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Thursday, November 30, 2017

Year of the Rose: Best Types of Roses

Year of the Rose: Best Types of Roses

Best Types of Roses and Rose Care Tips

'Rainbow Happy Trails' rose. Photo by Brecks.com
‘Rainbow Happy Trails’ by Brecks.com.


‘Peace’ rose, a popular hybrid tea rose variety. Photo from Wikipedia.

'Fourth of July' Rose. Photo from WeeksRoses.com
‘Fourth of July’ rose from WeeksRoses.com.
Roses  https://www.almanac.com/content/year-rose-best-types-roses?trk_msg=2VSRIHU5GLG4VCTE58SQ2T4LRK&trk_contact=EEBLFVJ2I0VAQT9EM5JFVJAK9O&trk_sid=E88F86PTM63JKVEF64IUB53FK0&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Year+of+the+Rose%3a+Best+Types+of+Roses+(read+more)&utm_campaign=Companion+Daily
In honor of the rose’s long and colorful history, as well as its place in gardens, the National Garden Bureau named 2017 the “Year of the Rose.” In celebration of the close of this rosaceous annum, let’s take a closer look at “the queen of flowers.” Here are some of the best rose varieties to grow in your garden!
Today, roses are enjoying new popularity. During the past 20 years, rose breeders, including Weeks Roses in Wasco, California, have been developing and introducing roses that require less maintenance and are more disease-resistant and fragrant. “Modern rosebushes are both beautiful and tough in a wide range of growing conditions, so they are easier to grow than ever before,” says Christian Bédard, research director for Weeks Roses.
One of the biggest challenges for gardeners can be knowing how to use roses, based on their growing habit. An understanding of the types of roses eliminates any woes.

The Origin of the Rose

It is believed that the cultivation of roses began about 5,000 years ago in China. During the Roman Empire, rose gardens were established in the Middle East. In the 17th century, kings and queens considered roses legal tender for purchases.
The era of the modern rose began in 1867, when French breeder Jean-Baptiste André Guillot introduced the first hybrid tea rose. The elegantly shaped buds soon became the standard look for a proper rose flower—a tradition that continues today.
Learn more about the history of roses and about some classic rose varieties.

Types of Roses

  • When most people think of roses, a hybrid tea rose comes to mind. Known for their long stems, these are ideal cut flowers. Hybrid tea rosebushes have a generally upright shape, and the plants reach 3 to 6 feet tall. Popular varieties of hybrid tea roses include ‘Pretty Lady Rose’, ‘Mr. Lincoln’, ‘Peace’, ‘Neil Diamond’, and ‘Marilyn Monroe’.
    • New in 2017 from Weeks Roses was a variety of hybrid tea rose called ‘All My Loving’, developed in England by Gareth Fryer. The 4- to 5-inch dark pink flowers sit atop long cutting stems and have 30 to 40 petals. ‘All My Loving’ performs particularly well in hot, sunny climates.
  • The floribunda rose, by contrast, generally blooms in clusters of smaller flowers. Popular floribunda varieties include ‘Iceberg’, ‘Julia Child’, ‘Ketchup & Mustard’, and ‘Angel Face’. A new variety of floribunda rose called ‘Easy to Please’ brings the added benefit of increased disease resistance. This variety, part of the Easy-to-Love collection from Weeks Roses, grows well in a wide range of climates and conditions. 
  • Climbing roses are the largest of the rosebushes. The canes of a full-size climbing rose can rise 10 to 12 feet tall. These plants do well when grown on a trellis, fence, or wall; regular pruning may be required. Some popular varieties of climbing roses include ‘Fourth of July’, ‘Above All’, and ‘Stormy Weather’. ‘Tropical Lightning’, also new from Weeks Roses, features blooms that mix sunset orange and smoky purple, with cream-color stripes. ‘Tropical Lightning’ also has improved disease resistance that makes it lower-maintenance.
  • Shrub roses are good choices for large landscapes or gardens. Their rounded growth habit can result in roses that are 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Shrub roses are vigorous, with large clusters of blooms. Popular varieties include ‘Home Run’, ‘Edith’s Darling’, and ‘Children’s Hope’. A new shrub rose variety called ‘Watercolors Home Run’ does not set seeds; all of the plant’s energy goes into producing flowers—its clusters of pink flowers with bright yellow centers just keep coming! ‘Watercolors Home Run’ is highly disease-free and has self-cleaning petals (meaning no deadheading required), making it a nearly maintenance-free plant.
    • Shrub roses that have low-growing and wide-spreading habits are called ground cover roses. Two new ground cover roses are ‘Rainbow Happy Trails’, which flowers with pink outer petals and golden centers, and ‘Sunshine Happy Trails’, with a profusion of sunny yellow flowers. 
Learn about the best disease-resistant roses.

Carefree Care

Roses have a reputation for requiring complicated care, but this needn’t be so, according to Christian Bédard. “You don’t need to do much to get the best new roses to grow well,” he says. “Newer varieties of roses are much more vigorous and disease resistant than older varieties. New roses such as ‘Watercolors Home Run’ and ‘All My Loving’ can thrive in most climates with no spraying and basic pruning at the beginning of the growing season.”
Learn about the easiest rose varieties to grow for beginners.

How to Grow Roses

Rosebushes—whether new varieties or heirloom varieties that have been available for decades—grow best in full sun with moist, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter.
  • Light: For the best show of flowers and healthiest plants, rosebushes need to receive 6 to 8 hours of sunlight daily. In especially hot climates, roses do best when they are protected from the hot afternoon sun. In colder climates, planting a rosebush next to a south- or west-facing fence or wall can help to minimize winter freeze damage.
    • Select a sunny spot that will allow enough room for a mature plant. If planting several rosebushes together, space them at least 3 feet apart. Dig a hole deep and wide enough to accommodate the plant’s roots.
  • Soil: Roses thrive best in soils that retain water without becoming waterlogged. Amend the soil as needed: If your soil is heavy clay, mix in compost, peat moss, and other organic matter to improve drainage. Adding compost to lean, sandy soils helps to retain moisture near the plant’s roots.
  • Water: Water thoroughly. Then mound up loose soil around the canes to protect the rose while it acclimates to its new site. For best results, plant rosebushes on a calm, cloudy day. Planting on a hot, sunny day can stress a rose (or any type of plant).
    • Give the rose the equivalent of 1 inch of rainfall per week during the growing season. Water at the soil level to avoid getting the foliage wet; wet leaves can encourage diseases such as black spot and downy mildew.
See our Rose Growing Guide for more information on planting, growing, and caring for roses!

Best Rose Varieties by Climate

  • Hot and dry climates (U.S. Southern California and the Southwest): ‘Pretty Lady Rose’, ‘Neil Diamond’, ‘Doris Day’, ‘Tropical Lightning’, ‘Coretta Scott King’
  • Cool and wet climates (Pacific Northwest): ‘Violet’s Pride’, ‘Sparkle & Shine’, ‘Pretty Lady Rose’, ‘Oh My!’
  • Hot and humid climates (U.S. Southeast): ‘Watercolors Home Run’, ‘Home Run’, ‘Julia Child’, ‘Take It Easy’, ‘Easy to Please’
  • Cold-winter climates (Northeast and U.S. Midwest): ‘Watercolors Home Run’, ‘Cape Diamond’, ‘Party Hardy’, ‘Julia Child’, ‘Children’s Hope’, ‘Easy to Please’

Friday, November 17, 2017

Pumpkin Streusel Cake

Pumpkin Streusel Cake
Author: 
 
Ingredients
For the cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp. of cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp. ginger
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • 1 cup butter , at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
For the streusel:
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp. cold butter , cut into small chunks
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and salt, whisk together. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Add the pumpkin puree and continue mixing until blended in. Reduce speed to low, and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.
  4. To make the streusel, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in the butter, and mix using 2 table knives, a pastry blender or your hands. Continue mixing until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. (You can also do this in a food processors. Just give it a few pulses.) Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the cake.
  5. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! (You want a few moist crumbs on the toothpick you insert.) Place cake on a wire rack and cool completely.

Joe Licata’s Best-Ever Coconut Cream Pie

Joe Licata’s Best-Ever Coconut Cream Pie

Yield: 

Makes 8 servings.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Seasonal Crafts: How to Make a Nut Wreath

Seasonal Crafts: How to Make a Nut Wreath

Nut Wreath
Decorate for the holidays this season with this festive homemade nut wreath!
A wide variety of nuts is sold at holiday time. Fashion them into this charming decoration especially suitable for Thanksgiving.

Materials needed:

  • 1 straw or grapevine wreath form (10 to 12 inches)
  • an assortment of unshelled walnuts, chestnuts, filberts (hazelnuts), almonds, and brazil nuts
  • acrylic varnish
  • brush
  • wire
  • glue gun
  • pine sprigs, ivy, or small grape leaves (optional)
  • ribbon

Directions:

LadyBug Garden Tidbit Of The Month

LadyBug Garden Tidbit Of The Month

St.Lukes Indian Summer~Tidbit Of The Month

http://www.almanac.com/fact/st-lukes-little-summer-lovely-summerlike-days-saint
Lovely, summer like days that occur around October 18 are called Saint Luke’s Little Summer in honor of the saint’s feast day. Around this time, Saint Luke’s feast day, there is a period brief period of calm, dry weather. Of course, it’s difficult to generalize today across the vast continent of North America, but the temperature is usually mild and the leaf colors are turning a gorgeous color. It’s a good time for a brief vacation or visit to a park. In Venice, Italy, they say: “San Luca, El ton va te la zuca” (Pumpkins go stale on St Luke’s Day), but here in North America, pumpkins are enjoying their finest hour. Saint Luke is the patron saint of physicians and surgeons so it seems only fitting that the good doctor give us these calm days. In olden days, St. Luke’s Day did not receive as much attention in the secular world as St. John’s Day (June 24) and Michaelmas (September 29), so it was to keep from being forgotten that St. Luke presented us with some golden days to cherish before the coming of winter, or so the story goes. Some folks call this Indian Summer, but that officially occurs between November 11 and November 20.

When To Plant Mums

When To Plant Mums
Tip of the month

How To Make A Succulent Wreath

How To Make A Succulent Wreath
This turns Out So Pretty! Click on picture for directions

LadyBug Painted Rocks

LadyBug Painted Rocks
For Your Garden

Painted Garden Rocks

Learn to make these adorable ladybug painted rocks. use special outdoor paint for this adorable garden craft so you can keep garden ladybugs…

Ingredients

  • Patio Paint in colors of your choice (I used Larkspur Blue, Petunia Purple, Fiesta Yellow, Fuchsia, Citrus Green and Salmon)

  • Smooth rocks, preferably oval or round in shape

  • Paintbrush

  • Toothpick

  • Outdoor sealer or Patio Paint Clear Coat

Do It Yourself Projects

Do It Yourself Projects
Harvest~Autumn Costume

LadyBug Directions

Ladybugs are the one crawly creature most kids find fun, cute and friendly. Any child will feel the same wearing this simple, comfortable costume.

Materials Needed:

2 pieces (12 x 18 inches) stiff red felt
1 piece (12 x 18 inches) black felt
2 hook-and-loop stick-on buttons
2 large black chenille pipe cleaners
1 regular black pipe cleaner
1 square (12 inches) stick-on black felt
1 black headband
1 black turtleneck top
1 pair black leggings


Step 1

To make the ladybug's wings, draw a semicircle on each piece of stiff red felt. You can attach a 12-inch piece of string to a pencil and, holding the string end midway on the 18-inch side of the felt, draw a semicircle by swinging the pencil in an arc. Curve the top of each wing as shown at right.

Step 2

To make the yoke, fold the black felt piece in half lengthwise. At the center of the folded edge, cut a 5-inch, curved neck opening. Curve the outer edges of the yoke and cut the center open as shown in the photo.

Step 3

Attach the top of the wings to the back of the yoke with glue or needle and thread. Add hook-and-loop buttons to either side of the yoke opening. Sew or glue the large chenille pipe cleaners to the outside joints between the yoke and the wings: these are the bug's extra legs.

Step 4

Use a glass to trace 7 black dots on the stick-on black felt. Cut out the dots and stick them to the ladybug wings as shown in the photo.

Step 5

Glue the center of the regular black pipe cleaner to the center of the headband. Reinforce it with a strip of black stick-on felt. Curl ends of pipe cleaner to complete the antennae.

Step 6

Dress the child in the black turtleneck, leggings, wings with yoke and headband.


Cute Harvest Costume

Cute Harvest Costume
Click on photo for directions

LADYBUG PHOTO'S

LADYBUG PHOTO'S

LadyBug Recipe Today

LadyBug Recipe Today
I love to search, find, share recipes to cook,bake and serve.