Pruning Roses

Roses seem to grow and produce flowers for only a few years
before becoming exhausted and starting to develop flowers
down the lower part of the stem.Pruning is therefore needed
to prevent the plant becoming a tangled mass of dying and
living wood with inferior blooms.

Rambling Roses

Rambling roses have diminished in popularity over the
years.They bloom only once a year albeit with a spectacular
show of flowers but are not generally disease resistant and
do need regular pruning.

Flowers grow on new wood so you will need to prune each
year for a good show of flowers all over the plant.However
rambling roses are a good choice in some areas, where their
natural talents can be exploited.Rambling roses flexible
stems will clamber enthusiastically up dead trees that would
otherwise be an eyesore, or scramble riotously along the
soil to produce unusual ground cover.

Climbing Roses

Climbing roses have much less flexible stems than rambling
roses, many are more disease resistant and some are repeat
flowering.Since flowers develop on a framework of
established wood,pruning climbing roses is a much less
demanding than pruning rambling roses.Essential pruning is
restricted to removing dead weak or diseased growth.

Deadhead as much as is practical during the summer and
prune in the autumn after flowering.If you also shorten the
side shoots that have flowered taking them back to three
buds.You will encouragea good coverage of flowers next year.

Regenerating Old Climbing Rose

If a climbing rose has been neglected and lateral growth
not encouraged by regular training and tying in, there may
be many bare stems visible near ground level.You can
encourage new basal shoots to develop by cutting down some
of the old bare stems almost to ground level.

Hybrid tea and Floribunda Roses

Hybrid tea and floribunda roses are popular garden choices
and have broadly similar pruning needs.Hybrid teas have
been used for around 100 years their flowers have what is
often seen as a classic rose shape.Hybrid teas are
available in an amazing range of colours and are often well
fragranced.

However there are some drawbacks with some varieties many
hybrid tea bushes are quite ridged in shape, producing
quite a stiff appearance that does not suit all
gardens.Hybrid teas generally bloom less frequently than
floribundas and are more susceptable to rain damage and not
tolerant to less than perfect conditions.

Floribunda roses have been popular for around the last 50
years.Although the individual blooms may not be as first
choice compared to the hybrid teas floribundas are chosen
for there ability to flower continuously for long periods
of time.Their increased disease resistance their ability to
thrive in less than perfect conditions and for their rain
tolerance.

Prune hybrid tea and floribunda roses in early spring when
growth is just beginning but to avoid the possibility of
damage by wind rock cut back long shoots in autumn.Cut
stems back to approximately half there length and remove
damaged weak or diseased stems.Floribundas hard prune some
old stems close to the ground to encourage new basal
growth, while pruning last years new shoots only
moderately.This variable pruning will encourage a good
coverage of flowers over the whole plant.


----------------------------------------------------
Want to know more about rambling roses or other roses such
as hybrid teas (Ingrid Bergman Rose) or floribunda (Day
Breaker Rose).Then come and visit
http://www.mygardencenteronline.com and checkout the rose
department.While your there have a look around maybe your
interested in Bonsai or fruit trees.

 

Getting Started With Indoor Gardening

When the weather prevents you from going outside to enjoy
some gardening, it's just as beneficial and effective to do
some indoor gardening instead. In this way, you can indulge
in some gardening all year round, while still keeping warm
and dry. Better yet, your plants also keep warm and out of
harms way from frosts, slugs and deer! By the end of
reading this article, you will have many indoor gardening
ideas and tips that will have you well on your way to
growing lots of wonderful indoor plants and flowers.

Indoor gardening will allow you to have much more
flexibility when growing certain types of plants that need
a specific temperature. For example, you could grow
whatever vegetables you feel like all year round, and not
have to wait until they are in season to enjoy their
benefits. It also allows you to grow them organically to
your own personal requirements.

Many people decide to grow plants in a greenhouse, as this
is a form of indoor gardening, and perhaps the most
popular. The temperature within the greenhouse is
controlled by you, and can be adjusted to suit all kinds of
plants. They are made out of either glass or plastic
material, and can be bought or made in many different
sizes. They are a tried and tested method of indoor
gardening, as many professional and amateur gardeners use
them, so you are safe in the knowledge that they are
suitable for all purposes.

If your budget doesn't stretch to buying a greenhouse,
there are many different indoor gardening ideas that are a
lot simpler and cheaper, such as just having some pots in a
warm area, perhaps in a conservatory or on a sunny
windowsill. However, you will have to bear in mind the type
of plants that you wish to grow, as you may need a lot of
space! If you don't have a lot of space, there are several
plants that can be grown indoors in a smaller space, such
as cherry tomatoes. They don't require a large pot, as they
don't grow too big.

The room that you choose to grow your plants in should be
warm and receive a lot of sunlight. You will have to ensure
that there is enough heat and sun for the specific plants
that you wish to grow, perhaps speak to someone at your
local garden centre and they should be able to advise you
on some indoor gardening ideas and on what conditions your
plants need.

Another indoor gardening idea is that you may wish to place
your plants at different places around your house, so you
benefit from colours and well-oxygenated air throughout the
house. However, when growing plants like this, you have to
ensure that they will constantly have enough light, warmth
and humidity.

If you wish to get started straight away, it is a good idea
to buy an indoor gardening kit from a garden centre, which
will give you all the equipment and instructions that you
need to begin. It will also allow you to choose exactly
what type of garden you want in your house. You should also
consider the difficulty of each kit, and choose one
specifically designed for beginners to indoor gardening.

It is also worthwhile to bear in mind that if young
children or animals can access the plants, it could be
dangerous for both them and the plants! If either children
or animals tries to eat your plants, it could seriously
harm them depending on the type of plant. It could also
kill your plant. If it's difficult for you to place your
plants out of reach of children and animals, then perhaps
research plants that are not dangerous at all, as this
could be a solution. However, again, I advise you to talk
to someone at your local garden centre.


----------------------------------------------------
Michael Saville has written more articles on indoor
gardening. These can be found at
http://www.indoor-gardening.org . The site provides
information and indoor gardening ideas for people
interested in this popular pastime

Delightful Dahlias For Every Gardener

Sometimes the sheer audacity of a flower grabs your
attention and simply won't let go. The first time I saw a
dahlia, I was stunned. Not only is their size larger than
life, but also the colors are absolutely amazing! The
intricacy of petal structure, the huge array of shapes, oh
yeah, did I mention the COLORS! In short, I was mesmerized.

In the intervening years, not much has changed, except of
course, there are better selections of these incredibly
immense dahlias. Stronger stems, better foliage, brighter
colors are all thanks to the hard work and intuitive genius
of many hybridizers.

I know several people who have devoted their entire garden
to growing dahlias. Some people might say it's a sickness.
I don't agree - if dahlias are your passion, live it! On
the other hand, not everyone can - or would want to --
devote a large amount of time and effort to one kind of
plant. But, seriously, there's room in just about any
garden for a few of these show-stopping flowers.

Besides border dahlias, there are decorative, dinner plate,
karma, powder puff, tree, collarette and a huge number of
unique dahlia shapes available. Flower sizes range from
under 2 inches wide to more than 10 inches in diameter.
While the colors include everything under the rainbow with
a few surprises in between. That's a lot to choose from;
I'm certain there is more than one for your garden.

One of the best reasons of all to grow dahlias is their
flowering time. They begin to bloom usually in late July
and continue unabated until frost, a time when many other
perennials are finished blooming and there's not much else
going on in the garden.

Dahlias are native to the mountainous central region of
Mexico and Guatemala. Spanish settlers in Mexico sent the
first dahlia seeds and tubers back to Spain in the 18th
century. Spanish botanists at the Royal Botanical Garden in
Madrid sent seeds and tubers to botanists in other parts of
Europe, and the dahlia began to spread across Europe. The
first varieties with large, double ball-shaped flowers were
bred in Belgium in 1815 and within a few decades nurserymen
had expanded the combinations of colors as far as they
thought they could be. Most turned their attention to other
projects, and dahlias languished.

Then, in 1872, a box of dahlia roots from Mexico arrived in
Holland. All the roots had perished except one, which
produced a brilliant red flower whose shape was distinctly
different. It was combined with earlier varieties and the
resulting babies became the parents of today's diverse
hybrids. Thanks to the skill of breeders in England,
Holland, Germany, Australia and America, dahlias come in a
range of sizes and colors unmatched in the world of garden
flowers.

There are some spectacular dinner plate sized dahlias that
grow 36-48 inches tall. How about 'Emory Paul', biggest of
them all in orchid lavender; maybe 'The Big Wow', with
enormous bright, scarlet red flowers. What about checking
out 'Ferncliff Illlusion', fabulous in white with violet
tips or 'Kelvin Floodlight', immense, dazzling, deep, clear
yellow. Any one would be perfect for creating a dramatic
display in your garden.

There are more demure dahlias that come in powder puff
shapes and grow 24-40 inches tall. Most of these large
flowers have a petticoat of regular petals with a puff of
smaller, ruffled petals in the middle. Try 'Blue Bayou' in
lavender-blue; or 'Soulman', in a rich, deep maroon, a
color very rarely seen in the horticulture industry.

You can mix it up with Karma dahlias for an array of
different shapes and vibrant, iridescent colors. These tall
dahlias (36-44 inches) were developed for the Dutch cut
flower market and have long, very sturdy stems. The colors
are truly magnificent. For an amazing effect in your
garden, try 'Karma Sangria' with a rose center, and golden
yellow petals tipped in salmon rose. Single colored flowers
include 'Karma Prospero', in soft lilac-pink with a golden
center and 'Karma Ventura', a dazzling lemon yellow the
perfect contrast to the pink petals of 'Prospero'.

Like I said, there are delightful dahlias for every
gardener! You just have to find the one that suits you best.


----------------------------------------------------
Since 1893 Van Bourgondien has been providing the finest
quality Dutch bulbs and perennials in the horticultural
industry. See all of the dahlias mentioned in this article
by visiting the author's website: Van Bourgondien
http://www.dutchbulbs.com/bulbs/article-wrapper.do?mainPage=
articles/bulblady/plantProfiles/delightfulDahlias.vm&utm_sou
rce=ArticleSubmission&utm_medium=article&utm_content=dahlias