flower carpet roses

It sounds weird, but one of my favorite times of the year, gardening-wise, is January.

That's when I look forward to seeing all the new mailorder gardening catalogs in my mailbox. It's also when I make my "Plants I Want" wish list. And it's also the time when I repot indoor plants and mark the coming year's master calendar with seasonal gardening chores.

I know, it sounds anal. Perhaps I'm overcompensating for my ADD, which has turned me into somewhat of a calendar junkie:  If it's not on the calendar, it just doesn't get done.

Anyway, one of the chores I'm putting on there now is pruning. Without it, my front and side yards quickly become overgrown in summer and crowd out all the light, air and space. I at least need to go and trim all the dangling and dead branches left in the wake of all the winter wind storms we have in our area.

Pruned Flower Carpet roses with tete-a-tete daffodils in early spring

Late winter is a great time to prune deciduous trees and shrubs, although in cold climates like my Zone 6ish garden. Here in western New York, I usually prune on or around St. Patrick's Day. It's an easy way to remember it, anyway.

When you do prune deciduous trees and shrubs, make sure to remove diseased, damaged or close-crossing branches, but take special care not to spoil the plant's natural shape.

For magnolias, forsythias and other spring-flowering woody plants, delay pruning until just after flowering. Summer-blooming shrubs such as hydrangea and hibiscus are best pruned in winter or early spring, just before growth gets going. 

March and April are big months for pruning roses. My Flower Carpet roses are the easiest to prune: I just take a sharp pair of hedge sheers and reduce their volume by about two thirds. A more conservative approach is needed for traditional bush roses: Aim for an open vase shape, making cuts about a half-inch above an outward-facing bud. Old-fashioned roses that flower once in early summer shouldn't be pruned until just after flowering.

For more information on pruning Flower Carpet roses, check out the video "How to take care of Flower Carpet roses in spring" by Dave Epstein of Growing Wisdom.

Whenever you prune, always use clean, sharp pruning tools. Mangled, unclean cuts can lead to disease. And don't put diseased material in the compost bin. If Jack Frost strikes, avoid removing any frost-damaged growth, as this helps protect the plant from further frost damage.

I know it's hard to wait till spring, but try to enjoy some garden dreaming and planning. And don't forget to put pruning on your calendar!

Inspired by the blooms on my Tropicanna cannas, I set out to create a container garden that would satisfy my cravings for the warm, rich, saturated colors of fall. I'm linking my post to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day for October. Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is a cool idea by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. On the 15th of every month, people around the globe share what's blooming in their garden.

Here's the combo I came up with: dark foliage contrasted by hot, bright colors. Back in May, using some birthday money, I got this Tropicanna Black canna from Bristol's Garden Center in Victor, NY. The canna did well in the ground, but last month I moved it to this container. It survived the transplant well, I'm happy to say. I found the linear-leaved croton (lower right) in the "houseplants" department at Home Depot. The ornamental peppers I found in the floral department of my local supermarket - Wegmans.

Tropicanna Black canna (top), ornamental peppers (lower left) and croton (lower right)

My Flower Carpet roses are still blooming their heads off, and the petals have hung in there despite all the pelting rain…

Flower Carpet roses. Coral (left) and Amber (right)

 And here are the little 'Thumbelina' zinnias planted this spring by my 4-year-old daughter. They came in a "Veggie Tales" seed packet she picked out herself:

Only a few blooms left on my threadleaf coreopsis, so the ones remaining really pop out at you!

Well, that's about it - hope to hit the 99-cent clearance shelf of perennials this weekend and get some fall planting in!

Congratulations to Marilyn Scoles, the winner of Tesselaar Plants' September 2012 contest on its Your Easy Garden blog!

Marilyn, of San Mateo, California, will be receiving her prize – bare-root Flower Carpet^® roses – in the spring.

Here's her entry for the "share your best garden tips and tricks" category:

My Best and Easiest Garden Tip

by Marilyn Scoles (shown here with lil' Maggie)

For a last hurrah, use Gro-Power's Flower-n-Bloom fertilizer after cutting back your plants and shrubs. In three weeks, you'll have all new blooms! Just like spring all over again!

Thanks, Marilyn! I checked into it and found out that Gro-Power is organic and is available nationwide through independent garden centers. And these pics of Marilyn's garden are certainly a good testimonial to its blooming power!

Marilyn's bouganvillea

Her mom's 30-year-old hydrangea

Her delphinium

And her tricolor lacecap hydrangea!

Thanks again, Marilyn! Hope you enjoy your Flower Carpet roses! And anyone else who wants to send in their garden tips and tricks, please know they're welcome here, anytime!

Congratulations to Toril Milbrath of Portland, Oregon, the August winner of Tesselaar's "Great Gardens" blog contest!

She'll be receiving her prize – bare-root Flower Carpet roses – in the spring. Don't miss your chance to win them, too. This month, just submit your best gardening tips or tricks - along with a picture, if you can. The winner will be announced at the beginning of October.

Here's is Toril's winning submission:

Why Gardening Is So Important to Me

By Toril Milbrath

I've been thinking about this for a bit. There are many reasons that gardening is important to me, but I think what means the most to me is all the memories that gardening evokes. I see a spring bloom on a mock almond or smell lily of the valley and it will trigger a vague recollection of a neighbor's yard that I would cut through when I was a kid. Tulips and crocus remind me of rabbits, chicks and Easter.

In my own yard, friends and family have been generous with their plants. A rambling tombstone rose that has taken over an arbor reminds me of my co-worker Mary, who moved from Portland to Boston and left me her plants. (Her herb garden didn't take nearly as well to my heavy clay soil …)

Unfortunately, I'm not good at taking pictures when things are in bloom and spectacular. I also just massively pruned the rambler. It is much more contained than it was a week ago. But, I think my dog adds some visual interest. AND in the rose picture, yes, those ARE Scarlet Flower Carpet roses just poking up in the lower right corner! I didn't even notice until I downloaded the pictures — it wasn't blatant product placement!

Most of my iris collection came from my friend Shelah, who demonstrated how to properly divide the rhizomes in her own iris patch and then gave me what we had divided out.

This fragrant 'Jim's Pride' daphne was a 40th birthday present from my best friend. She said that the bloom was to remind me that we are all fabulous at 40 and going strong! When I planted it, I didn't realize it was a perpetual bloomer. I get that little affirmation every day.

Thanks for the inspiration! 

Thank YOU, Toril! Keep joining us here at Your Easy Garden, and enjoy your Flower Carpet roses!

Whew! Summer is busy, busy, busy! But there's still time to enter Tesselaar Plants' "Great Gardens" contest! Complete contest entry info and rules can be found on Tesselaar's online newsroom.

If you're not sure what to say or what kinds of photos to include, here's a submission sent to us from Linn Schlinger of central Virginia:

I feel my elegant Tropicanna^® Black cannas pair nicely (and simply) with the 25-year old Peace Pole I have planted them next to. Behind the beautiful Tropicanna blooms is my clematis, which bloomed profusely with huge, 8- to 9-inch-across flowers in radiant shades of purple. I was hoping to have them blooming together with that great purple/red contrast, but alas because of the drastic changes in weather this year, they have not decided to show their beauty at the same time:

Well, 2011 continues to give our regional garden bloggers more wacky weather, from record rains to drought-and-drown precipitation. Here’s more on what’s going on in their back yards:

Catie Anderson:  (Willamette Valley, OR)

Well, first a review of the soggy weather this year: In March, we set a record for latest first 60-degree day in a calendar year and a record 28 days with measureable rain. In April, we set a two-month rainfall record (for March/April) of 11.47 inches and the fewest 60-degree days or above – six (the average is 26). As of today, we’ve only had one 80-degree day. Our spring ranked second wettest on record. Impressive, but not tornadoes or floods or fires!

Since then, I've continued trialing a deer fence we made from fishing line and green garden posts. This was very effective – I actually was able to enjoy blooming tulips for the first time in that bed! I am going to use this in other areas in the future. A couple days ago, I watched a pair of does move around the outside of the fence but they avoided the fishing line – didn’t even stick their heads in. The best part is you really can’t see it. In fact, I’ve run into it several times – of course I am a klutz! I’m going to use this method around the plants I’ve put in for the Tesselaar "Great Gardens" contest.

Catie in her raised-bed veggie gardens - fenced in to protect them from browsing deer.

Last weekend, we built raised beds in our new, 8-foot-high, 30- by 40-foot, fenced-in garden and discovered we built it on top of a rock pile. Just my luck! Six hours later I had pulled 400 pounds of rocks out of a 4- by 16-foot bed. Later, I planted tomatoes, basil and carrots and it felt so good to dig in that soft soil. We had fresh basil in our salad that evening. 

Shirley Gardner:  (Boise Idaho)

June 21st – the longest day of the year and we’re just finally having some summery weather. Of course it went from the high 50s to the 90s within a couple of days – whew! The cool temps and all the rain have caused the growing season to be about a month behind here. First time I ever remember not having peonies blooming in time for the cemetery on Memorial Day. My leatherleaf viburnum sure loved the rain, however, and was quite wonderful this year. I love my Color Flash^® Lime astilbes. I planted them around the base of my bloodgood maple and they’re quite happy there. The Flower Carpet^® roses are covered with buds but haven’t started to bloom yet.

We’ve also been working on getting in the new drip lines for the vegetable garden. It’s quite a job but we’re almost done and the veggies are loving that slow, deep watering.

Becky Dziarnowski  Ignacio, CO – La Plata River Valley

The honeysuckle fragrance is heavenly, irises and daisies are in bloom and the wild lupine is ready to blossom. Hummingbirds are fiercely defending their territory with the cicada chorus in the background. The wild roses are fully open, bee balm, clematis, salvia, vinca and lavender all blossoming while the wild sweet pea and lilies are ready to burst. Summer is finally here!

 
Becky's view of the La Plata River Valley in Colorado. 

Luckily for us, no garden pests yet – only us humans fighting off the no-see-ems.
 
My Flower Carpet roses are a brilliant emerald with their first buds ready to open. Even though spring was not too pleasant this year, the vegetable garden is all in and flowers on the verge of creating their beautiful displays. Petunias were slow to start (still just 40 degrees at night), but the daytime makes up for it, hitting 95 degrees today. As soon as the temps stay above 45 at night there will be no holding anything back. Our biggest challenge here is the vast difference in temperature from morning to night. As true gardeners, we wait to discover each glorious new arrival every day. So enjoy, enjoy and if anyone wants to do a little weeding…

From Carmel Booth: (Atlanta, Georgia area)

I guess now that I have been here for 29 years I am considered a native! And we natives know they don’t call it HOTLANTA for nothing! This has been quite a spring! My zone 7ish garden has already seen torrential rains, severe thunderstorms, drought, tornados, sun and lots of hot!! With more days of 90-plus temps, this summer should be its own adventure in gardening!  My daylilies are working overtime, as well as my Flower carpet roses, echinacea, hosta and hydrangeas.

Carmel's tall, purplish-black-leaved Tropicanna cannas in a mixed container

It can be strange weather here. But more often than not, we have beautiful, clear days and it is usually pretty, although hot! The hardest part is trying to figure out if you should/could or need to water! We hadn't had any rain for more than a week so I decided to water last night. This afternoon we had severe storms! (Almost an inch of rain in about 30 minutes, then they were gone!) We also have pretty strict water laws. I try hard to let Mother Nature take care of the watering, but she either drowns us or we can't squeeze a drop out!

In my last post, I discussed the tree I had to remove that provided the shade to my hosta garden.  I have since moved 20-plus plants! Thankfully, I have some wonderful, full-sun-tolerant hosta that I think can stay, but only time will tell. Among them I have Tropicanna^® cannas and a peony. I can’t wait to see them bloom. The white hydrangea and the Flower Carpet red roses look beautiful together.

Please be kind to us this summer Mother Nature!  I really want to see my gardens grow!

Hey gardeners! Three of you will receive a collection of all three colors of Next Generation Flower Carpet groundcover roses – offering supreme heat and humidity tolerance – as part of the Your Easy Gardens blog's “Great Gardens” contest being held this summer! 

Complete contest entry info and rules can be seen on Tesselaar's online newsroom.

  

During the contest, which starts in July and runs through September, we're asking for images and stories from your gardens in three different categories:

• Best Plant Combos (July)
• Best Story About Your Garden & Why Gardening Is Important To You (August)
• Best “Easy Gardening” Tricks & Tips (September)

One category will be featured per month, and the winner of that category will be randomly chosen at the end of that month.

Gardeners can enter more than once by answering that month’s feature question and engaging in conversation on the blog.  Monthly winners will receive a canvas totebag, a stunning coffee table book called The Rose, with writing contributions from five of the world's most respected rosarians (including Tesselaar Plants cofounder and president Anthony Tesselaar) and the entire collection of Next Generation Flower Carpet roses – Amber, Scarlet and Pink Supreme. The roses will be shipped next spring at the appropriate planting time for the winner’s area.

“This is all about sharing what works in your garden and why you garden,” says Anthony Tesselaar, cofounder and president of Tesselaar Plants. “We would love to see those winning plant combinations that make your garden a special place.”

The contest begins July 1 and will run through September 30, 2011. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. You can enter as often as you’d like but each entry must be a unique answer/comment. The contest begins at 9:30 a.m. on the first day of the month and all entries must be received  by 10:30 p.m. on the last day of the month until the contest ends on September 30, 2011. Winners will be selected and notified at the end of each month.

Too much – and too little – rain were some of the topics our regional garden bloggers wrote about this past month. Here's the dirt on what's happening in their gardens …

Kari Gagner (far northeastern Minnesota, Zone "3.5"): Born and raised in northwestern Minnesota, Kari considers herself a novice gardener (with a hint of a black thumb) who's continually learning the tips and tricks of the trade. "It will be interesting to see how the summer plays out in regards to my gardening efforts," says Kari, whose 10-month-old son definitely keeps her on her toes. "I am, however, looking forward to having a 'helper' once he gets a little older"

Kari: Greetings from Zone 3.5! (I've coined the term "3.5," as I am in the Red River Valley, just on the edge of Zones 3 and 4, on the Minnesota/North Dakota border). We had a very snowy winter, bookended by a wet fall and an even soggier spring. This year was the third-highest flood on record for the Red River at Grand Forks. Farmers are just now able to get into the fields – which is late for this region! And of course, the weather is making any work outdoors a guessing game. In fact, we are one week away from June as I write this, and we had a frost warning last night! Because of the limited space I have available, I tend to do a lot of container gardening. This year's containers include Tropicanna^® cannas, Wave^® petunias, geraniums, Flower Carpet^® roses and a couple of "salad pots" (lettuce blends, tomatoes and peppers). I'm looking forward to summer's arrival and the warmer weather it will bring!

Pam Word  (East Texas, Zone 7b): Gardening for the last 20-plus years on 3 1/2 acres nestled deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas, Pam loves to push the limits of her zone, so she has a lot of tropicals including gingers, brugmansias, bananas and assorted vines. "I didn't expect to see many of these come back because for the first time in years, we had a week of freezing weather here in East Texas, but most, if not all, are showing their little heads."

Pam: The daffodils, tulips and other spring bulbs put on a great show this spring but are gone till next year. Now the landscape is filled with hybrid lilies and daylilies. My Flower Carpet roses put on a great show in early spring, too. My Fairy^® Magnolias, planted last summer, are leafed out and my Tropicanna cannas are just breaking ground along with my other tropicals. Temps here in East Texas have already been in the 90s and we're behind on rainfall, so this should be a very challenging summer. I look forward to sending more reports as the summer progresses.  In the meantime, happy gardening!

Tonya Cooley (Northcentral  Arkansas, Zone 6B): An avid gardener and reader of gardening magazines, Tonya remembers how her grandma, mom and aunt would always swap flower seeds, bulbs or clippings every spring and fall. "So I guess you could say I grew up with the fever," she says. "I have been gardening on my own for seven years now, using the tips and helpful hints from my mother. One day I hope to have a beautiful flower garden like hers." 

Tonya: When I purchased my home seven years ago, it contained very little of anything in a two-acre yard and it’s been a work in progress. My main concern was the large spruce tree on the northwest corner of my house. With all its shade, I decided it would be a great place for a hosta bed. As it seems with most gardening projects however, the job became more intense when I decided I wanted to add a rock patio where I could enjoy my morning coffee – hard work but worth the extra effort. On the entrance side, I added a heart-shaped arch and my husband and I were married under it – what a joy!  Since then, we’ve moved some Scarlet Next Generation Flower Carpet groundcover roses (bred for even better heat and humidity tolerance) around the arch.

This year I’m adding a water feature, where I’ll be planting some Tropicanna cannas. I am so excited to have started on it! We’ve had tons of rain this spring, but hopefully, we are done with that for a while, and I can finish it before it is too hot!  

Until next time, happy gardening!

Linn Schlinger (Central Virginia, Zone 7a): A retiree who enjoys camping and gardening, Linn lives in central Virginia, which has had its share of real weather extremes the past few years (four years of droughts and high temps, and now drowning rains). The heat, which starts very early in the spring, lasts into October – making gardening a real challenge. "We’re praying like mad for that not to be the case this year," she says, "but so far, instead we’ve been hit with torrential rains and flooding."  

Linn:  Last summer I planted Fairy Magnolias and they are doing splendid. They’ve already grown about 8 inches since I planted them and are full of new leaves. Despite the drought last year, my Flower Carpet roses have come along very well. They are loaded with tons of blooms ready to open up in three to four days. I’m very pleased with these roses compared to others. They just seem to take real well to our poor soil and either drought-or-drown climate. My purple clematis is growing by leaps and bounds! With its first blooming this spring, it had over 50 huge 8- to 9-inch-wide flowers – amazing!   

This spring, we cleared off a large part of our property to expand the lawn and gardens (see above); we planted new grass and covered it with straw. And then … we had to laugh as the heavy rains carried grass seed to anywhere but were it was SUPPOSED to go! Grass is now growing in weird parts of the property and very unusual patterns. So it is with gardening. Mother Nature tends to do things her way.

Until next time, walk in peace.

Well, it’s official – Honeysuckle is the color of the year for 2011, according to the Pantone Color Research Institute.

“Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world,” says Pantone of this festive reddish-pink. “Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing 'everyday' about it.

Well, before Calgon takes me away, I’d be curious to know how to incorporate this cheery color into my home or garden. At least I’d certainly rather use it there than wear it as a bridesmaid’s dress.

If you're looking to add this color to your garden, well, I suppose an actual honeysuckle bush would be a good place to start (see below). I think the coral-colored Flower Carpet^® roses growing on the side of my house are also the right hue, just a shade or two lighter.

 ^{Honeysuckle bush (image from the blog of Allan Becker, Garden Guru):}

^{Flower Carpet Coral:}

If you’re looking for annuals, you can also try the Fame™ Salmon Pink Petunia or Lascar™ Magenta verbena by Selecta. Perennials? Try Magellan Coral zinnia, Horizon Coral Spice geranium, Garden Spice Coral dianthus or Hollywood heuchera (for the dense-coral-colored blooms). Also check out Monrovia’s Amour hibiscus, Anna Rose Whitney rhododendron, Buttons N’ Bows or Glowing Embers hydrangea, Chickasaw crepe myrtle, Duc de Rohan azalea, Maxwell’s Cornish heath, Mesa Verde ice plant and Happy Ever Appster daylily.

^{Fame Salmon Pink Petunia:}

^{'Magellan Coral' Zinnia:}

Or, how ‘bout changing up the color of your containers with a little spray-painting of Honeysuckle? Rust-Oleum makes a great color called Gloss Berry Pink that’s the closest spray paint I can find to that color:

Well, that’s just about all the fashion I can take for one day. Gonna go stare at the mailbox and wait for my mail-order garden catalogs to come in (although I'm sure I'll be noting any "Honeysuckle" hues I find in them).

It’s the end of another year – and another budget-busting holiday season

So as we wait for January’s slew of mail-order gardening catalogs, it’s time once again to dream – and strategize: How can we afford gardening in 2011?

Here are a few ideas I’ve come up with, after looking at my own walloped wallet and a few consumer trends.

1. Invest in the workhorses

^{Hanging basket of shade-loving Bonfire® begonias}

Gone are the days of primadonna perennials and one-trick ponies that provide interest for maybe a week while they bloom and then don’t pull their weight the rest of the season. Taking their place are plants that offer long-term benefits, save time or money or prevent problems down the road. In other words, buying smart isn't always about money. Instead, it's about finding the best value for your dollar.

For instance, does a drought-tolerant plant that costs 20 percent more than its similar counterpart worth the purchase because you can go on vacation and not have to find a plant-sitter? Can the price for a season-long-blooming shrub be amortized over several years because it boosts the resale value of your home? Does the $40 hanging basket also work in the shade or save space in a downsized or urban dwelling?

2. Take advantage of freebies

^{Flower Carpet® roses with free fertilizer sachet}

TV talk shows have been abuzz the past few months about ways to find free stuff.  Online, you can find free (or at least cheap) gardening products at www.all-free-samples.com, www.freecycling.org, eBay and Craigslist. The iVillage Garden Web forum also lists a variety of links to garden exchanges and trades at http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/exchind/ (or you can Google “plant swap” and your town and state to find plant swaps or similar exchanges in your area). Try to see if any garden plants or products throw in a little something extra to make your purchase worth it. Flower Carpet^® roses, for instance, come with a free sachet of fertilizer perfectly formulated for success.

3. Think “multi-use”

^{Festival™ Burgundy cordyline - overwintering indoors as a houseplant}

Can a garden perennial double as a houseplant, helping to beautify the indoors, boost moods and improve indoor air quality? Can it provide healthy, chemically free food for the family and save on the grocery bills? Can it even become a gift for someone else?

Container plants that can easily be carried in from the patio to serve as a wintertime houseplant are a smart buy, especially in colder climates. For instance, Festival™ Burgundy cordyline offers extreme drought-tolerance and season-long architectural interest, texture and colorful foliage. But it also overwinters nicely indoors as a houseplant.

Why choose between growing ornamentals and edible?  Choose plants that are both! I particularly like lovely leaved, colorful edibles like kale and ‘Bright Lights’ swiss chard.  I can’t say enough good things about ornamental kale – which not only handles drought well, but is growing through the snow on my Rochester, NY front porch right now. Plus, adding fresh, raw produce to your diet improves digestive health and gives you a more youthful, beautiful appearance.

Wondering what the heck to do with raw kale? Here's a recipe from Bob Greene's 'Best Life Diet':

Raw Garlicky Kale

2 Tbs. tahini

4 cloves roasted garlic

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 Tbs. water

1/8 tsp. salt

Fresh, red hot pepper to taste

4 cups raw, well-washed kale, cut into extremely thin strips lengthwise

Toss all ingredients except kale in food processor. Toss kale and tahini dressing together, and serve immediately or refrigerate several hours before serving.

You can even use plants as no-cost, personal gifts in a pinch. For instance, this Christmas, I’m giving gardening members of my family who love my Tropicanna^® cannas some of the rhizomes I dug up for winter.

4. “Green” on the tag = green in your pocket

^{The new Soleil™ petunia – "the petunia that lives on a glass of water"}

Drought-tolerant and pest- and disease-resistant plants not only cut your spending on water and chemicals – they reduce or eliminate the risk of having to replace a dead plant! 

Look for eco-tags that equate the purchase of the plant to a real-life environmental benefit or displays featuring water-wise or no-spray plants.

5. Put your smartphone to use

^{GardenPilot® app on smartphone}

Got a smartphone? Get it out of your pocket and use it to find out which garden center in your area is carrying the item you want at the best price. GardenPilot®, for instance is a great app that allows you to comparatively shop for the best prices in town. 

Well, here's wishing you another year of smart and easy gardening – so you can spend more of your time and money on whatever's most important to you (even if it's well … more gardening)!