BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Lisi and Me

Link | July 29, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Prior to January 2022, all I knew about Lisianthus was that it was wonderful in arrangements, it was a favorite of my daughter who would be coming for a visit near the time of the first blooms and that I wanted to grow it.

Many flower farmers advise not trying Lisianthus from seeds as it takes so very long and germination of seeds is sometimes tricky.

But, in the dark of January, I was up for the challenge. The long timeline didn’t bother me as I had plenty of time this winter to “baby” Lisi along.

Last September I bought Voyage Blue FI pelleted seeds from Johnny seeds.
Jan 20: Scattered seeds in shallow trays (re-used carry out containers) on a bitter cold day! It was toasty warm in the Potting Shed.

Feb 3: Seeing a bit of green!
Feb 21: Some real growth happening. I think every seed germinated!
Mar 11: Potted up to Gardener’s Supply self watering trays. These are the best!
Apr 4: Taking on some size now! Finally!
Apr 17: Time to start hardening off
May 7: Outside they went! Some to the cutting garden, some to the herb garden and a few scattered through the borders. The roots were unbelievable!

This plant is a true miracle to me in color alone — all of the white buds had me convinced the seeds had been mismarked and these were going to be white instead of purple. Truly they are white until they open to the glorious purple – with a tinge of white here and there!

WILL I DO IT AGAIN?

Yes, if I have time! However, we will most likely be doing more traveling next winter so I am looking for suppliers who have lisianthus plugs that non-professional growers can purchase. I sure don’t want to be without these beautiful bokay game changers! Burpee had them this year and I have found a few sources on Etsy that had them too. As this season ends, we will know more what will be available next year. I won’t wait long to order though! And, I’ll have some seeds just in case!

ONE MORE THING: I will stake them next time! I did get a few staked and it helped so much to keep their long stems from flopping!

Here’s a bit more about Lisi:

Eustoma, commonly known as lisianthus or prairie gentian, is a small genus of plants in the gentian family. They are native to warm regions of the southern United States, Mexico, Caribbean and northern South America.

From Better Homes and Gardens: Lisianthus, often favored by floral designers when an elegant flower is needed for an arrangement, it is the epitome of a classy, versatile flower. The ruffled petals and elegant buds come in many colors. The delicate-looking blooms are known for not only their beauty, but also their ability to hold up as a cut flower in a vase for up to two weeks or longer. (I AGREE!) Link to more info.

JAPANESE BEETLES UPDATE

Seeing fewer Japanese Beetles than last year for sure! There are enough of them to make a mess of the roses but not the “billions” I often see. Maybe the extreme weather conditions aggravated them. (Too wet followed by too dry.) I sure hope they were aggravated as they sure “aggravate” me!!!

SOMETHING NEW: BLOOM THYME MINUTE

I have reprised my YOUTUBE Channel to share short videos of my garden that I am calling Bloom Thyme Minute where I take you on a virtual walk through my garden and we stop for “just a minute” so I can tell you about what we’re seeing. I think that as of today, there are 7 videos and more will be coming.

Here is the BLOOM THYME MINUTE for Vanessa Bell…

BLOOM THYME

The garden was so refreshed by the rain we had this week and the gardener is surely enjoying the cooler temps the rain brought with it. We won’t talk about the heat that’s coming back!

Friends, I hope you are having a wonderful week in the garden. Mr. G’s tomatoes are starting to come on and we can’t wait. There is simply nothing like that first BLT when we have homegrown tomatoes! G’s favorite is Steak Sandwich. I grow them from seeds as we never see them for sale. (Link) What are your favorite home grown tomatoes?

Until next time, I’ll leave you with this greatness…

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Navigating July

Link | July 8, 2022July 8, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

As usual July is pulling out all its tricks…

Throwing out the welcome mat for Japanese Beetles.
Putting us on the heat index map.
And, this year being ever so skimpy with rain.

It’s hard to complain as the drought seems to keep the JBs from overtaking as quickly as they sometimes do. It’s a bit harder to “emerge” out of parched ground.

Today we are getting our first real rain in 4 weeks. I actually walked outside to see the plants celebrate. Guess who else was celebrating… you guessed it, the Japanese Beetles. Their entrance into their best life has been made much easier and they were everywhere. I picked a bunch of flowers while it was raining as I wasn’t sure there would be any good ones left when the rain stopped. You know with the JB celebration and all.

Another upside of this glorious rain, I have more time. This morning Mr. G asked me what I was going to do with all the time that I usually spend each day watering! It’s a large garden and we do not have a watering system. I do love to hand water but this weather has put that to the test. I have become one with my Dramm. By the way I think the Dramm rain wand is the best watering device EVER. Gentle deluge for the plants and one that is very calming for me too! I love it so much that I gave Mr. G one for Father’s Day to use on his tomatoes. He loves it!

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

Set to release this Sunday (July 10) is an interview I did with Kimberley, the Rose Geek. Be on the look out. It was great to hear her rose story.

COLD CLIMATE SURVIVORS – Rose Chat Podcast

COLD CLIMATE SURVIVORS Canadian and Buck Roses Matt Douglas, High Country Roses On this episode of the Rose Chat Podcast, host Teresa Byington chats with a fan favorite, Matt Douglas, owner of High Country Roses. Today, they delve into the world of Cold Climate Survivors, specifically focusing on Canadian and Buck Roses. Join us to learn more about the people behind the roses, their breeding practices, and the beautiful roses that came out of their work. While the temperatures are soaring outside, let’s cool down with these cold weather beauties. The Rose Chat Podcast Our 15th Season MEET THE ROSE CHAT TEAM 🎙 Executive Producer & On-Air Personality Chris VanCleave – RedneckRosarian.com Chris—aka The Redneck Rosarian—is the mastermind behind the Rose Chat Podcast. He’s a nationally known rosarian, speaker, and TV personality who believes roses are for everyone, not just folks with fancy garden gloves. Whether he's talking bloom care or thorny troublemakers, Chris brings heart, humor, and a whole lot of rose wisdom to the mic. 🎙 Content Creator & On-Air Personality Teresa Byington – TheGardenDiary.com Teresa is a Master Gardener, Consulting Rosarian, and one of the kindest garden cheerleaders you’ll ever meet. She’s been growing roses for decades and still gets excited when one bursts into bloom. With stories, tips, and a dash of garden gossip, she helps make Rose Chat feel like a visit with a good friend, who just happens to be a rose expert. Wanna Keep in Touch? We’d love to pop into your inbox now and then (we promise, no spam—just roses). Click here to subscribe to Rose Chat updates!

NEW BOOK

Look what just came in the mail. One of my favorite rosarians of all time, Michael Marriott has written a book. If you aren’t familiar with Michael, he spent the last 25 years as the head garden designer and rose expert for David Austin Roses. He is also well known for his expertise in rose fragrance!

At first look it is beautiful and starts off with a bang … the first chapter is “The Romance of the Rose” and moves quickly to the subject of rose fragrance with the “The Magic of Scent”. I can’t wait to fully dive in! If you’d like a copy, you can find it on Amazon here.

An inspirational guide to choosing and growing the best roses!

Below are links to two of the most recent podcasts I did with Michael. In both, he shares amazing information!

ROSES IN EVERY SEASON ..

https://rosechat.podbean.com/e/roses-in-every-season/

COMPANION PLANTING…

https://rosechat.podbean.com/e/companion-planting-for-roses-michael-marriott/

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

Even with all the horrible heat and drought so many plants just keep going! I do water but only a small percentage gets any regular watering. Most just have to make it on their own.

There is a question I ask myself every July… Why didn’t I plant sunflowers? I love them but just don’t seem to have a place for them. I’m not big on bright yellow but who can resist sunflowers. Maybe next year. 🌻🌻🌻

July does give us ups and downs, but it also gives us enough heat to get the dahlias going… big plus!

Featured Dahlia … Creme de Cognac from Longfield Gardens.

Thanks for stopping by! 💐

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: MORNINGS

Link | June 24, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Most of you are probably like me and in the midst of a heat wave making mornings so very important to us! To spend time in the garden we have to beat the heat!

My favorite way to start the day is with coffee in the garden doing my devotions. My devotions this time of year are centered around the garden. Time began in a garden. Jesus went to a garden before the cross. Jesus said I am the vine you are the branches. There’s a flood. There’s drought. There’s rocky soil. There’s the mustard seed. You can’t go very far in the Bible without bumping into a garden or garden illustration. It’s very gardeny.

I was recently asked for recommendations for gardeny devotional books, so here is a list of the ones I have, they’re all a bit different. Several I bought many years ago but they may still be available through Amazon or other online outlets.

Garden Mercies by Laurie Ostby Kehler
Devotions from the Garden from Thomas Nelson Books
A Gardener’s Little Devotional Book by Worthy Publishing
Meditations on a Rose Garden by Carolyn Huffman
Down a Garden Path by Karla Dornacher
A Well-Watered Garden by Harriet Crosby
NIV Gardeners Bible

POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

In the potting shed, I have Foxglove seeds started for next year’s garden. As biennials, in my garden, they make leaves the first year and winter over and bloom the second year. They also are known to be prolific self-seeders and that has worked for me lately but there were many years when we’ve had colder winters that did not happen. Last year I bought a lovely pot of peach foxgloves. This year in that same area I have 4 peach foxgloves! Self-seeding at its best. Always good to note about this plant ALL PARTS ARE POISONOUS.

The seeds I planted are Carousel Mix from Renee’s Garden. They will be a mix of pastel shades.

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

Many of the roses are laying low, hiding from the heat and the Japanese Beetles. Since my open garden on June 12, we’ve had NO rain! NONE. The only upside to the lack of rain is that the barrage of Japanese Beetles has been stymied due to the hard ground. Only a few brave souls have emerged. We are looking forward to a drenching rain but so far none is in the forecast.

This time of year it is great to take note of those things that are doing very well. There are some roses and many perennials and annuals that don’t seem to mind the hot dry condition. Here are my BFFs right now – coreopsis, daylilies, coneflowers, daisies, veronica, and phlox. So far my dahlias are doing okay too. I’d not say they are thriving but growing and I’m still hopeful they will be spectacular. The big exception there is Creme de Cognac… I started the tuber inside and it did well and now it is blooming like crazy – way ahead of the others.

YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY IN THE GARDEN

Never forget you are in good company in the garden.

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8 He is the Master Gardener.

Happy Gardening Friends!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Open Garden Dress Code

Link | June 17, 2022June 16, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

This has been a year for the record books. Aren’t they all! 😳

Leading up to “Open Garden” day, we had torrential downpours almost every day. Some days it rained all day. So with standing water in areas of the garden two days before “open garden” I was close to canceling. I can tell you my master gardener friends were not big fans of canceling. And yes it was raining the day of the big event but not torrential downpours. My thoughts were… if we were England we would not cancel, we would just dress for the weather. So, I sent out a note saying just that and added – bring your umbrella and wear your Wellies it’s garden tour time.

30 minutes before people were to arrive the rain stopped and the sun came out!!! We had the best time! Did the garden look it’s best…. HEAVEN’S NO! Every bloom had been water damaged. But, that didn’t stop the fun. We had the best time. How can you not have a good time with friends in your garden — it’s just the best.

Guest entered the garden through Mr. G’s lineup of tomatoes!

ZINNIAS FOR EVERYONE

I just love Zinnias. I tried several “new to me” varities from seed this year plus a few extras to share. A few weeks before open garden day, I had so much fun potting up Zinnia seedlings for visitors to take home.

ROSEFEST UPDATE

Rosefest was a big success. Loads of people and loads of roses. In the Rose Show I saw some of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen thanks to all those who entered … especially John and Donna Hefner. They are such experts and are so willing to help others. They took home the top honors.

Thanks to RISE UP AMBERNESS (Proven Winners) I won an award for an arrangement. The class was “BIRTHRIGHT… honoring our parents”. In the arrangement I included foliage from the Rose of Sharon shrub from my (deceased) Mom and Dad’s garden.

ROSE CHAT

More episodes are being released all the time. Check them out here. When you click the most recent episodes will become linkable. First up you’ll see my chat with Tom Carruth – one of the most successful rose hybridizers in the world. He has brought us classic beauties like Julia Child, Hot Cocoa and the amazing Forth of July climber to name a few. He is currently the currator for one of the most beautiful rose gardens in the world … The Huntington Rose Garden in San Marino, CA.

COLD CLIMATE SURVIVORS – Rose Chat Podcast

THey’re back

Oh, how I hate to tell you that it’s now Japanese Beetle season again. 😫

You know how much I love my Vanessa Bell roses. Well, the Japanese Beetles chose her to be the first to munch on. So, it begins. 😡 If you’d like to read my article on Japanese Beetles from last year, read on here.

PRESSING FLOWERS

I haven’t pressed flowers for many years but I have been craving to do so this year. Mr. G gifted me with an absolutely gorgeous (and large) press from Gardeners Supply. He loves to buy gifts from there as they have such quality! If you are interested in pressing some beauty too, here’s a link.

What am I going to do with the flowers I press??? I’m not sure but I do envision a jar filled with beautiful pressed flowers. We’ll see!

ROSE OF THE WEEK… BLISS PARFUMA

What a rose! It has stood up to all the rain like a champ! This rose came to me from Heirloom Roses last year and it is outstanding. A strong, vigorous plant with gorgeous blooms. Like all the Kordes roses in my garden, it is disease resistant. It also has a light fragrance. To read more, here is a link to Heirloom.

COMPANION OF THE WEEK … SELF-SEEDED FOXGLOVE

Look at this beauty. It self-seeded from a Foxglove I bought at Lowes last year. Such a beautiful color. I will be saving seeds and making sure some make their way into the ground again!

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

The rain gave way to torrid heat. I think most of you are in the same hot boat! Many plants are “melting” but some are taking the heat in stride. And, I’m trying to do the same.

We will close out the gallery with the boldest of all… one of the newest kids on the block – South Africa.

Whew, she is making a name for herself. She is positioned right beside the prissy pink Pomponella who may be giving her a side-eye. I might have to find a better place for her “boldness.”

Friends, glad you stopped by. Stay cool!!

Maybe make some lemonade. This is the recipe for lemonade I loved to serve to guests coming to the garden — back when the world was more comfortable with that sort of thing. I sure hope we get back to that soon.

My kids call it, “LEMONADE THE MOM WAY.”

For each can of Minute Maid (or other brands) Frozen Lemonade add…

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

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Fireworks & Fragrance

Link | June 3, 2022June 3, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I am finishing today’s post while having lunch in the garden. Praise to the Master Gardener and giver of all good things. Even in the midst of horrible situations, His handiwork is all around us.

My current view…

There couldn’t be a better day to share the fireworks and fragrance that are going on in my garden…

Many of the roses were highly affected by the horrible rains when the buds/blooms were forming and the horrible heat that followed … but like the survivors they are, BLOOM THYME fireworks and fragrance began!

GHISLAINE DE FELIGONDE

Let’s start with Ghislaine de Feligonde she is devouring the potting shed in a wonderful way. Every year she is more than I dreamed she’d be when I planted that tiny plant 5 years ago from High Country Roses.

THE ARBORS

New Dawn was one of the roses affected by the rain and probably won’t last as long as she normally does but she couldn’t help showing off with Peggy Martin! I don’t think Sweet Drift (lining the walkway to arbor) was affected at all – these little beauties have never been more beautiful!

MOTHER OF PEARL

All 7 of my Mother of Pearls went crazy at the same time! The color. The fragrance. The sturdy shrub. An excellent rose.

VANESSA BELL

Vanessa Bell is just the best color of yellow. She is such a full rose that some of the blooms did “ball” instead of opening but not very many considering the weather. So lovely… She is truly my favorite David Austin. I purchased another one this year and she is budded up and will bloom soon.

FUN IN THE SUN

This is one of my favorite new roses… Fun in the Sun.

Just look at her and she’s fragrant too. I checked with Matt Douglas from High Country Roses to see if he has any left and he does! I may get another and if you want one too, here is a link to the website… https://www.highcountryroses.com/shop/modern-roses/hybrid-teas-grandifloras/fun-in-the-sun/

ROSEFEST

SAT, JUNE 11, 9 – 3 PM

If you’re local, the Indianapolis Rose Society and Hamilton Country Master Gardeners have teamed up to bring a beautiful day of roses. Roses for sale, demonstrations, garden tour, great speakers, and free Proven Winner’s beautiful roses to the first 40 guests! For all the details, read on here…

Rosefest 2022

NATIONAL ROSE MONTH

June is National Rose Month! For details on how the rose began our national floral emblem, read on here for a post I previously shared. https://thegardendiary.com/2021/06/03/june-is-national-rose-month-3/

BLOOM THYME GALLERY THIS WEEK

TAKE A DEEP BREATH… we will end with a short video of Madame Hardy. The fragrance is amazing and that cute button eye is what she’s known for. The rain was particularly hard on her but she still has a lot to show!

Friends, we’ll talk more blooms next week. Until then, HAPPY GARDENING!🌹

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: SLOWLY, SURELY AND WET!

Link | May 27, 2022May 26, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Are you tired of hearing about weather yet? We are getting almost constant rain! The garden is drenched but so green. This reminds me of 2019 when my good friend Connie Hilker came to visit and she spent her time walking in the garden under an umbrella wearing boots – the pathways were flooded. She would find the same thing today…

Here are some beauties BRAVING THE STORMS this week…

KAZANLIK is an amazingly fragrant Damask from the Bulgaria / Turkey region since before 1600s. I just had to have her and many of her cousins after visiting Turkey and learning more about their significance in the rose oil trade. Wonderful to use in potpourris! I purchased her from High Country Roses and you can too … here.

ABOVE AND BEYOND is going above and beyond, as usual, to make a big splash in the garden. Rain or shine! Thank you Dr. David Zlesak for such an amazing rose!

CLEMATIS AND LADY ASHE

The clematis is moving in a bit faster but Lady Ashe is primed and ready to take center stage. What a fabulous rose! Lady Ashe is a beautiful, well-behaved, fragrant climber from English rose growers at Peter Beale’s Roses.

OTHERS DOING WELL REGARDLESS OF THE CONDITIONS…

ROSE CHAT

Want company while you’re working in the garden? Access the list of most recent podcasts below…

COLD CLIMATE SURVIVORS – Rose Chat Podcast

ROSEFEST / SAT, JUNE 11, 9 – 3 pm

Rosefest 2022

Grateful

In these tumultuous times, weather as a problem is not even on the scale. More than ever I appreciate the beauty and love around me.

Luke 12: Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. He’s not just in control of flowers, He’s in control of us.

Until next week…. may your time in the garden give you comfort and beauty.

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: May Madness

Link | May 20, 2022May 20, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Well, for the last two weeks I have been “gardening from a fire hose.” For sure. With winter refusing to leave and spring rains turning to spring floods, all the spring chores around here were crammed into the last two weeks. Of course, there is not a real “deadline”, however, I want things to be ready when FIREWORKS and FRAGRANCE season starts and the old roses lead the way in late May.

So with every minute I had, I was planting, pruning, fertilizing and mulching. As of Wednesday of this week, most of those tasks have been crossed off the list. Whew! Just in time to see this beauty take center stage as the first rose to bloom.

Therese Bugnet (Hybrid Rugosa (Georges Bugnet, Canada, 1941)

If you would like to know more about her or would like to have one in your garden, check out the High Country Roses website HERE.

So in this flurry of garden activity, I found a place for 24 dahlias.😳 Still a mystery to me how I found enough room. Also found plenty of room to plant cosmos and zinnia seeds. My plan is that they will take up the slack when the roses have to lay low while the Japanese Beetles are on the hunt for them mid-summer. Praying that the JBs do not find Dahlias and Zinnias tasty. Can’t these dreaded creatures just go away! Remember last summer …

ROSE CHAT

If you need some company while you’re weeding, check out the latest podcasts. I’ve been chatting with some great guests. Access list below..

COLD CLIMATE SURVIVORS – Rose Chat Podcast

Yes, May Madness is upon us! The garden is filled with excitement. So many roses are budded up and will pop soon! FIREWORKS AND FRAGRANCE to be continued.

In this time of gardening from a fire hose…. the scripture Psalm 46:10, Be still and know that I am God…. is something I need more than ever. He is the creator of all this beauty we see and I am grateful.

Have a wonderful week in your garden and I hope you have time to just be…

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: ROSES & RAIN

Link | May 6, 2022May 6, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

You have most likely heard the phrase “roses love water but they don’t like wet feet.” And that’s true. They do love water but too much and they “drown.” You’ll see the leaves turn yellow and droop!

So how much water do they need? When I first started growing more than just a few roses, one of the most confusing pieces of advice to me was… “roses need 2″ of water per week.” What? How do you know what 2″ of water is? I will confess to doing some odd watering and measuring while I was figuring things out. There are so many factors that play into the “how much” decision. Your soil type, drainage, wind, temperature, and such.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED

To set them up for success, water regularly, slowly, and deeply. DEEPLY! Deep watering sends those roots down deep where they are more protected from drought and winter weather.

If you have ever dug up an established rose you know that they have some roots that seem to go to China! I have seen my roses go through periods of drought to the point I thought I would surely lose them but when the rains come and they drink their fill, they resurrect and are good to go again. Remember, Paul Zimmerman is right, “roses are just blooming shrubs.’

While we are talking about water… I’ll mention when to do so. Fungal diseases love damp and cool so putting the roses to bed dry goes a long way in keeping them healthy. I try to water early enough in the day that the leaves can dry.

I am not going to have to worry about watering for quite a while. Currently, there is puddling all throughout the garden.

NEW ROSES!

I received some very happy mail this week. Proven Winners sent 4 roses for me to “test” in my garden. These roses will be coming to garden centers in 2023 or can be purchased online here. I had the pleasure of seeing these roses in bloom at a conference recently making me even more excited to have them in my garden! Fragrance is back!

Rise Up Amberness: A healthy, fragrant rose that can be grown as a shrub or a short climber – up to about out 5′. (2-3 wide and 3-5 tall)

Rise Up Lilac Days: Healthy, exceptionally fragrant rose that can climb up to 8′ Very floriferous.

Ringo Double Pink: Multiple colors on one plant… pink, magenta, and a red center (2 – 3′ Tall and Wide)

Reminiscent Crema: Creamy white, full, lush blooms with old rose fragrance (2′ x2′)

Rise Up Lilac Days is going in a container on the Potting Shed porch!!

LOCAL FRIENDS…

There are some wonderful events coming up…

PLANT SALE…

Hendricks Co Master Gardener Plant Sale
Tues, May 17, 6 – 8 pm
Hendricks Co Fairgrounds / Cartlidge Barn

ROSEFEST … a time to bloom

This will be the first Rosefest since the COVID lockdowns. After the past two years, we are all excited to bloom!

This will be a day filled with beautiful roses, rose growing demonstrations, a tour of the HC Master Gardeners’ beautiful rose garden, free roses for first 40 guests, a rose show, and wonderful speakers.

SAT, JUNE 11, 9 am – 3 pm
HAMILTON CO 4H FAIRGROUNDS (Link)
2003 E PLEASANT STREET
NOBLESVILLE, IN

SPEAKERS:

Diane Sommers
PROGRAM: Rose Classifications … Something for everyone!

Diane Sommers is the current American Rose Society President

Dr. Raymond Cloyd
PROGRAM: Japanese Beetle Management

Dr. Raymond Cloyd of Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS. Professor and Extension Specialist in Horticultural Entomology/Plant Protection.

You can find additional information about ROSEFEST here.

GETTING BACK TO WORK

All the rain has slowed down spring garden work a bit making me extremely happy to know that there is no rain in tomorrow’s forecast… no sun either but I’ll take dry! I need to fertilize the roses and put down mulch! The old garden roses will be blooming before we know it. 🎉🌹💃

Friends, enjoy your time in the garden!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Rose Reviews

Link | April 22, 2022April 22, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Many local friends have asked for advice on roses they can find close by. As you know many of my roses are modern shrub roses that fall into the easy-care variety so those will be the ones I talk about today.

During this season I keep a watchful eye on local garden centers and box stores to see the roses they have coming in. I wish we could meet up and shop together but since that is not a possibility, here’s what I’m finding…

COUNTRY HARMONY GARDEN CENTER

Country Harmony (in Brownsburg) has a new to me series called NITTY GRITTY ROSES in red, white, yellow, and this fantastic peach rose! These roses grow 3′ x 4′ and bloom through the growing season. Look at this fantastic peach beauty!

From the Monrovia website about this series…

Not just a pretty face, this very durable, own-root, fuss-free groundcover rose produces an abundance of lovely blooms while offering excellent disease resistance and a self-cleaning, easy-to-care for habit. The double blooms provide exquisite color, adding great low-maintenance curb appeal to the landscape.

TRUE BLOOM SERIES

Four years ago I saw the beautiful roses in the TRUE BLOOM series while attending a National ARS Conference in San Diego. Since then I have been looking forward to seeing them locally. This year Country Harmony has them! So many beautiful ones.

The TRUE BLOOM roses were hybridized by my great rose friend Ping Lim. You can listen to Ping’s life in roses on the Rose Chat Podcast… HERE.

LOWES

EASY ELEGANCE SERIES

Many of my favorite roses come from the EASY ELEGANCE series, Music Box, My Girl, Calypso, and Champagne Wishes. However, I think any that you chose in this series would be a good choice.

PETIT PRINCE

For several years I have been hearing about this wonderful rose from my good friend, Paul Zimmerman. I decided this was the year to search for it and add it to my garden. GUESS WHAT… Lowes made my job easy… they have it and for $14.97… Yes, I bought 3. THE FRAGRANCE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD! Truly strong old rose fragrance. The size is 4.5′ W X 4′ H.

Here’s a quote from the man himself… could you resist??

“Petit Prince is simply put an astonishing rose. It first came to me at my former nursery Ashdown Roses from Arnaud Delbard to introduce into the United States. I have had a grouping of 8-10 bushes in my garden for the last 15 years. It has the great fragrance of the mauve roses with none of the diebacks. It is one of the most disease resistant roses in my no spray garden in the upstate of South Carolina. Even in summer when other roses defoliate this one does not. The dark, glossy green foliage remains unfazed. The blooms are a beautiful mauve with a perfume that can be smelled from 10’ away. This is a rose no garden should be without. Hardy to zone 5. – Paul Zimmerman

See Petit Prince growing in Paul’s garden below…

LAVENDER CRUSH CLIMBER

A new to me fragrant climber that looks promising is LAVENDER CRUSH. Lavender, climber and fragrance in the same description = SOLD. I only brought one home. Not a big investment at $14.95.

SOL DESIRE

If you walk into Lowes soon this one is in full bloom and will get your attention!

I talked with Tyler of Certified Roses today and he says this rose, along with the others I mentioned should do very well in our Zone 5b garden.

SEASON TO SEASON BRAND

This label was new to me so I did a bit of investigation and found this is another company from the great folks at J Berry Nursery who I am very familiar! 👍🏻