How To Rototill Your Flower Garden This Spring

Many gardeners start off their spring flower beds by tilling the soil. This is not necessary for all gardens, but there are times that tilling is necessary for successful gardening. Tilling should be done only when the soil is relatively dry and is warm. If the ground is still frosty, the tilling should wait until the last of the frost is gone. The soil should be at least 60 degrees when it is tilled. If the soil is too wet, it will not be broken up well by the tiller, and you could even damage the machinery. To test whether or not the soil is too wet, pick some up and try to make a ball with it. If you can make a mud ball, the area is too wet for tilling. If the soil falls apart, it is dry enough for the tiller. Read more

How to Plant and Grow Purple Coneflower Seeds

A beautiful flower perfect for spring planting is the purple coneflower seeds. This flower is extremely hardy and is resistant to drought, making it a great flower for gardeners who live in dry areas or who don’t have a lot of time for watering their gardens. They will tolerate partial shade as well as full sun. The purple coneflower produces large flowers that have an interesting arrangement of purple petals that point toward the ground. In the center of the flower is a large reddish cone that grows into the large, colorful focal point of the flower. Read more

Sowing and Growing my Favorite Flower - Blanketflower

Anyone who is looking for an unusual-looking flower that will attract attention from anyone who sees it should certainly consider the Blanketflower. It is my personal all time favorite flower. These flowers are not only easy to grow, they grow into massive blooms that are brightly-colored and have an interesting structure with multi-colored petals and a center cone. Read more

New Gardening Videos web site.

I just finished our new video gardening web site. It can be found at http://www.bestgardeningvideo.com. It has thousands of gardening how to videos to choose from. Just click a category in the right hand column to view the videos you are interested in.  It is a great learning tool for gardeners. Read more

Cold Climate Roses

Roses are a versatile type of flowering plant. They will thrive with the right care in almost any climate. There are a few varieties, however, that won’t grow well in exceptionally cold climates. Read more

Growing Organic Roses

Growing organic roses is catching on with gardeners looking for natural garden without the use of artificial chemicals. It is possible to grow organic roses with some special care to keep your supplies natural and safe for the environment. Organic roses are known as some of the most fragrant roses, and their colors are superb. It’s also believed that organic rose plants will live longer than other roses. Read more

Planting Potted Roses

If you have roses that have already been potted, planting potted roses in the ground is a relatively simple task. The plant is already established in soil and is growing. That means that the only real task is to transfer the plant and its soil from the pot into a hole in the ground. Special care does need to be taken of the roots so as not to damage them during the transfer.

Take the container and turn it on its side. Then, tap on the pot several times to encourage the soil to loosen from the inside of the pot. The root ball should be ready to come out of the pot after a few taps. If not, you may be able to cut away the pot so that the roots are not damaged. Try to avoid pulling the plant out of the pot if at all possible

Dig a hole in a sunny spot. The best time to plant posted roses, like any other type of rose, is the spring after the risk of frost is over. The hole should be large enough to accommodate the plant and deep enough for the entire root ball to fit inside easily. Fill in the hole around the plant with soil and water the plant. Some gardeners also suggest digging a small ring around the plant where water can pool and supply the plant with more water. However, watering and covering the soil with a layer of mulch also works well to keep the soil moist for you newly planted roses.

This post is a part of  17 posts about Rose Gardening. If you want to start at the beginning you can click on Caring for Roses

Common Types of Roses

To choose the very best type for your needs, you will need to choose from among the basic rose plant categories. Each has its own needs for space and each will have its own level of fragrance and will have different color options available.

• Many beginning rose gardeners choose shrub roses because they are hardy and beautiful. Many varieties of shrub roses are long blooming, giving the gardener a longer period of time to enjoy the flowers. Many shrub roses are also resistant to plant diseases that can ruin a garden. The foliage of shrub roses is attractive enough to make the plant pretty even during seasons when the flowers aren’t blooming.
• Miniature roses are small plants with miniature rose blooms. These can be grown outdoors in small spaces or they can be grown indoors in a container. The blooms of a miniature rose have all the fragrance and beauty of a larger rose but take up far less space.
• Climbing roses are planted near a wall, a trellis, gazebo or other tall structure. These roses grown like vines, and can be useful in decorating the side of a home. For people with a very small garden, they allow for a lot of flowers to grow with a small amount of space on the ground.
• Old Garden Roses are strong-smelling flowers that are resistant to disease. They are long blooming and will fill a yard with their fragrance. If you have allergies, however, these may not be the best choice.
• Landscape roses are resistant to disease and are easy to care for. Their ease of maintenance makes then a good general choice for people new to rose gardening.
• Modern roses, sometimes called Floribunda, are a cross between polyanthus and hybrid tea roses. They were bred for their lovely fragrance and their long blooming season. They are also perfect for cutting and using for flower arrangements.

This post is a part of  17 posts about Rose Gardening. If you want to start at the beginning you can click on Caring for Roses