Flowers feeds our Souls.

[Guest guest]

Today is Derby Day, here in Kentucky. Also, known as Run for the Roses. I do not go to the Derby, as there are way too many people for me to handle. When I was young, I went once. That was enough. I love horses, but prefer to see them in pastures. But today reminded me of my roses and I thought I would share some info.

I am a firm believer that flowers feeds our Souls with their beauty. It doesn't matter what kind you raise, be they in a pot or in the ground. And working with them, trimming, pinching the dead blooms off, feeding them, watering, and especially getting your hands in the soil, is a form of meditation. When I can work in my flower bed, I am at peace and happy. I just zone out. If I am worried, feeling a little tired, or just stressed, my flower beds heal me.

Below are my newest rose bushes that I planted last week. I did not take the pictures. :-)

I have been growing roses for most of my life, but mainly the last 17 years. So here are some tips.

1.Roses like water, but they like to be dry before they are watered. I check the soil, to see if it's dry. You can usually tell when roses are desperate for water, the leaves get droopy, this can cause them stress. They also, need the water and fertilizers to bloom. If you live in a wet area, make sure their roots do not get water logged. Make earth mounds, so the roses are above the water line, in wet areas.

2. Roses love the sun, but don't like severe heat. I have my roses where they get part sun, as Kentucky can have weeks of 100 degrees F. When I was re-laying out my big flower bed. I put a canopy up, to keep from getting too hot while working and to keep the ground from becoming muddy if it rained. I noticed my roses did unusually good under the canopy. It was up for weeks.

3. I keep the ground bare around my roses, to prevent funguses, mildew and molds. I didn't use to do this, and had to deal with black spot and mildew constantly. I found if I picked off the leaves with black spot, it kept it from spreading. I also use, fungicides and a pepper spray, to keep the Japanese beetles from eating my leaves and blooms.

4. I trim my roses back in January, before we start having warm weather. And if they have a good growing season, I may have to trim back some of the branches, so they are not in the way, when I am tending my big flower bed.

5. The biggest help I can tell you, is get you some elbow length leather gloves, if you have to work with plants with thorns.

Below is an article from P. on roses.

Blessings and Love, Joy

Wild Blue Yonder Grandflora Rose Zephirine Drouhin Antique Climbing Rose Oregold Hybrid Tea rose

http://www.pallensmith.com/index.php?id=16215

FeedingI give my roses a healthy dose of fertilizer in the early spring to fortify them for their first flush of bloom. I simply use a fertilizer high in phosphorous, which is the middle number on the package. After the first wave of flowers fade I hit them with a second application of fertilizer formulated especially for roses. This will re-energize the plants and promote more roses for those that are repeat bloomers. Through the summer I continue to feed my repeat blooming roses after each bloom cycle.Black Spot and Powdery MildewThe biggest headache when growing roses is blackspot and powdery mildew.

Good to Know:Organic Rose Spray uses Rose & Flower Spray from Garden Safe, the #1 brand alternative to synthetic chemicals.

Kills on contact. Use on edibles up to day of harvest. Kills all stages of insects, including eggs. Controls Japanese Beetles, Aphids, Whiteflies, Mites, Scale, Spittlebugs, Caterpillars, Mealybugs, Leafhoppers and other insects listed on the label. Insecticide from plants for plants.

Blackspot - As the name implies it starts with a black spot on the leaf. It's a fungus that certainly diminishes the look of the plant. Now I've never had a rose bush actually die from blackspot, but it can certainly cut down on their performance and make the shrubs look pretty shabby.Blackspot is usually brought on by weather conditions. Sporadic rain followed by humid to hot conditions is the ideal breeding ground for this fungus. The rain soaks the plant, and then the weather heats up and causes the fungus to form on the damp leaves and petals. If the problem becomes severe, use a commercial fungicide for blackspot and always try to get the plant completely saturated from top to bottom with the spray. Some serious cases of blackspot require several treatments before the fungus is completely annihilated. You should also spray the ground around your roses and put any diseased leaves in your trash, not in your compost.Powdery Mildew - Powdery mildew is another fungus that reveals itself as a powder-like coating over the leaves. Rarely will it kill a plant, but some perennials like phlox and shrubs such as lilacs, crape myrtles and roses can be damaged. A heavy infestation of powdery mildew can cause a plant to lose its leaves diminishing its vigor and causing it to not flower quite as much. If you're having this problem in your garden there are two approaches you should try in bringing the problem under control. The first is prevention. Remove and dispose of infected plants and leaves by burning them or put them in the garbage to help cut down on the spread. Don't put infected leaves in your compost because you will just harbor spores for another round next season.The second line of defense is to take action by spraying. But before using a conventional fungicide, try some of the new safer alternatives. I use a sulfur-based product. Since it's not a synthetic fungicide, I don't have to worry about it damaging the environment. Spray your roses about every 7 to 10 days when mildew is a problem. One home remedy that some people have found useful as a preventative to powdery mildew is using this formula:1 heaping teaspoon of baking soda1 tablespoon of summer oil 1/2 teaspoon of insecticidal soap or dishwashing soap1 gallon of waterIt's important that a plant is well hydrated before applying this solution. Water deeply a couple of days before spraying and don't spray during the heat of the day.Black Spot Resistant Roses in My Garden'Marie Pavie''The Fairy''Lamarque''Caldwell Pink''New Dawn' 'Pinkie''White Dawn''Marchesa Boccella'''s Cottage''Katharina Zeimet'DeadheadingThe time to do any hard pruning of roses is the late winter or early spring before the leaf buds open. But don't panic, if you didn't get to cutting back your plants this year. Your plants will not suffer and once the blooms have faded at the end of spring you will have the opportunity to do some light pruning. Not only will this be a chance to reshape and clean up your plants, but with many of the repeat blooming varieties, it will encourage a second round of flower production.It's important to realize that not all roses rebloom. Some old-fashioned shrubs types only bloom once in the spring. Cutting the old flowers away on these types will just help the plant look a little better. But for those that rebloom like my favorite 'New Dawn' as well as any of the floribundas, polyanthas and popular hybrid tea roses, removing what is left of dead flowers will definitely encourage the next wave of bloom. When you do this it's important to remove them with sharp pruners, making the cut just above a leaf with five leaflets. By cutting here, when the new bud forms, the stem will be large and strong enough to support it. Another thing I do after I've pruned my roses is feed them with a high phosphorus liquid fertilizer.

15 Great White Roses'Blossom Blanket' – This ground cover rose is a prolific bloomer and is parented from another great rose called ‘The Fairy’. Double bloom form with white petals and a cheery yellow center produced in clusters.Mini flora, grows about 1 1/2 feet tall and 4 feet wide, zones 6 – 9, blooms repeatedly'Ducher' – I planted Ducher at the Garden Home Retreat. Ivory multi-petaled blooms are surrounded by pale green foliage. China, 3 to 5 feet tall, zones 7 – 9, blooms repeatedly 'Fortunia' – I haven’t grown this rose personally, but a friend has it trained to grow over her front door and it’s spectacular. Has the same violet fragrance of its parent ‘White Lady Banks’. Extremely carefree.Species, 10 to 20 feet tall, zones 6 – 9, blooms once'Frau Karl Druschki' – Also known as ‘White American Beauty’ and ‘Snow Queen’, I grow this one over the arbors in my fountain garden. The roses are not fragrant, but they are still lovely as a cut flower.Hybrid perpetual, 4 to 6 feet all, zones 6 – 9, blooms repeatedly'Honor' – This hybrid tea was named Rose of the Year in 1980. The pure white, fragrant blooms are produced in abundance all summer. The extra long stems make it a great cut flower.Hybrid tea, 3 to 4 feet tall, zones 6 – 9, blooms repeatedly'Iceberg' – I grow a climbing form of ‘Iceberg’ in my fountain garden. What a performer! It is never without at least one bloom. The pure white, mulit-petaled flowers are borne in clusters. Blackspot can be a problem with this rose, but I’ve found that when the rose is planted in full sun with good air circulation the fungus is not a problem.Floribunda, 3 to 5 feet tall, zones 5 – 9, blooms repeatedly'Katharina Zeimet' – This is another rose that I have planted at the Garden Home Retreat. Clusters of small, white blooms appear throughout the summer. It’s a great rose for hedges, mixed borders and containers.Polyantha, 3 to4 feet tall, zones 5 – 9, blooms repeatedlyLady Banks, White – This is the white blooming form of the banksiae. It’s one of the first roses to bloom in my mid-South region. The fragrance is similar to violets. When in bloom the plant is literally covered in roses that persist for weeks, which makes up for the fact that it only flowers once.Species, 12 to 20 feet, zones 8 – 9, blooms once 'Moondance' – This rose is the answer to anyone who has struggled with ‘Iceberg’. It produces clusters of large, creamy white, highly fragrant blooms throughout the summer. The foliage is mildew resistant. Named the 2007 Floribunda of the Year.Floribunda, 5 feet tall, zones 6 – 9, blooms repeatedly'LaMarque' – In my mid-South garden this climbing rose continues to bloom right up to the first hard freeze in autumn. The flowers are creamy white blushed with yellow and have a nice fragrance.Noisette, 12 to 20 feet tall, zones 7 – 9, blooms repeatedly'Sally Holmes' – I have just recently developed a love of single petaled roses, due in large part to this variety. The creamy white and pale pink flowers are huge and borne in clusters. ‘Sally Holmes’ in full bloom is quite a sight to see. Shrub, 6 to 12 feet, zones 5 – 9, blooms repeatedly'Small Miracle' – This miniature rose is an excellent choice for containers. Although the plant itself is small, the blooms are 2-inches wide, lightly scented and prolific. The color is a creamy white almost pale yellow.Miniature, 18 inches tall, zones 6 – 9, blooms repeatedly'White Dawn' – Given my affection for this rose’s pale pink cousin ‘New Dawn’, I could not make a list of white roses without including ‘White Dawn’. I grow ‘White Dawn’ in my parterre garden and it has never given me a minute of trouble. The clear white, fragrant blooms are stunning against the dark green foliage. Climber, 12 to 20 feet, zones 5 – 9, blooms repeatedly'White Pet' – This shrub rose grows beside the steps to my front porch. All summer it is covered in clusters of creamy white blooms. It’s a versatile rose that looks great in mixed borders or containers.Polyantha, 1 to 3 feet tall, zones 5 – 9, blooms repeatedly'White Meidiland' – This rose is often used as a ground cover, but I have trained it to grow up a teepee shaped trellis. Cascades of white blooms appear in spring and again in fall. I’ve found that this rose does well in a lightly shaded area of my garden and never needs to be sprayed.Meidiland, 2 feet tall and 5 feet wide, zones 5 – 9, blooms repeatedly