"Growing Roses" Growing roses can be an absorbing hobby, and a wholesome one. There must be thousands of different varieties. There are also climbers, shrubs and annual blooms available. Plan your rose garden well. Although some plants are now thorn-free, many won't be and it's wise to keep the thorny types away from where children play if possible. Growing roses can be expensive if you buy all your plants at once, but adding to the garden every year will be just as rewarding, if not more so. If it gets a fair amount of sunshine, a plain fence or boring brick wall can be covered beautifully with climbing plants of all kinds, and roses work particularly well. Nature Hills ( US ) is a wonderful online nursery with a range of different types of roses.    Growing Roses at Nature Hills (US)    Growing roses with Crocus UK Type roses into the search box on their homepage. ******************************************* Growing roses - preparation: Prepare the ground as early in the spring as you can. It's a good idea to prepare at least a month before planting if you can. Choose a sunny spot and you will be rewarded with more flowers. Dig a large enough hole for the roots of your plant. Mix in some well rotted manure or compost with the soil you dig out. Tease the roots out into the hole and fill in again with the mixture of soil and compost. Heel in and water well. If you are using a structure for growing roses, make sure the structure is firmly in place before planting so as not to damage the roots later. Soak the roots in water for a couple of hours before planting if they are dry. Once planted, they will need little attention while they are flowering, although they should be regularly watered during dry spells, but never waterlogged.  Growing roses - caring: Keep them tidy! As soon as the first flowers are dying, cut them off. This will not only encourage the plant to produce more flowers but will keep the garden tidy. When the petals start falling, cut the whole bloom off using a pair of sharp secateurs or garden scissors. (The petals can be dried and used for pot pourri) In the autumn, or when the plant has stopped flowering and the leaves are falling, it's time to prune. There are many conflicting views about pruning. Generally though if you cut back the dead wood, and keep the inside of the plant free from tangled branches, you shouldn't have too much trouble. With climbing varieties, it's advisable to cut back fairly severely, to control the size and growth. If you're growing roses in your garden, it's a good idea to get the pruning right. More about pruning roses on this page... Pruning Rose Bushes Flowers always inspire creativity. Pop over to this page to read some work by great writers... Garden Poetry Find out more about looking after your fresh cut flowers here.. Cut Flowers Happy Gardening! More 'Growing Roses' Reading
Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy.  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Back To Flowers Flower and Garden Tips Homepage Click here to subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - your FREE monthly ezine! http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growingroses.html |
