Choosing the Right Roses for Your Garden

 

Interested in adding roses to your garden and wondering which rose types to grow? With hundreds of varieties including hybrid teas, climbers, shrub roses, miniature roses, grandifloras and floribundas, how do you make a decision on which rose is right for your garden? Start with the basics. Roses need a minimum of six hours of full sun in order to grow and bloom properly. Roses need a bed of their own, away from trees, shrubs and perennials that compete for sunlight, space and nutrients. Roses need space. They don’t do well when crowded together.  Roses need well-amended soils in order to establish strong root systems and achieve vigorous growth and bloom potential. With these factors in mind, selecting a rose bush becomes a question of purpose. Are you looking to augment your current rose collection; start a rose garden; replace a lost or damaged rose bush; add color and fragrance to your garden; build support for local pollinators? There is a variety of rose bush that will fill some, if not all of these goals including hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, climbers, shrubs and even tree roses.  When we think of roses, it’s the hybrid tea variety that most often comes to mind.

 

Hybrid tea roses represent an amazing pallet of color and fragrance, such as the rose pictured here: Touch of Class.  With the right care, hybrid tea roses will bloom consistently throughout the summer season. 

Grandiflora roses are very similar to hybrid teas. They tend to be taller and bloom in clusters rather than one rose per stem. Like all roses, grandifloras will attract pollinators. This is Strike it Rich. 

Floribunda roses such as Hot Cocoa, are valued for their ability to bloom continuously. 

If you want to cover an arbor or trellis, choose a climbing rose, such as Fourth of July. 

Thanks to The Flower Bin Perennials Manager Billie Jo’s knowledge and expertise, all of our roses are well-established and ready to plant. Stop by our Rose House. We'll be glad to help you select the right rose types for your garden. For a list of roses available for this year visit our webpage:  rose-list-2021.pdf (theflowerbin.net) 

 

 

 

 

 

Now’s the Time to Plant Cool Season Crops

There are two different types of vegetables: cool season and warm season.  Cool season crops include Arugula, Lettuce, Spinach, Chard, Onions, Cabbage, Peas and Kale.  Cool season crops will germinate in cold soil and mature in cooler weather and shorter periods of daylight, meaning they are perfect for planting in early spring. This means you can get an early start on your edible garden by planting cool season crops as soon as the soil is workable. Begin by adding two to three inches of organic material to your garden bed. This is called amending the soil. Our high-quality organic soil amendments are produced locally and come bagged for your convenience. For an existing garden, spread two to three inches of organic amendments on the surface of your garden bed and work it in. A single bag of Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost will cover ten square feet, two inches deep. 

This is also a good time to add some organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizers will carry the OMRI seal on the bag. OMRI stands for Organic Material Review Institute. Products with the OMRI seal have gone through rigorous testing to assure the ingredients are organic. Place a small amount of organic fertilizer in the bottom of each row or planting hole. As the seeds sprout, the roots of your new plants can grow into it. Cool season crops can be planted when the soil and air temperatures are at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures, lettuce, spinach, kale, radish and cabbage seeds can be sown directly in the soil and they will germinate and quickly set root. Cool season crops can also be planted from starts at this time of the year. When it comes time to plant your starts, it’s best to do so early in the morning or on a cloudy day. For an extra boost, add a handful of worm castings to the planting spot.  Remove the plant from its container and place it in the soil, being careful to plant it at the same depth it was in the seed container, then water thoroughly. Cool season crops generally don't need protection from spring temperatures, but keep some floating row cover handy just in case the weather turns extreme. While you’re at it, plant some cool season color to go along with your vegetables.