GARDENING

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Blooms, Bare Roots & Weather

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

THE FIRST ROSE HAS ARRIVED…

I received my first rose from David Austin – Eustacia Vye. A rose that has been catching my eye for some time. As per my usual, I watched videos and chatted with friends about this rose before purchase and all the reviews were glowing!!

Eustacia Vye came as a robust bare root…


The Lovely Eustacia Vye

FROM DAVID AUSTIN WEBSITE (LINK)

An exceedingly pretty rose of soft, glowing apricot-pink, each bloom packed with numerous delicately ruffled petals. Held on red-tinged stems, the blooms begin as shallow cups, opening to full rosettes, revealing petals of a richer hue, which gradually pale over time. They have a delicious strong fruity fragrance. A very healthy variety; it makes a strong, vigorous shrub with bushy, upright growth. Named after the flawed heroine of Thomas Hardy’s, The Return of the Native.

I  actually ordered another one of these from our rose society sale. Do you grow it?

BARE ROOT ROSES

If you are new to “bare root” roses…

I know they look scary.
I know they look ugly.
I know they come early.

However, I also know that they will be glorious. From these humble beginnings they will work hard to become your magazine picture. 

HOW TO PLANT

  1. Open box as soon as it arrives
  2. Soak in large bucket of water – I usually do it overnight but you can hydrate a rose in a few hours.
  3. Give the canes a tiny trim just to wake her up and kick start the growing process. (I sometimes give the large roots a bit of a trim too.)
  4. Dig a hole deeper and wider that your roots.
  5. Amend the soil if needed.
  6. If she is a grafted rose (has that knobby bud union) I plant 2″ below soil surface.
  7. If it’s still cold outside, mulch high to give them a little protection from extreme weather. Remember to remove the extra mulch when temps rise!
  8. Water her in.
  9. Wait. She’ll wake up slowly along with her siblings in your garden.
  10. Be amazed at how much progress she makes this summer!

ROSE CHAT

ICYMI: Here are the recent guests I’ve been chatting with. To see the entire list go to RoseChatPodcast.com. What a joy to chat with each and every one of my guests and getting to hear their stories. Aren’t gardeners and gardening stories just the best!

GROWING ROSES IN OKLAHOMA
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
Dee Nash, Gardener, Writer and Podcaster

LISTEN HERE  

Dee is from Oklahoma where gardening can have its challenges. With expertise and wit, Dee shared from her years of experience the good, the bad, and even the ugly of growing roses in Oklahoma. We chat about beautiful roses, RRD and something new in Dee’s world – Alpha Gal Syndrome! Regardless of where you live, you will greatly benefit from the information and encouragement shared by this natural-born garden coach.

ROOTED IN TIME: Saving Roses for Future Generations
John Bagnasco
Chairman of the Save the Roses! Foundation, Writer, Garden America Show Host

LISTEN HERE

NOTE: Save the Roses Auction coming April 13 – 14. Online bidding for the Silent and Live Auctions opens Saturday, March 1 and closes Friday, April 12 at noon. LINK https://www.ccrsauction.com

Guest John Bagnasco highlights the critical efforts underway to preserve the diversity and heritage of rose varieties. John takes us on a journey through the history, challenges, and triumphs of rose preservation, emphasizing why these flowers are more than just a symbol of beauty—they’re a testament to botanical history and diversity.

John shares about the much-anticipated annual event that has become a cornerstone of the rose conservation effort in the US: the California Coastal Rose Society’s Save the Roses auction.

ROSE CHAT COMING APRIL 14

WHAT’S NEW AT DAVID AUSTIN with Rebecca Koraytem

🎉🌹🎉During this chat Rebecca will announce a major promo for the Rose Chat community and a blanket discount we all can use!

🎉🌹🎉MAJOR GIVEAWAY: One lucky member of the Rose Chat Community will win $100 Voucher for David Austin Roses! So tune in Sunday April 14 to hear how to sign up to win! GOOD LUCK 🍀🎉

WEATHER

Spring weather is always tricky around here and keeps us on our toes. We are definitely about 3 weeks early even though the temps are still going up and down like a yoyo! The big news this week has been storms, wind, rain and snow. My word! One day we had 3″ of rain. Snow/sleet never accumulated but was cold and dreadful none the less. The weather app knows the way to my hot buttons — “HAIL WARNINGS” have also been bantered about. 😱 And, tonight there is a FREEZE warning – 28!

BLOOM THYME

Regardless of the weather the garden is making great progress and I can’t wait to get up each morning to see what’s new.

Potting Shed Window Box
Thalia / Minnow
Belarina Pink Ice
Yes, we’ve had rain!
Spice Baby Virburnum
Minnow
Spring pruning!
Fav 2024 Pansy – Flirty Skirts

Friends, I hope things are coming right on time in your garden and that you are seeing more beauty every day. Isn’t spring just the best! 💐🌷🌸 The minnow daffodil is fast becoming my favorite little spring bloomer! (Wish I had gotten a better picture of her.) What’s your favorite spring flower?

Until next time, Happy Gardening!

bloom thyme friday: Yellow

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

There’s a lot to be said about yellow.

The color yellow is associated with the sun and life-giving warmth, while also being used as traffic warning signs.

Yellow represents happiness but before you say awwww… yellow is also associated with deciet and cowardice. But on a brighter note (no pun intended) it is also a symbol of hope.

In the language of flowers the Victorians used to convey words they would never say aloud, yellow roses most often meant jealousy. Today we think of them as the symbol of friendship and joy.

With all that said, if you had asked me a few years ago if I liked yellow in the garden, I’d say “no – well, maybe a little bit.” But today that is not the case – there is so much yellow in my garden … and I’m fast moving toward orange! 😳😱🍊 How about you?

Let the sun shine in!

Golden Fairy Tale
Bathsheba
Hyperion
Milena
Ghislaine de Feligonde
Imogen David Austin
Vanessa Bell David Austin

YELLOW MEANS GO!

Yes, around here, a blooming Forsythia seems to shout “gardeners, start your engines!”  (I do live in the sphere of the Indy 500!)

Yes, she says, the ground has warmed to at least 50 and spring work can begin. No doubt Mother Nature will have a good laugh and share some sneaky moves as we maneuver the next few weeks. I certainly remember last April 17 looking out on a garden draped in sheets and covered in buckets as the temps plunged in to the low 20s. I have the sheets and the buckets close at hand.

LATEST ROSE CHAT

SPRING IN MY ROSE GARDEN
Cindy Dale, ARS District Director / Deep South District

Award-winning gardener Cindy Dale joined me to walk us through the steps she takes to open her rose garden in the spring! Cindy grows in the deep south but all of us have much to learn from her experiences in the rose garden!

LISTEN HERE

NEW BOOK!

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Genesis 8:22

Christie Purifoy has done it again. If you are like me and are a big fan of her books Garden Maker and A Home in Bloom, you will love the newly released Seedtime and Harvest. Few garden writers go to the very heart of gardening as Christie does. Yes, she supplies tips and tricks for gardeners but what I get from Christie’s writing is so much more. I am reminded of why I garden and the deeper connection it brings to everything around me.

From Seedtime and Harvest…

It isn’t certainty or guarantees that make the ground beneath our feet firm, it is love.

Find books and so much more from Christie here

GO TIME!

Yes, it’s go time in the garden and the color yellow leads the way. 💛 💛 💛

Until next time friends, happy gardening.
Don’t overdo!
💛🌱💛

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Sauntering into Spring

Link | | 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!

Baby Larkspur
Baby Larkspur

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.

Zinnia Dawn Creek Honey
Zinnia Dawn Creek Peach

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…

The lovely Thalia daffodill!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: HIGHS AND LOWS

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

2023  gardening season was a year of many, many highs but also a couple of major lows. So on this last week of the year let’s deal with the 3 biggest lows, learn from them, and leave them behind and start out 2024 with a clean slate.

1. THE VARMINTS

I wrote so much about the varmints this year and you are probably tired of all that. However, I’m sure you’d like an update from the critter cam while we were in England recently.  We had multiple visits from Skunks, Raccoons, 5 different wild cats, Rabbits and one huge hairy critter that looked like a ground hog but we are hoping it is another raccoon at an odd angle. So far no deer – at least near the critter cam! If you missed my varmint whining … here’s a link to one of my varmint articles LINK.

Bunny
Skunk
Raccoons

2. THE WEATHER

Seems we all had at the very least “crazy” weather. We started out wet wet wet and plants were drowning and moved to dry dry dry. 

3. THE LOSS OF A FAVORITE ROSE

My glorious Ghislaine de Feligonde that has for the last few years hugged up beauitfully to the potting shed succumbed to RRD. Talk about your sick feeling. When I found it, I was for the moment devastated. I have since planted two other Ghislaines so we are not to be without her long! To find RRD in your garden is so cruel. With all the roses I grow, I’ve dealt with RRD very little but it is always so disappointing! First you cry  – then you replant. Luckily she is a fast grower!

The upside to this horror was that Mr. G was able to paint the potting shed!

We are very fortunate that we have such a great research team working on RRD and other diseases that plague roses. Last year we had two very good Rose Chats on this subject… 

THE MANY FACES OF RRD with Gaye Hammond, Master Rosarian
LISTEN HERE

Gaye gives us detailed information about detection, what to do and what not to do!

THE RESEARCH JOURNEY OF SUSTAINABLE ROSES with Dr. David Byrne
LISTEN HERE.   

Dr. Byrne is leading a research team on RRD and the other diseases that plague roses and other plants too! He’s got the big picture!

2023 GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS

Two of the top garden highlights for 2023 were having the garden featured in two magazines… Midwest Living and Birds and Blooms –  and on the heels of the Garden Gate magazine article last year (Link) !! 😱 My word! Life sometimes gives you more than you even know to ask for. I am so so so grateful. 

The other garden highlight for 2023 was receiving the official patent for my little rose, PETITE PEACH. Read more about her here (LINK). And receiving the American Rose Society’s Award of Excellence for a mini rose in the “no spray” division! Be still my heart! A highlight INDEED!

REVIEW OF MOTHER OF PEARL FROM TRUDY STRUCK, PRESIDENT OF INDIANAPOLIS ROSE SOCIETY:

On our trip to the National American Rose Convention this year in Shreveport, LA, ‘Petite Peach’ was introduced as the 2024 Award of Excellence Winner. Because this miniature rose was discovered by one of our own Indianapolis Rose Society members, Teresa Byington, we decided to order it while we were at the Convention for the Hamilton County Master Gardener’s Rose Garden. When the rose came it was tiny but very healthy.  It didn’t take long for it to flourish and begin to bloom the sweetest little apricot roses. The blooms are almost a bi-color of orange and pink.  Roses bloomed nonstop all summer long and well into the fall. In fact, to keep it winter safe, I buried the pot I transplanted it in and most of the plant around the beginning of November and it still had blooms on it. In the springtime, the rose will go to the HCMGA Rose Garden in the miniature bed with recognition to Teresa. I highly recommend this sweet rose for anyone’s garden.

HIGH COUNTRY ROSES

If you would like to have Petite Peach in your garden, she will be available again at High Country Roses on January 10. She sold out last year! Info on Petite Peach at High Country Roses here (LINK)

THE ULTIMATE HIGHLIGHT

All of life’s troubles, disappointments and even highlights pale in comparison to celebrating the Light of the World being born. I can’t begin to imagine what this event was like for the shepherds that night to receive the good news of great joy for all people!

Luke 2: 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Even in a world with much unrest and horror there is still so much good. And, whatever our circumstances, we can add the good!

May peace, comfort and joy be yours as we put our future and faith in our Heavenly Father.

Merry Christmas friends.

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Trees and Books

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

We are back from our latest trip across the pond and are loaded down with love, hugs, wonderful memories, books and darling little ornaments just perfect for the annual Boxwood tree. Since my days as a florist I have loved making boxwood trees – though they have evolved to include many more greens than just boxwood. Many of the greens were gathered from the garden and the flowers were ones I dried this summer. I did find some fresh things to add too from Trader Joes.

(Click on an image to activate the gallery feature.)

Video showing some of the mechanics… I got so “into” the project, I forgot to photograph the beginning! 🙄

Final product…

PAST TREES…

Each year the tree is different and this year I went much larger to accommodate the ornaments. It is truly one of my favorite holiday projects and I think a great way to extend the “garden” season! Keep watered and they will last several weeks.

BOOK CORNER…

While in England I have the pleasure of being very close to the Oxfam Second Hand Book Shop. It calls to me. I try not to go everyday. It is not easy.

Here are the treasures I brought home this time:

The Companion Garden by Bob Flowerdew

A book on how nature can help your plants — by companion planting. Can you believe his last name??

” THE ROSE: Roses are grown everywhere, so they are very prone to pests and diseases. Underplant them with alliums, especially chives and garlic which prevent bad attacks of black spot and increase their perfume. Parsley, thyme, catnip, mignonette, lupins and Limnathes douglassi are also beneficial.”

🌹 NOTE: Limnathes douglassi = Poached Egg Plant (LINK) Buyer beware, it is said to spread easily!!

The Quotable Gardener by Charles Elliott

A collection of wisdom from Jane Austen to P.G. Wodehouse, captures the essence of this country’s favorite hobby. For anyone who counts their hours in the garden as the most enjoyable and satisfying. 

“As for the roses, you could not help feeling that roses are the only flowers that impress people at garden parties; the only flowers that everybody is certain of knowing.” -Katharine Mansfield (The Garden Party) 1922

The English Garden by Edward Hyams

“Man has long dreamt of creating an ideal paradise – a Garden of Eden … But Edward Hyams maintains that it is not until the twentieth century that this dream is fully realized and the concept of the true English Garden emerges.”

Great Dixter: Then and Now by Fergus Garrett

This book goes back to the beginning to tell the story of Great Dixter.

– Great Dixter was the family home of gardener and gardening writer Christopher Lloyd – it was the focus of his energy and enthusiasm and fueled over 40 years of books and articles. Now under the stewardship of Fergus Garrett and the Great Dixter Charitable Trust.

“If Dixter remains loved and retains its own identity, everything else will fall into place.” Christopher Lloyd

V. Sackville West’s Garden Book 

A collection taken from the “IN YOUR GARDEN” column she wrote for the Observer from 1947 to 1961. It is said that she established a “gentle, bantering relationship” with her readers. This book is a month by month account of what she was doing in the garden. On page 16 the reader learns how she first conceived the idea of a white garden at Sissinghurst and then on page 119 how it turned out! (Be still my heart.) The pages are delicate but very readable and with some pictures – all taken at Sissinghurst.

“Someone ought to write the biographies of persons who had had roses named in their honour. Who was Mme Hardy? Who was Charles de Mills? I don’t know and I long for a Who’s Who to correct my ignorance.” -Vita Sackville West

🌹 NOTE: Several such books exist today that have backgrounds on roses. Here are a couple I enjoy:

  • A Rose by Any Name, Douglas Brenner & Stephen Scanneillo (LINK)
  • The Women in My Rose Garden, Ann Chapman (LINK)

Wayside and Woodland Blossoms by Edward Step

This one is the “sweetest treasures” I found at the book shop –because of what’s on the inside flap…

Wayside & Woodland Blossoms make as great an appeal to the unskilled lover of flowers as to those deeply versed in botany, for technical terms are used on sparingly and the descriptions are given in language easily understood by the layman.

The work is a classic and undoubtedly supersedes all former books of the same kind. Signed… The Queen

The first printing of Wayside and Woodland Blossoms was 1941.

🌹NOTE: There was one more book that I bought for a friend as the book literally screamed her name at me! 💜

The illustrations in Wayside and Woodland Blossoms are so sweet…

ROSE CHAT…

🌹The final Rose Chat of 2023 has been released and it was so great to end our year with the amazing  Dr. David Zlesak. We chatted about one of his areas of expertise… Plant Breeding and Plant Patents. 

LISTEN HERE

🌹What a wonderfully rosy year it has been on Rose Chat! Aren’t we fortunate there are so many wonderful people in our rose world! If you missed any of these chats or want to listen again, they are are available at RoseChatPodcast. com.

Here is a video of the lineup from last year that I posted on social media…

🌹I am working on next year’s line up and have some fabulous guests coming to chat about roses. Stay tuned!

Until next time…

I’ll be focusing on Family, Friends, Food and the birth of a King…

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: THE THINKING STAGE

Link | | 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 | | 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. 

Isn’t he just the best!!!

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.

Fire Light Tidbit
Pacific Ocean
Milena Fleur – usually more peach!
Labryinth
Zinnia Zydeco 💚
Calendula
All the Rage
Caryopteris
Sweet Drift
The Fawn (Faun)
Mother of Pearl
Bokay featuring Flamenco Rosita
Sweet Drifts line the pathway
The last Cafe au Lait
The last Bliss Parfuma
The last rose bokay

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 | | 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.

BLOOM THYME

This week I tried to make the most of every bloom and share bokays with friends.

Mother of Pearl going strong
State of Grace
Cafe au Lait decorating the Potting Shed
Garden “office” view
Parfuma Bliss
Parfuma Bliss bud
Scentuous

One of the most relaxing things to do is watch butterflies in the garden… don’t you think?

Friends, thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget to let me know if you have rose recommendations for me!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: VISITING HISTORY

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Recently we spent time in one of the most historical areas of our country. We saw so many beautiful historical sites, homes, and enjoyed many generational traditions.

While there I was able to experience rose garden history as well with a visit to the rose garden at Elizabeth Park in Hartford, CT — home of the oldest public rose garden in the US. There are over 15,000 rose bushes and 800 varieties of old and new roses. Yes, she is steeped in history. This garden became the first official test garden in 1912 for the American Rose Society founded in 1892, with the idea to test and to provide accurate information about roses for the public.

The Curator of the rose garden is a great garden friend that many of you know, Stephen Scanneillo. We had hoped to meet up but he was away at that time on vacation. He plans to join me in a couple of weeks on the podcast and I’m sure he’ll have plenty of Elizabeth Park garden stories! And no one tells a garden story  quiet like Stephen.

When I first became aware of this garden, like so many others, I was captivated by the beauty of the the row of rose covered arches I saw in pictures. What I didn’t see from those pictures was just how many rows of arches there are. There are 75 arches covering pathways that direct you through section after section of this amazing garden. The structures themselves were so impressive. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be there when the arches are draping in blooms from the ramblers and climbing roses. I’m told that roses on the arbors are… Dorothy Perkins, Romeo, Repeat blooming Hiawatha, Peggy Martin, Party Hardy, White Dorothy, Dr. Van Fleet, Chevy Chase, Perfumed Breeze, Dortmund, Crimson Rambler, and Exclesa.

August in drought conditions is certainly not the kindest month to visit a rose garden, especially on a day that will literally bake you in moments. It’s kind of like having a photoshoot when you’re having a bad hair day! But, it was the day I had. So, we found Mr. G a shady spot in the garden and I set off to take a closer look. The garden did not disappoint!

MY DAY IN THE GARDEN…

THRIVE / SPROUL
THRIVE

THE GARDEN IN JUNE…

Stephen sent me these pictures he took when the roses are at peak bloom. 😱🌟

Mixes Ramblers
Mixed Ramblers and Caldwell Pink
Mixed Ramblers
I love fog!

DID YOU KNOW?

At Elizabeth Park they winter-protect the roses on the arches by using branches that are pruned from the evergreen in the garden!! What a fabulous idea!! 🌟

THE HERITAGE ROSE GARDEN

The heritage roses have their own special place in the Elizabeth Park garden … nestled in a more secluded area surround by beautiful stone walls. Just perfect! Although I only saw a few blooms as most of these roses have their bloom in early June, they do leave behind some very lovely rose hips which was a treat. And, I so enjoyed seeing the name tags telling me who lived there!

Yes, I have to go back!

ONE MORE THING!! PEGGY MARTIN…

The Peggy Martin Rose would certainly be a sight to see in June as she has covered the rose garden office wall so beautifully.

CHATTING ABOUT ROSES…

Here are the latest podcasts!

INTERNATIONAL ROSE TEST GARDEN
Rachel Burlington, Botanic Specialist III-Rose Garden / Curator

Rachel is a very impressive young woman and wears many hats in the world of horticulture. In addition to her work at the Test Garden, she is co-founder of the non-profit, Women in Horticulture and serves on the Pacific Northwest’s Great Plant Picks committee. So much to chat about! LISTEN HERE.

COMING SUNDAY!

My next chat is with Diane Sommers, President of the American Rose Society. We will be chatting about what’s going on today and take a peek into plans for the future. This one will be “live” this Sunday, September 10th.

VARMINT UPDATE…

All the varmints are feeling the drought too. They are back and tearing through any part of the garden that I have watered. 😱 #catch22  If you’ve never been visited by these kind of critters (groundhogs, raccoons, possoms), let me tell you they are gifted diggers. When they visit it looks like small rototillers have gone through the garden leaving many plant roots exposed and damaged. To be honest we have not kept up with spreading the deterrents mostly because we were traveling and it was so hot. I guess not using the deterrents is the same thing as hanging a welcome sign. …. sigh 😔

I’ve been seeing pictures on social media and hearing horror stories of armadillo damage. Talk about diggers!!! To those of you who deal with armadillos – 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 !

SURPRISE DAHLIA…

While in Tennessee this spring to speak to a extremely wonderful group of Master Gardeners, I bought a dahlia. Not one I had ever heard of but the name got to me because I had family in CA.

Meet Pacific Ocean … my first “waterlily”  dahlia

Waterlily Dahlias. These blossoms have rounded petals that spiral around tight, slightly flattened centers. Their flawless form makes them popular cut flowers. The plants are typically just 2’ to 3’ tall, yet they produce large blossoms that measure up to 5” across. Waterlily dahlias perform well in large containers and are also good for perennial gardens. -Longfield Gardens 
For more on the different types of Dahlias, read the full article HERE. 

I didn’t give Pacific Ocean much attention until now as she has been “in captivity” in the dahlia bed that was fenced in from the critters. The fence made it hard to get to her —  for the varmints and for me. 🙄  Well, now she has been sprung and is bringing much joy! 

Behind the curtain
She’s been sprung!
Her debut in a bokay!

BLOOM THYME…

Zaide
Milena Fleur
Quietness
Lisianthus
Pomponella
Cafe au Lait
State of Grace
🐝Caryopteris 🐝

WHY WE GRoW ZINNIAS…

Zinnias are among the easiest annuals to grow, they produce tons of blooms, come in a wide array of colors, sizes and varieties, and they last forever in a vase. But the very best reason to grow them … they are a feast for the pollinators. Party time! 🐝🥳🐝

YOUR GARDEN…

Gardens are ever changing – especially now. I’m curious, as you walk in your garden, what plants / flowers are bringing you the most joy in this season?

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, have fun in your garden!