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Recent Entries to this Blog Planting Roses
Posted: 06 May 2009
Home Gardening for Beginners
Posted: 06 May 2009

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Planting Roses

Category: Beginner Gardening | Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:04 pm

Planting Roses
Many gardeners pass over rose bushes simply because they do not know how easy it can be to grow beautiful stunning roses all spring and summer. Here are six simple steps to beautiful healthy roses.

1. Dig a hole twice and wide and twice as big as your pot. If you are planting bare root roses dig about 8 to 10 inches deep and the same width. Add two or three handfuls of compost and form a mound in the middle of your hole.

2. Spread roots at the bottom of your bush. Place over the mound and pack well. Open spaces around your plant can cause root rot and kill your rose bush before it has a chance to start. Place your rose in the hole deep enough that the root ball just comes level with the ground. Refill hole.

3. Pack ground around bush and form a water well to catch any excess water. Sprinkle the ground with a rose food. I also place a banana peel around the base of your rose and cover the area with mulch or pine bark.

4. When your plant starts to show new growth remove mulch and fertilize with a super phosporous or high nitrogen general fertilizer.

5. The key to continuous summer blooms is to prune off flowers as they fade so that the bush can conserve it's energy into making new blooms.

Also, never be afraid to ask your local greenhouse or home store questions about what to use. That is what they are there for and most enjoy helping the beginner gardener get started.

Last edited: Wed May 06, 2009 2:32 pm

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Home Gardening for Beginners

Category: Beginner Gardening | Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:04 pm

How to plan your first garden.
As a beginner gardener, the first thing that you will want to decide is which type of garden will work best for you. Some things to think about are:

1.) How much time you will be willing to commit each week to your garden?
2.) How dry or wet is your climate?
3.) How many hours of sun will your garden receive each day?

If you are willing to work your garden everyday and have an hour or two each day you may enjoy a formal garden. A formal garden is characterized by it's clean rigid lines. If you prefer full thick shrubs and hedges pruned and shaped, and uniformly grown flowers with predictable colors and blooms and immaculately manicured lawns this is the garden for you. Keep in mind that to keep your lawn shrubs full and green they will need sufficient water and mild temperatures. A formal garden is best suited for zones 4-6. The boxwood, holly, and yew are just a few suggestions for shrubs. Hydrangeas are also beautiful and available in many styles and colors to match your scheme. Bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths and tulips are very predictable and require little care after planted. If you choose to plant roses in your formal garden be sure that they will get at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.

The first year I planted my roses I tried to plant them in partial I only saw about four or five blooms that year. It is very important to pay attention to the instructions that come with your plant. If it says full sun then it may live in partial sun, but it will not look it's best and you will be disappointed.


A cottage garden will require less time and care but can still be breathtaking. You can spend about two to three hours a week on average. A romantic cottage garden should include gentle color schemes with soft clusters of flowers both tall and short, grasses and vines trailing on fences or trellises that seem almost random but not neglected. Clematis and morning glories are almost a given when talking about a cottage garden. Clematis are very fast growing and available in a wide array of colors. Peonies, cone flowers and lillies are also stunning when mixed with shorter flowers like petunias and daisies. Also consider placing a rose bush towards the back for some added color. Varieties like the Angel face or Scottish rose are very fragrant and produce multiple blooms throughout the spring and late summer. This garden will need to be watered three to four times a day. If your garden will be in partial shade consider adding a few hostas or some ground cover like creeping flox.

Just enjoy your garden and try to experiment with new things when you can. If you are having troubles or have questions try your local garden center or ask someone you see working thier yard. Fellow gardeners most always like to share thier secrets

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