All About Rose Gardening

44 Creative Ideas For Repurposing Picture Frames

2015-08-07T05:55:00.001-07:00

44 Creative Ideas For Repurposing Picture Frames
I found this interesting article, and thought you might find it interesting; I did!

Rose Gardening in the Winter that Just won't End!

2015-03-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's March 2nd and less that 20 degrees outside. Not to mention the tremendous amount of snow on the ground. Oh, and you can add another 3-4" that fell overnight!
I for one, have had enough Winter!

Thought I'd share a few 'Winter Garden Pictures". (Maybe I should call them 'Snow pictures", since the garden is barely visible under it).

This is my Garden Bench; completely buried!

My Garden Bench

Here is a shot of part of the Rose Garden; I can't even walk out to it; it has over 4' of snow on top of it!

The Rose Garden

This is my back yard. There is a lovely Herb garden buried beneath that snow! The path you see was where my husband went out there to shovel the back roof.

The Back Yard

But...what can you do? Waite for Spring, and make the most of it!
While I'm waiting......I made some wonderful Rose Petal Bath Salts from some dried rose petals from last years garden (I always have some saved and dried, ready for whatever project I need them for)!

It is a Super Easy recipe!

Rose Petal Bath Salt

Here's the link to the recipe; http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com/Rose-Petal-Bath-Salt-Recipe.html

While some of you may already be experiencing spring;.......I'll be

Relaxing in a hot refreshing tub with my gardening catalogs and dreaming of this years garden!

Have a great day and,

Happy Gardening!

Garden Beauty in Winter

2015-02-06T08:26:00.001-08:00

The Garden is beautiful even in the winter months! There is not as much 'color', as when the flowers are blooming, but the subtle hues of black and white make quite beautiful images.
Get out in the garden and photograph it in the dead of winter....you'll be amazed at the beauty within your sleeping garden!

Some may not like the snow much, but I personally am thankful for a nice thick covering of it to blanket, and protect the rose bushes through the winter.

Without the snow covering, the ground goes through warming, and freezing again, and in the process heaves the plants up out of the ground. This could damage or even kill them........so I say......"Snow" stay awhile and keep my plants tucked in till spring!

Happy Gardening,
Carol
I'm excited to see this working again, so get ready for lots more posts!

Rose Gardening Updates at All About Rose Gardening

2014-08-13T09:20:00.002-07:00

There has been a lot going on at allaboutrosegardening.com! And a lot going on in the gardens! I've spent the summer making the beds bigger, edging them all, adding mulch, a metal gazebo, fencing, and more roses! phew! All during the hot, sticky days of summer! We gardeners are a dedicated lot that do what has to get done....right?
Well THIS gardener does anyway!
I'm afraid I've neglected this Blog in the process....but not to worry, I'm back on track!

View my E-Book:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/459598

It's a pictorial guide on "How to Build My Corner Trellis" I have two of them at the entrance to my rose garden. I love them!
I was given a couple of heirloom roses by my sister, that turns out came from the farm we grew up on....so I wanted to find a special spot to plant them.
When I couldn't decide on one, my husband suggested a corner trellis... thus the plan began!
And I decided to turn the plans into an ebook.

I'd like to show you a picture, but the picture icon on this blog is apparently not working!

I'm going to see what I can do about it, and get right back.....
Till next time,
Happy Gardening,
Carol

Roses, Roses, and one More Garden Rose!

2013-02-28T16:18:00.001-08:00

A New Garden Rose (or two)

Spring is almost here, which means that winter is almost over! Each year I receive at least a dozen or so catalogs from various flower and rose nurseries, offering rose bushes for sale. They always have a new garden rose to entice me!

Even if I don’t order anything from them, I still like to keep all the catalogs I receive, especially the rose catalogs. I find them very useful for references.

Heck, I have rose catalogs with plants for sale that are over 10 years old! I know this is the age of cyberspace, but I still like my mailed version in my hand! I’ve been pouring over them, trying to decide... when I buy the rose plants, which ones I will order.

Of course I could simply re-order the ones those nasty wild turkeys destroyed last year! I had ordered 4 new roses (own-root) variety’s (my favorite), so they were pretty small. That’s the way I like to plant them! Anyway, I received them, all was well, I planted them, and didn’t get out to the garden for at least a week, it was early Spring, and it had rained a couple times, so I figured, the plants didn’t need me.

Boy was I wrong! That flock of wild turkeys must have had a good ole time digging around in the bed with three of those new baby roses, because when I finally got to checking on them, they were uprooted, and all dried out! Well 2 anyway, one was completely gone. And so were the Turkeys....

Well, at least one rose survived... It was planted elsewhere in the garden... “Purple Splash” a purple and white striped climber, with a golden eye.

It's a nice addition to my garden. Don't you think? Read more about the beautiful Purple Splash Climbing Rose.

This beauty is hard to zone 4, so I expect it to do well in my zone 5 garden.

This year, I’ll have to construct some type of fence, maybe out of chicken wire, or something, to protect the new roses! A friend uses garden netting stretched over poles.

This is the time of year that you will find many rose plants on sale; it is the perfect time to buy rose plants from the mail order companies. Don’t wait too long to decide, or you may find your choices out of stock. This is especially true if it is a new or popular variety.

My Favorite Rose Nurseries

One of my favorites is of course David Austin. I love the English roses! The catalog is beautiful! They call it a “Handbook” which of course it is, it’s full of information!

Michigan Bulb is another favorite. (They have some of the own-root ones that I love) I also love the price!

Heirloom Roses, another favorite, also gets my vote. I have only good things to say about them. The own-root garden roses I order from them have all done spectacular! The plants look small when you get them, but give them a year, and wow!

Check out theseRose-Nurseries for more rose plants on sale.

There never seems to be enough time to spend in the garden. I always end each season with a list of un-finished tasks. This year, I plan on trying to put fewer tasks on the list, so I can get everything done!

Need Garden Ideas for planning your rose garden?

Do you Pinterest? I am having so.... much fun with it! What a great way to pass the time in the winter! I've gotten so many great ideas for the garden! And I LOVE looking at all the beautiful pictures!
Check out my Pinterest Boards and Follow me!

Till next time,
Decide on your new roses!
Carol (The Rose Lady)

The Garden in Winter

2013-02-26T14:39:00.001-08:00

Welcome fellow gardeners! I hope you like my new template!

It has been a long winter, with way to much snow! Actually the snow is good for our gardens,it covers the plants and acts like a blanket for the roses and perennials in the garden. The problem is when the snow keeps melting, and the weather keeps going from very cold to very warm. This will cause the plants to heave from the ground, sometimes killing them. This has been such a year...

The wet sticky snow is so beautiful when it covers all the trees and bushes. I wanted to share some of the photos I took before I rushed off to work.

By afternoon this was all melted off the trees, but there was still plenty of snow left on the ground.

It's amazing how much beauty there is in the garden, even in the dead of winter.

My snowy garden bridge reminds me that this year I plan on making a dry stream bed beneath it! I've gotten some really good ideas from Pinterest, that I'd like to try and copy. Do you Pinterst? It's really fun, especially in the winter, when there is nothing you can do outdoors. But let me caution you, it can be very addictive! The time sure goes by fast! Check out my boards... and follow me!

Follow me on Pinterest

(one of my boards has the most beautiful winter pictures!) Take a look!

More Winter Garden Pictures!

My large, old (very, very, old) Cherry tree is still standing. I thought for sure this would be the last winter. I guess it's sturdier than I give it credit. I am dreading having to have it chopped down. But it is loosing lots of branches. My plan, when the time comes to cut it down, is to plant a weeping cherry tree in it's spot.

My side fenced in garden.This makes me think of more painting that needs to be done on it! Winter came, and it got to cold for painting! Another Spring job to do. It seems work in and around the garden is never done!

This flowering crab apple tree, holds the promise of spring! I can't wait for it to burst open with lovely pink blooms!

This is what I wait for.........

Learn more about the beautiful flowering Crab Tree.

My little garden angel bird bath sits in the snow, waiting just like I am....

for sunnier days, and colorful blooms surrounding it.

Because in a few short months, the garden phlox will circle it's base with plenty of bright flowers, and the garden birds will return to drink from it's dish.

And with Spring, comes Summer...... which brings.........

The Roses!

Keep thinking SPRING!

Till next time,
Carol (The Rose Lady)

Visit my web site for tips and ideas and ALL About Rose Gardening!

Christmas Potpourri Recipes

2011-12-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

Because of the season, I thought I'd share some of my favorite christmas potpourri recipes, and other recipes for potpourri with you. There's not much going on in the garden right now..... But there's still lots to do indoors.

For those of you who saved those rose petals, or dried flowers or roses to use in potpourri, try making some of these. They make great gifts for the Holidays!
Note: These potpourri recipes typically take 10 days- 2weeks to allow for the fragrances to mingle.

Rosebud Potpourri

Dried Rosebuds
Dried Rose Petals
Dried Rose Leaves
Dried Orange Peel (cut into shapes)
Star Anise
Orange Oil

Gently mix rose petals, rose buds, orange peel, and star anise in a glass container. Add a couple drops of rose oil, and 1 drop of orange oil. Gently stir ingredients together. Cover container. Potpourri is complete in around 10 days. Use and enjoy!
This recipe is perfect for using in a Rose-Sachet. They are fun to make, and useful too! It can be a great project to make with kids. Designing and decorating the little sachet bags with ribbon and lace, will make them feel special. They make great gifts too!

It could be a fun project for older girls at a sleep-over birthday party. You could have the potpourri all ready to go, and they could make the Sachets and fill with the ready-made Potpourri.

Christmas Potpourri Recipe

My recipe for making Christmas Potpourri is pretty simple! Ingredients include red flowers, red rose petals, tiny pine cones, dried pine, cedar, spruce, cinnamon sticks, dried orange peel........sound like christmas?
Find the entire Christmas Potpourri Recipe here
I know it's almost Christmas, but you still have time to put it all together, in a pretty glass jar with a cover, add a nice red ribbon... and there you have a lovely hand-made gift. Tell the recipient (a friend or relative I'm sure) that it was freshly made, and will have the true (finished) aroma in a week or so.....

Or, if you have some finished Potpourri and are in need of a last miniute gift...How about a Lighted Potpourri Jar? They are quite unique, and very beautiful! They are rather inexpensive to make, but they look like they cost a fortune! Find out how to make this beautiful Lighted Potpourri Jar HERE

The jar is filled with tiny Christmas lights which actually warm the potpourri, helping to release that wonderful aroma! You can use any potpourri recipe of your choosing for this lighted jar.

For more ideas and recipes visit:http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com/How-to-Make-Potpourri.html

Merry Christmas to all, I hope you have a safe and Happy Holiday!

Carol

The Last Rose Blooms of Fall

2011-10-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

As the air gets chilly, and Jack Frost covers the lawn and gardens, the last rose blooms of Fall are bittersweet. The roses continue to produce a flower here and there, and each one is a welcome sight. I still see buds on the plants, but most of them won't get the chance to turn into flowers. The weather prediction for the end of the week is for snow. The Knockout Roses just keep on going...

I don't do a lot in the rose garden before Winter. A few "Special" roses get a mound of soil for added protection, but that's it. I try to grow roses that are hardy to begin with. I hope you enjoy these last
Rose Blooms

The Knockout Roses just keep flowering until a hard frost puts them to bed for the Winter. Part of the bush is producing hips, but flower buds keep appearing!

My little garden ornaments seem to ponder what to do next in the garden!

The Last of the Roses

Another beauty!

Look at those Rose Hips!

These are the leaves of my Theresa Bugnet Rose. Look at the beautiful Burgandy color of the leaves. Another reason why I think these will make a great hedge around the garden. While the flowers are gone, the colorful leaves continue to add interest.

The Zebra Grass is huge! I'll leave it till Spring, because I like the Winter interest. I'll cut it down in early Spring.
It can be sad to know that the garden is done for this season, but next year brings new hope for another great year in gardening!

To next year!

Happy Gardening!

Fall Gardening Tips

2011-09-28T19:37:00.001-07:00

Some Fall Gardening Tips to help you get ready for Winter.

As Summer fades away,and the signs of Fall remind us of the Winter to come, it is time to get our garden ready for the cold months ahead. Here in New England the leaves are turning, but the weather is still quite warm. The foliage is not as nice as in recent years (I don't know why), but my huge Maple trees are dropping their leaves without even turning colors! They usually turn a bright golden yellow, and then drop, but this year they seemed to have skipped that step!
Raking won't be as fun! Even picture taking with the kids won't be quite right!

The Knockout Roses just won't quit! The other roses have been producing hips, not flowers, but those knockouts wow! Such spectacular roses! See the new red growth, and all the new flower buds?

This is a great rose for the garden, or the landscape. Even without deadheading, those flowers just keep coming. I like roses that I don't have to fuss with.

Do you use the rose hips from your roses?

In late fall, after the hips have turned a bright red color, (usually after the first hard frost)you can collect them and use them in recipes. One such recipe is to make Rose Hip Tea. Did you know that Rose hips are loaded with vitamin C?

Fall Gardening Tips
Depending on the way You garden, you may want to leave most of the work until Spring, but I find that getting things done Now will make my life easier come Spring.

Tip #1 Cut back perennials, leaving a few inches of the plant (don't cut level with the ground)
I leave some with lots of seedheads such as Echnichea, and Brown-Eyed Susans, for food for the birds. The rest get cut down, and thrown into the compost pile.

Tip#2 With the garden looking barren, it's a good time to plant some Spring flowering bulbs such as Tulips.
It's like a little bonus in the Spring, when they magically appear. Here's a good place to buy Tulip Bulbs

Tip#3 It's not to late to plant perennials. Make sure you keep them well watered, and mulch with a layer of leaves. Don't fertilize until Spring!

Tip #4 Keep the compost pile going! Don't think that you can't compost in the fall/Winter! You can help those fallen leaves decompose faster by running them over with the lawn-mower. By mowing the grass with the fallen leaves, you'll have a nice mix for the compost pile.
Wondering about composting? Do you know How to make Compost? Are you unsure of what materials to throw in it?

Tip#5 It will soon be time to think about Winterizing your Roses
I don't cover all my roses, I try to plant varieties that I know are hardy enough to withstand the cold, but I like to help the newly planted ones by mounding up some soil around the canes. I get the soil from the vegetable garden, not from around the plant! For a special rose, I don't mind giving them a little extra protection.

Tip #6 After the first few heavy frosts, it's time to wind up all those garden hoses, and shut off the water supply. Statuary has to be taken down and brought in also. Most of my fountains/etc. are cement/stone, and can't stay out all winter. The base will fill with water, freeze, and crack! It's an all afternoon job (for hubby) bringing it all in! Come Spring, it's another day to bring it all back out.

For more Fall Gardening Tips Look here

One of my favorite Shrubs is the Hydrangea Tree. I just love those huge flower clusters. The little white floretts slowly turn a lovely shade of pink they age.

Every year I pick a large bouguet and bring them inside. I don't put water in the vase,because I want them to dry. They last all year!

Be sure to visit my web site:allaboutrosegardening.com for lots more gardening tips, and plenty of pictures of gardens and roses. Who knows you just might be inspired to start a new garden!

My Golden Chain Tree

2011-06-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

I planted this Golden Chain Tree several years ago. When I Ordered it, it looked like a little "stick", but I planted it just the same. Now, each Spring, I can hardly stay in the house when it's in bloom! Take a look at these pictures, and see what you think!

The long blossoms hang down in a cluster that looks like a Wisteria blossom. The bees and Butterfly's love it! Deer tend to avoid it.
I'm always on the look out for interesting trees to add to my yard and garden. It's hard to find a yellow flowering tree, so when I saw this one I knew I had to have it! I think flowering trees add a lot to the landscape. The trick is planting them in the right spot.
This one needs a little protection from heavy wind, so although I know it would look great out in the Rose garden, I planted it close to the house.

If you want more information on the Golden Chain Tree, or would like to order one visit: http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com/Golden-Chain-Tree.html

My rose hedge of Theresa Bugnet is blooming nicely:

It's so nice to see color in the garden! I love the "old rose" fragrance of these roses.
Can you see the nearby Lupines blooming also?

I have several colors, and can't really decide which ones I like the best! (or how I got so many colors? I'm taking pictures, so I can save seeds and know which colors they are!

Isn't this a great color? Sort of Peachy-Red. Lovely!

I have plenty of these Purple/Blue ones, but it's actually surprising how many different shades of purple and blue there are.

I plan on saving Lots of seeds this year, and having them For Sale on my web site: http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com/ by next year. (it's in the planning stage) right now.

Do you save seeds from your garden? If you do, you should keep them in a dry container (an envelope works well) Be sure to label it with the variety and color. And FYI the best place to keep them is in the fridge. It keeps them from drying out, so you know they will be o.k. to plant next year.

You can save a lot of money by starting your own seeds. Need more advice on Starting Seeds? Check it out, and start saving them This year to plant in Next years garden !

Happy Gardening!

Carol

A New Beginning

2011-05-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

A new gardening season has begun! The May flowers are bloomimg, and yes the Roses are soon to follow! As I write this, I already see buds and blossoms on some of the rose plants. About a month ago, I pruned back, and fertilized all the roses with my special Organic Rose Food" that my roses LOVE!

We've had lots of rain, so the plants have had plenty to drink.

As you can see from this photo, My Seven Sisters Bush is loaded with buds!!

And Theresa Bugnet is already in bloom.

There are lots of buds ready to open! I only wish the flowers would last longer, it seems they go by so quickly. I have these planted along the outside of the rose garden, hoping they will someday become a living hedge. The Simplicity roses were my first choice, but they didn't do well for me????
Since the Theresa Bugnet does so well in my planting zone, flower early, and the young canes are almost thornless, I thought they would be a good choice.

I think when they finish flowering, I will trim them back really low, so the bushes can fill in more.

I have been very busy putting together some planters and pots for the gardens. I like to make my own, because I can save a ton of money that way. More money to spend on new Roses!

See a few of the ones I've made:

I planted this Urn with a pretty varigated Begonia, and some blue Lobellia. It is in the Rose garden.

The pots on the stair planter are planted with assorted Annuals. Pretty Petunias and more Lobellia. Give it a few weeks, and see how nice it looks.

My Strawberry Planter is planted with Begonias, some Oregeno, and a Rosemary plant. This is one of two I have in the Herb garden.

I have to show you this picture of my Wegelia Shrub. It's georgeous!

Isn't it lovely? It's grown and flowered just as I invisioned it would. I wanted a colorful shrub at the corner of the left side of the garden that would add color early in the season, and I found the perfect one! I can't believe how many blossoms it has this season! When I took this photo, there was a Hummingbird enjoying the flowers, but it flew away as Igot close, so I missed photographing it! (tomorrow's another day)

A few more pictures of "Whats Blooming in My Garden"

My beautiful Tree Peonies!

The Clematis are beginning to open. Do you know How to grow Clematis?

Don't you love the Iris? They bloom faithfully each year without fail. I can't decide which color I like the best!

The Chammomile happily grows along side some rose plants. The scent of the blossoms makes me feel like having a cup of tea! I think I'll go brew a cup now......
Happy Gardening!

A New Beginning

2011-05-31T17:18:00.001-07:00

A new gardening season has arrived!!!

The May flowers are blooming! And YES, the Roses are starting to bud and begin their journey into beautiful bloossoms. I cut them all back about a month ago, and fertilized with my special "secret" all organic formular, and lo and behold........

My Seven Sisters bush is (as you can see) loaded with buds.

My Theresa Bugnet bushes are alreadying showing blossoms. They are always the first to bloom.

I only wish the flowers lasted longer. It seems they fade so quickly!

But not to worry, there will be plenty more roses to follow!

Like this one, already in the bud stage.

I've been busy potting up some planters to scatter about the garden. I like making my own, simply because of the cost! I find that if you save your planters each year, and add fresh potting mix, the cost of buying some 6-packs of different flowers, sure beats buying hangers and pots already made.

Here are a few that Istarted:

I planted a pretty varigated Begonia, with a few blue Lobellia in this Urn. I have it in the Rose garden in front of some rose bushes.

My stair planter is planted with an assortment of Annuals. Just waite a few weeks, to see how pretty it will be!

This Strawberry Jar is one of two in the Herb garden.

If you've never tryed making your own pots you should give it a try, be creative, choose flowers that you like, and start planting!

I just have to show you this picture of my Cardinal Shrub, it is so..... beautiful this year! Take a look...

It is just as I invisioned it would be a few years back when I ordered it and planted it. It serves as a very colorful anchor plant on the left side of the garden.
I purchased it from:<a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-3700562-10777784?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.DirectGardening.com%2Fdetail.asp%3FProductID%3D6749%26amp%3BSource%3DCJDF&cjsku=6749" target="_top">
Weigela, Bristol Ruby</a><img src="http://www.tqlkg.com/image-3700562-10777784" width="1" height="1" border="0"/>

Spring Emerges

2011-04-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a LONG winter! But, as we all knew it would eventually come, Spring is finally here. I've had a particually hard winter, and I am most certainly ready for some playing in the dirt! As I take a stroll around the gardens, I see much work that needs to be done. I guess garden work is never really done, now is it?
This time of year seems to go by so fast, it's hard to get everything done on schedule, so I'll atempt to do a little bit every day.

A walk through the rose garden assures me that most all is well! As long as I see some green on the canes, I know the plant has survived the winter. It's still to early to cut them back, we could get some really cold weather yet, you never know. I will rake up between the plants, and move back any soil that I mounded up.

I see plenty of green canes on this plant, it looks like it did just fine. There was plenty of snow to keep the plants protected. Hopefully I won't have a lot of winter kill this year.
I cut back the tall grass, a chore I don't particulary like. I like to leave it through the winter, because I think it adds some winter interest to the garden. But if you waite too long in the Spring, it starts to break up and blow all over the lawn and garden.

Here it is before I cut it:

and now, it's cut, and hauled away to the compost!

Once it starts to grow, it will fill in quickly, and hide all the dead part.

It's important to have other flowers/shrubs/trees in the garden to give it structure. Each year I try to add something new to my garden. It might be a tree, or a shrub or two, or even a perennial plant.

Today I purchased a rose "Chuckles" This is a low-growing bushy Shrub rose. It has clusters of single,deep rose-pink blooms all season. I have it soaking in a pail of water, and will plant it tomorrow.
I will give it a season to grow, watch it and see how it does, and if it is a rose that I really like, I will take cuttings from it and make a whole row of them.
Want to learn how to take cuttings from your roses to multiply them? Learn about propagating roses

The daffodills have not only poked up their heads, but they are growing so fast, I swear if you stand still and watch them you can actually SEE them growing!

I have large clumps of them throughout the gardens, in many different colors. I think they are very beautiful flowers, perfect almost. They are easy to grow (plant in the fall) They return every year, you can pick them and bring them inside, or leave them in the garden to add beautiful color. What more could you want in a garden flower?

Back out to the garden, more raking to do......

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December

A magical thing

And sweet to remember

"We are nearer to Spring

than we were in September."

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

-Oliver Herford

Planning Spring Projects "Flagstone Walk"

2011-01-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

It's hard to think about projects for the Spring with the chance of a winter storm headed this way, expected to dump a foot or more of snow, but, it is actually a good time to plan.
By the time Spring rolls around, there will be raking, and mulching, planting....etc., etc., etc. and little time for planning.

Even though my rose garden looks like this now,

and the roses are sleeping with their heads sticking out of the snow, the garden will soon awake and look like this:

The birds and butterflys will return, as well as the fairy princesses who come to the garden to play and have a tea party!

By tea time, there is NO time for planning....

So I thought I would get you to put on your thinking caps and think about changes for the coming year.

One thing that might be of interest to you is to put in a new Flagstone Walk. Take a look at this one, installed by one of my website visitors. Didn't she do a terriffic job!!! Wouldn't you like that in YOUR garden?

See how one lady took on this task, and beautified her garden!

Visithttp://www.allaboutrosegardening.com/Flagstone-Walk.html

for the Step-by-Step instructions on how she built it.

Walks, or garden paths add so much to the garden. They define the walk space, and serve as edging for the flower beds.

If done correctly, you don't need to worry about weeds. As beautiful as this flagstone walk is, you can make walks out of a number of different materials. Bricks, pavers, flat rocks, cobblestones, gravel, even simple mulch paths all work.
You try to define the planting bed from the area to walk on, and make it nice to look at!

I would love for you to share your comments on building garden paths or walkways. If anyone has built one, please share it with us! Any tips or tricks you learned along the way to benefit us would be especially helpful

Thanks for sharing!

Keep those thinking caps on!

The Winter Garden

2011-01-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome my gardening friends! Here in Northern New England (zone 5) the snow has covered the ground and it is Winter! The nursery catalogs are pouring in, and I am making some final decisions on which roses to order for next year. Looking at the catalogs gives me hope that Spring is right around the corner, and will be here before we know it.
I have a ton of new ideas for the garden, and am already designing a new fence section that will hold some wonderful Ramblers.
I also have plans for making a concrete garden bench or two. See the "How to" videos: http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com/Concrete-Garden-Bench.html
I have discovered a place to order the molds from, and have listed that information for you.

If you haven't started planning your "new" plants for next year, I suggest you order some catalogs and make your selections before they sell out!
The catalogs are a very valuable source of information. You can look-up specific roses, and find important information such as planting zone, variety, size, fragrance, and any specific growing information you might need.

While the garden sleeps, the gardener needs to plan for the coming year. It is our time to reflect on last years garden, and think of ways to improve upon next seasons garden.

I'm looking to find more plants that will do better with less watering!

Some plants laugh at the hot humid summer weather, while others shrivel up and threaten to die if they don't get a daily drink!

The catalogs give me information on all the latest drought resistant plants. I usually find some that I had forgotten about as well. The new catalogs are filled with X's of plants I intend to order, but then when I add up what I've wished for, reality sets in, and I start deleting the ones I think I can live without.

If you want to order catalogs,

a place to start is: http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com/Rose-Nurseries.html