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Over the years, there have been several conflicts of opinion on the aspects of pruning. There’s no reason for this because a rose is considered a flowering shrub. As far as pruning is concerned these are classified as either plant that blooms on the new wood produced during the current season or they flower on last year’s shoots. The first […]
Rose Maintenance Apart from pruning and fighting pests and diseases, which are discussed later, the maintenance of roses is not an onerous task. Spring Ensure that any roses loosened by the ravages of winter weather are well compressed. Step on the soil around the stem. Make sure that any broken stakes, posts, trellis, etc. are replaced or repaired. Particular attention […]
Controlling Lawn Grubs Organically Contact Arzeena Hamir Beetle grubs can turn a fine looking lawn into a patchwork quilt of yellow spots. But before you reach for the insecticide bottle, there are a number of organic alternatives that will help you cope with the grubs without poisoning yourself or your family. What are these grubs? The grubs that you see […]
Dandy Eggs Now that you’re convinced that spraying your dandelions just isn’t worth risking your health, here’s a recipe to put all those dandelion flowers to good use: 1 tbsp sweet/unsalted butter 20 dandelion buds 4 eggs 1 tbsp water 4 dandelion flowers Melt butter in a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add buds, and cook until they start […]
No matter how much people try to encourage the wildlife to visit and live in their gardens. There will always be occasions and/or parts of the garden where we do not welcome them. This being mainly when we are planting young seedlings or a crop of edible plants is getting close to harvest. So we have to strike a balance […]
Definition: A weed is a corn-fed lanky boy from the Midwest. He grew like a weed. He is as tall as a weed. Beyond that, I fear that we will never agree. The subject is much too personal. All plants have a relationship to other living organisms in the garden, field, roadside, or waterway. Whether a plant is undesirable because […]
The benefits of eating organic produce are well studied and creating your very own organic vegetable garden merely amplifies their effect, especially in younger children who may be just starting out in the garden! Although it seems like a lot of hard work is needed to pull off a perfect organic garden, it is actually the opposite. When seeds are […]
Because of the complexity of their pedigrees, roses other than the species cannot be grown true to variety from seeds. They are mainly propagated by budding, although they can be rooted from cuttings. They are, however, not so vigorous as those that are budded. Growing from Cuttings Hardwood cuttings, about 1 ft. long and 1/4 in. in diameter, are taken […]
I remember my parents telling me that I would grow out of my love of roses. It was a phase that children went through before they knew anything about flowers. I think they just didn’t want me to be a cliché! However, all these years later and roses are still my favorite type of flower. Even with a range of […]
Roses are the staple in many gardens and have been for centuries, with wild roses having an even longer history. Heirloom roses are lush, fragrant roses with varieties that can be grown in different climates from warm to mild. Hybrid modern roses are very hardy, having been bred for colour, size, shape and fragrance. Here we look at how to […]