shrub has the prettiest blooms and wonderful fragrance. She lasts so well in a vase too! Heirloom has her for sale… (LINK) You won’t regret it! I have four and have given away many as gifts!

HONEYMOON ARBOROSE

I fell in love with this rose, when I was judging at the Biltmore Rose Trials. This rose has been in the garden for several years but has been moved about a few times. 🤷🏼‍♀️ (I am “that” gardener.) Honeymoon went into 2024 with 3 years in the same spot under her belt and it showed.

She had more blooms than ever before and would have been outstanding for a very long time had it not been for the afore mentioned, rain, storms and hail! As with all the creamy and white roses the rain did dampen her glow a bit but this is such a great rose.

She is a well behaved climber getting to about 6’ in my garden. I love her sweet, old rose fragrance and I so enjoy her noddy prettiness.

Here she was just starting out. Unfortunately I didn’t get a shot of her completely bloomed out. But she sure got attention from visitors.

REMINISCENT PINK

This beauty is part of the Reminiscent Series from Proven Winners. This series strives to combine classic beauty and fragrance of old-fashioned roses with modern day performance. SHE DOES THAT BEAUTIFULLY. I love the shrub form and the old fashioned bloom. As you can see from the picture she is not stingy with her blooms and she is just as generous with her fragrance. I could not love this rose more. Healthy and gorgeous! If you’d like to have one of your own… find it here. (LINK)

PETITE PEACH 🍑

Several asked me about Petite Peach since one of my plants was added to the gorgeous Hamilton Co Master Gardener Rose Garden in a planting demonstration at Rosefest.

Here is a post I wrote telling the Petite Peach story. (LINK)

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: And, The Award Goes To…

VASE LIFE

I am going to be more mindful of the roses I bring inside to see how long they actually stay pretty. I can tell you that so far these have been impressive…

State of Grace
Eustacia Vye
Quietness
Savannah
Earth Angel
Music Box
Petite Peach
Gabriel Oak

I talked about cut flowers and preservatives in a previous post. (LINK)

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Open Garden and a Rose Explosion

LATEST ROSE CHATS

The conversations have been lively on the podcast. So much to learn from each other!

Menagerie Farm & Flower
Felicia Alvarez

Chatting with Felicia Alvarez, founder of Menagerie Farm and Flower was a great delight. Menagerie Farm is a rose farm and nursery nestled in the heart of the Sacramento Valley. Don’t miss this inspiring episode as we hear from Felicia who believes daily life doesn’t have to be ordinary and strives each day to grow products that will make everyday life more beautiful for your home & table. Don’t miss this one. Felicia puts her heart and soul into her work. Loads of information and inspiration!

LISTEN HERE.

GROWING ROSES IN CONTAINERS
Jason Croutch, Fraser Valley Rose Farm

On this episode Jason shares his favorite roses to grow in containers as well as tips to help us be successful. Regardless of your soil type or the size of your garden, growing in containers gives us all more options. Keep up with Jason on the Fraser Valley Rose Farm YouTube Channel. (LINK)

LISTEN HERE

In case you missed this one… I think all rose lovers will find this information fascinating!

THE HISTORY OF ROSES
America’s True Native Plant
Gaye Hammond, Master Rosarian

On this episode, Gaye Hammond takes us on a journey of the history of roses in the United States from antiquity to the 1900s. Gaye has done years of research and has much to tell us.

LISTEN HERE

BLOOM THYME AROUND THE GARDEN

With many of the roses taking a break it give the other flowers a time to shine and the cut flowers are ready to explode.

Friends, thanks for stopping by. Until next time, I hope you are having fun in your garden!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: ROSEMANIA

Link | May 24, 2024February 26, 2026 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Soaring heat, storms and rain have given us an exciting and very early spring. Bloom Thyme is welcome any time. Weather is certainly keeping us on our toes! Our hearts go out to all of you who have been affected by the terrible storms bouncing around. Especially our friends in Houston. You are in our prayers.

THE ROSES ARE COMING BACK 🎉

Every year in the deep dark part of winter when everything is so dead, it seems doubtful that the garden will come back — but it always does. Oh, the many miracles of spring!

Here are a few of the early birds catching my attention in a big way!

CROWN PRINCESS MARGARETA

I planted the princess last year but only had a few blooms. This year she is knocking it out of the park. Just look at the form. I wish you could enjoy the fragrance – she is amazing. When I see this color in my garden it still surprises me as for so many years I resisted. I have always fancied pink roses and the creamy colored ones! Now I welcome the Crown Princess Margareta and others with similar coloring … Bathsheba, Lady of Shallot, Rise Up Amberness and At Last.

EARTH ANGEL

She is angelic! I just love this rose and it is a great day when she blooms. Each year she gets better and better. A healthy Kordes rose with old fashioned beauty, form and fragrance! She’s just getting started and there are many buds yet to open.

SWEET FRAGRANCE

This is the second year for this little beauty. I bought her at Lowe’s for under $25. She is part of the beautiful roses from the great hybridizer Ping Lim and part of the Easy Elegance collection. She is a standout in form, color and in fragrance. She is small to medium sized and would be great for a container!

PLUM PERFECT

Last year I added 3 of these to the garden and they were good performers! This year they are going from good to GREAT. They are starting out with a bang. This beauty is from Star Roses and Plants/Kordes Sunbelt collection. They are bred for intense heat and they are sure getting a work out. This week it has been near 90 everyday. (IN MAY!!) Their medium size would make it a good candidate for most any garden and in a container too.

MOTHER OF PEARL

You know I love her. I have 9 shrubs! She never disappoints.

EASY ON THE EYES

This is an almost bullet proof rose from great hybridizer Tom Carruth. Beauty, healthy and fragrant! Those colors!!

THE FAWN

The Fawn is a rose you don’t hear much about – unless you talk to me!! I absolutely love her! She was released in 1983 in Denmark and has had many names… The Faun, Bossa Nova, and My Granny. She is a healthy, beautiful, blooming machine that can tolerate some shade! If you are interested in having her in your garden, Heirloom Roses sells this one as The Fawn and Roses Unlimited sells her as The Faun.

EUSTACIA VYE

The wait is over. You know that both Mr. G and I have been sooooo excited about Eustacia Vye! (He loves her name.) Her first blooms are open and she does not disappoint. She is perfect. We have two shrubs and the other one is budded up and almost ready!! 💕💕

BUYING ROSES ONLINE

Of course we want to buy local when we can, but many of the roses I grow and recommend are not sold locally. Below are the online sources that I use. I have a history with all of these companies and they are well represented in my garden! 😉 LINK

Where to buy roses…

ROSE FOOD

For those who have asked what I’m feeding my roses this spring…

For established roses I used a combination of Rose Tone and Scott’s Rose and Bloom. For new roses… I planted them with Earth Worm Castings and watered in with Alaska Fish Emulsion Fertilizer. Ben from Heirloom convinced me of this with the information that comes with their roses. When I next need fish food for roses, I’m going to order Heirloom’s Founders Fish Fertilizer. (link)

So far so good. Everyone is happy. I’ll fertilize again after the first flush to push for more!

Confession: Through the years I have used many different products on my roses. I do like to change it up a bit. However my most consistent products have been Mill Mix and Mills Mix Easy Feed, Rose Tone, Scotts Rose and Bloom and Fish Emulsion. I am interested in trying Heirloom Roses Founders Fish Fertilizer – when I need to purchase more (LINK).

I have not tried a product that didn’t work, so my thoughts are that roses aren’t as picky as many think. As always follow the directions on the container. I truly believe under fertilizing is better than over fertilizing.

IF YOU SUSPECT A PROBLEM…

If you think something is “off” it might be a good time for a soil test! The lab I have used in the past is Great Lakes Labs. (LINK)

ROSE CHAT

GROWING ROSES IN CONTAINERS
Jason Croutch, Fraser Valley Rose Farm
RELEASE DATE: Sun, May 26

LISTEN HERE.

ROSEFEST COMING SOON!

The Indianapolis Rose Society’s annual event ROSEFEST – Saturday, June 8. It will be a lovely day of roses. Speakers, demonstrations, rose garden tour, giveaways, vendors and a fun People’s Choice Rose Show. Bring your roses to enter or come be a judge!

All the details are on the Indianapolis Rose Society website HERE.

SPRING LOVE

As I look at my garden this morning with all the beautiful blooms and the weeds too, I am reminded that….

Happy Gardening Friends.

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Sauntering into Spring

Link | February 9, 2024 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

New growing zones, warmer weather, deep freezes, groundhogs and alligators (Texas) predicting an early spring, plants greening up… what are we in the old Zone 5b to do. 😳 I guess I’ll just cautiously saunter into spring – keeping a watchful eye on the weather app and the forsythia bushes. Around here there are always surprises!

POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

I am not sauntering in the potting shed. It is full steam ahead! Seed starting and winter sowing have been keeping me busy.

WINTER SOWING

I am doing more winter sowing than seed starting as we are traveling a bit and I think the seeds have a better chance outside! I want tons of different flowers and herbs but don’t need large quantities, so many of the jugs are divided up with multiple types of seeds inside.

So far I have planted…

Hollyhocks
Statice
Rudbeckia
Stock
Celosia
Gomphrena
Coneflowers
Bachelor Buttons
Scabiosa
Yarrow
Foxgloves
Larkspur
Snapdragons
Orlaya
Sweet Alyssum
Ageratum
Strawflower
Lady’s Mantel
Mignonette
Sea Holly
Ammobian

As I type this list I am reminded of how many of these I planted last year but they were eaten or destroyed. 😫 Praying for fewer critter issues this year!!!!!

Later I will plant tomatoes, zinnias and cosmos when the weather truly and consistently warms up! I was amazed last year at how wonderfully these warm weather varieties did last year with the winter sowing method!

If you want to know more about how I do the winter sowing method, here is a post I did last year with details. WINTER SOWING LINK

Some of last year’s results…

FLORET FLOWERS

Are you familiar with Erin Benzakein and Floret Flowers? If not, check them out at the link below.

Our Story

Erin and her team have done amazing work as flower farmers in the cut flower industry – adding so much beauty as well as education!

Her latest work is exclusive seed varieties. These exclusive seeds went on sale this week. So many were waiting by computers and phones to place our order. Same as roses, I rarely see a packet of seeds that don’t interest me – especially when paired with the word “exclusive.” I love zinnias and from the pictures Floret has done amazing things with them. My order was small but I am very excited to try two of the new Zinnia varieties.

Rose friends, Erin has an amazing rose story as well. She was the last person to interview Anne Belovich – just 7 months before her death at 97! Anne gave her permission to take cuttings of her roses and take she did. Her team came in and beat down the brambles to find the gems. Anne’s roses are in great hands with Erin! You can read about this adventure here.

A Rose Story Part 4: An Interview with Anne Belovich

ROSE CHAT 2024

Look at this collage!

So many wonderful rosy friends are coming to chat this season. Each one is unique and amazing. I can’t wait!

Sunday, Feb 11 and Sun, Feb 25 the first two podcasts will be released. Both are fantastic!

Gaye packed so much fascinating information from her research on this one. We go back to the pre-historic days!

Randy gives us so much great information on using beneficial insects. Covering all the basic questions and so much more!

Here is a link to find the new ones or listen to any of the previous ones anytime! LINK

SAUNTERING OR FULL STEAM AHEAD?

Are you sauntering into spring too or is it time to be full steam ahead in your garden. I just checked and more daffodils and snowdrops are popping up but it will be awhile before bloom. That’s okay. I’ll enjoy the posts of my southern friends for a bit longer. Seeing the babies come back is one of my greatest garden pleasures. I am happy to saunter and take it all in.

Until next time, here’s a bit of spring beauty from last year…

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Peaches and Cream

Link | January 5, 2024January 4, 2024 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

First up… Happy New Year! Don’t you just love a fresh start! A clean slate to fill up! Time to start planning our next garden season in earnest!

PICTURE TIME!
I am so glad we have pictures! Especially in winter! While I pour over the pictures of last year, the memories of the varmints gets fainter and fainter. But not so faint that I didn’t ask Santa for a super duper sprayer. I plan to be excessively spraying of all those smelly things that make the varmints feel less at home!

The pictures prove it! We have so many good days. #grateful

JUST PEACHY!

Have you seen Pantone color of the year for 2024? It’s a beauty! Peach Fuzz…

From Pantone…

PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It’s a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul.

REMINDER

Petite Peach 🍑 and so many other beauties will be available again at High Country Roses starting January 10! Don’t delay! HighCountryRoses.com

CREAMINESS

It seems that I’m also falling in love with all the creamy colored roses this year. If the pictures don’t get you, the names just might. Here’s my creamy list…

CREAM VERANDA

Floribunda (Tim Hermann Kordes, Germany, 1997)

Beautiful picture from Heirloom Roses website!

A beautifully romantic rose with old fashioned quartered blooms in delicate shades of apricot. Flowers are lightly perfumed on a disease resistant, compact shrub. Performs well in hot climates. This variety is ideal for use in patio containers or can be used in landscapes where a low growing compact plant is desired.

TOP CREAM

Hybrid Tea (Alain Meilland, France, 2021)

Beautfiul pic from High Country Roses (link) Website.

The large, old-fashioned blooms of this special rose harken back to an old cottage garden. Flowers are extremely fragrant with notes of anise and earthy pear. Its abundant petals are creamy white with an occasional light blush. It exhibits excellent disease resistance and is a wonderful rose for cut floral arrangements.

CHANTILLY CREAM

Hybrid Tea (Christian Bédard, United States, 2021)

Beautiful pic from High Country Roses (link) Website.

A classic hybrid tea featuring large (4″-5″), very full blooms and a strong citrus aroma. Light yellow blended flowers are delicate yet stand up to the heat of summer without missing a beat. Very strong resistance to such diseases as rose rush, downy mildew and powdery mildew.

Creama (Reminiscent Series)

Shrub / released by Proven Winners

Beautiful pic from Proven Winners (Link) website.

Not quite white and not quite yellow, Reminiscent® Crema shrub rose combines the best of all worlds with blooms the hue of fresh buttermilk. Each big, full bloom boasts a very high petal count and a delightful fragrance. The perfect choice for adding classic beauty to the landscape or flower garden! Clean, vigorous growth and foliage, with no deadheading required for continuous bloom. Disease Resistant / Long Blooming / Heat Tolerant / Size: 2.5 X 2

Aren’t these just amazing!! Are you growing any of these? I’d love to hear how they are doing for you.

ROSE CHAT

The 2024 Rose Chat Season starts in February. We have some wonderfully rosy friends joining in!

First up will be the amazing Gaye Hammond chatting about The History of Roses: America’s True Native Plant. Of course, Gaye will teach us but she will also entertain us! I can’t wait! Read more about Gaye here.

Winter is a good time to catch on chats you might have missed during the busy season! Here are four great chats! But there are so many more!!

GARDEN DESIGN TIPS & TRICKS: Michael Marriott and Paul Zimmerman
These two are the best in the business and generously gave us so many tips! Perfect for garden planning season!
(LISTEN HERE)

GRACE ROSE FARM: Gracie Poulson
Learn about the beautiful work of this farm and hear about oh so many beautiful roses!
(LISTEN HERE.)

MY TRIP TO ENGLAND
Kimberley Dean (The Rose Geek)
Kimberley shares how this trip changed her and her garden!
(LISTEN HERE)

GARDENS OF THE NORTHEAST: Stephen Scanniello
Stephen uses his razor sharp wit and his incredible rose knowledge to tell the “story” behind the story and this podcast is full of them!!
(LISTEN HERE)

POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

This week I potted up my White Geraniums (Maverick). My garden journal tells me that I planted the tiny seeds on December 13 and they germinated in three days!! Now 3 weeks later they are showing off those lovely leaves! Three of them grew so large in the broadcast seed tray that I potted them up to 4″ pots. They have a long away to go! I sure hope they do well!

I bought my seeds at Park Seed. I received 10 seeds and I have 10 plants!

FROM PARK…

Maverick is an annual geranium, which is to say not a true geranium at all, but a pelargonium.

They are a southern gardener’s salvation, thriving even in the sopping-wet humidity and searing heat of our summers. Other container plants look wilted even the same day you water them, but never Maverick. It’s compact, well-branched, large-flowered, and thoroughly agreeable to weather extremes. We wouldn’t want anything less for our terracotta pots and white window boxes.

Maverick is a very compact plant, reaching just 14 to 16 inches high (in full bloom) and nearly as wide. The foliage is large, softly lobed and creased, and bright green. It forms bushy rosettes beneath the flowering stems, which hold their giant spheres of blooms several inches above the rest of the plant.

I absolutely love, love, love annual geraniums (pelargoniums) and I think Thyme Out (my outdoor potting area) is just the place to have several white Mavericks!

One more thing…

Ever wonder about the origins of the geranium/pelargonium debate? Through the years I have heard many things. So, I asked the internet this week why pelargoniums are called geraniums and here’s what I found…

The name Pelargonium was first proposed by Johann Jacob Dillenius, a German botanist, in 1732 who described and illustrated seven species of geraniums from South Africa that are now classified as Pelargonium. Although it was Johannes Burman, who formally introduced the name pelargonium in 1738.

It was a simple mistake. Linnaeus thought the plants were close enough relatives to put both types in the genus Geranium. But Charles L’Héritier saw things differently and separated them into two genera in 1789. The change was widely accepted even back then and still holds today.

⭐️ And… we are still talking about it today. Right or wrong, some things just stick! Regardless of what we call them… they give us quintessential cottage garden beauty.

UP NEXT

The next fun winter projects around here will be planting Lisianthus and Winter Sowing. The extended forecast looks like we are going to have a bit of winter after all. What are you up to?

Until next time…

To make a great garden, one must have a great idea or a great opportunity.
Sir George Sitwell
Essay on the Making of Gardens (1909)

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: THE THINKING STAGE

Link | November 10, 2023November 10, 2023 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I absolutely love the planning stage of gardening! Time to look back at pictures I took from seasons past, re-read the notes I took in my garden journal and random pieces of paper 🙄, and start dreaming of what’s next.

I am very grateful for the “save” flag on Instagram. So, when I see something that is similar to my style I “save” for an easy look back. I also print! Yes print real pictures of things I like from my garden and others. I find that having real pictures to look at makes a huge difference. The assistants in the WalMart electronics section know me. It is so easy on my iPhone to send photos to Walmart via the PhotoPrints+ app.

THE THINKING STAGE

These days we are traveling more and more which we love. So with that comes the need for thinking through plant care while we are away.

CONTAINERS…

Next year I will “mostly” plant things in containers that need very little care – especially very little water. This year I started this approach to containers by testing a few. I planted Autumn Joy sedum in two planters and it was gorgeous and needed relatively no care and minimal water. My main front porch planter which has always been filled with very thirsty annuals of some sort was planted with a group of succulents. While my daughter was in California, I fell in love succulents and loved how they were used in plantings. This container was by far my very favorite ever!

WINTER SOWING…

I will be doing more Winter Sowing and less seed starting under lights. The big exception to that is Lisianthus. I will still be planting those under lights in the Potting Shed! It’s risky but worth the risk.

Winter Sowing is so easy and brings much more success than failure for little money and time. Here is a link to a post where I talk more about that process. LINK

Now as you may remember many of these plants made it through winter but didn’t survive the spring varmint invasion. The “plant plan” was solid. 🤣 Obviously, the “varmint plan” needs a bit more work. 😳

Water…

We are starting to investigate irrigation systems. Nothing too sophisticated but a way to automatically get water to many of the roses as needed. If you have suggestions or ideas about this I’d love to hear them!

GETTING TO KNOW YOU WALL

Years ago we covered the largest wall in the Potting Shed with cattle panel type fencing. I’ve always used it to display things that make me happy. Last year I was very focused on what went on the “cattle panel” wall. The main things I wanted there were pictures and details about the new plants that I was adding to the garden so I could get used to their look and habit through the winter as I drew up my plans; I also added some seed packets that I was planning to use that I was somewhat unfamiliar with; as plans were drawn up, they too went on the “wall”. I can’t tell you how helpful it was. By the time I was to the planting stage, I was old friends with many of my new plants and plans!

Now everything has been taken down and I’m ready to start again.

NEW GARLIC BED!

My garlic bed got a upgrade! Mr. G rebuilt all three of my raised beds! Aren’t they fantastic!!

Planting garlic is so rewarding for me. Since I don’t grow many of my own veggies, it is so nice to have one of our main flavorings from our garden. And, it is such a nice gift to share! The garlic I’ve planted the last three years is Chesnok Red – a hardneck variety that is good for northern gardens. It’s yummy and pretty! But, there are so many varieties. Most seed companies sell garlic and I’ve also bought from THE GARLIC STORE in Colorado (link).

🧄 If you are new to growing garlic and would like to give it a try, here are my growing/curing notes (link).

BLOOM THYME: WINTER WINDOW BOX

Each year the window box on the Potting Shed is filled with foraged finds from the garden. Just going around the garden collecting items for the window box is pure pleasure. Once it is complete, we get to enjoy it all winter long from the kitchen window. Mr. G says of all the gardeny decor things I do … this is one of his favorites!

“A NATIONAL DAY OF THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE”

Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a “A National Day of Thanksgiving and Praise” on October 3, 1863. Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who wrote “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” was a contributing factor to Lincoln’s making the decision. She had actually starting “campaigning” for Thanksgiving in 1846, so she was serious about it. Before 1863, the holiday was mostly only celebrated in the Northeast where she was from. And when it comes to our traditional feast … well she had a say in that too…

Her first novel, Northwood: A Tale of New England, described a Thanksgiving feast circa 1827, replete with a large family table topped with roasted turkey, gravy, and vegetables. She subsequently lobbied the President to bestow official status upon Thanksgiving, and is often referred to as “the Godmother of Thanksgiving.” -Real Simple Magazine website Well done Sarah. I love turkey and gravy!

I do love the Thanksgiving season and the focus on what we have to be grateful for. We have so much! If Thanksgiving as a holiday could take hold in the middle of the Civil War, we can celebrate with wild abandon for all that we have!

Friends, thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving season!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: EXTRA TIME

Link | October 27, 2023October 27, 2023 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Well it’s been a minute since I posted. We’ve had a wonderful time visiting family and and came home and hit the ground running with fall projects.

If you google “first frost date” in my area you’ll find October 10 – 16 but this year like last year, those dates came without anything close to a killing frost. Yay! We still have flowers blooming but looks like that is coming to an end next week!

I feel like I’ve survived the heat of August, made it through September where I made peace with the end of the gardening year and have moved onto October where I can more enjoy the seasonal transition.

October has been just about perfect. We’ve had beautiful days to enjoy the garden and to get things in order before winter.

EXTRA TIME: EXTRA PROJECTS

Mr G surprised me with a truck full of wood and plans for some wonderful projects… updating two of my raised beds and a new gate for the herb garden.

In the first picture you see that the current gate has been lovingly and beautifully hugged by Petite Pink this year to the point it could not open but the more open design of this gate allowed bunnies their free will so we allowed Petite Pink her space. But now she has been pruned back a bit and Mr. G’s newest gate will give the bunnies a harder time getting in. Hope it discourages the raccoons and ground hogs too.🤞🏻

EXTRA TIME: JUST BE

The extra time has also given me more time to “just be” in the garden and watch the changes happen slowly.

Walking down this path is so relaxing with the fall hues. At this stage there is a “hush” to the garden and for now “hush” is good.

EXTRA TIME: BLOOM THYME

Many flowers are still putting out beautiful blooms. Especially the dahlias. The soft peachy tones have turned brighter but blooms are plentiful.

EXTRA TIME: GARDEN VISITORS

The bees, moths and butterflies are still seen occasionally!

Our little friend enjoying the strawflower.

PLANTING DAFFODILS

I only bought one type of daffodil this year and the recommendation for this one came from wonderful garden friend Christie Purifoy from her book Garden Maker – she said it was her favorite and it was fragrant so I had to go take a look! Yep, one look and I ordered them – actually so long ago that I forgot I did! Nice surprise! Thanks Christie!

Meet ‘Bridal Crown”…

Bridal Crown was introduced in the mid 1940s and is an award-winning, multiple stem daffodil – having 3 to 6 white and saffron flowers per stem. This beauty is heavenly fragrant, one of the earliest of the doubles to bloom; is a great forcer and is one of the best looking grown in pots. (I think I am going to plant some of mine in pots.)

(12″-14″ tall / Blooms early-mid spring / Hardy in Zones 4-9) I bought mine at Brent and Becky’s Bulbs. I checked and they still have some available… LINK

I have several types of daffodils and love them but my more recent daffodil love has been aimed at the more “rosette” looking double blooms and the ones with multiple blooms per stem. Other favorites at the moment: Thalia, White Lion, Cheerfulness, and Minnow. Planting daffodils in the fall sure give us so much to look forward to! #thinkspring

SPEAKING OF CHRISTIE PURIFOY…

If you are like me and are a big fan of her books Garden Maker and A Home in Bloom, you’ll be be pleased to know that another book is coming in March Seedtime and Harvest – you can preorder now. Seedtime and Harvest is a series of lyrical essays exploring the myriad ways that gardening deepens our understanding of the natural world and grows our capacity for care and connection. If you don’t have these wonderful books – perhaps you should mention them to Santa! 🎅 🎁 Links are above if he needs them.

STICKERS ANYONE?

I love stickers! I love to put them on envelopes, seed packets for gathered seeds, in my garden journal and such!

These are some of the prettiest stickers I’ve found. They are supposed to look like dried flowers and they certainly do. So, if you’re interested, here’s the link!

LATEST ROSE CHAT PODCAST

GRACE ROSE FARM with Gracie Poulson, Owner

Friends, I know you will LOVE this chat! The delightful Gracie takes us back to the beginning where she fell in love with roses as a very young child and brings us up-to-the-minute on her vision and what’s coming from Grace Rose Farm. Hint: It’s all beautiful!

LISTEN HERE

PLACES OF RETREAT

Much of the news we hear is breaking our hearts and making us anxious on so many levels. I am so grateful that God has told us that we can “cast our anxiety on him because he cares for us.” 1 Peter. 5:7

And, how fortunate that he has given gardeners a place of retreat that gives us joy and peace – whether you have loads of land, a windowsill or a patio where you plant, putter and get your hands in the soil.

“Gardening has been shown to lighten mood and lower levels of stress and anxiety. It’s very gratifying to plant, tend, harvest and share your own food. Routines provide structure to our day and are linked to improved mental health. Gardening routines, like watering and weeding, can create a soothing rhythm to ease stress.

-Mayo Clinic

Science has discovered that working with soil is beneficial to your health and happiness. The reason is the soil bacterium, mycobacterium vaccae. These microscopic bacteria enter into your body when you touch the soil. The bacteria triggers serotonin and dopamine production, both chemicals that produce a feeling of happiness. By the way, they are chemicals normally present in antidepressant medication.

-Manager Up, June 2023

Until next time Friends, I wish you joy, peace and time in your garden.

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Spring Excitement

Link | September 15, 2023September 14, 2023 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

One of my favorite things about Autumn is that as I tweak the garden, dividing plants, and removing undesirables etc., I get so excited for how the “new” garden will look in the Spring. She may be tired now and in need of a good layer of mulch but in the spring she will be glorious! #dreamstage

I have already found 3 prime spaces and will be on the lookout for 3 beautiful, power-blooming, fragrant roses. #reachforthestars 🌟 Do you have a rose recommendation for me?

And then there’s seed excitement. 🎉 Few things are more exciting to me in the garden than seeds! I am gathering seeds, looking for new varieties and ordering seeds!!! SO MUCH FUN. Every time I see my little brown bags of seeds I’ve gathered I get all gushy about spring! Am I alone???

NEW HYDRANGEAS

Proven Winners sent out 4 amazing new hydrangeas that I get to try in my garden. They are planted, watered, mulched and ready to experience an Indiana fall and winter. Look at these beauties…

TUFF STUFF | Reblooming Mountain Hydrangea

SIZE: 2-3′ Tall and Wide
ZONES: 4 – 9
SUN/SHADE: 4 – 6 hours of sun preferred

This beauty is said to be cold hardy and heat tolerant. Two attributes that mean a great deal to me! Just look at those beautiful lacecap fowers.

PINKY WINKY PRIME | Panicle Hydrangea

SIZE: 6 – 9′ Tall and Wide
ZONES: 3 – 8
SUN/SHADE: 4 – 6 hours of sun

I have 7 of the original Pinky Winkys and love them but am so excited to try the PRIME version as it is said to have bigger and fuller flowers! Big win!

LET’S DANCE LOVABLE | Reblooming Big Leaf Hydrangea

SIZE: 3-4′ Tall and Wide
ZONES: 5-9
SUN/SHADE: 4-6″ hours of sun

This lovely has vivid bloom color and glossy foliage with the “super-charged” ability to rebloom! Foliage turns burgundy in the fall.

LET’S DANCE SKY VIEW | Reblooming Bigleaf HydRangea

SIZE: 2-3′ Tall and 2-4′ Wide
ZONES: 4-9
SUN/SHADE: 4 – 6 hours of sun

We are constantly hearing that we need more blue in the garden and PW says these are easy to get to turn blue by adding aluminum sulfate if you don’t have acid soil.

ONE MORE HYDRANGEA

I love my Fire Light Tidbit so much I had to add another one. Luckily when I made this big decision to add another, a local garden center had several beauties!! My two will flank a walkway through a section of the garden.

This is how she looks in my garden this week… A beauty indeed! I just can’t wait until spring and to see both of them in their prime!

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

UPDATES, PLANS & PROJECTS
Diane Sommers, American Rose Society President

On today’s episode, Diane Sommers, President of the American Rose Society is here to bring us up to date on some exciting projects including their recently launched digital initiative. And, we’ll take a peek into plans for the future.

It was so fun to chat with Diane about our wonderful organization! LISTEN HERE.