Green Finger Gardening

The use of landscape roses can make the exterior of any house more graceful, fragrant and inviting. Selecting the right varieties to compliment and accent the home’s style and your vision, will contribute to the success of your landscape and rose garden design.

Finding the perfect roses for your rose garden is not hard at all because of the the diverse varieties roses come in. The problem lies in choosing the right ones for your landscape needs and the design you wish to attain.
Roses come in a number of classes. Each class holds characteristics that make them a great choice for use as landscape ornamentals. If you’d like to have roses growing up and over a trellis or archway or cascading from window boxes, the tall growing tea roses are a perfect choice. Tea roses are known for their wild growing blooms and all who walk under the archway enjoy a beautiful display of roses.

If a trellis is not available and you’re looking to accent a wall, then choose a true climbing rose. The beauty of a true climbing rose allows you train the plant into many different looks and effects. In essence you can train it any way you want it to grow.

The Floribunda rose is an excellent choice when a vibrant splash of background color is what you’re looking for. The popular Floribunda rose varieties give all this color in the landscape with their large and breathtaking sprays of blooms.
The versatile rose can also be used as a ground cover or planted in front of other plants to give color and accent. They can also be used as stand alone specimens and trained into a small tree or planted as hedges. Rugosa roses are a good choice for this. The goal or impact of the rose is not the varieties or ways it can be grown but the colors they offer in the living gardening palette. What gardeners want are healthy rose plants that deliver impact in many sizes, styles, textures, colors and shapes. When considering your design for your rose garden choose the complimentary colors for your surrounding landscape. A simple arrangement of pink roses delivers the perfect compliment to a stone or marble entranceway or drive. White tea roses offer a striking contrast against a dark red brick home. Roses come in so many colors it should be easy to find colors which compliment and enhance any decorating or landscape design you come up with. Designing your rose garden will be exciting and challenging to say the least. Incorporate your own color favorites and mix styles and textures for an interesting appeal.

Roses do well in a variety of temperature zones and climates so make sure you choose the varieties suitable to the area in which you live. This translates into fewer maintenance issues, less pesticides and disease issues promoting overall a healthier rose garden.
Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

We’ve been very blessed with plant breeders who give us roses that grow well in adverse conditions and bloom basically from early summer to first frost. Proper plant nutrition is easy and simple to provide with the use of complete plant food. Plant food supplies all the needed vital elements that is needed from the soil. Insect and disease problems with your rose care can be prevented easily with regular use of insecticide-fungicide that controls most chewing insects, sucking insects, and fungus diseases. Being a successful rose grower is attainable with these aids and a lot of determination.

Buying good plants or better known as good stock is a must. Preferably No. 1, two years old, field grown and budded plants. Plants that are not pruned should have 3 or more heavy 18-inch canes and pruned plants should have canes with a diameter of at least 1/4 inch at the top. Plants potted in tar paper pots are preferred by many gardeners since they can be transplanted most any time of the year.

When planting, select a sunny, well-drained location. Trim off all broken and bruised roots, cut top growth back to 6 to 8 inches. Dig planting holes at least 6 inches deeper than needed for the plant roots and make the holes large enough so the roots will not crowd or bend. Be sure to place a handful of small rocks or pebbles in the bottom of holes for drainage. Mix 1 tablespoonful of fertilizer with the soil placed over the drainage material. Cover this mixture with plain soil, bringing the level to desired planting depth. Make a mound in the center to receive the plant. Set the plant roots over this mound and spread roots then fill in with the soil. Firm the soil by pressing tightly 2 or 3 times while filling the hole.

Rose care and feeding is very important. The first feeding should come in early spring as soon as leaf buds begin to swell. Clear away the mulch and work plant food into soil the around the plant. Use 1 rounded tablespoon of fertilizer per plant unless tea roses in which you would cut that amount in half. Second feeding should be made at the same rate and immediately following the first heavy bloom. Third feeding is also at same rate and should be made in late summer with the exceptions of northern areas not later than August 15. In the southern areas where blooming extends into October and November, a fourth feeding is advised about the first of October. Many growers incorporate a regular monthly feeding in their rose care program during the growing season with good results. Controlling diseases and insects is easy with the regular use of chemicals. Chemicals control most fungus diseases and chewing insects. Regular dusting every week to ten days will make these problems easier to handle.

When watering, soak the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches. Cultivation is a definite must to eliminate weeds and keep the soil loose. Mulching during the summer months will eliminate weeds, reduce moisture evaporation and the necessity of cultivation. Every two to three weeks mulches should be applied before roses come into bloom.
When pruning, the bush types should be pruned during the early spring when the leaf buds begin to swell but before the growth starts.
As far as winter is concerned, it’s the alternating freezing and thawing that is destructive to your roses. Winter mulching with straw or peat moss is recommended with the exception of the extreme southern sections of the United States. Pull up the soil around each plant to basically 6 inches after the first frost. Once the ground is frozen, mulch again.
Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

Have you been intimidated by the thought of putting together a flower arrangement but experienced failure before you even bought the flowers?  Arranging flowers is not that difficult with a little guidance and some great ideas!  Displaying your flowers can be fun especially when being creative in stylish but simple ways.

The first thing to start with is finding some basic household containers for your fresh cut flowers.  Don’t be limited to the typical glass vase but expand the horizons of your creativity and just start to look around you.  Grandma’s old water picture makes a great country look or a sterling silver pitcher for a more traditional look. Simple candle votive holders with a single flower in it at each place setting at your dinner party, adds a touch of elegance. Old cans and bottles can be quite nostalgic.  The ideas are endless without the expense of purchasing a vase.  Choosing flowers with large heads like lilies, orchids or sunflowers individually put in a container all lined up is quite stylish.

Using vintage teapots, tumblers or even old jam jars can create a conversation piece.  Be sure to cut the stems short so the flowerheads skim the top of the container. Jar or glass containers can be put inside baskets for a unique fall look or spring assortment.

If you have a suitable vase but the color is just not right, try wrapping it with ribbon, string or a scarf.  This adds a nice visual interest and distracts the eye from the vase. You could even stick the vase inside a decorative gift bag for that goes with your theme or decor.

It is much easier to coordinate the color of flowers once you have the vase design set. Another great idea, yet simple, is to cover the outside of the vase in double-sided adhesive tape.  Then stick large leaves vertically around. Some household leaves look wonderful because of their exotic markings, coloration or glossiness.  If you have no leaves, wind plain string or colored in coils around the bottles of jars.  Adding beads or shells can add an ethnic look. Satin parcel ribbon or even honeysuckle vines will work.  Go with where your interests lie.

If this is all not simple enough for you or you have had a few disasters in your demonstration, then a lovely way of displaying flowers is to cut off individual flower heads and float them in a low dish of water.  Adding small floating candles is very romantic and brings a peace and tranquillity into your arrangement and your home.
Flower arranging is not something you can really fail at if the flowers you love are mixed with the people you love.  Whether the arrangement is for your home or elsewhere, enjoy your creation and the time you spent creating it.   Stop and smell the flowers is a cliché we have all heard but oh so true!  In this fast paced world, take time to enjoy the scents, beauty and diversity of flowers.
Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

Who hasn’t heard of the most popular flowering plant of all time, the rose?  The rose plant can spark a quick conversation amongst even the shyest of persons.  Almost anyone can tell you of someone they know who has grown beautiful roses or of someone who couldn’t.  Almost anyone can tell you of someone who got or sent roses, especially around the holidays.  Even little children know what the rose plant is.

The local florist most likely has dozens of colors, types, and sizes of rose plants.  It would seem to be the best selling flower of all time.  The local discount store and even the local grocer carries some sort of rose plant these days.
In my opinion, the best rose is one that has a strong scent.  A rose has a most distinct smell, and a scent welcome to most anyone.  The fragrance is like no other and has been reproduced in perfumes and air fresheners for years.  There are rose-scented oils and lotions, bath products.  There are rose colors and rose images galore.  You can find rose parades and people named Rose.  You can even coming out “smelling like a rose”.  All because of a mere plant that reached enormous proportions of popularity.

The rose plant is available in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and types.  It is known worldwide.  The prices vary depending on where you buy or what type and size you want.

Do you want a rose plant already started in a pot?  You may have to repot it.  Make sure you do your homework before you buy one.

When you decide what type of rose plant you’d like, think of placement.  There is a plant called the thornless rose plant that will grow in the shade.  But most rose plants are known to have thorns, so you wouldn’t want your small child or grandchild or frequent tiny visitors to happen upon something that is so pretty that they can’t resist grabbing and end up with an unwelcome handful of thorns.  It may even sour them on the enjoyment of the rose plant for life because of a tearful memory.  And roses are too beautiful to allow such a thing!

There are climbing rose plants which you most certainly wouldn’t want trailing across the ground to be stomped by animals or other foot traffic.  Some roses are delicate and unfiltered light would cook their leaves to an unwelcome brown.  If your rose plant is the type that grows into a bush, you would want to place it in a spot that allows for it to spread.
Rose plants carry so many different names, it’s probably enough to fill a small book!  Some of the names include Rose Blaze, Rose Red Eden, Rose New Dawn, Rose Neptune, Rose Zephirine, just to name a very few.  If you want a rose that sounds like it belongs in a class all its own, you could buy a Rose Paris D’Yves St. Laurent!  That’s a mouthful!  Happy Hunting!
Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

To recreate the gardens of your ancestors, include the old garden roses.  These date back for centuries, are hardier, and include a large variety.  They fare well in poor conditions, are the easiest type of rose to care for, do best in rich soil that drains well, and continue to bloom for years.

Some types of the old garden rose are Mary Queen of Scots, Sweetheart Rose, American Beauty, Awakening, and Belle Amore.
The Butterfly Rose is an ancient hybrid from China, introduced in 1932.  The blooms change colors from soft orange to pink to carmine, which makes it a delight to observe.

Old garden roses with the traditional appearance include:

The Duchesse de Brabant (a Gulf Coast rose with a light scent),
Belinda’s Dream (long stems, nice fragrance),
Zepherine Drouhin (unique fragrance),
Red Radiance (strong fragrance).

What classifies a rose as an old garden rose?  According to the American Rose Society, these are plants introduced before 1867.  They prefer light fertilization, a light feeding schedule, and patience.  They bloom only when they are ready to bloom.

Judging seminars are held because it is a challenge to judge the old garden rose; therefore, the judging for it is not set in stone.  Fewer judges are familiar with it than with the newer modern roses.
If your goal is to show your old garden roses for prizes, you’ll have to pay a bit more attention to them and prepare them properly for the shows.  Things to look for include strong, vibrant blooms, leaves, and stems.  They should have good color.  Remove damaged petals (trim if necessary).  The foliage should be clean.  The less side growths you have on your canes, the better.  A stem-on-stem condition is considered impairment.  This is when new growth starts where old growth had stopped.

A national show was held in Dallas, Texas, in October of 2006.  There are district shows and local shows around the country as well.  If you are interested in competing in the rose shows, you might consider joining the American Rose Society.  Through such a group, you can obtain a wealth of information and contacts.

Plenty of garden groups and clubs exist for rose enthusiasts.  A short list of some of these clubs are as follows:
American Horticultural Society, Arlington Rose Foundation, Phoenix Rose Society, Potomac Rose Society, Arizona West Valley Rose Society, and Humboldt Rose Society.

If you would enjoy traveling around the United States in search of gardens to view the various old garden roses, among other types, you could try the following places:

The Pageant of Roses Garden, Whittier, CA, Washington Park International Rose Test Garden, Portland, OR, Inez Parker Memorial Rose Garden, San Diego, CA, The Gardens of the American Rose Society, Shreveport, LA, Tyler Municipal Rose Garden Center, Tyler, TX, and the Zilker Botanical Garden, Austin, TX.

If traveling the United States is not an option, try the local yellow pages in your area or call or visit the Chamber of Commerce in your town to get information on local gardens, clubs, and events that feature old garden roses.
Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

It is amazing that something as simple and quietly elegant as the rose, a simple flower, has such a huge market.  Not only in the flower itself, but in the products, the word itself which sparks stories, poems, and songs, and the fact that the rose plays an enormous part in romance.

There is an endless array of products and services that center on the popularity of the rose.  It has been long admired by folks from all walks of life.  It sells.  It sells on skin as tattoos, in jewelry, in decals, on clothing, in hair products, bath products, perfumes and deodorizers, on fabric, room decorations, at funerals, in weddings, at parties, carved into furniture, in paintings and drawings, even in children’s color books, stories, and movies.  Roses are everywhere and anywhere and are a welcome item in an abundance of shapes, forms, sizes, colors.  The rose sells inside, outside, and all year-round.  It sells in rain, sleet, fog, snow, hot or cold weather.

The rose market is an abundant one, to say the least.  Any holiday is appropriate for selling roses.  Whoever decided the rose has symbolism according to its colors provided an outpouring for sales.  Naming the roses was another brilliant idea for the market.

The rose sells itself, although plenty of advertisement goes into the sale of the rose and its products and by-products.
The rose is a winner whether it is alive or dead.  Even the black rose has meaning.  Dried roses can be used for products as well.  Then you have the products that result from processing the rose.  Rose oils and rose waters are at least two such products.

Health stores enjoy the benefits of the rose market. It is widely known that rose hips are high in Vitamin C.  Rosehips are the ‘fruit’ that develops once the petals have fallen off the rose flower, about the size of a cherry, and similar in taste to a cranberry.  Indeed there are many vitamins on the market that tout the addition of rose hips.  Even Vitamin C itself can have the added appeal of rosehips.

Although, not a popular idea anymore, many recipes can be made using rosehips.  You must remove all seeds to avoid discomfort when digested.  This shouldn’t scare a person from experimenting with the recipes.  Many foods must be properly prepared to avoid digestive problems.

Should you decide to be adventurous enough to try cooking with rosehips, here is a list of the possibilities:  syrup, applesauce, pudding, fruit leather, soup, bread, tea, pie, candy, and jelly.  Rose berries were eaten as dinner vegetables in World War II, to enhance good health.

The rose market for plants alone is enormous.  Potted, climbing, as bushes, wild, cuttings, or as seeds.
The rose spreads joy in many ways, for many reasons, in many forms.  No one is too old or young to be touched by a rose in some way, shape or form.  It is indeed one of the most wondrous creations.
Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

Rain and snow are going to play a huge part in your yard landscaping decisions. For example you will have to plan for your yard landscaping with care. You should go to the library and take out some books on the subject. These yard landscaping books will help you to learn all of the most important points of yard landscaping so that you do not ruin your yard for good.

Your yard landscaping needs to be done with close attention being paid to rain and snow as well as proper drainage. If you find that your yard gets too muddy in the winter or you have large puddles all over then you most likely do not have the right kind of drainage going on. This is something that you may want to consider getting a professional in to take care of. If you still want to do the rest of your yard landscaping yourself then this is fine but some things are better left to the professionals.

You need to have your yard landscaping done in such a way that the rain when it falls, will actually water your plants. You will be able to use all of the water that falls into your yard to feed the plants and the trees if you set up your yard landscaping the right way. Knowing the general rainfall levels and times of the year you will then be able to make up the water levels when they drop with other watering. This is important during times like summer when it gets hot and there is not much rain.

Snow is another thing that is very important to your yard. Snow is just as vital to your entire yard landscaping project as rain is. Snow not only waters your yard as it melts but the snow, although cold, can actually help to keep your soil warmer. This will allow any plants that are sleeping under the snow to stay healthy and alive. Your bulbs will pop up in the spring in perfect form and color making your yard landscaping all the more beautiful

When it rains you need to see just how the rain is transferred all over your yard. This is very important to the entire yard landscaping that you are planning to do. This is simple to do, all you need to do is take a walk around your yard the next time it starts to rain. Watch for where the rain puddles and where it drains to and you are well on your way to perfect yard landscaping. This kind of work is the easy part of the job and is the best way to start. Then you will know what needs to be done to get the right kind of drainage going with you yard landscaping.

Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

There are many new trends surfacing in gardening, and water gardening is one of the main new interests.  Water gardening can be in the form of waterfalls, ponds, fountains, all of which can be enhanced by rock work combinations and lighting, plants, and fish.  Water gardening doesn’t have to be a pond or natural water source either, it can consist of just a plastic tub, basically anything that can hold water.

The most important thing to consider in water gardening is probably the spot chosen.  Since plants and fish both need plenty of sunlight, places in direct light away from trees and bushes is the best place.  This will also help prevent leaves and debris from collecting in the water.

When planning for a water garden first decide the size you want.  This will depend on how much money you are willing to spend because water gardening can get expensive if you opt for a large garden full of plants, rocks, fish, and lights.  Also consider the size of our property, and the amount of time you want to spend with maintaining your water garden.

When you choose what type of aquatic plants you wish to have, remember that the plants should only cover about half of the water.  Plants can be free floating, submerged, or marginal.  Which you choose is all a matter of personal preference.  Some plants are good for their scent, some provide more oxygen than others and will keep the pool health, and some are just beautiful. Fish are not only nice to look at but they are also very beneficial.  Fish help keep debris at a minimum and help in controlling larva and other insects.

One of the main difficulties in water gardening is keeping water clear of algae.  Algae problems are usually caused from too many nutrients in the water from feeding fish too often or from over fertilizing plants.  If ponds are made correctly and are maintained properly algae problems and control will be kept at a minimum.

All garden pools regardless of size will need maintenance throughout the year. With proper planning you can ensure a healthy balance between living and decorative features of a water garden that can almost care for itself with simple maintenance inputs from you.
You can get rid of algae by reducing on the nutrients that cause the algae by cutting back on feeding and fertilizing, planting more plants, installing a filter system, or replacing existing water with fresh water.  There are some chemicals that can be used, like copper compounds, but overuse can kill plant life and fish.

Water gardening doesn’t take anymore time than regular gardening, but obviously isn’t near the same thing.  You may be the type person who couldn’t grow a flower if you tried but would be excellent at water gardening.  If you are looking for a way to occupy some time or to beautify your yard, water gardening is an excellent way.

Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

Vegetable gardening has lately become just as popular as going to the grocery store fore produce.  Vegetable gardening can produce vegetable that are usually cheaper than store bought, and vegetables from a home vegetable garden definitely taste better by far.  Vegetable gardening is no different than growing herbs or flowers and if the proper steps are taken and the plants are give the proper care they will flourish and produce very tasty vegetables.

First you must decide what size of garden you wish to plant and then select a place for it; somewhere that has good drainage, good air flow, and good, deep soil.  It also needs to be able to get as much sunlight as possible.  Because vegetable gardens have such tasty rewards, many animals, such as dogs, rabbits, deer, and many others will try and get to your veggies.  One way to prevent this is to surround your garden with a fence, or put out a trap to catch mice, moles, and other animals.

Before planting, the soil must be properly prepared.  Good soil for vegetable gardening is achieved by cultivation and the application of organic materials.  The soil must be tilled (plowed) to control weeds and mix mulch into the soil.  If you have a small garden, spading could be a better bet than plowing.  Mulching is also a vital part of soil preparation.  Organic matter added to the soil releases nitrogen, minerals, and other nutrients plants need to thrive.  The most popular and best type of mulch you can use is compost.  While the kind and amount of fertilizer used depends on the soil and types of plants, there are some plants that have specific needs; leafy plants, like cabbage, spinach, and lettuce usually grow better with more nitrogen, while root crops like potatoes, beets, turnips, and carrots require more potash.  Tomatoes and beans use less fertilizer, while plants like onions, celery, and potatoes need a larger amount.

One thing that is vitally important in vegetable gardening is the garden arrangement.  There is no single plan that will work for every garden due to varying conditions.  One popular way to arrange a vegetable garden is to plant vegetables needing only limited space together, such as radishes, lettuce, beets, and spinach, and those that require more room together, such as corn, pumpkins, and potatoes.  Try and plant tall growing plants towards the back of the garden and shorter ones in the front so that their sunlight does not get blocked.

When you are finally ready to begin planting your vegetable garden, make sure and plant at the right time of year.  If you are dying to get an early start, you may want begin your garden inside in a hotbed and then transplant when the weather permits.  After you are finished planting, make sure your vegetables receive the appropriate amount of water, which depends on the type of plant.  Most plants will need the equivalent to about an inch of water per week.

Weeds must be controlled in vegetable gardening because they will take up water, light, and nutrients meant for the vegetables and they often bring disease and insects to the garden.  You can get rid of weeds by cultivation or mulching.  To protect against disease and insects you can buy seeds that are disease resistant or use controlled chemicals.

Vegetable gardening is many people’s favorite form of gardening because you can actually taste the fruits of your labor.  Vegetable gardening is not that expensive to start and the taste of home grown veggies definitely beat out that of supermarket vegetables.  Your vegetable gardening days will be full of produce if you take the proper precautions when planting and continue maintenance of your garden.

Don

www.greenfingergardening.com

If you are a garden lover, but have no space for your gardening appetite, don’t worry gardening is not necessarily out of your reach. In the available space of your house say balcony, patio, deck, or sunny window, you can create a container gardening, which will not only bring you joy but also vegetables. So, are you ready to start container gardening yourself…

In the past, gardening is an exclusive realm of the landowner. Nowadays even the flat dweller can grow his dream garden without having any fuss. One’s dream can be fulfilled by container gardening, which means the gardening in a special container. Container gardening gives delights of landscape without weekly mowing. In the container, you can raise some perennials, annuals, and even shrubs and small trees.

Don’t think container gardening can be achieved very easily. Container gardening also requires proper planning just like that of traditional gardening. Planning consists of finding your USDA zone (this will help to identify the suitable plant variety of your zone), amount of daylight you are receiving in your apartment, and finally choose your beloved plant variety.

It is always advisable to buy the plants from nearest nursery unless you have right conditions to go for indoor seedlings. You should not keep the tender plants of container gardening outside below 45° F temperature or in soaring winds. Moreover you should not leave the new plants through out the night in the outside to get frost it out.

There is a false notion that all the plants grow in the ground won’t grow in the container gardening. It’s not so. If you have any doubt, please do experiment on it.  Moreover, any container with holes for drainage can be used for your container gardening.

Container gardening requires little budget in the initial stage. But it is having low maintenance with good satisfaction. Container gardening requires little fertilizer and water according to the specific needs of the plants.

There is numerous pot growing vegetable varieties as container gardening. In this type, the vegetable plant requires only sunlight and water. Providing these two things can easily help you get fresh vegetables for your ratatouille or salad. You can get more satisfaction by serving these varieties nurtured by your own hands to your beloved pals.

Don’t despair-if you’re not having balcony or deck? Get nod from your landlord for window boxes, a modern container gardening. It is highly possible to grow many bloomy annuals year-round and indoor vegetables in your sunny window. There is another type of garden called community gardens, which will satisfy the city dwellers.

There is no need to end your container gardening since you have entered autumn. But you can continue your container gardening by selecting the plants that are withholding the frost. The common plant varieties that stand up to the frost are Eulalia grasses, Mexican feather grass, Cornflowers, Lavender cottons, Jasmine, Million bells, Stonecrops, etc.,

In order to extend the life of your garden from early spring to fall, you can replant to match the conditions. Even you can contact some of the America’s best gardeners through online to get design for your container gardening. They offer suggestions such as caring and choosing for pots, how to grow tips for succulents, roses, and bulbs, in containers.

Don

www.greenfingergardening.com