Earthly Garden

I have always enjoyed getting the yearly edition of David Austin Roses Handbook. The roses I currently have in my front flowerbeds are over 45 years old and bloom maybe once every other year. I am not sure exactly who planted them before I came to live here in this house, but I moved them from the side of the house where they hardly were seen to the front so everyone can see them when they bloom the most beautiful pink roses.

I was curious one year what kind of rose bush it was so I requested the David Austin Handbook of Roses to help me pinpoint exactly what it is and the varieties of other bushes I could add to the mix as well. When the handbook first came to my mailbox I was so excited thumbing through the pages and seeing the wonderful varieties that it showed.

The David Austin Roses Limited is based in Tyler, Texas and offers a collection that is beyond words. They have every rose you could image such as English Roses for under $65 for three plantings to Old Roses under $20 to Modern Shrubs under $20 as well. They offer ways to display the roses to how to place them in the ground and the exact way to pick them to keep the bush or shrub producing yearly.

Thanks to this handbook I was able to prepare my rose bush for this blooming season and now’s the time to start pruning those roses to get them ready for the blooming season. This handbook can help you pick the best rose bush or shrub for your particular taste. Pick your copy up today, by clicking here.

1. Prune roses in late winter or early spring to help enhance circulation and to help prevent disease. Making cuts 1/4-inch above an outward bud and cutting at the same angel as the bub on the vine.

2. Using hand pruners, cut off any remaining foliage. Make the pruning cut about 1/2-inch below the dead wood on the rose vine. Clean your pruners with witch hazel or even rubbing alcohol between your cuts to help prevent any transfer of disease to one area of the rose vine to another.

3. Increase the air circulation within the rose bush by pruning out crossed canes or vine. This is any vine that is less than a pencil wide.

4. Next comes the process of shaping the shrub and cleaning it up. You want it to be uniform when all the other vines and canes grow in and also you want to leave room for new growth that will come in the late spring. Be sure you seal all cuts that you make with your knife or your pruners that are greater than a pencil width with some wood glue to prevent cane bored from entering the freshly made cuts.

5. If you want to protect your rose bush during the cold winter months, especially if you have transplanted the bush recently and before the harsh winter winds hit it, you need to cover the entire bush with plastic and secure the bottom so the wind won’t blow the plastic up. It’s best not to do any pruning until after winter passes. Mainly because the rose bush could be shocked and may even die.

With proper rose bush maintenance you rose bushes could bring your joy for many, many years. There is a rose bush in my garden that I separated and now have two of and they are more than 60 years old. I take great care of them and have respect for them as well. If you recently purchased a new rose bush to add to your garden, take great care of it and it will bring you joy every year and for many years to follow.

Mornin’ earthly gardeners!

All of a sudden, every rosebush in my garden is blooming! I still have to get some overall view photos, but I don’t think we’ve ever had this many blooming at one time. The bees are still here working on the blooming yaupon holly tree, and I’ve also seen some hummingbird moths flitting about.

I thought I’d share this one photo with you this morning before I have to go visit the dentist. Blech.

More photos later this week!

dig it!

bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 Bobbi A. Chukran. All rights reserved to photos and text.

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