Tag: fertilizing

  • Enjoy a virtual tour of famous gardens

    Enjoy a virtual tour of famous gardens

    Gardeners enjoy spending time in their own gardens, but we also love to visit other gardens, especially botanical gardens. We take inspiration from them, discover new plants and techniques, and enjoy the camaraderie of being with like-minded friends who might be with us.

    Visits to public gardens aren’t possible now, at least not for several weeks, but a few organizations have created special virtual tours to help us keep in touch with these beautiful treasures. Here are a few online virtual tours to provide a respite from the news:

    •  Five virtual garden tours, including a stunning tropical garden in Papaikou, Hawaii.

    •  Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens are in this compilation of botanical gardens in the U.S.

    •  Travel across the pond (in your armchair) to view nine grand gardens in the UK and abroad, including Highgrove, Hidcote, Kew and Giverny.

    •  Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania has short videos showing what’s in bloom now.

    Longwood Gardens border
    A border of allium, camassia and aquilegia at Longwood Gardens in May a few years ago.

    •  Closer to home, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario, has begun posting YouTube videos to help keep their members and visitors connected and informed. A recent clip shows how to start basil from seed.

    • Of interest to avid orchid fans: A 21-minute tour of the New York Botanical Garden’s 18th annual orchid show, which began in February but needed to close.

    We all hope to travel to our favourite Canadian public gardens soon. Here are articles to peruse for when it’s time to plan real-time visits.

    Profile of native merry bells

    Soft yellow merry bells (Uvularia grandiflora), sometimes called bellwort, is an elegant beauty in the spring garden. Plants prefer moist soil, but will tolerate drier conditions in summer. For more information on this native woodland plant, see Three Dogs In a Garden.

    More perennials for damp conditions

    Finding other perennials that will survive in soggy soil can be a challenge. (I speak from trial and error; mostly error.) More beauties to consider can be found in “16 plants for soggy soil”, many of which are native. One of my favourites on Stephen Westcott-Gratton’s list is may apple (Podophyllum peltatum).

    Your daily vegetable gardening fix

    Author and gardening expert Mark Cullen and son Ben in Ontario are posting daily videos — Mark from his greenhouse, Ben from his suburban garden — as they get ready to plant their vegetables. Lots of tips for new and experienced gardeners.

    No rush to fertilize

    Timing is everything, they say, and that’s the case with fertilizing, too. “When to apply fertilizer” cautions against feeding too soon.

    Who’s sustaining whom?

    Many of us are at home, seeking every opportunity to get into our gardens for exercise, therapy, solace, distraction, a sense of purpose, fresh air, quiet or whatever we might need that day. In “Porch postulating on 45 years in one garden,” Bob Hill reflects on his relationship with his garden in Indiana. “Nobody gets a 45-year do-over,” he writes while regarding the trees he planted years ago.

  • Miniature roses: simply irresistible

    Miniature roses: simply irresistible

    Miniature roses (Photo from Pixabay)
    Miniature roses (Photo from Pixabay)

    Rose lovers short on space need not give up growing these beauties. Instead, try miniature roses. These dainty plants have all the qualities of their larger siblings, but on a smaller scale. They’re also easy to grow and hardy, and their dwarf habit makes them versatile enough for not only in-ground growing, but containers as well; some varieties are even scented, too.

    Despite their name, miniatures can grow from four inches (10 cm) to six or even eight feet (1.8 – 2.4 m) though most miniatures average 18 to 30 inches (45-76 cm) in height. They’re sometimes classified as micro-minis, medium miniatures, larger-sized miniatures and climbers (also called patio climbers).

    Whether you’re growing miniatures in pots or in the ground, roses do best with a minimum of four hours of sun daily, and well-aerated, moisture-retentive soil. I add several handfuls of compost or perlite to my rose soil. To encourage repeat blooming, deadhead regularly. For pot culture, make sure the container you choose has drainage holes and is large enough for the full-sized plant (roses hate having their roots disturbed). Climbing miniatures require half-barrel-sized pots; all others need pots that hold at least 1.7 gallons (8 L).

    Watering

    Watering requirements depend on temperature, hours of sunlight, wind and soil type, but here is the general rule for container-grown and in-ground miniatures.

    Container: Water potted roses daily (or every other day) at the height of summer until water comes out the drainage holes.

    In ground: Water when the first two inches (5 cm) of soil dries out. Watering deeply slightly less often is preferable to more frequent, shallow watering.

    Fertilizing

    Fertilize miniature roses in spring when all winter protection is removed.

    Container: Potted plants respond well to a balanced slow-release fertilizer (follow package directions) or a weekly dose of fish fertilizer.

    In-ground: Feed garden plants a mild dose of fish fertilizer every couple of weeks and augment with a light top dressing of granular rose food monthly.

    Overwintering

    Their delicate appearance aside, miniature roses can withstand light freezing, but like winter protection once the temperature gets to -10°C for more than a week.

    Container: Move potted miniatures into an unheated garage or cold basement for the winter. “It doesn’t need to be light, but it shouldn’t be completely dark either,” says David Wilson, owner of The Heather Farm & Classic Miniature Roses in Sardis, B.C. “Wrap the pot in fabric or a blanket and water the plants a few times during the winter. They should stay on the drier side, but the soil shouldn’t completely dry out and harden either.”

    In-ground: Miniature rose in the garden can be treated one of two ways. Wilson says you can prune the plant back by one-third or a little more in the fall before mounding four to six inches (10 to 15 cm) of soil around the rose base followed by a lighter material like sawdust or leaf mulch until the plant is completely covered. This allows in moisture and enables air to circulate during the winter. Wilson also says he knows gardeners who dig up the entire rose plant, lay it in a trench, cover it with soil and bury it for the winter.

    Minimizing miniature rose problems

    Mildew and blackspot can sometimes be a problem for miniature roses.

    • To avoid mildew, provide good air circulation and avoid watering during humid weather.
    • To discourage blackspot, consider applying a fungicide during warm, humid weather (ideal blackspot conditions); if the plant is afflicted, remove infected stems and leaves from both the plant and surrounding soil immediately. Do not compost.
    • Aphids love rose foliage. I squish small colonies by hand and spray larger infestations with a mild dish soap solution (not on sunny days).

    Did you know?

    Miniature roses were popular in Europe in the 1800s when cultivars of Rosa chinensis ‘Minima’ were widely available. But their popularity decreased until the discovery of a single pink China rose in a Swiss window box in the 1930s, says David Wilson. That rose, called ‘Rouletti’, is believed to be a variant of Minima’ and gave rise to the miniatures we grow today.

    A few favourites

    The following roses are all favourites for different reasons. Some get my vote for strong scent (Scentsational and Corinne’s Choice) or unusual color (Sandalwood and Rainbow’s End) while others are my pick for perfect form (Mountie) or reliability (‘Jeanne Lajoie’). Sizes given are for in ground plants. Container grown plants may be smaller depending on the size of the pot.

    ‘Jeanne Lajoie’: Reliable, disease-resistant climber with scented double-pink blooms. Height: 6 to 8 feet or more (1.8 to 2.4 m) in the ground, considerably shorter in pots. My container grown specimen grows about three feet (91 cm), is shrub-like and doesn’t need staking.

     Sandalwood: Striking terracotta blooms with a spicy scent. Temperamental, but the gorgeous flowers are worth it. Height: 12 to 14 inches (30 to 35 cm).

    Corinne’s Choice: Pure white blooms with a lovely scent; disease resistant. Height: 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm).

    Rainbow’s End: Striking blooms that are deep yellow, blushing to orange-red, unscented; prone to blackspot but shade tolerant and prolific. Height: 12 to 21.5 inches (30 to 55 cm).

    Scentsational: Large lavender-pink blooms with a strong scent. Height: 24 to 30 inches (60 to 75 cm).

    Mountie: Double red blooms with very slight fragrance; high disease resistance; Ontario-bred. Height: 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 cm).

     

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