Summer Sunrise

Oh My Goodness! Where has this last month gone? Here we are, already a week + into August!

I'm sure like many of you out there have noticed, time has been flying by.

Today were going to talk about Roses!!!

Why?

Because... 🎶 "They're AMAZING!! " 🎶

[I sang that last part]

Anyhow:

Besides being extremely beautiful, Roses are some of the most beloved flowers in all of creation. Almost every person on the planet has heard of them, most likely seen one and if your lucky enough had them bestowed as a precious gift.

Throughout history Roses have played an intricate part, forever entwined in our lives. Like the beat of a human heart ❤️ always present but often misunderstood, even worse, taken for granted!

Historical Value:

Did you know?

• Roses are one of the oldest flowers on earth, dating back thousands if not millions of years, depending on your world view.

• There are more than 150 species of Roses 🌹.

• Roses are edible!!

• Their fragrance is used in perfumes.

• Each color has significant indvidual meaning.

• And since 1986 it's been our national flower here in the United States.

For more fascinating and awsome facts visit https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2264/a-brief-history-of-the-rose/

When one has an encounter with a rose 🌹 alot of different things may be happening all at one time such as experiencing pure joy.

(yes, it's okay to feel kinda tingly with a goofy grin at just the sight of them!)

Few things equate to how wonderful they smell, and let's not forget just how soft their petals are, but watch out for thorns!

It's truly and incredible experience Each and Every time.

I could go on and on, but I won't, I'll leave a bit of mystery on the table for those who enjoy a challenge.*wink*- yep that's you history buff.

Everyday Living:

But for those of us who truly enjoy the hands on of growing them, it's one of the most rewarding experience ✨️

so much so that we as a culture participate in Rose Shows, Festivals and National Conventions across the country and nationally every year. We're proud of our roses and love to share them!!

Talk about lucrative!

Today I'm going to share some tips and tricks to growing your very own Roses 🌹

Incase you aren't sure if you have enough space to grow, don't worry, Roses can even be grown in a container on the patio!

[Spoiler Alert]--Another DIY tutorial to come-- Stay Tuned!

Debunking the myths:

• Roses are too hard to grow.
  

Nothing is too hard. Getting your roses off to a good start begines with knowing their optimal growing conditions and selecting the right variety for your growing zone.

Roses need 6-8 hours of direct sun each and every day.

Roses need good healthy soil and good drainage. They do prefer sandy/loamy soil.

Roses also need adequate water to keep them from drying out, but be careful not to over water as they do not like "wet feet". They really only need about 2" of water a week. Or about 4-5 gallons of water pr plant.

• Roses are "fussy"
  

Roses do require SOME maintenance, but just like any other plants, once you understand their needs, it's pretty easy.

Most Roses do best when pruned on a regular basis as a rule of thumb, but not for every variety. Pruning frequency depends on the variety of rose you wish to grow as well as the age of the plant. Truthfully tho, it's not all that much.

Some gardeners prefer to prune hard in winter, Here in Michigan, I prefer to prune in early spring once I can see the die-off from the winter, then continue pruning on a regular basis, depending on how much growth occurs during summer and stop once fall arrives for them to go to sleep a.k.a. - go dormant.

DYK: Some roses can live for hundreds of years if cared for properly!

Couple tips on pruning:

Roses do not benefit from traditional "deadheading" they are pruned in a different fashion.

To prune a rose it's best to ask an experienced gardener to come over and show you if you arent sure where or how to make proper cuts.

Otherwise Wikipedia has pretty good instructions.

When pruning, I choose to prune in the evening, just after watering as it's much cooler and less stressful for the plant.

Only prune about 1/4 - 1/3 of the plant at any one time during the growing season.

If your are "hard pruning" in spring, be sure to take all the dead stems down to the base. The rest will need to be no more than half to 1/3 the original plant size. You don't want to take it too far down as it's just starting to wake up.

Q: How can I tell when my rose is waking up?

A: Before any cutting take a good look at your rose bush. You will notice the old stems from the prior season will be dark in color. When looking closer you can see them starting to "green up" from the base or bud unionon of the plant that is above ground and how ever far up along the stem that "color" starts to emerge is where your plant is alive. Do not ever cut into the base/bud union. However any other stems that are dead can be clipped down to that point in early spring.

Q: During the growing season, how do I know when to prune?

A: Once your rose starts producing flowers, let them be untill the petals begine falling off. Once several buds have gone through their life cycle and the petals have fallen you can remove the "flower(s)". Make your cut just above the next "eye" down the stem from the flower you are removing.

To harvest roses sooner, same method applies. Timing is everything!

Some flowers aren't suitable for arrangements/crafts or sale but they still will need to be removed to rejuvenate the plant to produce flowers again.

Each pruning session should yield several new shoots that will bud out near where the stem was cut, often nearly doubling the flowers that the singe stem had origionally produced. Generally in a few weeks from the pruning session. Roses love being pruned!

In fall stop all pruning, mulch heavy above the bud union to protect it from winter and leave your rose alone untill spring.

• Roses are often infested with bugs and need to be sprayed/chemically treated.
  

This couldn't be farther from the truth. Depending your climate, garden and geographic location. Some seasons do experience more critters than others but in general roses are pretty hardy perennial plants. There are many ways to deter bugs from sampling your roses from companion plantings within the flowerbed to manually removing small insects such as june bugs/Japanese Beetles as well as using nontoxic sprays or just leaving them up to survival of the fittest!

I personally use a combination of these remedies, depending on the bugs that year. Some years they don't require a thing.

• Roses are expensive.

Yes they are, but with good care they will pay for themselves 100 fold, over and over again.

So next time your looking for an arrangement and think, that's a little more than I thought...that's because there is so much more that goes into the gift of giving fresh flowers than the end result, a stunning boquet.

Cost certainly isn't the only factor when flowers are priced.

So much of the value is beyond any dollar amout because of the time, love and energy goes into each and every flower no matter what kind to produce them, process them and ultimately end up loved and enjoyed, by you!!

Fresh flowers are truly a gift of love from our hands to yours.

From small scale back yard growers to huge flower farms across the country. We take great pride in our flowers. Roses are here to stay for many more generations.

I hope these tips and tricks have given you a little encouragement to try them out for yourself. If I can grow them so can you!! ❤️