Roses are fragile. Handle roses with care. Bruises will show, so avoid striking the heads against a hard surface. With a sharp knife (not shears) cut the bottom inch from stems, cutting on a slant to expose a large surface. Place the stems in deep warm water (about 100° degrees Fahrenheit) to which a good … Read more
Which bloom better roses planted in the spring or the fall? Many gardeners prefer the fall, but many still insist that spring is the proper planting time. There are always those whose first desire to grow roses may occur during the winter or early spring. For some their planting blood, does not begin to flow … Read more
One of the loveliest pleasures a rose garden offers is its appeal to our sense of color. Yet many gardens are less effective than they would be if the color were more carefully considered. Color Nomenclature: State of Confusion Certainly, color nomenclature is in a state of confusion so far as roses are concerned. Various … Read more
Everyone loves roses, but it’s easier to love them than to understand their classification! And so when the beginning rose fancier sets out to choose plants for their garden, they likely will run into considerable confusion. The purpose of the “old graphics” below is to distinguish the more popular types of roses, list some of … Read more
Looking for a barrier hedge or a screen planting, for a decorative way to divide garden areas, or for colorful plants to define a path or drive Roses can solve any of these landscape problems. But which roses should you use? Barrier “Hedge” Roses Barrier hedge roses produce impenetrable growth, grow tall, and flower continuously … Read more
In addition to the highly cultivated and often finicky hybrid tea roses, which are so generally prized for the rose garden, many free-growing types are particularly suitable for effective planting in the wild garden, in shrubbery borders, in hedges, and as specimen plants. The wild or species roses have a charm and elegance in the … Read more
To find the sweetbrier (Rosa eglanteria), the favorite rose of Chaucer, Spenser, and Shakespeare — and a galaxy of other English poets in the rugged granite country of our southeastern Ozarks was an experience quite as delightful as it was surprising. Find it we did with all its fragrance and red berries — apparently as … Read more
The next time someone gives you a rose, don’t throw it away after the petals have fallen. Instead, stick it in the ground in a shaded spot, cover it with a glass jar and keep it watered. It may reward you with a plant. Rose Propagation Through Cuttings Propagating roses from cuttings is not at … Read more
September is the last month for heavy rose feeding. Feeding now will stimulate new growth for bloom next month. The exhibitor who expects to enter October rose shows will need to get ready now. If liquid fertilizer is used, soak the soil before and allow one pint of solution per plant. Do not use a … Read more
Would you like to grow a miniature rose in your window garden this winter? A delightful replica of a regular rose bush with perfectly formed, fragrant flowers? Of course, you would! Who wouldn’t? But wait! How do you rate yourself as a gardener? Does philodendron thrive for you? If you can answer “yes,” then proceed to … Read more