Tired of Roses for Your Valentine? Try Something D...

       It’s that time of year again when all of us who are in a relationship become fixated on palpably parading our affections; Valentine’s Day should be a celebration of our love, and whether we’re celebrating our sweethearts, our spouses, our parents, or our friends, the gift of a floral plant is not only long-lasting, it also demonstrates a little creativity on our part. Red hearts of chocolates and...

Plan Your Rose Garden Now

Winter is a good time to plan your rose garden. Perhaps your garden isn’t properly zoned, and you have roses, heavy water users, growing next to drought-resistant plants. Winter is a good time for moving roses to a better spot. Prepare new beds now; dig up the roses and move them while they are dormant (if you still have some late blooms, wait). During dormancy is also the best time to prune. Despite the demands of...

Rose Care in Spring

Proper spring rose care will help you ensure a glorious blooming season. One of the most important parts of rose care is pruning. Why should we prune roses? Because pruning encourages new growth and bloom, improves air circulation, and helps to shape the plant. It also brings you up close and personal with your plants, giving you warning to wash off aphids with a water blast at first sign. Pruning time is often dictated by...

Black Spot

Rose lovers are a breed onto themselves, because one cannot simply stick a rose plant into the ground, walk away, and expect perfect blooms year after year. They take work, but if you are a true rosarian, the results are worth the effort. The rose’s susceptibility to black spot, which is a fungal disease caused by Diplocarpon rosae, is worse than mildew or rust because black spot frequently kills plants. It’s...