The best rose bushes and blossoms are not a product of chemical or organic fertilizers alone but rather a combination. Both are necessary for plant health, vigor, and productivity. Familiar inorganics include nitrate of soda, muriate of potash, and superphosphate, all derived from inanimate chemicals or minerals. Organic fertilizers derived from living matter or matter … Read more
First, choose a sunny, airy exposure for growing your roses, far from encroaching tree and shrub roots and shade. Give your beauties adequate spacing so they will have ample room to spread themselves during development. Prepare The Soil Try to give them a good, rich loam that is always well-drained. Keep in mind that plants … Read more
The problem of pruning roses baffles most growers of woody or semi-woody plants in home gardens. These gardeners do not realize that a plant has enormous regenerative capacities and that the older the plant becomes, the less living tissue is disturbed by pruning. Pruning is the mechanical removal of any part of a plant by … Read more
Many of my roses are in beds prepared nearly 30 years ago, and although there have been some replacements, most of the bushes are those planted then. With little opportunity to rework the soil, it became extremely acidic over the years, down to pH 4 to 4.5. Last year, I removed the mulch and worked … Read more
As we learn more and more about the art of living outdoors, we realize the importance of tying our houses to our gardens. Many contemporary houses have been planned with this idea in mind. The rooms flow into the outdoor areas, so there is never a feeling of being shut in. A sense of spaciousness … Read more
Believing that a rose garden is a family affair and that it is never too early to create an interest in roses, Jackson & Perkins Company of Newark, New York, constructed a special child’s garden of roses last June. And to increase its “child-appeal,” the garden was planted with varieties from the Pustoccino family of … Read more
The question of spring and fall planting of dormant roses is often asked and is among the most controversial. I have practically ceased to regard rose planting as divided into separate camps – spring versus fall, wherever you may live, reserving the right to recommend the time according to the place. Rose Varieties Varieties also … Read more
Roses are an all-season crop – the most continuous one in the flower dome. Perhaps for this reason, many gardeners assume that roses can wait if other jobs are pressing when it comes to early spring chores. Consequently, the early attention roses should receive often gets put off from weekend to weekend. If you want … Read more
I gladly accede to the request of your editor to write a short essay on the subject of roses, for I know, full well, that if I am successful in stimulating present or new interest in rose growing, my time will have been well spent. Gardening of any kind, from the growing of vegetables to … Read more
How many roses did you lose last winter? How many more are borderline cases—weak looking and with a lot of die-back when you start to prune them, but still with a bit of life left so that as you go over them you decide to let them remain, on the slim chance that they may … Read more