We all love roses. It may be the fragrance, color or the flower form that attracts us. It may be the memories that roses evoke. Whatever the reason, roses are one of the world’s most popular flowers. With so many different types of roses available, ranging from the diminutive miniatures to the towering climbers, there is no excuse to exclude this “Queen of Flowers” from your garden.

ROSE TYPES

Hybrid Tea Roses are a favorite of rose gardeners that enjoy long stemmed, large flowers.  Hybrid tea flowers have many petals and plants grow upright and tall, about 3 – 7 feet. These roses are appropriate in either a formal garden or informal planting.

Floribunda Roses have smaller flowers than hybrid teas with the flowers arranged in clusters. This rose bush is useful as a hedge and in mass plantings.

Grandiflora Roses were developed by crossing hybrid teas with floribundas. This rose grows to around 10 feet tall so it should be used in the back of the border. The flowers of the Grandiflora are hybrid tea form and can be single stemmed or borne in clusters depending on the cultivar.

Climbing Roses make an outstanding vertical display when trained on arbors, walls, fences, trellises and pergolas and can grow from 8 – 15 feet tall. Flowers may be borne large and single or small and arranged in clusters.

Miniature Roses are dwarf in every way – flowers, leaves and height. This rose may be mass planted as a ground cover, used as border or grown in containers on decks, patios and porches.

Shrub Roses are renowned for their bushy habit and excellent disease resistance making them and excellent choice for mass planting. The shrub rose flower may be either single or double. Some types have very showy rose hips.

Old Roses are making a come-back! Although bloom times and color choices are limited, old roses are much more fragrant, vigorous and disease resistant than modern roses. To obtain all the qualities of an old rose combined with a long bloom time of a modern rose, look for the David Austin varieties.

THE BASICS OF ROSE CARE

Beginners often become confused with the many recommendations and suggestions for growing roses.  However, it is important to start with the basic guidelines for successful rose growing.  Roses can thrive under many conditions, but they sure grow better when you follow the basics.

Prepare the Soil

1. Take a soil sample to test the pH.  Roses like a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.  You may need to add lime to raise the pH or sulfur to lower it.
2. Incorporate composted cow manure or compost into the soil.

Planting

1. Select a sunny spot with good soil drainage – roses require at least 6 hours of full sun daily.  Early morning sun is preferred, because it dries the leaves, which helps prevent disease.
2. Dig a wide, shallow hole that is 2 to 3 times as wide, but not quite as deep as the root ball (about 1 inch shallower).  The plant should sit on solid ground so it doesn’t sink when the soil settles.
3. Remove the plant from the pot and loosen any circling roots.  If you can’t pull the roots apart, use a knife to make 4 to 5 vertical cuts in the root ball.  This will allow new roots to grow out into the surrounding soil.
4. Place the plant in the hole slightly elevated above ground level.  Backfill with soil until the hole is half full.
5. Soak the root ball with a mixture of a Root Stimulator & Transplanting Solution.
6. Fill the rest of the hole with soil and water thoroughly.  Apply mulch to a depth of 2”, being careful not to mound mulch against the trunk of the plant.

Prune

1. In spring, remove winter mulch when new grow appears.  Prune out all dead wood and twiggy growth and cut back to sound wood with a clean slanting cut, just above a good bud eye.
2. During the growing season, remove fading roses promptly, cutting just above a five-leaflet leaf.
3. To winterize, remove all fallen leaves and debris from the base of the plant, cut back to 10-12 inches after the ground freezes, then apply a mound of mulch over the canes.

Feed and Water

1. Roses thrive best when given 1 inch of water weekly.  A thorough soaking from rain or hose will keep roses blooming all season.  Try not to overhead water unless it is early in the day, as the damp leaves can promote disease.
2. Fertilize monthly with Espoma Rose-tone.

Treat for Disease and Pests

1. Fungus disease cannot be cured, so a regular spraying schedule is very important.  Keep an eye on plants that were infected last year and spray with a fungicide to prevent outbreaks this year.
2. You will also need to use an insecticide for any insect problems.
3. Many find it convenient to use an all-purpose insect and disease spray once a week or a systemic control every 6 weeks.

Heavenly Hostas, their real glory is in their foliage.  The thin spikes of purple or white, trumpet shaped flowers appear for several weeks in the summer and are an added benefit to this divine perennial.

Hostas are praised by many for their magnificent variety of leaf size, color and texture. These angels will grace your garden with heart-shaped, lance-shaped, oval and nearly round leaves. Smooth, quilted or puckered textures, with either a matte or glossy sheen add to the glory or the Hostas radiant glow.

The leaf margins can be either smooth or wavy and range in color from light to dark green. Colors also include chartreuse, gray and blue. Variegated varieties of cream, white or yellow will radiate in a dark area of your garden.

While most hostas are shade worshippers, some types will tolerate sun. Hostas remain attractive from spring until frost and can withstand a wide range of growing conditions.

As choice groundcovers or single specimens in the landscape, hostas are certainly divine. Some hostas are quite unusual and rare and may increase in value each year.

Little maintenance is required to care for hostas. Cut off old flower stalks after flowers have faded. Divide plants occasionally to increase their quantity. With so many selections and varieties, you can find a hosta the will fit into almost any garden situation. Stop by and check out our heavenly selection today!

Uses For Hostas

Dwarf & Small Hosta: In addition to being planted in secret little pockets throughout your garden or next to paths, dwarf and small hostas can be used in difficult places. Plant them among tree roots, on a slope or in rocky places containing little soil.

Edger Hosta: These hostas are 12” or less in height and have more horizontal growth. They are able to control weeds as they leave not light, when well established, or room for them to grow.

Groundcover Hosta: This group of hostas grow in height to 18” or less.  They do a great job in areas difficult to weed or maintain.  If you are in need of a hosta for use as a groundcover, keep in mind it works great to plant spring flowering bulbs among them. The hosta comes up after the show of flowers and covers the fading foliage of the bulbs.

Background Hosta: Selections from this group grow to 24” or taller at maturity. They can be used to increase privacy where you sit and relax or to provide definition to your property line.

Specimen Hosta: Specimens may be any size. Choose a site close to where the plant will be viewed so that every detail (like texture, color patter, buds, flowers and fragrance) may be enjoyed.

Dwarf conifers are some of the most versatile and popular plants of today’s modern garden and landscape.  These fantastic plants add interesting texture, color and form to rock, pond and container gardens as well as a mixed border.  Dwarf conifers are virtually carefree and often provide four seasons of interest.

We commonly think of conifers as needled evergreens such as pines, spruce and firs; However, not all conifers are needled and not all are evergreen.  The common Larch is needled, but deciduous.  Ginko trees are conifers that have fan-shaped deciduous leaves, and this tree is neither needled nor evergreen.  What identifies a plant as a conifer is that it is cone-bearing.  Dwarf conifers are slower growing and smaller versions of the straight species of a given conifer.  A good example is our Eastern White Pine, Pinus strobus, which can reach a height of one hundred feet at maturity.  The dwarf version of this plant, Pinus strobus ‘Nana’, will only grow to eighteen feet at maturity.

Due to their popularity, new varieties of dwarf conifers are being introduced each season.  This gives you an almost endless selection…We would like to share some of our favorites:

Abies alba ‘Green Spiral’ (Silver Fir)
Abies lagrocarpa ‘Arizona Glauca Compacta’ (Rocky Mountain Fir)
Abies procera ‘Sherwoodi’ (Noble Fir)
Abies balsomea ‘Nana’ (Dwarf Balsam Fir)
Cedrus deodora ‘Albospica’ (Deodar Cedar)
Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana’ (Dwarf Hinoki Falsecypress)
Chamaecyparis obtuse ‘Nana Lutea’ (Hinoki Falsecypress)
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Aurea Nana’ (Japanese Falsecypress)
Picea abies ‘Little Gem’ (Norway Spruce)
Picea abies ‘Conica’ (Norway Spruce)
Picea abies ‘Pumila’ (Norway Spruce)
Picea abies ‘Argenteospicata’ (Norway Spruce)
Picea pungens ‘Montgomery’ (Colorado Spruce)
Picea pungens ‘Fat Albert’ (Colorado Spruce)
Pinus cembra ‘Glauca Nana’ (Swiss Stone Pine)
Pinus mugo (Mugo Pine)
Pinus nigra ‘Hornibrookiana’ (Autstrian Pine)
Pinus sylvestris ‘Globosa Viridis’ (Scotch Pine)
Tsuga canadensis ‘Gentsch White’ (Canadian Hemlock)