Spice Up Your Roses~

Roses are herbs too...and , if you do this little extra thing, you will have less, if any, Black spot fungus. ( plant parsley and garlic around and under your roses ) I do this and it works charmingly~It's called companion planting-another topic, another time.
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I enjoy growing roses and other lovely flowers, but I seldom bring them inside, maybe for a dinner party or other special event...maybe because I spend the day with them outside I don't feel the need to have them inside.

If however, you are looking forward to having cut flowers ( roses ) this spring/summer...there are some mighty pretty ones that fill that slot.

A Hybrid tea-Kardinal-( 1986 ) medium red, long stemmed with long lasting support.

The fragrance is light and the foliage is so dark it appears almost black.
Grows 4 to 6 ft tall and repeats well. Good in zones 5-10.
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Another Hybrid tea-Elina-( 1984 ) Has white blooms with a creamy center.
Fragrance is light here also.
The bush is vigorous and disease resistant-grows 6-8 ft tall in moderate climates.  Zones 5-10.

These two mixed together makes one beautiful bouquet.
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If you just want a massive spread, maybe room for one or two...the Royal Bonica ( this is in our garden ) serves the purpose. Has rich pink blooms with full-15 to 20 petals per bloom-clumping together to form a cluster.

The prolific blooms at the height of the spring will cover the foliage.
You should give this bush about 6 feet to spread and have room to flourish.
Grows great in zones 5-10. It's a shrub from 1994. Fragrance is slight, stronger if the weather is cool.

Have a marvelous weekend  and think 'spring,' and roses ~

Http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

We now have an ebay store for vintage lovers~
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Sage-Hill-Collectibles

Roses And Pruning~

In general roses should be pruned just before the plant breaks dormancy after springs final frost.

This will be early in the year in warm climates, and anytime between February and April in cold climates.

If you are growing old roses, prune them after they have finished blooming, they bear flowers on last years wood.

Remove any weak, twiggy canes that cross one another and rub in the wind.

Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras in mild climates are usually 4 to 10 feet tall and looking rather shaggy-prune off 1/3 to 1/2 of the height-in general leave 4 or 5 major canes and at least 3 feet tall. ( Remove the older canes for certain-this will trigger the rose to attempt basal breaks ( new cane growth )in spring and is fundamental to the health of the bush.

Climbers and ramblers will not flower profusely unless the canes are trained on a horizontal plane. Cut the long-established canes to the place where they are slightly thicker than a pencil-then cut each side stem that has flowered to the lowest possible 5-leaflet stem-about 1 to 2 inches from the main cane. This will cause the cane to flower along its complete length.

Remember...do not put any pruning remains into your compost heap.

Happy Valentines Day everyone !

Bea~

Roses-Secret Of Success~

Unless one is a pro with roses it isn't uncommon to make a rose bed of many different kinds and then treat them all the same. This is a big mistake...roses are each individual in needs, issues, and output.

It is just as uncommon to find one particular rose with many different issues.
They each seem to have one or two weaknesses that can and often do come calling .

For example...Grandifloria's are prone to Aphid infestation--look for tiny, green, brown, or white, soft bodied insects-usually on the backs of the leaves.

Sometimes a good spraying with the water hose will destroy these critters and if not, wash gently with a safe insecticidal soap spray...continue this spraying until they are gone.

( another, more natural way to eliminate Aphids is to make sure you have Ladybugs in your garden...they dine constantly on Aphids, and can consume thousands in a just a few hours.) Ladybugs are totally harmless to garden plants...a good bug in every way.

Floribunda's seem to be a target for Botrytis blight...a fungal disease that appears  as a gray growth on buds. Flowers that are affected will fall apart, rather than open normally.

Pick off and destroy affected blooms and spray with a fungicide in severe cases.
( A good strong compost tea will also control this blight if started early and repeated long enough.)

Hybrid Tea's are prone to rust and Japanese beetle attacks.
Rust will appear as small brown powdery spots that spread across the leaves. They will eventually turn yellow and fall off. Remove infected leaves and destroy...never drop any infected leaves on the ground under your rose bushes, this will allow the disease to infect the soil and back into the plant. I find a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 4 parts water will get rid of rust.

Japanese beetles are tricky...they don't succumb to any known combative...a good hard spraying with the water hose will drive them away, kill some, and if done often enough will discourage them from hanging around.

Don't use the bags on the market that draws them in and traps them...they love the mixture in the bags and will come from far away to dine on it-so you are just inviting more than you might have otherwise.

You can easily hand pick or knock them off, into a can of oil early in the morning or late in the day...they are sluggish at these times....they can't get out of the oil and will die.

Do not put these in your compost...they stink and the oil will contaminate your mix.

A good point to always practice...good, clean, chemical free soil is the best guard against any disease in any garden. Bad insects, funguses etc., don't like or hang out in good soil. It is the one most important step to having a garden free of problems.

Have a Rosy weekend everyone~

A Rugged Beauty-Rugosa Rose-( Pavement Rose )

Pavement rose at the end of the blooming season.

Hips on the Pavement rose.



Since we have touched on this rose in another forum-here's the rest of the story.

The Pavement rose is really a 'Rugosa'...whether seedlings, named varieties, or hybrids, all have a strong but delicate fragrance.

Rugosa's usually have the look of wild roses, with single petals that can be pinkish, purplish or white. They can be semi double or double in the bloom.

The flowers are followed by fruits, called hips, that can be an inch or more across. The hips make delicious jams, tangy tea, and are rich in vitamin C.

Rugosa's are covered in small spines and the  leaves are dark and leathery.

You can count on blooms all summer, in fact mine starts blooming in the spring and is the last of the roses to fade away in the fall.

They must be kept pruned if you don't wish to allow it to fill out its full potential...keep it pruned to 3 feet or let it grow to 6. The spread can be 4 to 6 feet also. ( this you can also control with pruning )

These beautiful roses are also disease resistant-a good thing !
They will flourish in zones 2-8 with full sun and well drained soil.

When you buy a Rugosa in the pot...make sure it is no more than twice as high as the container. Examine it well for any negatives -dark spots, leaves with holes or brown tips...it will either look really healthy or it will look sick...no in-between.

Each year( late winter )after all danger of freezing is past- cut the oldest stems down to the ground to make room for the new ones. Shorten any very long stems also.

In the spring, once established,  it is wise to add some granular rose fertilizer-just once. Never ever over feed them.

Late summer, if you plan to use the hips-harvest them just after the leaves lose their dark green color.  Dry them well and process accordingly to the purpose . You can eat them fresh if you like...allow them stay on the shrub until they turn bright orange...remember they are loaded in vitamin C.

If you only have space for one rose...I would make it a Pavement-Rugosa Rose.

Your thoughts ?

Bea

February Rose Stroll~

Welcome to our February " Rose Stroll," month of all things roses.

Depending on where you are , I doubt your roses look like the ones in the photo...mine sure doesn't, but come spring/early summer the most fizzled of rose gardens will come alive and continue to delight us far into the fall...if, we take the right steps early. ( the photo here is the "Julia Child" and grows in my hubby's rose garden.

Roses ( according to my history ) originated in China and spread via trade routes through India, Persia, and into the Middle East and Europe.
They are the most celebrated species of flower across many cultures and are grown in countless modern species and varieties.

The 3 oldest and most sought after of the 'old' roses are the Damask, the Cabbage, and the Apothecary's rose. The damask grows in Bulgaria and Morocco. The cabbage in France and North Africa, the apothecary's rose in France. They are all highly scented and not as perfectly shaped as the modern roses.

Rose plant parts are used in culinary, medicinal,  perfumery and aromatherapy ways.

From a rose-hip tea to a fine rosewater splash...it is one of the finest and most beneficial herbs among us.

Like most plants, your location, your soil conditions, and your knowledge of how to care for them will dictate your success and the final look of your project.

This month we will explore as many varieties as you wish to know about.

My preference is of course the antique roses...Madame Plantier being my all time favorite. It will grow in zones 3-8 and needs full sun.
The spread is about 5 feet and height will reach 20." It grows beautifully on a fence or trellis.
You'll get pretty little pink buds that burst into white or creamy white blooms. They also grow well as a hedge or shrub border.
The fragrance from this rose is sweet and light.
Blooms in mid summer but the foliage is a treat both before and after the blooming season.

We can start preparing our soil now if it wasn't started in the fall months.
My soil is wet right now, so the only thing to do with wet soil is layer a good spread of dry compost across it and leave alone until the soil has dried to a easily workable state...a crumbly mass that doesn't ball up when squeezed in your hand.

Good compost is all you need in addition to good workable soil to plant roses.

Antique roses are not as easy to find as hybrids...so if you are planning to use antique/old roses-now is the time to get your orders in to a choice mail order company that specializes in such...they will ship when your planting time is right.

I'm looking forward to your participation....

Have a Rosy day~
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com/

Day's Of Rain And Roses~

Doesn't quite bring the urge to dance as the old and lovely song of   "Day's Of Wine And Roses." That's for another day :)

Roses can be simple and uncomplicated or, they can be a royal pain in the gardeners upkeep log.

I have learned a few tricks ( facts ) that will lessen the risk of unwanted issues.

If you mulch around your roses during the winter months, and you get a lot of rain...it is a good idea from time to time to pull back the mulch and allow the soil to breathe and dry out a bit.

Mulch can and does invite insects and critters to set up a warm and cozy retreat during the colder time of year.

Too much wet mulch can cause mildew and rot...so keep a close watch on your rose gardens during the winter, and especially during rainy months.

This is the time to bone up on rose gardening do's and dont's...we often forget that each species may and often times do, require different types of care.

Know your roses and your success will flourish.

And yes, roses are in the herb family...nothing as good as a cup of Rose-hip Tea.

Stay tuned...I'll be doing a series of "Rose Articles" through the month of February.  We have plenty of time to study, share, and learn...**do nothing for, or to, your roses until April....**

Hope to see you right here for the "Rose Stroll"...I'll be posting Monday's and Thursday's-chime in anytime, ask questions, offer your ideas and practices...it's free and fun~

Don't forget to stock up on all your tea's and seasoning's now at the Sage Hill website.http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com/

A new and very exciting avenue from Sage Hill...we have opened an E-bay store.  Hubby and I both have been antique dealers for 20+ years, we are embarking on sharing our precious collections with  new home's. Do tour the store and your thoughts are welcome....ask questions if you have them. Let me know if I can be of help in any way.
http://stores.ebay.com/Sage-Hill-Collectibles

Thanks,

Bea Rigsby-Kunz
Sage Hill Farms
EatWell-BeWell~

A Snowy-Friday the 13th~A Good and Beautiful Thing

Sage Hill has the first snow of the season this Friday13...a good thing, I love the trees with snow in the branches. It seems to bring a slowing of the mind, the body, and the 'traffic.' :)

Our planning for the spring gardens and other additions to the farm scene are well underway.

I trust you are planning a spring garden, fresh grown foods are the best way to have the proper nutrition for you and your family.

Need help getting started ? I'm a call or email away. You will also find many helpful articles on the website and by researching this blog archive.
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com/

The best of 2012 and Friday the 13th...EatWell-BeWell~

Bea Rigsby-Kunz