I’ve always said that roses are the hardest working shrubs in the garden. From the earliest in spring, they provide ornamental interest to the garden, plus food and habitat for insects, birds and other wildlife. In the fall and winter, they demonstrate this work ethic with their ripening fruit – the rose hip. As I…
Discover how easy it is to grow roses from cuttings! Save money, multiply your favorite roses, and enjoy a fun, rewarding gardening project with this beginner-friendly guide to rose propagation.
Selling plants at the farmers market is never dull, and occasionally, it sparks lively and thought-provoking discussions. Recently, a customer approached me with a challenge about one of the plants I sell: butterfly weed, also known as milkweed, from the genus Asclepias. Specifically, he questioned the relevance of promoting Asclepias as the host plant for…
Red is the new purple, purple the old red. At least as far as western rose breeding goes, this is the way it went. Maybe red was always a desirable color, but among the old garden roses of Europe, true red wasn’t one of the options. There was white, light pink, dark pink, and even…
I don’t have a very good excuse for pairing these two roses together: one’s a gallica, the other a rambler, one has huge flowers, and the other has tiny ones. However, they were both in bloom on the back fence of our farm at the same time, so let’s just call it a marriage of…
Discover the Scots Rose, a hardy and versatile species known for its early blooms, fine-textured foliage, and stunning black hips. Learn how to grow and appreciate this historic and adaptable rose.
Five years ago, this farm was a blank slate to us. From the time we finished clearing the brush on the north end of the property, we’ve been in an ongoing process of adding defining features: the squash field, the children’s play area, the winter garden – and the rose garden was actually one of…
It’s a good thing that my hobby is neatly divided into seasons. It gives me time to forget how foolish I was to buy and save all those seeds last year, and how hard pressed I was to find warm places to germinate them. My wife Lisa (who I may have mentioned having the patience…
Even if you only know me casually, you’ve probably caught on that I’m a bit of a plant geek… I mean, more than just the roses, tomatoes and squash. In fact, my real expertise (at my day job) is regarding perennials. I’ve learned a lot there about how to grow each crop to finish for…
Think all roses have thorns? Think again. Discover thornless beauties that are perfect for patios, pathways, and family-friendly gardens. From classics to modern picks, find the right rose for you.
‘Altissimo’ was flowering early this season – and that’s when I first wrote about this distinctive rose. The trick is that ‘Altissimo’ never stopped blooming. When selecting roses for the local farmer’s market, I had a hard time not bringing this rose every week. The individual flowers don’t last too long, but the rose reblooms so quickly and…
Griffith Buck bred this rose as part of his program to create a class of roses that had large flowers like the hybrid tea or grandiflora roses, but were more resistant to disease. While he may have made progress towards that goal, this rose is notable for one reason: the colour. Depending on the weather,…
Struggling with roses in pots? Discover why Baron Girod de l’Ain thrives in the ground, how to manage diseases like powdery mildew, and tips for showcasing its stunning blooms!
This Gallica rose is old, but no one can say for certain how old it is. It has persisted in gardens since at least the 1800’s and is often listed as a favorite rose of people who love the form and scent of old garden roses. You really have to give it to the breeders…
In the succession of flowering times for garden shrubs, the Forsythia comes early, and perhaps because it’s such a bright (or even objectionable, depending on who you ask) shade of yellow, rose growers use it as a reminder to get out there and prune their roses. If you lack a Forsythia, you definitely use the more…
