tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:27:20 +0000perennialsfallannualsphotographyPhoto of the DaywinterseedsbeneficialsspringshrubsweatherfoliageherbsRutgers Gardenscatalogsflower showbooksbotanical gardennativestreescatsbulbssummerwildflowersbirdsbutterfliesgrassesroseswintersowinggreenhousephotoshopvegetablesMaster GardenerStraw Hat SocietycontainershouseplantspestsEARTH CenterberriesblogsnurserypropagationvineswildlifeGarden Bloggers Seed ExchangeGarden Voicesmuseumpoliticspollenrecipeswritinghttp://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)Blogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-742294516574856272Sat, 19 Feb 2011 18:16:00 +00002011-03-11T14:22:17.540-05:00flower showThis post is my personal opinion only. It in no way reflects the views of Rutgers Gardens or any of its staff. I am not a spokesperson for Rutgers Gardens. I like to work the first shift at the Rutgers Gardens booth at the flower show so that I see immediately how my pictures did in the photo competition. I’m like a little kid. I can’t wait. I have to know literally as soon as the judging is http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2011/02/you-be-judge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-9159972275005367648Sat, 19 Feb 2011 04:31:00 +00002011-03-04T13:13:27.205-05:00flower showThis post is my personal opinion only. It in no way reflects the views of Rutgers Gardens or any of its staff. I am not a spokesperson for Rutgers Gardens. I don’t know if it was the theme (Broadway) or the economy, but the display gardens at the NJ Flower & Garden Show were uninspiring this year. I wasn’t “wowed” by any of them. In keeping with the bad economic times, there were very few http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2011/02/nj-flower-garden-show.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-8069070752446138279Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:31:00 +00002011-03-03T12:28:41.593-05:00flower showphotographyphotoshopThe competition at the flower show in the photo category was fierce this year. There were some fantastic pictures. I knew when I dropped off my photos that I would not do as well as I have in previous years. And I was right: Third Place – Digital Color Honorable Mention– Digital B&W Second Place– Computer Enhanced Color Third Place– Computer Enhanced B&W Ironically, thehttp://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2011/02/fierce.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-1416583311175794786Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:43:00 +00002011-01-14T00:48:27.079-05:00annualsbotanical gardencatalogsgrassesRutgers Gardensseedsvegetableswinter I am being buried in seed catalogs. I love it. Last year, I dabbled in the Dried Flower Bed at Rutgers Gardens. It was assigned to me at the last minute, so I had to settle for planting leftovers from the greenhouse. Needless to say, it was not a success. This year, I will be able to grow flowers ahead of time in the greenhouse specifically for the Dried Flower Bed. I’ve found a lot of http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2011/01/seeds-of-summer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-5230468100958035493Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:56:00 +00002011-01-13T01:04:00.436-05:00birdsshrubsweatherwinterNew Jersey seems to be blessed with weekly snowfalls. First there was the Christmas Blizzard, then a couple more inches last week. It was so little that I didn’t bother shoveling it. Last night we were graced with another foot of snow. Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. There was only 6” to 8” in my yard, although some areas did get up to a foot. Most people were probably glad that the stormhttp://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2011/01/oh-no-not-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-2728367634992585644Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:48:00 +00002011-01-13T00:56:04.341-05:00houseplantswinterI opened the curtains in my kitchen today and found this: My Christmas cactus is blooming. Again. In January. Again. Six years after the first time it bloomed. I haven’t done anything differently this year. But it has. There is a bud in addition to the flower. Two flowers this year! Does that mean that it will have three flowers the next time it blooms six years from now?http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-cactus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-6296151822833231237Sun, 02 Jan 2011 04:54:00 +00002011-01-05T14:48:12.636-05:00birdsbotanical gardenfoliagePhoto of the DayRutgers GardenstreesweatherwinterI love this picture. The trees look so ghostly. I spent New Years Day in my favorite place: Rutgers Gardens. I was surprised at the amount of snow left over from last week’s blizzard despite the warm temperatures we have experienced since then. The snow has been melting in interesting shapes. Evidence of the high winds was scattered all over the floor of Helyar Woods. Photo of the Day I http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-in-gardens.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-2500350873670320406Tue, 28 Dec 2010 04:10:00 +00002010-12-30T01:23:03.966-05:00herbsperennialsPhoto of the DayphotographyweatherwinterIt’s amazing how quickly a weather forecast can change. On Christmas Eve, the friendly TV weather person was assuring us that the monster storm that was forming in the south would miss us and head out to sea. Instead of being snowed in, I would be able to get to the gym on Sunday to work off all of those Christmas cookies that I’ve been baking. When I turned the television on Christmas evening, http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-blizzard-2010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-6534288398085931137Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:25:00 +00002010-10-23T01:27:22.556-04:00booksI was a little put off when this book landed, unsolicited, in my mailbox. I don’t like being reminded that I am growing older. Reading the blurbs on the back cover, I was intrigued by the fact that the author was a widow who had lost her husband of forty years quite suddenly and didn’t miss him. That alone was enough to encourage me to read the book. It turns out that after his death, she http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/10/growing-older.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-3575649088782459626Wed, 12 May 2010 17:16:00 +00002010-10-16T01:19:44.464-04:00booksphotographyEvery gardener knows about Monet’s magnificent gardens at Giverny which inspired so many of his paintings, but very few gardeners have the opportunity to visit those gardens and experience them in person. Lucky for us, Elizabeth Murray who is a gardener and photographer, has written a book about Giverny that is lavishly illustrated with her own incomparable photographs. She spent a year as a http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/05/monets-passion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-8241854649154083895Mon, 19 Apr 2010 03:59:00 +00002010-04-23T02:09:47.838-04:00herbsPhoto of the DayphotographyRutgers GardensspringweatherRutgers Gardens is sponsoring a photo contest this fall. It’s limited to amateur photographers. Photos must be taken between January 1 and September 10, 2010. Only one entry can be submitted in each of the three categories: plants, wildlife and people. I don’t do anything with a heartbeat, so I may only be able to enter one photo if I don’t get a good butterfly or bee photo. I have been so busy http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/04/blowin-in-wind.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-5307862022418762805Sun, 18 Apr 2010 03:52:00 +00002010-04-23T02:10:42.943-04:00annualsgreenhouseherbsnativesperennialspropagationseedsspringvegetableswildflowers The Flower House The Vegetable House The Cold Frame The two new greenhouses at Rutgers Gardens went into production this year. Gone are the days of not enough room to work, not enough room on the mist table, not enough room for all the plants. The old, small greenhouse is now used to house tropicals being overwintered while the new, larger greenhouses are used to raise plants for sale or for http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/04/saturdays-at-greenhouse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-4408368922243671425Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:41:00 +00002010-04-23T01:52:15.675-04:00bulbsperennialsrosesspring The Jack Frost brunnera has become a handsome plant. It is worth every penny that I paid for it. There used to be daffodils there. Probably if I looked a little harder, I could find them. Luckily, they were free Thalia daffs. There are larger, more established clumps in the Purple Garden and in front of the shed. These are lunaria that have reseeded themselves despite my best efforts to collecthttp://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/04/blooming-in-my-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-463181488243599520Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:38:00 +00002010-04-23T01:40:52.857-04:00catsgreenhousespring After an exhausting day ridding the greenhouse of vermin, Rutger took a snooze in the catnip. Photo taken with my Blackberry Stormhttp://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/04/saturdays-in-greenhouse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-2591604704267705717Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:35:00 +00002010-04-23T01:38:02.753-04:00greenhousespringweatherThe forecast was for rain this weekend and I was looking forward to working in the greenhouse. I love working in the greenhouse when it rains. I love the warm humidity and growing plants. I love the sound of rain gently drumming on the roof and sides. While the predictions were for heavy rain and possible flooding, I’m quite certain that there was no mention of gale force winds. Working in the http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/more-wild-weather.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-8147820015256142002Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:31:00 +00002010-04-23T01:34:40.976-04:00bulbsspring The calendar may say it’s still winter, but my garden is started to burst into spring. These cheerful crocus greeted me this morning when I came home from work.http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/spring-has-sprung.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-4804376198217506406Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:25:00 +00002010-04-23T01:30:47.580-04:00flower showfoliagehouseplantsseeds I skipped my annual tradition this year of buying something at the NJ flower show that had nothing to do with gardening. I did this for two reasons. First, because I was eager to get home and watch the Olympics, I had very little time to spend in the vendor area. More importantly, I had fallen in love with the African violet with the variegated foliage and I knew that there is always a http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/i-came-i-saw-i-bought.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-4111246396029507311Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:11:00 +00002010-03-17T01:25:45.474-04:00flower showwinterIt appears that the same people who judged the NJ flower show, moved on to judge the Philly show. Let’s see if you can guess which of the following was awarded the coveted blue ribbon: Entry #1 Entry #2 Entry #3 Entry #4 If you thought that Entry #2 was the first place winner, then you should consider a career in flower show judging. Are you up for another round? Try these arrangements: http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/you-be-judge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-7991821012531798508Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:20:00 +00002010-03-11T17:52:25.236-05:00flower showPhoto of the DayThis post is my personal opinion only. It in no way reflects the views of Rutgers Gardens or any of its staff. I am not a spokesperson for Rutgers Gardens. A and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Philadelphia Flower Show today. It was more spectacular than last year. How spectacular? I set a new personal record of 687 photos. Most trips, I average 300 – 400 photos. Photos of the Day I just http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/philadelphia-flower-show.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-6624337982737973437Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:10:00 +00002010-03-02T19:00:33.664-05:00booksI bought my first house 25 years ago. It was an old Victorian in dire need of renovation. The yard was in even worse shape. Previously a rental, the landlord had paved part of the backyard with gravel to create a parking lot. The rest of the yard was a jumble of vines including poison ivy. I was literally starting with nothing. I didn’t even own any garden tools. Over the next ten years, Ihttp://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/03/small-budget-gardener.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-6318077481084912236Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:14:00 +00002010-02-22T18:25:55.499-05:00flower showThis post is my personal opinion only. It in no way reflects the views of Rutgers Gardens or any of its staff. I am not a spokesperson for Rutgers Gardens. The flower show was not as disappointing this year as it was last year. Granted, there were still fewer display gardens than prior to the recession but the ones that were there were more elaborate than last year. Water features were abundant. http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/02/nj-flower-garden-show.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-991204850394138267Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:11:00 +00002010-02-18T23:11:04.349-05:00flower showPhoto of the DayphotographyphotoshopwinterI worked in the financial industry for 25 years before switching to IT. Some of the lingo still sticks. For instance, when a company posts exceptionally good earnings or earnings that aren’t as bad as anticipated they are said to be BTE or Better Than Expected. That’s a great description of how my photos did at the flower show this year. I entered four photos instead of my usual two. The woman http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/02/bte.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-2698182411573037008Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:02:00 +00002010-02-13T01:14:50.810-05:00blogscatsweatherwinterThis time the forecast was right. Snowstorm overnight, followed by a blizzard in the late afternoon. Up to 20" of precipitation expected. Blowing and drifting snow. White-out conditions. No one should be driving unless it’s an emergency. But you know there are always a few idiots who ignore the warnings and are out driving around. Yesterday, I was one of those idiots. I didn’t mean to be one ofhttp://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/02/snowmaggedon-20.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-8446316380933310841Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:09:00 +00002010-02-07T17:10:08.187-05:00perennialsPhoto of the DayphotographyweatherwinterAfter all of the dire warnings, the hysterical mobs in the grocery stores, the mad rush to get home before the storm, "snowmageddon" turned out to be a non-event in my area. Two or three inches that wasn't hardly worth shovelling. I took a few obligatory pictures and then headed off to do my normal Saturday errands.http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/02/snowmageddon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2089827052616464803.post-4138861283013701896Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:59:00 +00002010-02-03T01:13:33.040-05:00museumwinterLast month, my fellow strawhatter, “A”, asked if I would be interested in attending a talk on chocolate. I have a confession to make: My name is OldRoses and I am a chocoholic. Is there such a thing as “Chocoholics Anonymous?” If there is, I don’t want to know. I love my chocolate too much. It’s genetic, you know. My mother always said that she could eat an old boot if it was covered with http://aphotographersgarden.blogspot.com/2010/01/allure-of-chocolate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (OldRoses)2