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BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Rosemania Part 2

Link | | 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.

Savannah Neighborhood
Vanessa Belle
Waiting…
Regale lilies
Earth Angel
Popcorn Drift
Love this yarrow color
Lotta pink!
View from patio
Gabriel Oak
Moonlight Romantica
Cats Pajamas
Chantilly Cream
Feverfew
The Potting Shed got a fresh coat of paint!
Herb Garden
Zaide
Fama Blue Scabiosa

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

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: ROSEMANIA

Link | | 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.

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)

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: SPRINGY THINGS AND A BOOK GIVEAWAY

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Is it still spring?? Whew…. things are moving fast. From last year’s pictures we are 3 weeks early on bloom thyme! And we are getting up into the 80s. Now that’s not very spring like! Regardless of timing, isn’t is fun to see our gardens come back to life!?!

Beautiful Senorita
Pink Dogwood
Harison’s Yellow
Purple Sensation
Mulch Madness!
Sweet William
Hardening off
Planting seedlings

WINTER SOWING A BIG SUCCESS THIS YEAR

A lot happened out there this winter! For so little effort or expense…

The reward!!

THANK YOU DAVID AUSTIN ROSES

David Austin sent me three beautiful bare roots roses for my garden. They are planted and on their way to beauty!

Elizabeth, Emily Bronte and Gabriel Oak 

Elizabeth
Emily Brontë
Gabriel Oak

I’ve seen pictures of these beauties growing in friends gardens and can’t wait to see them bloom in my garden along side their cousins — my other David Austins — Bathsheba, Lady of Shallot, Desdemona, Eustacia Vye, Queen of Sweden, The Generous Gardener and Vanessa Bell. Will be so fun to watch them grow! If you want any of these for your garden, take a look HERE. Rebecca Koyatem joined me on Rose Chat a few weeks ago and it was fabulous. Listen here.
Note: The D Rose Chat giveaway has closed but it was wonderful to hear from all of you and see your beautiful roses🌹. Thank you for participating!

Vanessa Bell from last year…

PETITE PEACH

So many of you have been sending me pictures of Petite Peach that you’ve purchased. I simply can’t tell you what it means to me to have a bit of my garden in your garden! 😭 🍑 

My Petite Peach roses came through the winter without a hitch and are ready to go!! She’s loaded with buds and even showing some of that pretty peachy color. If you would like to add  Petite Peach to your garden, High Country Roses has them. LINK

This week…

So many buds!

Here she is in the garden last year.

With Mother of Pearl

ROSEFEST

Local friends, mark your calendar for 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 link HERE.

Rosefest is free and open to the public so invite friends to join you! And share this info and image on your social media sites!

ROSE BOOK GIVEAWAY

Grace at Grace Rose Farm has released a book on roses. It is not just a book on roses, it is one of the most beautiful and useful books on roses I’ve ever seen. It is of course filled with helpful information but it’s also wrapped in the beauty and charm that Grace brings to all the work she does. This is a book for all rose lovers. 🌹

HOW TO WIN

To participate in the book giveaway, send me an email HERE and tell me about one of your favorite gardening books and why you like it. Deadline for the giveaway is May 24.

In case you missed it, Grace and I chatted on Rose Chat a few months back. You can listen here.

EVERY DAY

Every day is special in the spring garden. Gardeners have a front row seat to the miraculous!

Before I hit send on this post I saw that David Zlesak’s Above and Beyond was living up to its name. Oh Happy Day!

Have all the springy fun in your gardens friends! 💐

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: The Scented Room

Link | | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

In 1988 I was in infancy stage of designing the garden of my dreams. It started with an herb garden (15 X 16′) inside a picket fence and surrounded by roses. The same fence is there today … of course built by the mega talented Mr. G. 

How it looked last summer!

During that time I was reading anything I could get my hands on regarding historical roses, fragrant roses, rose crafts and  gardening.  I found several stories of pioneer women who left the east to travel the Oregon Trail in search of adventure and a new life. As I read their stories, I found myself feeling akin to these women in so many ways, especially when their stories turned to the plants they grew and the way they used them. 

It was also during that time that I found a book that is a game changer book – I love it to this day.  A book that brings beauty from the garden on every page.

THE SCENTED ROOM by Barbara Milo Ohrbach

A beautiful and practical book filled with  potpourri recipes, wreath making designs, floral arranging tips, growing and preserving flowers. 

Mr G Made me 2 large racks and I filled them!

RESOURCES!

In the back of THE SCENTED ROOM was an extremely valuable RESOURCE GUIDE (no internet) for both US and England! Where to find essential oils, florist supplies, dried flowers and roses!  Under the heading RARE & UNUSUAL ROSE BUSHES  is …  High Country Rosarium (today High Country Roses) and Roses of Yesterday and Today  along with others. Fun!

If you were gardening during that era you may have this book too. If not, it is still for sale on Amazon (link) for a fairly good price! I would highly recommend it! Every time I pick it up I am transformed to beautiful, fragrant places and inspired to create more and more beauty from the garden. 

I’m curious, what is one of the books that continues to inspire your garden adventrues through the years.

POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

A few weeks ago I set out to make a fresh batch of potpourri. Once I gathered up a glass bowl, wooden spoon and flowers I dried last year. It was time to open the storage box for oils, fixatives and dried flowers from the garden.

Every time I open the little boxes the smells transfer me back through all the years of gardening in this space. Some of the oils date back to the beginning. And it all smells earthy and floral!

It is now in a glass jar being turned regularly to cure. It will be ready in a few weeks.

Note: I didn’t use an actual recipe — just made the most of the supplies I had on hand. I used lavender, roses, cinnamon sticks, various flowers from the garden, and lemon verbena. Oils were rose, victorian rose, and lavender. Fixative was orris root.

MEMORY LANE

Warning: Rabbit Hole…

Along with Barbara’s book, other places I found resources were magazines like The Herb Quarterly and Victoria.  I subscribed to several rose newsletters like Bev Dobson’s Rose Letter and Heritage Roses by Jan Wilson. Do any of you remember those? We also attended herb festivals, which was fairly common during that time. Actually some of my first Old Garden Roses were bought at Herb Festivals. My favorite was the festival at the Newburgh Country Stone in Newburgh, Indiana. If I remember correctly they had old garden roses from Pickering in Canada. Two of my first Old Garden Roses were Madam Hardy and Bourbon Queen. I still have them. 

Aren’t garden memories so special? I’d love to hear some of your earliest memories in your garden? Share below!

I still order organic lavender and organic rose petals for my potpourri to have enough but supplement with the flowers I dry from the garden.

Whether I officially make potpourri or not, I always clip enough roses during the season to fill a bowl or two of timeless beauty. 

ROSE CHAT

So many of you have told me how much you enjoyed my chat with Gaye Hammond on The History of Roses. Huge thanks to Gaye for her research and her love of all things ROSE! She is a treasure!

You can listen anytime… HERE

🌹NEW ROSES

I am making some tweaks to the garden (raise your hand if you are shocked) and wanted to try some new roses and “new to me” roses so I have several on order. 🎉🎉 There are soooo many beauties out there!!! We’ll talk about those next time…

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: Peaches and Cream

Link | | 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. 

Read more from Pantone here.

I am in love with this color – especially in the garden! One of the reasons I love Mother of Pearl roses so much is that she goes peachy. Many call her pink/salmon but she’s definitely more peach than pink in my garden.

Here is Mother of Pearl with my very favorite peach rose  — Petite Peach 🍑…

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!

Resting under the lights!

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: 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.