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| The best roses begin with perfect buds. Mr. Lincoln is perfumed, velvety, and spectacular in full bloom. |
Our roses are spoken for, long before they bloom. We now have a list of five families that will take all the roses we cut. One bunch will go to Dr. Carol today. Their office kept the last ones for a week. Three neighbors on this cul-de-sac and our helper round out the list.
The disparity between those who love roses and those who grow them is remarkable. Everyone loves them, but few grow them. I go over gardening books, catalogs, and articles on the Net. I see a lot of flowers to consider. Each time I ask the big question - how much is that in rose dollars?
Mr. Lincoln can be found for $8 and will make back its cost on the first bloom. Roses on sale can be bought for a similar price. All these are bare-root, which is the ugliest form but the best way to grow them. Other roses can be purchased for $30 and even $50 for the tree rose. A true rosarian will say "standard rose" but that sounds like "ordinary rose." The long cane is called a standard, so they are officially standard roses: a wild rose root base, a straight cane grafted to the root, and a hybrid tea grafted to the standard. They require more winter protection, but they are the sign of a rose fan.
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| The floral equivalent to fireworks is a row of standard roses in various colors. |
Not a Lot of Work
Roses are not a lot of work, no more than enough to get people outside and in the sunshine. Roses are not riddled with bugs or loaded with weeds, if the right steps are taken early.
They require pruning, which is to say that people who grow them can have fresh roses indoors all summer long, plus roses to share with friends.
The Right Steps
- Red wigglers are the best earthworms for soil improvement, so that means buying a bag and scattering them around the areas that need the most productive soil.
- Good soil is being built all the time, so a layer of organic mulch will feed the earthworm population. There will be a little weeding, but not much. Dr. Ben Dover N. Pull recommends this.
- When first purchased and dug in, whether bare root or in pots, roses need a lot of water at first. I also sprinkle the roses above ground for the first week or so, to keep the plant moist before the roots start doing their job.
- Garlic chives or garlic will help roses and repel insects. Bugs like sick plants, so one deterrent is a healthy plant grown in a garlic gas cloud. If you doubt the gas cloud, bend over a rose bed seeded with garlic chives on a hot, humid day. It is eye-watering.
- Water twice a week when it does not rain, and prune every other day. Prune away dead wood and crossed branches. Cut the best roses and buds for inside the home and for friends.
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| Double Delight roses have to be ordered early. |