October Blooms Part 3

"What is in a name a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."     Shakespear

We bought October fest in the spring of 2008 from Selman's Nursery.  Liz told us it was her Mother favorite rose.  Being a grandaflora it grows tall blooms back but slower than most.  In the spring it loads up, in fact we have had to cut them off if it rains at that time.

Hot Coco was planted in 2009, bought at Selman's Nursery in Eudora Arkansas.  A florabunda, in spring blooms in clusters, grows about four and one half feet.  Keeps blooms most of the time not a real full bloom. We are happy with it.  Tends to have week limbs, need to keep it cut short for a while.





Roses are not the only flowers I have in my garden.  I planted these Mums in the fall of 2008 and we cut them back to about  four inches after they bloom in the fall.  They begin to bloom in July and we keep them dead headed, they bloom until the first frost.  It is recommended to cut Mums back to seven inches until July, but I like for mine to bloom early.  I have the Lavender in two places they come up every year.  A really good flower garden needs something blooming at all time, this is my goal.                         



I was surprised that some of my Day Lilies   have been blooming since the last of April and still are.  I bought one of these Day Lilies  in 2009 divided it in 2010 and had eleven when I finished.  I planted them around three sides of my peace rose bed.  I buy only  rebloomers now. 

 





We bought Ebtide in 2008 at Selman's Nursery.  It is not as dark I would like it to be but it is a rose that blooms well.  A  florabunda  Ebtide is not too tall and blooms in clusters.  The fragrance of the rose is quite lovely.  Most purples or lavender roses have a wonderful fragrance









Butteryflies love lantana.  I have two different kinds, one grows really bid, in fact too large, you have to cut them down.  This one is light pink and yellow, my favorite.

This bed has mostly bulbs however I did plant these Mums and Gold Lantana.   This Gold Lantana is a great size, we dead head it and it does not get out of control





We planted this Red Lantana in the spring, bought it at Selman's Nursery.  I planted it in the flower bed with my Peace rose.  A very good bloomer, the color is bright and catches your eye.  I hope you have enjoyed this October page and you will continue to watch my garden grow, and will grow one of your own.  Happy Gardening to you from me.  Juanita

First Rose

"It will never rain roses.  If we want more roses, we will have to plant more roses."

                                                                                                                  George Elirt

First Rose

My son, Frank Murphy, built this flower bed for me.  I call it the A bed. Frank built five beds that year and tilled three more.  My neighbor, Carrel Sheffield, now my husband, came over to watch.  Two roses were left behind for me when I bought this house.  Carrel said  they  had only  two or three blooms a year on them, because they were  in deep shade.  It was July, the hottest and driest  part of the summer, when we moved the  roses.    Frank dug a deep hole around the rose and when he lifted the shovel, all the dirt fell off!  Bare root roses can be difficult in the spring, but July is very difficult.   Carrel Sheffield said  "It will not live."  Carrel did not know me.  Frank  watered it well, no fertilizer, could burn roots at this time.  The same thing happened to the other one.  I now had two bare root roses.  I was not worried.  Carrel shook his head

I have rooted many plants before, anytime of the year. So  I thought at least these 2 rose bushes do have  roots.  I filled  two one gallon milk jugs with water, let them stand over night and watered both roses, everyday.  Anytime you root or plant anything, water daily until the plant gets a good start.  Everyday Carrel would come over and check on the two roses.  One day he told me it needed cutting back; that it was too tall. He asked, "May I cut it for me?" ( We should have cut it back when we planted it.)  "Sure," I said "Go ahead."  I need to tell you now Carrel had a line of roses across his yard.  They were beautiful.  So he cut them back, but he also started spraying them.  My boss and niece called wanting me to work every other week, to care for her Mother.  I asked Carrel if he would water the Roses while I was gone.  This started a wonderful friend and a new love.

We were married on December 27, 2007.
 
Roses have been with us 35 million years according to fossil evidence.   They have been symbols of love, beauty, war, and politics.  Garden cultivation of roses began 5,000  years ago, probably in China.   The Romans planted large public rose gardens in the south of Rome.  After the fall of Rome the popularity of roses would rise and fall with the trends of the times.

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                      

Floribunda

.      There are many types of roses. I  will show and  tell you about them as my blog goes along.  I hope you will follow and read my future pages on my blog.  The  floribunda Rose is  medium height and rounded growing habit. They make great hedge rows and bloom in clusters of many medium blooms.  Grandaflora roses are a  combination of the floribunda and the tea rose. They are tall and slender, with fewer blooms on each stem.  Both the floribunda and the grandafloras are repeat bloomers.  The tea rose is tall and slender with only one bloom on long slender limbs. Tea roses are repeat bloomers but are slower to bloom  again and are more subject to disease.  I plant mostly floribundas because they bloom more abundantly and are easier to maintain.  We fertilize 3 times a year early spring, summer, and fall. Our leaves are usually bright green and healthy; but if they start to yellow or began to dull, we give them iron.  Do not use too much iron. Usually an eighth of a cup will be enough on a fully developed rose.  Hope you will watch my garden grow.  Happy gardening to you from me.  Juanita