The mystery rose that came from my neighbor's garden started sending up suckers throughout the bed, threatening to take it over. What did I do? I sent it to Rose Purgatory.
hardy roses
October’s Bounty: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day October 2017
October 16, 2017 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingVisitors asked about two plants at my Colchicum Open Garden. The first one is readily available at garden centers or online. The second one is a little trickier to find--it helps if you know someone. But visitors were also surprised to see so much in bloom at the end of September. It helps if you know my special plants and (not so) secret techniques. Click over to my blog post and I'll share them with you!
Frost Is Not The End: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day
October 15, 2016 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingWe had our first frost on Monday, 26F (~-3C). And another frost this morning, 27F (also ~-3C). We often seem to skip the light frosts altogether and go straight for the hard stuff. Buh-bye, dahlias, cannas, and cosmos. But there are plenty of plants still blooming. And let's not forget colchicums. I was recently called [...]
Autumn Blooms: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day September 2016
September 15, 2016 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingAutumn blooms come in three categories: fall-only bloomers, "summer" annuals, and rebloomers. Because of this, September usually has more blooming plants than August. When you combine fall-bloomers, late-bloomers, and rebloomers in one bed, it hardly looks like the fall garden is waning. With thoughtful planning and cooperative weather, September can be a floriferous month. What's [...]
A Thornless Native Rose: Wildflower Wednesday
June 25, 2016 – Posted in: Native/Invasive, RosesBecause the landscape had been neglected for almost a decade, the yard of my former home was full of horticultural surprises when we first moved in: daffodils that started blooming again once dug and divided, irises that smelled like grape lollipops, bulbs that sent up leaves in spring but didn't bloom until fall (colchicums) and [...]
Summer Is Here: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day June 2015
June 15, 2015 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingWe know it's summer when the frost-tender mosaic bird bath (pictured above) takes its rightful place in the front garden. That move from winter storage was delayed because I was attending the Garden Bloggers' Fling in Toronto. (There's a good story about the bird bath here.) All the usual suspects are blooming, so I'll just [...]
How to Fortify Your Roses Against the Cold
October 5, 2014 – Posted in: RosesJack Falker is a rose enthusiast who gardens in Minnesota. Minnesota--in case you don't have the USDA Hardiness Map memorized--is entirely a cold climate state, consisting of Zone 3 and 4. (Okay, there is a teeny bit of Zone 5 in the most recent map, but still.) One can't grow roses in Minnesota without knowing [...]
Bright Spots and Lots of Texture: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day September 2014
September 16, 2014 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingUnlike mid-summer when there are large drifts of color in the garden, the late summer garden has bright spots and lots of texture," says my friend Layanee, and I couldn't agree more. Many plants have finished blooming, their foliage and seedheads now providing texture, some plants are just reaching their peak, and still others are [...]
The Roses at the End of the Road: Book Review
November 29, 2013 – Posted in: Book reviewsThis is Pat Leuchtman. You may know her as the garden blogger Commonweeder. I first met Pat at a garden blogger's fling and chatted with her then and at other garden blogger gatherings. I thought she was a cheerful, conventional New Englander. When I started reading her book, The Roses at the End of the [...]
The Cabin Fever Bed: Part 1
October 29, 2013 – Posted in: Cabin Fever Bed, New House, New GardensCabin fever is a colloquial expression that means different things to different people. Wikipedia defines it as a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in a small space, with nothing to do for an extended period. Cabin fever describes the extreme irritability and restlessness a person may [...]
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