Happy Valentine's Day!

Selecting Roses

Start by looking at the buds; all rose buds are not created equally. Look for buds that are unraveling at the tip. Roses generally open by unfurling a petal at a time in a spiral pattern. Next, gently squeeze the bud; soft buds have been kept in the cooler too long, and hard buds or "bullets" were cut too early and will not open. So, you want to look for firm buds that are beginning to open at the tip.

Caring for Cut Roses

• Leave at least three leaves on each stem. These will help provide nourishment to the bloom.
• Cut off any leaves that will be below your vase's water level. Leaves below the water will rot and shorten the life of your blooms. 
• Next, pour hot water into a bowl (as hot as your hands can stand), add a couple drops of bleach and floral preservative. 
• Place the rose stems in the hot water solution, being sure the buds do not touch the water. Let the roses sit in the solution for just a couple minutes. 
• Remove the roses from the solution one at a time, and trim the ends on the diagonal 1/4 inch using clean, sharp scissors. 
• Put the roses back into the solution until the temperature reaches lukewarm, appx. 1 hour. 
• Now, you can put your beautiful new roses into your vase. Start with a clean vase. Fill your vase with warm water, a few drops of bleach, and flower preservatives. Refrigerate your flowers for about 2 hours before putting them out.
• When the water clouds, remove the roses, replace the old water with fresh hot water and a couple drops of bleach. Return the roses to the vase immediately. 
• When your roses start wilting, you can trim off about an 1/8 inch of the stem end (always on a diagonal), put the roses into a bowl of hot water for about an hour, and return them to the vase.

Using clean scissors and containers is very important if you want to extend the life of your blooms. Unclean implements will spread bacteria to your flowers. Use hot water and bleach to kill that nasty bacteria; do not just rinse.

Ants In My Plants

You see them marching to their little hills, those annoying little ants. You're thinking to yourself, "Put ant spray on the list." But wait...before you decimate that anthill, read this blog!

Dream A Little Dream

We've recently wrapped up a series on greenhouses and realize that while they are every gardener's dream, sometimes we must dream smaller. Cold frames provide many of the benefits of a greenhouse but on a smaller scale. Cold frames can be used as a storage space for overwintering less hardy plants, or a place to get a jump start on your seedlings. 


Cold frames use the sun's heat so you need to place them in a sunny location, and they need to be butted up against an existing structure. The site must also have good drainage. If your plants are sitting in cold water every day they will die. If possible, try to pick an area that is slightly sloped. You may even want to build a slope. 



There are several ways to build a cold frame. Things to keep in mind:

• Do not to make it so wide that you cannot reach all the way to the back-3 to 4 feet is plenty wide.

• Build the frame to fit the top windows, higher in the back than in the front.

• Add weights to keep the windows from blowing open in storms. Use heavy duty hinges on the windows.

• You will need props for the windows which will need to be opened when temps reach  45+ F.

• On sunny days, you will need to open the windows so your plants don't bake, and on cold days you may want to cover the frame with blankets or burlap bags. Uncover when the sun comes back out.

How To Build A Cold Frame

Happy Gardening!

The Time Is Now

If you plan on planting summer and fall blooming bulbs, it's almost time. It sounds strange, but spring blooming bulbs are planted in the fall, and summer/fall blooming bulbs are planted in the spring. If you think about germination, it makes sense. Our widget shows a mere 39 days until the official arrival of spring (yay!), so now is the time to start planning your summer garden. 

Note: Not all bulbs are true bulbs; corms, rhizomes, and tuberous roots will all be referred to as bulbs. There are botanical differences, but, unless you are a scientist, the difference is negligible.

Most Popular Summer/Fall Flower Bulbs

Canna

*Rich, well-drained soil in an area that receives at least 6 hrs full sun 

*Plant with only an inch of soil over the rhizomes; 18-24 inches apart

*When frost kills the foliage, dig up the rhizomes, dry for a couple days, and store

Dahlia

*Full sun (up to Zone 6) part shade for Zones 7+

*Rich, well-drained soil

*Requires ample watering

Daylilies

*Average soil; full-sun to part shade

*Rugged and extremely adaptable

*Generally does not do well when planted near trees

Gladiolus

*Stagger out the planting of these bulbs. Plant a batch and wait a week to plant another. This will provide a continuous bloom.

*Corms should be planted in well-drained soil, 4-6 inches deep, 6-8 inches apart.

Lily

*Requires well-drained, moist soil and full-sun

*Most bulbs will require 4-5 inches of soil covering; space 6-10 inches apart

As we get closer to spring and the threat of frost has lifted, we will follow-up with how to plant and maintain a summer bulb garden.

February To-Do's

• Start ordering seeds now to take advantage of early discounts and good selections. 

• Start slow-growers indoors. Celery, leeks, and onions need several months before they are ready to be transplanted outdoors. You can also start small-seeded flowers, such as petunias and begonias. Keep the seeds warm to encourage development of a strong root system.

• If you are forcing bulbs indoors, now is a good time to check them out. If the tips have started and there's a couple inches of growth, move them to a cool, bright room. For more on forcing bulbs, check out our post, "Baby It's Cold Outside."

• You can start forcing spring bloomers forsythia, dogwood, and crabapple by cutting the branches and putting them in warm water. Make long slanted cuts when collecting branches. Re-cut the stems to increase water absorption , and change the water every four days. Give them about 3 weeks to bloom.

• Feed your houseplants. Dilute the strength by half. Houseplants will tend to become leggy this time of year, continue to pinch back new growth 

• Now is a good time to prune deciduous trees and shrubs.

Greenhouses Pt. 3...Let It Grow!

The greenhouse is set up and ready to go, now it's time to get our grow on.

Greenhouses 101 Part 2: Set-Up

Ok, you've done your research and found a greenhouse to suit your needs, now what?