Follow these tips for growing healthy roses and your garden will be the envy of the neighborhood. Roses are the rock stars of the garden. Rose bushes are stately and impressive, and the flowers look lovely for weeks at a time. Back in 1986 when Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, he signed a proclamation that named the rose as America’s national flower. Fittingly enough, the ceremony that certified “national flower” status for the rose was held at the White House Rose Garden. That’s just one reason why millions of rose bushes are planted every year. Despite the old-fashioned beliefs that roses can be tough to grow, advice from respected rose experts says otherwise. “All plants need the right growing conditions to thrive, and roses are no different,” said Chris Van Cleve, a writer and rose expert who calls himself the Redneck Rosarian. “Just provide the right growing conditions and the right care, and rose bushes can thrive in almost any garden.” Below are 5 … [Read more...] about Tips for Growing Healthy Roses
pruning
Great Tools Make Fall Yard Cleanup Easier
Fall yard cleanup season is here! The blazing heat of summer is over, and the cooler days of autumn have arrived. And, right on schedule, the leaves are falling from the trees. Now is the traditional time for fall yard cleanup. It’s time to harvest the remaining fruits and vegetables from the garden, rake the leaves, and generally clean up the yard and garden to get ready for winter. Fortunately, there is a full arsenal of labor-saving tools to make fall yardwork easier. For pruning, we've got heavy-duty loppers. For controlling fallen leaves, we're got a powerful cordless electric leaf blower. Plus, there's always room in the shed for a quality pair of gloves. Here are some of the best tools that make fall yard cleanup easier and faster. Fall Yard Cleanup: Loppers Make Quick Work of Pruning A great pair of loppers is a handy tool when it’s time to prune a tree or trim a shrub. You can even cut off dead canes from a favorite climbing rose. The Extendable … [Read more...] about Great Tools Make Fall Yard Cleanup Easier
Tree Trimming Tips
Tree trimming is a regular part of maintaining a yard and garden. In this guide, we offer tree trimming tips that help keep trees healthy while giving your yard a professional look. Many people don’t realize that tree trimming is also a way to avoid hazards. That’s because overgrown trees can fall in high winds or even provide an obstacle for traffic. Editor’s Note: Trimming trees and pruning trees are two slightly different things. Pruning typically refers to removing dead or infected branches. Trimming is usually cutting back overgrown trees and plants. In this story, we cover primarily tree trimming. The Importance of Tree Trimming Doing a good job of trimming your trees is vital to the health of the trees. Overgrown trees can grow through electrical wires or other essential cables. Trees can fall during high winds, and this can cause damage to houses, cars and even injure people. Avoiding property damage and personal injury are reason enough to properly trim your … [Read more...] about Tree Trimming Tips
Debunking Clematis Myths
There are plenty of clematis myths that need debunking. That’s because clematis, known as “The Queen of the Vines,” is actually easier to grow than most people think. Despite the profusion of flowers that a clematis plant produces, many gardeners think these wonderful plants are difficult to grow. According to clematis expert Deborah Hardwick, clematis has gotten a bad rap. “There are so many myths about clematis, and most of them simply aren’t true,” said Hardwick. “Clematis aren’t much different than other plants in that they need to be treated with a little care to get them established in a new garden setting. But give them moist soil, light fertilizer and enough light and they will reward gardeners with a flower show that few plants can match.” Please remember that the majority of clematis plants are vines, so to perform and look their best they need to climb up a sturdy Arbor or Trellis. A clematis in full bloom can be the perfect focal point in a garden. So, placing a … [Read more...] about Debunking Clematis Myths
Overgrown Trees, Volunteer Plants and Tough Love in the Landscape
The end of the growing season doesn’t mean the job of the gardener or homeowner is done. Not when there are overgrown trees to trim and volunteer plants to remove. And that’s just the beginning. The annual flowers and spent vegetables need to be pulled from the garden and the growing containers. Fallen leaves need to be mowed, composted or raked. But that’s just the beginning. Those black-eyed Susans have traveled from one sunny spot to five. The ninebark shrub grew so much this summer that its branches now crowd the sidewalk. Over the last few years, you’ve noticed there are fewer flowers on the daylilies. And, then you remember the co-worker who couldn’t find your house because the shrubs hide the front door and address. It’s time to walk the yard and determine what’s working and what’s not. It’s time for tough love in the landscape. Overgrown trees Some plants have gotten too big for their borders, so to speak. Overgrown trees and shrubs fit into this category. … [Read more...] about Overgrown Trees, Volunteer Plants and Tough Love in the Landscape
