I've been reading and wondering; how have you planted your roses?

I make little dams around the roses when I first plant them. They get filled
with the water/Quick-Start solution, then on goes the "landscaping paper"
then about four inches of mulch. I am sure the dams don't last that long
under all that, with watering, but as long as they do the job while the rose
is "new" that's fine with me.

The big garden has soaker hoses snaked around the roses, attached with
lengths of hose. It terminates at the edge of the garden, near the outdoor
spigot. I have a hose that I uncouple off it and store in the winter so it
doesn't freeze. I don't want the hose laying permanently across the lawn
from the big garden to the spigot, which is where the smaller rose garden
is. I have one of the inexpensive twist timers from Walmart, and a five way
coupler. One way goes to the big garden, one goes to the smaller one against
the house, also with soakers, and a third to the rock/climbing rose/verbena
garden, which has drip hose. Another has a regular hose that I use for
watering the container roses, and the fifth is left open for washing hands
or whatever. If it's been dry, I set it for an hour in the evening, and let
it go. It was very inexpensive, as I found the rest of the pieces at Lowes
in their commericial irrigation department...not in the garden section at
all. It was perfect, as I could buy exactly the pieces I needed. I started
with the $14.97 Walmart kit, added a few tee's and extra lengths of hose,
thinking I'd just do the "behind the house" roses, which total about a
dozen. Then I realized it would be not too much more trouble, once I had the
five way coupler, to run soakers in the big garden, and use the regular hose
to connect them as necessary.

I did purchase a small inline tank to add a fertilizer to the slow drip,
although I have not yet used it.

Cheap, effective, efficient, invisible, and entirely legit under the drought
guidelines for limited water use in our area. And of course, the benefit of
depriving blackspot of its favorite breeding grounds, wet foliage.

When I use the hose at all, it's when I'm applying the usual spray program.


Scopata Fuori


One bud so far, on a mini!!! And a baby mini, from Springhill Gardens, will
wonders never cease! The Fairy, Bonica, Frederic Mistral, Jean LaJoie, Red
Cascade, and Climbing White Dawn completely leafed out...if we'd just have a
nice weekend so I can plant more...