Rose Chat

Bloom Thyme Friday: “Mulch” Happiness

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

So many things are making me happy this week.

First, up is mulch!

The mulch came this week. A mountain of mulch! It’s almost like Christmas! #happydance  💃💃

We use fine hardwood mulch … it retains moisture, helps to keep down weeds and gives the garden that fresh, finished look! Icing on the cake!

I have to tell you my favorite “mulch” story. When my daughter was in college, one day she and her girlfriends walked past an area that had been freshly mulched and they began to cry … WHAT IS THAT SMELL!!!! My daughter smiled and said, Oh I love that smell, it reminds me of my momma. From the shrieks and the looks on their faces, we don’t think they came from gardening families! 😳😱😂

Other Things Making Me Happy

Bloomers…

Rosa Mundi is making her 2017 debut.
Powdery mildew is coming with her but we won’t talk about that right now. Seems to be a mild case. #rainyspring

Francis E. Lester is huge. More pics of him to come and his neighbor Peggy Martin who is showing a tiny bit of color today! Did you read the article in Southern Living about the Peggy Martin Rose? You can read it online here. Great article!

Celsiana is making the herb garden sing.

Baby Doves
Morning doves made a nest on one of the beams of our pergola over the swings. We love them.

Sweet William (Dianthus) is so sweet!


Iris and Peonies…

A new coffee from my friends, Ed and Sue, in Louisiana — Mello Joy.

Seriously you might want to order this online. It is amazing! You can read all about it here. It lives up to its hype!

And last but certainly not least, the grand boys. 

They bring more than happiness … they bring pure joy!

From my garden to yours…
Happy Bloom Thyme Friday!

American Rose Magazine: I’m in there!

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

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

 

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

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

End of An Era

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Well, I have come to the end of a 20-year-long era–my Smith and Hawkins boots. Remember Smith and Hawkins? Hope you were able to visit one. We had a beautiful Smith and Hawkins store in Indianapolis. I can’t tell you how many dates Mr. G and I had there. He always knows the way to my heart. Even in the dead of a dark, cold Indiana winter, it was spring at Smith and Hawkins. I bought my first REAL garden boots there, actually Mr. G bought them for me. (TRUE LOVE!)

The first pair lasted 10 years and the 2nd pair is coming up on 10 years. The second pair was bought at Target who carried a few  things from the Smith and Hawkins line for a while. Seriously, these boots really should have been replaced last year, but I held on hoping that whoever decided to close all the Smith and Hawkins stores, would come to their senses and open again!

Here are my beloved boots in better days. Standing by the door ready to go at a moments notice.

The first issue in the replacement process is giving them up.

The second issue is their replacement. So many options.

I have made a decision to buy these beauties. Are they over the top ???

Time will tell if I have made the right decision—I ordered online. But, I do like the look of them. What do you think? I probably should have sent out an APB to all of you to ask for recommendations, but I am hopeful. Just in case, if you have a suggestion please leave a comment!

Today was the last day for the boots and we made it a doozy!

My plan was a bit “ambitious” for a day with time constraints and “old” boots. But we did it … all I had planned and more!

3A458CBC-786A-448E-82AA-4113779C9172I guess you could say that these boots (and I quote my good friend and Rose Chat partner in crime, the Redneck Rosarian) are “worn slap out”! 

Here’s  picture of me and my boots a few years ago… TIRED. DIRTY. HAPPY.

Do you get attached to things?

From Instagram to Indiana … Roses are for Sharing

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

This summer I received a huge gift from my Instagram friend, Holly Hagy. I “mentioned” that I would love to have a start of a found rose–Barbara’s Pasture Rose–that I had heard about several times.

I’ll let Holly tell you her side of the story…

I got started on Instagram in December of 2014. I had been thinking of doing a blog, to find a way to connect with more folks, to talk roses, gardening, cooking decorating and just plain life! I found Instagram and boom, the blog became IG instead…which is still a blog, but in a snippet of a phrase and a photo.

It’s a great fun way to connect with people who have the same interests! I started following Teresa B. On IG and she started following me too…😀

One day, I posted a photo of an old, found rose I had bought at the SCC (Sacramento City Cemetery) sale, many years ago…Barbara’s Pasture Rose, this is a rose Barbara Oliva, one of the founding caretakers of the Sacramento Cemetery found. One day she and friends were driving in the country and there in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere, no farmhouse anywhere around, was this big beautiful blooming pink rose. Barbara said “stop the car” and braved a barbed wire fence to take cuttings of that rose. And it’s a good thing she did because the rose is now long gone from that field!

Anyway, Teresa posted she wanted this rose. I knew she could not get it easily in Indiana, so I  offered to root one for her! I was so nervous if my cuttings would even take, but a few did … and Teresa’s baby rose was sent to her.

It made me so happy to share a rose with her! To me, this is what gardening and roses are all about…making new friends and sharing roses! I try to offer cuttings at both the rose societies I belong to…and whenever anyone likes one of my roses that is a found rose or a hard to find rose.

Holly Hagy

THE ARRIVAL…

Well the California baby rose came to Indiana the first week of June and it was in perfect shape. If you ever wondered how to ship a rose, take a look at what Holly did.

She shipped Priority Mail and the baby rose arrived just like this…

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Barbara this summer as she grew on my deck potting bench...

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Barbara Today…

She is inside out of the cold and will be ready for a big pot next spring! Believe it or not this little rose bloomed this summer. One pretty pink bloom but it was during a rain storm and it was beat down before I took a picture. But, there will be more to come.

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I cannot tell you what Holly’s gift means to me. Although we have never had the pleasure of meeting in person, I think of her every time I look of this rose. I am hoping to say “thank you” in person some day. I will never meet Barbara in person this side of heaven, but her legacy lives on and I will never forget her. To read more about Barbara and her legacy, read on here and here.

Yes, Holly said it best, “this is what gardening and roses are all about…making new friends and sharing roses!!” 

To anyone who thinks that Instagram friends aren’t real friends, you should “meet” Holly. She’s real and she is special.

You can follow Holly’s gardening adventures on Instagram @eatgrowlivelove and I recommend you do!

 

The Long Goodbye

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Today was that day. The day that the real frost arrived. I was out early to take some pictures. I never want to miss the garden with that first glisten.

Last week I was making bokays of roses — the latest I ever remember! I was thinking I was going to be like my Cali and southern garden freinds who always talk (brag) about having roses for their Thanksgiving table. I ALMOST MADE IT. One week out!

But, the roses are yawning and saying, “good night.” Time for a long winter’s nap. They were amazing this year, so I will “allow” them this time.

Last rose “glamour shots” of 2016…

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Thanks for stopping by!

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Lemons, Roses and Sweetness

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

More than 25 years ago I attended a herb festival that served some amazing herby lemonade. When I came home, I immediately started making “my version” of this wonderfully refreshing drink. Every time I serve it, I get rave reviews. I have shared this very simple recipe a million times. Maybe not a million–but a lot! One of the best things about it, is that it is so simple. I decided many years ago, the more I can keep things simple, the more I can entertain.

My daughter calls this lemonade … LEMONADE THE MOM WAY. I just love that.

She wrote about it a few years back on her blog…

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Summer isn’t summer without lemonade and my mom’s lemonade is the best. I don’t just say this because she’s my mom…it’s the best. Hands down. She gets asked all the time for the recipe which is super easy and wonderfully refreshing.

Mom’s Lemonade

For each can of Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade add…

  • 2 cans water
  • 2 cans Canada Dry Ginger Ale
  • 1/2 cup sugar3 large sprigs of fresh mint
  • 1 – 2 lemons, thinly sliced
  • Add ice and ENJOY!

Here’s where the SWEETNESS comes in…

My grandson loves to make lemonade with me. We make a very simple lemon shake up. Lemons, sugar, water & ice. Every second we spend working on our refreshing lemony drinks… are the sweetest ever!

This week while with him, we used special lemonade cups I found (on Amazon). He loved them! #moresweetness

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There “might” be truth to the rumor that I bought him a lemonade stand…

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NOW FOR THE ROSEY PART…

On Wednesday we shared a glass of rose flavored lemonade at the Grateful Cafe. We were hot and sweaty from our tour of Exposition Park Rose Garden and the lemonade was just what we needed!

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Here we are enjoying Pretty Lady Rose in the garden … the fragrance surrounding us was amazing! I will never forget the fragrance and I hope he won’t either!

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Oh how I love to see him put his nose in a fragrant rose. #memories

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Pretty Lady Rose was having a very good day in the garden! Loads of blooms!

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BACK TO LEMONS…

Here are some fun lemonade facts:

  • August 20th is National Lemonade Day.
  • Lemonade can trace it’s origins to the Egyptians when in 500 AD lemon juice was mixed with sugar to make a beverage known as qatarmizat.
  • The first lemonade “soft drink” debuted in Paris on August 20th, 1630. The drink was made from sparkling water and lemon juice sweetened with honey.
  • Frozen lemonade made its debut in 1840 in Naples, Italy.
  • The earliest documented lemonade stands were introduced by a young entrepreneur named Edward Bok who formed them in Brooklyn street cars from 1873 to 1876.
  • Lemonade stands were first referenced in news media by the New York Times in 1879.
  • The “ade” in lemonade means that the product is not 100 percent juice.
  • Grape juice is added to plain lemonade to make commercial pink lemonade.

Even though for many of us summer is coming to an end… there’s still time to make some lemonade and celebrate the sweetness in your life!

🍋🌹🍋🌹🍋🌹🍋

5 Exhibition Roses To Awaken The Exhibitor In You

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

The American Rose Society Vice President, Bob Martin, joined us recently on Rose Chat to chat about his top 5 exhibition roses and a few other things as well!

Exhibiting roses is a fun and rewarding hobby. We believe deep inside most every rose grower is an exhibitor waiting for an opportunity to show the world their blooms. This Top 5  list includes one rose that gets as big as a Volkswagen! Well, at least in Bob’s garden…

Click on the icon below to listen…

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Here are the roses Bob chatted about:

Click the links to view photo’s and purchase information for these roses from online retailers. 

Rose de Rescht – Old Garden Rose (OGR)
Joy – Miniature
Julia Child – Floribunda
Butter Cream – Miniflora
Dona Martin – Hybrid Tea

Bob's Julia Child ... Yes, maybe it is as big as a Volkswagen!
Bob’s Julia Child … Yes, maybe it is as big as a Volkswagen!

MORE ABOUT BOB:

Bob Martin is the current Vice President of the American Rose Society. He has been growing roses for 44 years and maintains a garden of over 400 varieties.

He is an ARS Master Rosarian, an Accredited Horticultural Judge and an Accredited Arrangements Judge. Bob is the Chairman of the American Rose Society Horticultural Exhibitor’s Committee and Editor of the American Rose Society quarterly publication, the Rose Exhibitors’ Forum. He maintains a website covering U.S. rose shows at RoseShow.com as well as a Facebook site for Rose Exhibitors’ Forum. Bob has also been an Editor of Horizon Roses for 21 years and the National Editor for ten years. He is the author of the book “Showing Good Roses” and was honored for his lifetime contribution to rose education as a 2009 recipient of the ARS Klima Medal.

Bob is one of the top exhibitors in the United States and the recipient of numerous awards including the 2007 recipient of the ARS Guy Blake Hedrick Jr. Award for lifetime achievement in rose exhibiting. During his 30 year exhibiting career, he has shown roses in more than 220 shows, winning more than 1,400 trophies in every exhibiting class, including 13 national trophies. Bob has also judged an additional 84 shows and is a frequent lecturer at judging schools through out the country.

An avid hybridizer, he has 14 registered varieties, including the show roses  ‘Butter Cream’ & ‘Dona Martin’, varieties mentioned on today’s broadcast.

FOR OTHER ROSE CHAT PODCASTS, click here.

The Veriest Back

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I wanted to share with you some pictures and a video from the “veriest back” of my garden.

My children coined that phrase “veriest back” for the back area of the garden as well as the 3rd seat in the back of our family station wagon. A spot that was often sought after and sometimes fought for! 😉

Remember the station wagons of the 80s? That was pre mini van. The station wagon worked so well for us, we never went the mini van route. Secretly, I believe that Mr. G who loves sporty cars, trucks and SUVs, never could bring himself to buy a mini van. But, he did provide a state of the art station wagon for me and my little crew, and later an SUV for me, a sporty car for the girl and a black truck for the boy.

But, oh how I loved my station wagon. L O V E!!! #memories #family #children

The “veriest back” of the  garden is where the wild things grow — and things that do not need much care from the gardener (me). With limited time to “garden,” this area sometimes gets left out in the “care department.” But it is still very beautiful to me. Today it seemed the Black Forrest (Kordes) and Candy Oh (Proven Winners) roses just begged to be photographed! This is not their biggest flush of the season, but still they beckoned me today and I found myself remembering my children and my station wagon as I took time to enjoy “the veriest.”

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I even found a stunning lily hiding back there! It was in so much shade I could hardly capture it. #shestough

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I also found the largest rose hip I have ever seen on a rugosa… bigger than a quarter!

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I also found some weeds … they were not in a photographic mood, so I just moved on. 😬

Thanks for sharing my trip down memory lane

and some wild things!

It was one of those days…

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com
Today has been one of those perfect days … the kind of summer day that memories are made of.
Blue skies.
Big fluffy clouds.
Plenty of garden blooms.
Extra time with my honey.
No plans.
No agenda.
Just summer fun.
I am grateful.
We did a little gardening, a few household chores, made a quick trip to Lowes and a local garden center to look at hydrangeas. You’d think I have enough. But no. There is always room for another rose and another hydrangea! And, Country Harmony had just the hydrangea I was looking for – Little Lime. He joins the other 5 Little Limes in my garden. I know. I know. But, I just love them! I am also crazy about Bobo and Pinky Winky and Annabelle and … well you get the picture! 🙂
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 Rose:  Aloha
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 Rose: Flamenco Rosita
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 Rose: Olivia Rose Austin
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 Rose in front: Campfire
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 Rose in front: Beverly
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 Rose: The Generous Gardener (DA)
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 Rose: Black Forrest
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I hope you had a wonderful day that was filled with the things you love best.

Hey, Mr. G is working on a new project for me! I think it will be ready soon for the big reveal.  Maybe even tomorrow. I am so excited about this I am practically jumping up and down. Actually I am jumping up and down.