Yes, it’s October 1 and all I can do is think about spring. 🌷🌸🌹
So, I am going to take advantage of the fact that it is Thursday and do a #TBT post about spring and blooms and such. It will make me feel better about the coming roseless seasons.
My spring was ushered in with a trip to the Garden 2 Blog event and P. Allen’s Smith amazing rose garden and so many wonderful rose friends. Ahhhh….
And learning from the man himself…
Then there was the Biltmore International Rose Trials and more beautiful roses and wonderful rose friends!
Me and Mr. G surrounded by New Dawn and her beauty and fragrance!
It had been about 2 weeks since I had spent more than a few minutes in my garden. Today was my day.
The garden is my “Tara” and time away is not good for the garden or the gardener. So in spite of the temps that were soaring in the 90s, I spent most of the day in the garden. Mr. G was wise enough to talk me out of the trees and made me come in during the hottest part of the day. I made him an apple pie first thing this morning before I even went out and a little bokay to go beside his chair as a reward. 🙂
He was happy, but did do a lot of head shaking as he came around to check on me.
I can’t tell you how rewarding the time in the garden was. I feel like I can take on the world. Can you identify?
I hope you had the pleasure of spending Labor Day doing what you like best … even if that was laboring at your favorite task.
I saw this on Troybilt’s Instagram feed and LOVED IT. If you don’t follow them … do! They do great stuff. https://instagram.com/troybilt/
This year I have talked a lot about water in the garden. Mainly because we have had so much rain. Seriously, in my area we set a record for rain in July … breaking a record that was set in 1835. That’s a lot of rain.
When you have as many plants as I do, water is very important. Not only is it needed for plants to survive–roses just happen to really like it! I will tell you that I love hand watering my roses. I like to be up close and personal with them and watering is a great time for that. I even find it very relaxing! However, when you have as many as I do, that is not always possible, so a couple of years ago I began to dream of a “system” of water. One that would provide water to some of my garden areas … not all … just some. Water that came at just the right time, in just the right amount and was programmable with a timer!!!
My engineer, Mr. G, started researching some simple solutions. One of the main criteria for the solution was that it could be easily moved. He knows me very well and how I love to move plants around!! If you are a gardener you totally get that! 🙂
Believe it or not, we decided that this would be the year we would take the “plunge” and add a “system” of water to some of the garden areas. Dream come true … pushing some buttons, setting a timer. The roses were going to love it. I was going to love it.
But it just kept raining. And raining. And raining. No need to push any buttons. And, the roses loved it.
While it rained, Mr. G brought home pieces and parts of water systems for me to choose from! I learned about different sprinkler heads, shrublers and timing systems.
I’ve been excited to get things set up and geek out over water flow direction, water amounts, etc.
Finally we have a dry week and then another dry week. And scorching temps! The time had come! This week was our driest week of the summer and I was ready to set that timer, push a few buttons and watch water come at just the right time, in just the right amount. Big week! Great right?
Well last night was the ultimate in the water adventure so far … at 10 :30 pm, I jumped up out of my chair and in somewhat of a panic I asked Mr. G if I could have his biggest flash light. He looked at me with a look that said “what are you up to now!” I exclaimed, “I need to turn off my timer!!! It had been pouring rain all day and I feared my great new “system” was about to drown my babies!
Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful for the rain–so much more nourishing than what will come from my “system,” but know this … when the rain stops and the drought comes, I am prepared! I am already! I am eager! …to push the buttons on my timer and smile! Especially on those extremely busy days when there is just not enough time to give each one of them my attention. 🙂
More Rain….
Roses and Water
Roses love water; however, they do not like wet feet so provide them with good drainage. Something of grand importance in my area where we have so much clay in our soil.
Water when the top 2-3″ of soil is dry. As you observe your roses, you will begin to recognize the signs.
Water deeply. The roots of your roses go down to about 18″ … that’s where the water is needed. Less frequent but deep watering is ideal.
The best time to water roses is in the early morning. Giving them plenty of time to dry before nightfall.
Keeping the leaves as dry as possible especially at night can help deter the fungus that loves your roses too.
Mulch! Not only does mulch give our garden beds that finished look, it is extremely helpful in retaining moisture!
Here are some pictures from this week in the garden…
The Ingenious Mr. Fairchild (DA) taking center stageBeverly Hybrid Tea … lovely, fragrant, easy careGetting kind of jungley … time to move things around!The Grand Dame Hybrid Tea … old fashioned form and fragrance
For the last week I have had the pleasure of walking the beaches of Southern California. What a pleasure. Sunshine. Blue skies. White sand. Pristine beaches. Wide walking trails. Rose Gardens. Yes, rose gardens. Many of the beach homes have lovely rose gardens just outside their doors. To say the roses in California are larger than the roses in my garden would be a gross understatement.
Roses love Cali and Cali loves roses.
I can’t wait to show you some of the pictures I took…
But the prettiest rose I saw while in Cali, was David Austin’s Falstaff Rose that Mr. H found so lovely…
#AdventuresWithH
Falstaff is a most fragrant rose!
Here’s what David Austin Roses has to say about it…
Hardiness: Hardy
Fragrance: Strong
Repeating: Excellent
Falstaff bears large crimson flowers with a shallow, cupped shape. They are of exquisite form and quality, packed with numerous petals which interfold at the centre. This helps to create a lovely, glowing effect within an enclosed saucer of outer petals. The blooms are a rich, dark crimson colouring at first, eventually turning to a wonderful shade of rich purple. There is a powerful Old Rose fragrance. The growth is strong, bushy and rather upright, with the flowers nodding nicely on the stem. The foliage is quite large and rather modern in character. This variety is named for the well-loved Shakespearean character, who was the faithful companion of Prince Henry.
As most of you know, recently I had the grand pleasure of meeting with so many of my garden blogger friends in beautiful, historic Little Rock, Arkansas for Garden 2 Blog 2015. Our time in Little Rock started at the gorgeous Capital Hotel—considered the front porch of Little Rock. I can assure you they roll out the red carpet for their guests!
Our ultimate destination was P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm, or as I often refer to it as “Gardener’s Mecca.” The Arkansas red carpet just keeps rolling. Moss Mountain Farm offers you beauty filled with focus — their focus is on farming/gardening/decorating inspiration, information and conservation. Whether you are into heritage poultry, flowers and bedding plants, herbs, vegetables, home decor, test gardens, sheep, or … or… or.. (you get the picture!), you will find it — all on a mountain top that overlooks the Arkansas River. For this garden girl raised in the mountains, it is a balm for the soul.
While I love all of the above, it is the rose garden that beckons me. Look for a ton of pictures from the beautiful rose garden in an upcoming ROSE BUZZ post! 🐝🐝🐝
In addition to our beautiful surroundings, there is the wonderful food, decor and oh the friends! As you know I am a bit “crazy” over gardening, imagine how much fun it is to be face-to-face, arm-in-arm with a bus load of “like minds.” Over the top!
SERIOUS PAMPERING
We are completely “spoiled and pampered” by P. Allen, his crew and our wonderful sponsors who share with us information not only on their products but what’s coming up and trends they are seeing in the gardening world.
Our Host…
OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS…
BONNIE PLANTS Bonnie Plants, now leaders in the industry, began in 1918 as a family business of Bonnie and Livigston Paulk in a small Alabama town.
Lois, Su, Byron and Amanda led us through the fascinating world of the tomato! What gardener wouldn’t “relish” the chance to get all nerdy just diving into the subject of tomatoes!?!
And if you haven’t already, download their iPhone app… we did!
Me and Diane LaSauce checking out the app! We were impressed!
AMERICAN GROWN
Something new in the world of cut flowers…
The American Grown brand is a diverse coalition of U.S. flower farms representing small and large entities across the country to provide beautiful cut flowers and foliage.
Kathleen Williford and company knocked our socks off with their amazing designs at the “FARM TO VASE DINNER”. Read more about their tour schedule for Farm to Vase dinners here. http://www.americangrownflowers.org/fieldtovase/ There just might be one coming to a farm near you!
As a former florist I can tell you this was truly some of the most beautiful displays I have ever seen. See what I mean…
Paula of Cresent Garden did a fabulous job telling the story of her family’s moving from Columbia and coming to America–her land of opportunity!
CRESENT GARDEN Crescent Garden has containers for every need … Their beautiful line of containers is very deceiving. They look so “real” that you expect them to be very heavy. But, these products are lightweight, durable and will fit into any landscape.
Paula Douer, Mark Rosas and Cesar Castillo shared their company story and led us through fun design exercises showcasing their amazing products.
Go team Diane, Teresa and Michael! Elegant design don’t you think?
Who can fill the First Nature bird feeder the fastest??The competition was fierce! LOL
FIRST NATURE
Highly functional, affordable, easy to use and easy to clean products that will be very attractive to the birds in your life! Joe Murfin and his team shared their commitment to quality for all of their American made products.
FLEXZILLA
A no-kink, highly flexible hose—need I say more! In a color that will allow you to make your own garden fashion statement!
Corbin Mollman, Rachel Perez and Andy Perez were with us to demonstrate this amazing garden hose … one that is safe for drinking and can be left out in the cold!
JOBE’S ORGANICS
I always love to hear from Jobe’s Organics. They are doing so much to bring us the very best in organic fertilizers. Clemente Conde, Jen Neve, Martin Rainey and Rebecca Cantu reminded us of how important it is to take good care of our soil. Jen, project director for Oppenheimer Biotechnology, shared with us what they have learned from their work in oil spill cleanup and leaving the soil better than it was before!
SAKATA HOME GROWN
Tracy Lee and Alecia Troy shared with us what is going on with this 100-year-old seed producer headquartered in Morgan Hill, CA. We had the opportunity to choose seeds to take home and try! You can find these seeds on retail seed racks and via mail order seed catalogs! More here.
STARGAZER BARN
Home for farm fresh flowers, based in Humboldt County, CA, where the foggy conditions are perfect for tulips, irises and stunning Oriental and hybrid lilies—one being my personal favorite—the Stargazer Lily! Take a look at some of the beautiful flowers provided for us by Bill Prescott and the good folks at Stargazer Barn.
These Stargazer Barn lilies were spectacular!
AROMATIQUE
Aromatique is the creator of decorative fragrance. Steve Lawrence, Carolyn Gay, Will Humphreys and Netta Thomas gave us the opportunity to make our own signature potpourri using a variety of oils and native botanicals. Here is my creation…
My creation… Woodland Breeze.
MORE FUN
Click on any of the pictures below to activate the full gallery feature…
There a color just perfect for you…
These Stargazer Barn lilies were spectacular!
Thanks for stopping by. P. Allen Smith’s rose garden pictures coming soon! And, oh what a rose garden it is!
As many of you know I have loved roses since I was a teenager but I didn’t start my dive into old and historical roses until the 80s when I read the journal of a young woman who left the comfort of her home to join her husband in a journey west. One of the experiences she described was painstakingly taking cuttings of the roses and plants she just couldn’t live without. As I read her story, I felt as though I was going on the journey with her. Roses were not just for beauty to the women of this era. They were also a source of flavoring and vitamin C (from their hips). Even the most thorny roses were of value as they were used as living fences to protect vegetable gardens and such.
Harison’s Yellow in my garden…
Also during this time we were given Harison’s Yellow (Hybrid Foetida) rose from a friend in Tennessee who had received it from a family member in Ohio. We learned that this rose had been passed through their family for some time. I started doing some investigation and found out just where the rose originated. You can read the history of Harison’s Yellow here.
I continue to love old garden and historical roses and have several in my garden. What a joy it is to visit gardens that have these lovely old beauties. One such garden is definitely on my garden bucket list … The award-winning Sacramento City Cemetery Rose Garden. This garden is home to old or antique roses collected from cemeteries, old home sites and along roadsides in northern California. The establishment of the garden was done by Fred Boutin, an internationally recognized rosarian and authority on “found roses,” and Jean Travis, a member of the Heritage Rose Group. Members of this group work to collect, plant and maintain these roses which were popular from the California Gold Rush era through the Victorian/Edwardian era (1850-1915). The collection now includes more than 400 plants–over 200 varieties.
For those of you who love fragrant roses, these roses are some of the most fragrant roses that exist.
You can imagine how thrilled I was to have Anita Clevenger, Curator of this garden, with us on Rose Chat. Did you know that cemeteries used to be a place to gather for picnics regularly? Hear about that and more by clicking on the Rose Chat logo below.
If you live in the the Sacramento area, their annual Open Day in the Garden event is in April. They have many activities planned including the ever popular Rose Sale! Hundreds of roses are available and they always sell out. So, it pays to get there early! 🙂
For the list of other events in the garden this year, read on.
When winter approaches I typically bring potted plants I want to save into the Potting Shed where there is controlled warmth and light (geraniums, mint, lavender, etc.), except for my large potted roses, they are taken to the garage (no windows). The roses go dormant and “spring” back to life in the spring. Because of “over crowding” in the Potting Shed, I took this pot of herbs to the garage too.
Last week I brought the pots out of the garage and couldn’t believe how well these herbs sprang back to life. They never lost their “green” completely and now they look almost robust! Today they are outside getting some sunshine and intermittent light rain. Let the thriving begin!
The roses left in the garage are doing quite well too.
I typically cut any spindly growth completely back and let the roses start fresh. But this one is recovering so fast that I may do minimal pruning and she how she does. Meet the “winter in the garage, in the dark version of the Coretta Scott King” rose. Anemic though she may be, I think we are going to start from here and see what she does.
Tonight on Rose Chat Chris and I were joined by Pat Shanley, incoming President of the American Rose Society.
Many of my rose loving friends are concerned about the effects of chemicals in their garden. Pat offered so much insight and encouragement to those wanting to grow a beautiful yet sustainable rose garden. Pat does not spray her beautiful rose garden and has joined with other environmentally concerned rose gardeners to write a book, The Sustainable Rose Garden.
Read the Midwest Book Review…
Roses, with their bright colors and sweet smell, have earned a special place among floral enthusiasts. “The Sustainable Rose Garden” is a collection of essays written by rosarians for fellow rose lovers. Speaking on the sustainability of roses and their surprising impact on the environment, there is much to ponder about how roses can be improved for their future. With nearly forty contributors, “The Sustainable Rose Garden” is a read that is very much recommended for the environmentally conscious rose lover.
Pat also shared her vision for the future of the American Rose Society, America’s oldest horticultural society. Pat’s vision is a society that is relevant in today’s world–a society that breaks down barriers and unites everyone who loves the rose. Pat is often described as a woman of “boundless energy,” and tonight we had a glimpse of that!
To listen to our chat, click on the Rose Chat icon below…
Things are never dull when Paul Zimmerman is in the Rose Chat house! And, this week was no exception. For tons of fun, rose garden advice, the latest in rose trends and rose trials AND for the roll out of something brand new in the world of roses — Easy-PZ — a new line of roses brought to us by Paul and Ben Hanna of Heirloom Roses.
If you know Paul, you know 2 things … these roses will be beautiful and these roses will be sustainable! You will see them first on the Heirloom Roses website.
Click on the Rose Chat icon below and let Paul tell you about Easy-PZ roses himself … and you don’t want to miss hearing what’s going on in his garden at the Funny Farm! 🙂
