Monday, April 28, 2014

April Showers bring...ROSES!

I had to do a picture blog of all the roses blooming right now. So many beautiful colors and sizes...

walkway to backyard Knockout Roses

knockout roses

wild roses ( I dug up one piece of the side of the road!)



with a bonus spider!



vine roses lining my vegetable garden fence


love this peach rose

notice the morning dew

love the double bloom
Lady Banks Rose
Happy Spring!
Nicki

Thursday, April 24, 2014

An Unusual Rose

 


 

I wouldn't say I am the type of gardener that grows "roses". This type of gardener has a mental image in my mind of an older woman, British, wearing a huge rimmed hat and matching gloves. I imagine her to be prim and proper and knows exactly when and how to prune her roses to produce dinner plate size blooms. However, I have a rose that should be included in the "Dummies Guide to Roses"...the Lady Banks Rose.  I never fertilize, spray or water it. In fact, I wouldn't even clarifly it as a rose it is more of a shrubby vine. I have seen it in shrub and vine form. I have tied this trunk to an arbor and have trained it to grow up and over. I use "train" loosely. I tied it to the wood with pantyhose and cut away any branches that hung in the walkway.

The Lady Banks Rose is an evergreen, shrubby vine rose, drought tolerant (I don't water it at all), full to partial sun ( pic above is full sun ), it can grow up to 20 ft tall. The flowers, yellow or white, are small 1-2 inches in diameter and bloom one time of  year in Spring.  It is one of the earliest roses to bloom.  It is named after botanist Joseph Banks' wife.  The best part of this rose is that it is thornless!

early March before right before blooming

Middle April fully blooming


It originated in China but has an interesting American history by holding the Guinness World Record as the "Worlds Oldest Rosebush". Below is a picture of a Lady Banks Rose in Arizona planted in the 1885 on the rooftop of an Inn.  It covers 8000 sq ft and has a 12 ft circumference trunk.



 

  
 

So, I encourage you to purchase this beautiful rose and plant it next to your arbor. I also suggest planting something with late summer or fall blooms on the other side. That way when this is done blooming in spring you can continue your color into summer/fall.

Happy Gardening!
Nicki 

UPDATE: Potato Planter from previous blog is doing good. I have continued to add soil to the top of the pot.



Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Potato Planter

So, I am on a quest again to find a new way to grow potatoes. I have tried many systems: planting in the ground, tires and a plastic bag. Recently, I was in a large retail store and saw a "potato pot".  I was fascinated and envious when I see something so simple and easy.  I think, "Why didn't I think of that?" So, like a true cheap do it your selfer...Here is my potato pot knockoff:



A "Nicki Knockoff Original"







within a few weeks the potatoes sprout
a few more weeks

adding dirt to the top
Now, you continue to water till you are ready for some potatoes.  Apparently, you  just lift the middle pot out and pull down the flap and dig out your potatoes and put it back.  That way you can harvest as often as you would like without disturbing the plant. I will post to see if it works!

Happy Gardening!
Nicki