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Unruly Red Ribbons
I received two Red Ribbons from my Dad last year and they are really
annoying. They keep throwing out these singular 5 feet long limbs from a plant that otherwise remains about 4 inches tall. I kept trying to prune those off last year. They would just throw out another disproportionately long limb from right below my cut. Really messed up their shape last year. This spring, they started out right away with this annoying growth habit. Should I move them to a place where I can try training those monster limbs to climb, or should I just whack them in the head with the shovel? Anyone else experience this problem with this particular rose? Mike z8TX |
Unruly Red Ribbons
Mike wrote:
I received two Red Ribbons from my Dad last year and they are really annoying. They keep throwing out these singular 5 feet long limbs from a plant that otherwise remains about 4 inches tall. I kept trying to prune those off last year. They would just throw out another disproportionately long limb from right below my cut. Really messed up their shape last year. This spring, they started out right away with this annoying growth habit. Should I move them to a place where I can try training those monster limbs to climb, or should I just whack them in the head with the shovel? Anyone else experience this problem with this particular rose? It sounds like you're fighting what the rose wants to be, at least from the HelpMeFind description: 2' x 5' to 7' Sounds perfect to climb a 2' fence. :) Probably falls off a wall pretty well. |
Unruly Red Ribbons
"Mike" wrote in message ... I received two Red Ribbons from my Dad last year and they are really annoying. They keep throwing out these singular 5 feet long limbs from a plant that otherwise remains about 4 inches tall. I kept trying to prune those off last year. They would just throw out another disproportionately long limb from right below my cut. Really messed up their shape last year. This spring, they started out right away with this annoying growth habit. Should I move them to a place where I can try training those monster limbs to climb, or should I just whack them in the head with the shovel? Anyone else experience this problem with this particular rose? Mike z8TX Hello Mike, I am with Cass here. I don't know about Red Ribbons but when a rose goes up, if you want blooms, you just let her have her way. If the canes are pliable and you can bend them without breaking them, then get a couple of those landscape fabric staples - you know the kind that looks like real staples only on steroids - and gently bend the cane towards the soil. Put the staple in position and make the cane go under the staple, then make sure while securing the staple to the ground that you still have the cane bent and not to the breaking point. Some times it helps to tie some jute around the tip and then tie the tip to the base of the plant to create a bow till the cane gets comfortable in that pegging position. You may be surprised how beautiful some roses can look by this gentle torture. If you don't want to do that, then I will suggest you move her to another place where indeed she can go up as high as she pleases. Cutting her is defeating her purpose which is to bloom all along her canes, so if you peg her, you may end with a couple of gorgeous rose fountains. Allegra |
Unruly Red Ribbons
On Thu, 20 Mar 2003, Cass wrote:
Mike wrote: I received two Red Ribbons from my Dad last year and they are really annoying. They keep throwing out these singular 5 feet long limbs from a plant that otherwise remains about 4 inches tall. I kept trying to prune those off last year. They would just throw out another disproportionately long limb from right below my cut. Really messed up their shape last year. This spring, they started out right away with this annoying growth habit. Should I move them to a place where I can try training those monster limbs to climb, or should I just whack them in the head with the shovel? Anyone else experience this problem with this particular rose? It sounds like you're fighting what the rose wants to be, at least from the HelpMeFind description: 2' x 5' to 7' Sounds perfect to climb a 2' fence. :) Probably falls off a wall pretty well. Hi Cass, Hmm... I was told "groundcover." So I heave Botanica's suitcase down from the shelf and look it up. Botanica's says groundcover as well, but in the description states "..good subject for pillars and as a standard." But why do I only get one cane that wants to grow like that when the rest of the canes remain so diminuitive? My other climbers don't restrict their length to a single cane. That's what's so frustrating. I can't imagine training one cane round and round a pillar while the rest of the shrub sits at the base and pouts. I picture that in my head and it ain't pretty. g Mike z8TX |
Unruly Red Ribbons
On Fri, 21 Mar 2003, "Allegra" wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message . .. I received two Red Ribbons from my Dad last year and they are really annoying. They keep throwing out these singular 5 feet long limbs from a plant that otherwise remains about 4 inches tall. I kept trying to prune those off last year. They would just throw out another disproportionately long limb from right below my cut. Really messed up their shape last year. This spring, they started out right away with this annoying growth habit. Should I move them to a place where I can try training those monster limbs to climb, or should I just whack them in the head with the shovel? Anyone else experience this problem with this particular rose? Mike z8TX Hello Mike, I am with Cass here. I don't know about Red Ribbons but when a rose goes up, if you want blooms, you just let her have her way. If the canes are pliable and you can bend them without breaking them, then get a couple of those landscape fabric staples - you know the kind that looks like real staples only on steroids - and gently bend the cane towards the soil. Put the staple in position and make the cane go under the staple, then make sure while securing the staple to the ground that you still have the cane bent and not to the breaking point. Some times it helps to tie some jute around the tip and then tie the tip to the base of the plant to create a bow till the cane gets comfortable in that pegging position. You may be surprised how beautiful some roses can look by this gentle torture. If you don't want to do that, then I will suggest you move her to another place where indeed she can go up as high as she pleases. Cutting her is defeating her purpose which is to bloom all along her canes, so if you peg her, you may end with a couple of gorgeous rose fountains. Allegra Hi Allegra, AH! Pegging! Now that's an idea. I actually have authentic official rose pegs (whatever that means) that I never used. I got them a few years ago when I got Graham Thomas. I thought I was going to peg him, but decided I liked the natural shape of the shrub and wasn't hurting for blooms, so I just put those up in the garage (yes, I love me some garage, as you mentioned before g) and forgot about them. I will try that. As I mentioned in my response to Cass's post, I couldn't imagine growing these as climbers because it appears only one cane on each plant wants to reach for the skies. But pegging may work and I won't have to transplant them to another location. So they remain on probation for another year. You are now their defense attorney. Deal with it. g Mike z8TX |
Unruly Red Ribbons
"Mike" wrote So they remain on probation for another year. You are now their defense attorney. Deal with it. g Mike z8TX Oh yeah? I am only the defense attorney for ogr. Modern and barbies are not my specialty, but I will work pro bono for any rose in need. What in heaven's name are official rose pegs? We used to bend copper wire and made our own before the big ones came around. After a couple of months in the ground you couldn't tell the wire from the canes. And move that shovel away from my clients.G Allegra |
Unruly Red Ribbons
On Fri, 21 Mar 2003, "Allegra" wrote:
"Mike" wrote So they remain on probation for another year. You are now their defense attorney. Deal with it. g Mike z8TX Oh yeah? I am only the defense attorney for ogr. Modern and barbies are not my specialty, but I will work pro bono for any rose in need. What in heaven's name are official rose pegs? We used to bend copper wire and made our own before the big ones came around. After a couple of months in the ground you couldn't tell the wire from the canes. And move that shovel away from my clients.G Allegra I agree with you. I've only been growing roses as a serious obsession for 5 years, so I'm no expert. I still have other plants and a lawn. I understand that makes me a piker when it comes to rose obsession. But my experience so far has me favoring the OGR's and Austins. I like the full-foliaged, robust shrub-like appearance of these plants, as opposed to the tall, skinny and bare appearance of most HT's. Besides, I grow for garden eye candy and my own pleasure. No desire to exhibit. So I doan need no steenkin' HT's. Official Authentic Use-Them-Or You-Must-Be-Some-Kind-Of-Loser Rose Pegs are glorified oversized bobby-pin looking things with a long spike on one end. In other words, I am a victim of marketing. The shovel is in the garage. Pouting. It says you're a buzz-kill. Mike z8TX |
Unruly Red Ribbons
In article , Mike
wrote: On Fri, 21 Mar 2003, "Allegra" wrote: "Mike" wrote So they remain on probation for another year. You are now their defense attorney. Deal with it. g Mike z8TX Oh yeah? I am only the defense attorney for ogr. Modern and barbies are not my specialty, but I will work pro bono for any rose in need. What in heaven's name are official rose pegs? We used to bend copper wire and made our own before the big ones came around. After a couple of months in the ground you couldn't tell the wire from the canes. And move that shovel away from my clients.G LOL I agree with you. I've only been growing roses as a serious obsession for 5 years, so I'm no expert. I still have other plants and a lawn. I understand that makes me a piker when it comes to rose obsession. But my experience so far has me favoring the OGR's and Austins. I like the full-foliaged, robust shrub-like appearance of these plants, as opposed to the tall, skinny and bare appearance of most HT's. Besides, I grow for garden eye candy and my own pleasure. No desire to exhibit. So I doan need no steenkin' HT's. Official Authentic Use-Them-Or You-Must-Be-Some-Kind-Of-Loser Rose Pegs are glorified oversized bobby-pin looking things with a long spike on one end. In other words, I am a victim of marketing. The shovel is in the garage. Pouting. It says you're a buzz-kill. You can keep your effete Martha Stewart rose pegs. Real meat-eating rose growers use 10 inch U-stakes from the drip-irrigation store. If you want to be nice, you can slip a 2 inch of 1/4 inch drip tubing over the curved part, or you can pound the peg and tie the rose. I'm dealing with a beast with 18 foot canes, so I just pound over the ends of the canes. You want to see pegged? Took 2 days, 25 puncture wounds. http://home.earthlink.net/~cbernstei...hevyPegged.jpg -- -=- Cass Zone 9 San Francisco Bay Area http://home.attbi.com/~cassbernstein/index.html |
Unruly Red Ribbons
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 9 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Date: 22 Mar 2003 01:07:01 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: e6bddacd.news.sexzilla.net X-Trace: DXC=J_7KHkZfWE;UI[^FF35SJ2AP8HGo7`YM?CEM5RSoYKOGgS2TRc3@GHS]E5UWn?H=@^ga7:6Lh4S@Da\O0FbR5LPJPLQ3FaejBS5Mc38G 0:E X-Complaints-To: Path: news7.nntpserver.com!newsfeed-east.nntpserver.com!newsfeed-west.nntpserver.com!hub1.meganetnews.com!nntpserve r.com!headwall.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu! logbridge.uoregon.edu!uwm.edu!newsengine.sol.net!p osts.news.sexzilla.net!not-for-mail Xref: news7 rec.gardens.roses:90093 Cass wrote: You want to see pegged? Took 2 days, 25 puncture wounds. http://home.earthlink.net/~cbernstei...hevyPegged.jpg THAT is impressive!! Regina |
Unruly Red Ribbons
Mike wrote:
On Thu, 20 Mar 2003, Cass wrote: Mike wrote: I received two Red Ribbons from my Dad last year and they are really annoying. They keep throwing out these singular 5 feet long limbs from a plant that otherwise remains about 4 inches tall. ummm, I have two Red Ribbons in Reno. This 4 inch tall stuff is a temporary condition. I kept trying to prune those off last year. They would just throw out another disproportionately long limb from right below my cut. Really messed up their shape last year. This spring, they started out right away with this annoying growth habit. It's a hint of things to come. Should I move them to a place where I can try training those monster limbs to climb, or should I just whack them in the head with the shovel? Anyone else experience this problem with this particular rose? If you want a groundcover rose, fergeddit. It sounds like you're fighting what the rose wants to be, at least from the HelpMeFind description: 2' x 5' to 7' Try four to five feet tall at maturity, arching, spreading, always in bloom, and a very thorny little turkey when you try to get underneath to thin in out. Sounds perfect to climb a 2' fence. :) Probably falls off a wall pretty well. Yes, but needs lot of room, and doesn't drape much. It holds itself up in the middle. Hi Cass, Hmm... I was told "groundcover." That is SUCH a joke! So I heave Botanica's suitcase down from the shelf and look it up. Botanica's says groundcover as well, but in the description states "..good subject for pillars and as a standard." But why do I only get one cane that wants to grow like that when the rest of the canes remain so diminuitive? Just give it time. My other climbers don't restrict their length to a single cane. That's what's so frustrating. I can't imagine training one cane round and round a pillar while the rest of the shrub sits at the base and pouts. I picture that in my head and it ain't pretty. g Nor will your arms be if you attempt that feat. Regina |
Unruly Red Ribbons
Mike wrote:
On Fri, 21 Mar 2003, Cass wrote: http://home.earthlink.net/~cbernstei...hevyPegged.jpg Is that the dreaded yet ubiquitous red tip photinia I spy next to your lovely rose? Here in TX, those are junk shrubs that breed disease and defoliate on a regular basis. It's frightening to see it sitting so close to a rose! Do they not have those problems on the west coast? It's a shill, Mike. I'm disappointed that after 5 years into obsession, you didn't recognize the tactic immediately. ;~) One day your spouse leaves for work, and by the time s/he drags home at 7 PM, !presto! another useless landscape shrub has been replaced by a lovely rose. Since s/he isn't much of a gardener anyway, s/he won't really notice anything amiss until the rose blooms. Neat. Clean. Fait accompli. Actually, my photinia all tried to die the first 2 or 3 years. But after they got their roots under them (and maybe after the soil had been mulched long enough to change the pH), they really shot up. They now live on a 1 gallon dripper all through the summer. As for disease, that rose is impervious to everything, including the chainsaw. |
Unruly Red Ribbons
On Fri, 21 Mar 2003, Cass wrote:
Mike wrote: On Fri, 21 Mar 2003, Cass wrote: http://home.earthlink.net/~cbernstei...hevyPegged.jpg Is that the dreaded yet ubiquitous red tip photinia I spy next to your lovely rose? Here in TX, those are junk shrubs that breed disease and defoliate on a regular basis. It's frightening to see it sitting so close to a rose! Do they not have those problems on the west coast? It's a shill, Mike. I'm disappointed that after 5 years into obsession, you didn't recognize the tactic immediately. ;~) One day your spouse leaves for work, and by the time s/he drags home at 7 PM, !presto! another useless landscape shrub has been replaced by a lovely rose. Since s/he isn't much of a gardener anyway, s/he won't really notice anything amiss until the rose blooms. Neat. Clean. Fait accompli. You're devious. I like that. Actually, my photinia all tried to die the first 2 or 3 years. But after they got their roots under them (and maybe after the soil had been mulched long enough to change the pH), they really shot up. They now live on a 1 gallon dripper all through the summer. As for disease, that rose is impervious to everything, including the chainsaw. Well, if you can grow photinia without those problems, it would be a worthwhile shrub. I do like the red leaves in spring and the overall glossy look to the foliage. Grows fast and makes a great hedge.The white flowerheads are a nice touch, too. They just wont remain healthy here, though. It seems when one photinia gets sick, it spreads it to every photinia with a 10 mile radius. Yet, the two most common landscaping elements here are crepe myrtle and red tip photinia. Go figure. Mike z8TX |
Unruly Red Ribbons
Xref: news7 rec.gardens.roses:90112
"Mike" wrote So I doan need no steenkin' HT's. Ok, Seņor Gold Hat, you don't need to show me no steenkin' badges either to believe you really like the org best. ( smart boy!) The shovel is in the garage. Pouting. It says you're a buzz-kill. Righto! Since when is there an attorney who isn't? You told me I was their defendant in this case, right? so deal with it ;) Allegra |
Unruly Red Ribbons
On Sat, 22 Mar 2003, "Allegra" wrote:
"Mike" wrote So I doan need no steenkin' HT's. Ok, Se=F1or Gold Hat, you don't need to show me no steenkin' badges either to believe you really like the org best. ( smart boy!) The shovel is in the garage. Pouting. It says you're a buzz-kill. Righto! Since when is there an attorney who isn't? You told me I was their defendant in this case, right? so deal with it ;) Allegra Hey Allegra, Can't hide a reference from you, can I?=20 How's your spring coming? The wildflowers are beginning to pop here. Mostly= bluebonnet right now, but give it a week or so. I'm anxious to see if I was= brilliant enough to get indian paintbrush to grow. My clematis is coming up, too. I still don't have any rose blooms, but I'm rich with buds. Even the little baby Russelliana from Chamblee's has buds, which I'm very happy about because I thought I may have to wait until next spring to see any blooms. Looks like this will be the best year so far with my Abraham Darbys. Loaded all the way up and down every cane. I can't wait. Those are some gorgeus blooms.=20 I pegged the two Red Ribbons as you suggested. They look a little funny right now - just one big cane on each bent in a hoop. I hope Cass is correct that the rest of the canes will soon follow suit.=20 I received email today from Wayside Gardens. They want to sell me roses at 75% off. $3.00 Austins. I don't have Tamora. That's your cue to badmouth Wayside to prevent me from making a mistake. You can also remind me of the heartbreak of RMV and the reason why I try to stick with own roots. I don't= know though. $3.00. Tamora. Help. Mike z8TX |
Unruly Red Ribbons
"Mike" said:
Hey Allegra, Can't hide a reference from you, can I? Not if we like the same movies ;) Beside that is one of my BH favorite phrases so there was no way I wouldn't have not known it. How's your spring coming? My what? in Oregon? The only that has been blooming without stop is one of the clematis and that babe is loaded. I wish either Altisimo would have come along or the clematis would have waited for Altissimo. They were supposed to bloom nearly at the same time. Oh, yeah. Just believe in labels, and we don't need no stinking labels to fool us, right? I pegged the two Red Ribbons as you suggested. They look a little funny right now - just one big cane on each bent in a hoop. I hope Cass is correct that the rest of the canes will soon follow suit. Now be a good man and leave them alone. No watching, no spying, no harassing them. And no making fun of them either. I received email today from Wayside Gardens. They want to sell me roses at 75% off. $3.00 Austins. I don't have Tamora. That's your cue to badmouth Wayside to prevent me from making a mistake. You can also remind me of the heartbreak of RMV and the reason why I try to stick with own roots. I don't know though. $3.00. Tamora. Help. What is that about a fool and his money? I am not calling you a fool but I will if you throw your money away. Give it to any charity, better spent. You want Tamora? From Wayside? just forget about getting anything in return. Just send them the money. For all matters and purposes it will be the same. Tamora indeed. Since when have they learned to type labels with corresponding names to the roses? That is a new one! A patented rose for $3.00 that it will survive or that would even be closer to Tamora in shape, color and health. Sure. Now lets do some math here. A rose from Wayside $ 3.00 shipping and handling, lets go cheap, another $ 3.00 - A good hole with plenty of amendments about 1 hour to dig and 1/2 hour to plant, even at minimum wage it will cost about $ 12.00 - Months and months of fertilizing, spraying, watering and so forth $ 15.00 for one season. Angst, frustration, waiting for Tamora and when finally the only bloom that makes it looks like a mini and it happens to be red with orange stripes. Shovel pruning, getting rid of it and replacing all the soil in the hole in order to be able to plant something there, another $ 15.00- ( I said we will do this one cheap) So now you have spent $ 48.00, a season and much time to cultivate an unknown, while for $ 14.95 you can march into the real growers and get the real Tamora, or at least an honest replacement if they send you something other than. Of course experience, at least mine applies only to me. But do you ever wonder why someone would sell something of value for less than it is worth? As I said, support your local rose grower. You can get Tamora own root from Heirloom for maybe $20.00 including shipping and handling and it will be guaranteed to be virus free and to grow as a real Tamora. No joke. Beside in the great state of Texas I am sure people like Chamblee and Antique Rose Emporium will probably get for you if they don't have in stock. But if your heart is set on Wayside, go for it. Then you will be giving me tacit permission to call you what they call those who are soon parted with their money. Here is a link to look at the wayward clematis. I cannot get mad at something so gorgeous! I will let you know when Spring comes....if ever. The little one at the feeder is one puffy little Anna. And although there is a rumor that we have no Ruby Throat in Oregon I am here to deny that. We counted seven last week -I know at least 3 weren't the same hummingbird coming back for more because they descended all at once to each of our 3 feeders - and maybe that is the only sign that indeed Madame Primavera its on her way. Allegra http://www.bluesky.com/allegra/hummingbird2.jpg http://www.bluesky.com/allegra/clematis2.jpg |
Unruly Red Ribbons
On Sun, 23 Mar 2003, "Allegra" wrote:
How's your spring coming? My what? in Oregon? The only that has been blooming without stop is one of the clematis and that babe is loaded. Definitely in bloom, isn't it? I really stink at ID of plants that aren't clearly labeled, but is that clematis montana? Well, it doesn't really matter, does it - it's a beauty! And if it's blooming like that, I don't care if it's sleeting and cold - you got you some spring going on up there. I pegged the two Red Ribbons as you suggested. They look a little funny right now - just one big cane on each bent in a hoop. I hope Cass is correct that the rest of the canes will soon follow suit. Now be a good man and leave them alone. No watching, no spying, no harassing them. And no making fun of them either. I can't promise not to spy on them. But I won't pester, plague, torment or annoy. I received email today from Wayside Gardens. They want to sell me roses at 75% off. $3.00 Austins. I don't have Tamora. That's your cue to badmouth Wayside to prevent me from making a mistake. You can also remind me of the heartbreak of RMV and the reason why I try to stick with own roots. I don't know though. $3.00. Tamora. Help. What is that about a fool and his money? ooh! ooh! me! me! I know! pick me! Now lets do some math here. A rose from Wayside $ 3.00 shipping and handling, lets go cheap, another $ 3.00 - A good hole with plenty of amendments about 1 hour to dig and 1/2 hour to plant, even at minimum wage it will cost about $ 12.00 - Months and months of fertilizing, spraying, watering and so forth $ 15.00 for one season. Angst, frustration, waiting for Tamora and when finally the only bloom that makes it looks like a mini and it happens to be red with orange stripes. AAAAGH!!! You're the devil! O.K., just the possibility of that color combination killed the last bit of whatever temptation I was feeling. Good job! Of course experience, at least mine applies only to me. Trust me. We could trade Wayside comedies for days. I suspect the follow-ups would flood this newsgroup and render it useless. Best to not even go there. Alright Sneezy, you win. But don't go getting a big head about it now. It was pretty much in the bag from the beginning. g Mike z8TX |
Unruly Red Ribbons
"Mike" advised Alright Sneezy, you win. But don't go getting a big head about it now. It was pretty much in the bag from the beginning. g Don't you know it? Playing with loaded dice and then it is my fault! Do you get Heirloom catalogue? That is some of the best rose porn in existence. I could fall for a HT if I didn't know better... Keep your fingers crossed for a bit of sunshine. I have to transplant some 15 to 20 roses I have kept in 2-gallon pots for the winter by the southern wall -they were all bands from either Heirloom or Vintage - and they are rearing they are so ready. But I am not going to risk pneumonia if the rain continues and the garage is not a good place right now to put anything more inside of it. Something about black holes....;) Allegra |
Unruly Red Ribbons
On Mon, 24 Mar 2003, "Allegra" wrote:
"Mike" advised Alright Sneezy, you win. But don't go getting a big head about it now. It was pretty much in the bag from the beginning. g Don't you know it? Playing with loaded dice and then it is my fault! Do you get Heirloom catalogue? That is some of the best rose porn in existence. I could fall for a HT if I didn't know better... Keep your fingers crossed for a bit of sunshine. I have to transplant some 15 to 20 roses I have kept in 2-gallon pots for the winter by the southern wall -they were all bands from either Heirloom or Vintage - and they are rearing they are so ready. But I am not going to risk pneumonia if the rain continues and the garage is not a good place right now to put anything more inside of it. Something about black holes....;) Allegra Heirloom will be here soon. I've ordered Darlow's Enigma. Now I'm done for the year (HA!) I've heard about their catalogue. Gotta have it. The only HT I have is Oklahoma. I think. It was here when I moved in. Realtor flowers. Nothing planted here except that rose and two hideous orangish-red minis in the front yard planted right up against a wall with grass underneath. Anyway, it's an obvious HT with high centered blood red blooms, one to a stem and stingy with the foliage. Tiny hair-like prickles cover the canes. Nicely fragrant, though. I whacked the heck out of it this year when I pruned in an attempt to get it to fill out a little. It seems to have appreciated the severe pruning. Maybe it won't be 6' tall, 2' wide with 4 blooms and a dozen sets of leaflets this year. That would be neato. Well, Farmer's says you'll be rainy this week. Farmer's says a lot of things, though. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. I feel kind of guilty enjoying all this yard work while you're under the clouds. I mowed today and wandered the beds afterwards, pulling a few stubborn weeds (how do they get through that mulch???) and lusting after the rosebuds. Whoever blooms first this year gets to sit next to the new gazing globe. I promised. Mike z8TX |
Unruly Red Ribbons
Mike tells me that
Heirloom will be here soon. I've ordered Darlow's Enigma. Now I'm done for the year (HA!) I've heard about their catalogue. Gotta have it. You are going to love this rose! It has become a very favorite of ours, it grows like a weed and it is the essence of white and yellow, yellow stamens. It has the most gorgeous fragrance. Just wait. The only HT I have is Oklahoma. I think. It was here when I moved in. Realtor flowers. Nothing planted here except that rose and two hideous orangish-red minis in the front yard planted right up against a wall with grass underneath. Anyway, it's an obvious HT with high centered blood red blooms, one to a stem and stingy with the foliage. Tiny hair-like prickles cover the canes. Nicely fragrant, though. I whacked the heck out of it this year when I pruned in an attempt to get it to fill out a little. It seems to have appreciated the severe pruning. Maybe it won't be 6' tall, 2' wide with 4 blooms and a dozen sets of leaflets this year. That would be neato. If not reclaim the real estate for a real rose. Well, Farmer's says you'll be rainy this week. Farmer's says a lot of things, though. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. I feel kind of guilty enjoying all this yard work while you're under the clouds. I mowed today and wandered the beds afterwards, pulling a few stubborn weeds (how do they get through that mulch???) Pre-emergent weed killer. Buy yourself a paper shredder and turn every bit of paper into mulch. First clean the bed well, apply some weed killer in a calm day so there is no wind to affect the foliage. Aim only at the ground and do not spray openly or broadcast the spray. Just make sure to do it so that it covers the area where the pests are. Next put your shredded paper all over the bed, covering every inch of space that you can see. Wet the paper well and then cover the whole thing with manure or barkdust, whatever you use for regular mulch. The paper works itself like a lasagna bed, only that it keeps the weeds under and allows the worms to do the work. Then if a stray one makes it up, a shot of boiling water is all it takes to send her back. Not near the roots of the roses, however. Whoever blooms first this year gets to sit next to the new gazing globe. I promised. I am with my friend Jim in Seattle; we are going to be dead last when it comes to first bloom. Although who knows? if Spring keeps us in suspense any longer I am going to begin to wonder whether or not we are going to have any blooms! Allegra |
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