BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: NEW YEAR/NEW PLANS

Link | January 13, 2023 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Gardeners are a great combination of dreamers and planners as well as the get it done crew! January is when we take a look at that blank slate and start filling up!

SUPPLY/DEMAND

Supply and demand being what it has been the last couple of years has taught us the true value of buying early. The only problem with that is that I buy early online but as roses/seeds/tubers become available locally, I get equally excited about those. I’ll be calling on my self restraint a lot in the coming weeks. Someone please keep reminding me that my garden has a limited amount of space.

So far here is where I am with orders for roses and dahlias…

ROSES

THE GENEROUS GARDENER
PLUM PERFECT

Recently I posted about these two roses on Facebook (on my page, Rose Chat Group page and on the Rose Geeks page) asking for comments and pictures of Plum Perfect growing in their gardens. I didn’t have to ask about the Generous Gardener because it is already a favorite in my garden! Regarding Plum Perfect, so far there has been a ton of comments and all very, very positive. Many raved about this rose saying they were adding another this year. They gave high marks for the health of the rose too. Take a look…

FROM STAR ROSES & PLANTS WEBSITE

Intense, Plum Color • Performs Well In Heat and Humidity

Sunbelt® Plum Perfect™ has numerous, very intensely plum-colored, double flowers. The foliage is a healthy and shiny, medium green, and the variety performs well in heat and humidity.

IRS ROSE SALE

Fortunate for me Plum Perfect is part of the Indianapolis Rose Society Rose Sale. If you are local, this is a great sale with many beautiful roses for a great price. The sale is NOT just for members although members do get a very nice discount on the roses. Don’t delay. I have my eye on a few more! 😱 Transparency Note: I bought 3 PPs. Requiring me to get creative in where to plant them! 💜

If you are local, take a look at the list of roses here.

DAHLIAS

If you want specific Dahlias you truly must order early. But, oh my goodness there are so many beautiful ones out there. Last year I bought dahlias from Longfield Gardens, Swan Island Dahlias, Home Depot, Lowes and Country Harmony (local garden center).

Three years ago I randomly bought from Lowes what has become my very favorite Dahlia – Milena Fleur. A medium sized peachy/pink bloom and plant that stays around 4′. Great for arrangements! Lowes sold Milena Fleur again last year, To ensure I have her this year, I ordered again even though I have her hiding out from the winter in the garage.

2023 Dahlia Order from Longfield Gardens

Melina Fleur
Karma Lagoon
Labyrinth
Cornel Bronze
I will also have 3 Cafe Au Laits coming from Longfields as replacements for the ones I received in 2022 that turned out not to be Cafes!

OVERWINTERING DAHLIAS

I am trying again to over winter my dahlias from last year but I checked them two weeks ago and they certainly don’t look like the plump tubers I packed away. 🤔 Time will tell. Last year one of the three I packed away made it. I packed them in pet bedding chips but they seem awfully dry – I do spritz them occasionally but that is so tricky for a novice. If they don’t turn out well, I plan to try a new method next year. How do you store Dahlias?

SEEDS

I saw this image on IG from @wildwestgardeneringeorgia and it spoke to me. Actually, I can’t express how much I love seeds. Everything about them. I image that during creation seeds must have been a favorite of God’s too. Even the tiniest seed contains everything needed to create the plant AND the ability to actually die and leave us with new life in the form of more seeds.

One of the tiniest seeds is the mustard seed (1 to 2 millimetres) that grows to a tree up to 20′. Jesus told us we only needed the faith of a mustard seed to move mountains. 😱 Yes, seeds give us much to think about and look forward to.

Oh Happy Day: The start of seed organization

Seriously I have bought so many I won’t bore you with the list. Not just online but there was that day I walked into Armstrong Garden Center in CA in December to find their wall of Botanical Interest seeds staring down at me. You know how that ended. I really found so many I was looking for and some I didn’t even know I needed! 😱🌱 🎉 🌱 Have you ever noticed just how pretty those seed packets are!

WINTER SOWING

I am sooooo excited that it is time to start winter sowing. So far, I’ve gotten as far as making a list. More about winter sowing next week.

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

On Sun, January 22 the 2023 Rose Chat season begins. First up is Jason Croutch of Fraser Valley Rose Farm — Roses in Stories and Culture.

In this episode we take a look at some of the stories and legends behind the roses and how roses have weaved their way into Western culture throughout the ages. Some of them are fun and some of them are shocking!

You can follow Jason on his very popular YouTube Channel HERE.

GARDEN WORK

We are having warm temps for January and I’m ready to get out and clean things up. I know I need to wait — horrible cold and snow could be just around the corner. Yep, I better stick to winter sowing.

Are you adding roses or dahlias to your garden this year? I’d love to know varieties you decide on!

Have fun planning and plotting! 🌹🌸🪴🌼🌱💐

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: A season of Ups and Downs

Link | November 11, 2022November 10, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

2022 had its ups and downs around here for sure.

Our garden season started out extremely wet. We had so much rain right up to my open garden on June 12. I almost cancelled because it was pouring rain and the garden had standing water! I started hearing from people early morning to see if the garden would still be open. So I sent out a message that if we were in England we would not stop the show for rain, so grab your umbrella and don your wellies — the garden is open. And so many did – it was such a fun day. (More about open garden here.)

30 minutes before the open garden was to begin, the rain stopped, the sun came out, the clouds moved away and did not return for weeks and weeks and weeks.. We had very little measurable rainfall all summer. We do not have a drip system. Hand watering is what happens here but hand watering was complicated by those hot hot hot days. 🔥 The gardener was hot!

Regardless of the weather scenario, we had beautiful flowers! Many plants just didn’t care about the conditions. Many roses bloomed and bloomed. Zinnias were fabulous. With less moisture, there was less mildew pressure for them. Also fabulous were snapdragons, lisianthus, phlox, foxglove, alliums and all the herbs – they like it hot!

SUMMER MEMORIES…

A BIG TOMATO SURPRISE

For the first time I planted tomato seeds using the winter sowing method. (More about winter sowing here.)

I put them outside in a jug on April 2, left them alone and had amazing plants in mid May ready to take their place in Mr. G’s driveway garden. The 3 varieties I planted in this jug were Gardener’s Delight, Steak Sandwich and Beefsteak.

ONE THING I WON’T DO NEXT YEAR

One thing I’m glad I did but won’t do again was starting dahlias from seed. My germination rate was fabulous and I had many plants to put in my garden and share with others but none of them turned out to be varieties that I really wanted in my garden. I’ll admit to being a bit picky about what goes in my garden, so there’s no need to plant something that will be that much of a surprise. 😳

UNWELCOME VISITOR

During the distracting heat of summer, stealthily, Ms Midge crept into the garden. When the final flush or should I say “big finish” should be happening, I found this…

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What looks like burnt match sticks where beautiful blooms should be. Luckily it was not all over the garden but without treatment it soon could be.

The mosquito looking Midge has been stealing rose blooms for a long time. I’ve read that the earliest recorded information is from 1884 when midge was wreaking havoc in greenhouses growing roses in New Jersey.

My first encounter with Midge was about 10 years ago. At an ARS IL IN District meeting I had the chance to talk about this problem with Dr. Andy Plasz. Andy is not only a rose expert and wonderful teacher, but before retirement Andy was Director and Global Head of Analytical Chemistry Research for Abbott Laboratories. He had a lot to say about my midge problem as he was dealing with the same problem in his garden.

His counsel was so needed as I do not spray for bugs and had no knowledge of what to do.

His recommendation was a product called Cyonara – spraying in early spring as roses are coming back to life and then again 3 weeks later. I hate to bring out the insectide but I do want blooms on my roses so…. Cyonara helped me then and I’m sure it will help me now.

More information: If you would like to read a comprehensive article on Rose Midge, my good friend and rose expert John Hefner wrote an excellent article for the Indianapolis Rose Society. You can read the article HERE.

SIDE NOTE: We had far fewer Japanese Beetles this year. I guess they don’t like it so hot.

NOVEMBER…

While I am not crazy about fall, I am completely crazy about the holiday season that starts around here on November 1. We don’t skip over Thanksgiving – in fact it is one of our very favorite holidays but we are known to start listening to a bit of subtle Christmas music and start adding twinkle lights on November 1. 🎄 Well, to be honest we are not so subtle about it… we are rocking out to everything from Bing Crosby to Mannheim Steamroller and beyond!

Yes, November and December give us so much to look forward too. Extra time with family and friends. Amazing food. And, a more focused season of gratitude.

Friends, I am so grateful to you for sharing my garden world. While we are talking about sharing, what’s your favorite Thanksgiving food? Mine is dressing (stuffing) and a cranberry dish we affectionately call Christmas Cran. (Recipe here.)

SIDE NOTE: If you are an ARS member you will soon be receiving their beautiful magazine AMERICAN ROSE soon. This is their special annual edition. When you open you magazine, you might just see a familiar garden – Bloom Thyme. 😁 If you are not a member of the American Rose Society … take the plunge today and jump into the world of roses! Read more about that here…

Until next time ….

Bloom Thyme Friday: Winding Down and Gearing Up

Link | October 28, 2022October 27, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

After a wonderful trip to Southern California, I returned to a dry, dry, dry fall Indiana garden that was ready for a gardener to get her fall self in gear. The to-do list was long but little-by-little the list is disappearing and the chores are winding down.

☑️ Zinnias and other annuals pulled

☑️ Empty annual containers

☑️ Gather Seeds

☑️ Peonies (Dig, Divide, Move)

☑️ Plant Garlic

☑️ Plant Roses (Another Earth Angel, Carefree Beauty, and Rise Up Amberness)

☑️ Plant bulbs

Dig Dahlias

Tie up climbers

Trim back shrub roses to waist high (will wait until is it much colder)

So as you can see, I am making progress but still have a way to go. The weather is so good that it is such a pleasure to be out.

SPECIAL NOTE: We had rain… deep, soaking rain. It had been so long. The garden and I are rejoicing! I think more is in the forecast for next week!! ☔️ 💃 ⛈ 🥳

A SPECIAL FALL MOMENT

I have made my caramel dip for more than 30 years, but it was taken to the next level when Grandboy #1 wanted to be a part of the process. For more fall fun and the recipe… read on here.

DAFFODILS

I know I’m a bit late in this but I’m looking for more white daffodils, do you have ones you would recommend? Even if I can’t find them this year, I can add to list for next year. My favorite white so far is Thalia. Monty Don talked me into that one a few years ago. 🙄 It is exquisite! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

GEARING UP

I simply can’t put one year’s garden to bed without gearing up for another year. As I work in the garden my head is racing with ideas, making new plans, and wish lists. And, there are seeds to buy (before they sell out) and catalogs to pour over. It is such an exciting time. Am I alone?

My first BIG seed decision has been made… which lisianthus seeds to order from Johnnys Seeds! Last year I grew Voyage 2 Blue and from January to today I have loved them. They are still blooming in the garden as I type.

For not year I choose two colors:

Aren’t these gorgeous!!! There are several colors to choose from. Take a look here.

BLOOM THYME

Leading ladies: Mother of Pearl & Prairie Sunrise

ROSE CHAT

The latest series was WINTER ROSE TALES where we featured the gardener, their garden and how they care for roses in winter. I love each of them and am so grateful to those who submitted their winter rose tales.

WINTER ROSE TALE: PART 1 (LINK)

WINTER ROSE TALE: PART 2 (LINK)

I am busy working on the 2023 schedule and there are some great ones coming!

Friends, until next time, whether you are gardening or dreaming… ENJOY

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not only the body, but the soul.

Alfred Austin

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Fall Beauty🍂

Link | September 23, 2022September 22, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Regardless of how hot it is, all you have to do is walk outside and you know it is fall. It just smells like fall. And the biggest sign of fall around here is all the tiny honey locust leaves we find all over our house. They are so easy to “carry in”. This morning at breakfast we watched them rain down out our window. They are everywhere now.

While I am in the midst of fall work which includes moving roses, adding roses, dividing perennials and in general making a big mess, there is still beauty to see.

One of the most beautiful sights in the garden right now is Proven Winners Midnight Blue Caryopteris (Bluebeard).

If you don’t have this shrub and you are in Zones 5-9, treat yourself to one or two or more. I now have 4 and may add two more next year. These late summer blooming machines are outstanding! Link to more information here.

I am not the only one around here who loves them. The pollinators can’t leave them alone.

DAHLIAS

The dahlias are putting on a show!

COSMOS

Loving this new (to me) cosmos, Psyche White from Floret.

They are soooooo pretty! Floret is showing sold out right now but that might change. It looks like it is still available from Select Seeds here. I’ll definitely be saving seeds from this one.

STAR OF THE WEEK:

Desdemona! This David Austin beauty thinks it’s spring.

This pollinator is loving her too!

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

We have a new series starting in October – WINTER ROSE TALES. In this series you will hear from rose growers around the country. They will tell us about their gardens and the roses they grow plus share what they do to care for their roses in the winter. I think you will find all of them fascinating and fun.

In the meantime you can catch up on other recently released show here…

BRINGING A ROSE TO MARKET – Rose Chat Podcast

BRINGING A ROSE TO MARKET Heidi Mortensen, Rose Portfolio Manager Star Roses and Plants On the episode of the Rose Chat Podcast host Teresa Byington is joined by Heidi Mortensen, Rose Portfolio Manager of Star Roses and Plants. Heidi directs the introduction of roses from breeders around the world into the US & Canada. In addition to breeders, she works closely with growers, sales reps, retail leaders, liner suppliers and anyone who loves and wants to talk roses! She’s come to the right place! ROSE CHAT TEAM: Executive Producer & On-Air Personality: Chris VanCleave – http://www.RedneckRosarian.com Creator of the Rose Chat Podcast. Mr. VanCleave is a nationally known rosarian, television personality, speaker and advocate for the rose. Content Creator & On-Air Personality: Teresa Byington – http://www.TheGardenDiary.com Co-Host Teresa Byington promotes roses as an integral part of the landscape, as a Consulting Rosarian, Master Gardener, writer, and speaker. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to Rose Chat Podcast Updates: http://eepurl.com/hAC6gP

The latest podcast is an update from Star Roses and Plants where they talk about new roses and new garden trends.

I’m doing some traveling this weekend to attend the Colonial District Picnic and talk about English Cottage Gardens. So excited to see many old friends and meet new ones!

Until next time, happy gardening.

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Lisi and Me

Link | July 29, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Prior to January 2022, all I knew about Lisianthus was that it was wonderful in arrangements, it was a favorite of my daughter who would be coming for a visit near the time of the first blooms and that I wanted to grow it.

Many flower farmers advise not trying Lisianthus from seeds as it takes so very long and germination of seeds is sometimes tricky.

But, in the dark of January, I was up for the challenge. The long timeline didn’t bother me as I had plenty of time this winter to “baby” Lisi along.

Last September I bought Voyage Blue FI pelleted seeds from Johnny seeds.
Jan 20: Scattered seeds in shallow trays (re-used carry out containers) on a bitter cold day! It was toasty warm in the Potting Shed.

Feb 3: Seeing a bit of green!
Feb 21: Some real growth happening. I think every seed germinated!
Mar 11: Potted up to Gardener’s Supply self watering trays. These are the best!
Apr 4: Taking on some size now! Finally!
Apr 17: Time to start hardening off
May 7: Outside they went! Some to the cutting garden, some to the herb garden and a few scattered through the borders. The roots were unbelievable!

This plant is a true miracle to me in color alone — all of the white buds had me convinced the seeds had been mismarked and these were going to be white instead of purple. Truly they are white until they open to the glorious purple – with a tinge of white here and there!

WILL I DO IT AGAIN?

Yes, if I have time! However, we will most likely be doing more traveling next winter so I am looking for suppliers who have lisianthus plugs that non-professional growers can purchase. I sure don’t want to be without these beautiful bokay game changers! Burpee had them this year and I have found a few sources on Etsy that had them too. As this season ends, we will know more what will be available next year. I won’t wait long to order though! And, I’ll have some seeds just in case!

ONE MORE THING: I will stake them next time! I did get a few staked and it helped so much to keep their long stems from flopping!

Here’s a bit more about Lisi:

Eustoma, commonly known as lisianthus or prairie gentian, is a small genus of plants in the gentian family. They are native to warm regions of the southern United States, Mexico, Caribbean and northern South America.

From Better Homes and Gardens: Lisianthus, often favored by floral designers when an elegant flower is needed for an arrangement, it is the epitome of a classy, versatile flower. The ruffled petals and elegant buds come in many colors. The delicate-looking blooms are known for not only their beauty, but also their ability to hold up as a cut flower in a vase for up to two weeks or longer. (I AGREE!) Link to more info.

JAPANESE BEETLES UPDATE

Seeing fewer Japanese Beetles than last year for sure! There are enough of them to make a mess of the roses but not the “billions” I often see. Maybe the extreme weather conditions aggravated them. (Too wet followed by too dry.) I sure hope they were aggravated as they sure “aggravate” me!!!

SOMETHING NEW: BLOOM THYME MINUTE

I have reprised my YOUTUBE Channel to share short videos of my garden that I am calling Bloom Thyme Minute where I take you on a virtual walk through my garden and we stop for “just a minute” so I can tell you about what we’re seeing. I think that as of today, there are 7 videos and more will be coming.

Here is the BLOOM THYME MINUTE for Vanessa Bell…

BLOOM THYME

The garden was so refreshed by the rain we had this week and the gardener is surely enjoying the cooler temps the rain brought with it. We won’t talk about the heat that’s coming back!

Friends, I hope you are having a wonderful week in the garden. Mr. G’s tomatoes are starting to come on and we can’t wait. There is simply nothing like that first BLT when we have homegrown tomatoes! G’s favorite is Steak Sandwich. I grow them from seeds as we never see them for sale. (Link) What are your favorite home grown tomatoes?

Until next time, I’ll leave you with this greatness…

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Navigating July

Link | July 8, 2022July 8, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

As usual July is pulling out all its tricks…

Throwing out the welcome mat for Japanese Beetles.
Putting us on the heat index map.
And, this year being ever so skimpy with rain.

It’s hard to complain as the drought seems to keep the JBs from overtaking as quickly as they sometimes do. It’s a bit harder to “emerge” out of parched ground.

Today we are getting our first real rain in 4 weeks. I actually walked outside to see the plants celebrate. Guess who else was celebrating… you guessed it, the Japanese Beetles. Their entrance into their best life has been made much easier and they were everywhere. I picked a bunch of flowers while it was raining as I wasn’t sure there would be any good ones left when the rain stopped. You know with the JB celebration and all.

Another upside of this glorious rain, I have more time. This morning Mr. G asked me what I was going to do with all the time that I usually spend each day watering! It’s a large garden and we do not have a watering system. I do love to hand water but this weather has put that to the test. I have become one with my Dramm. By the way I think the Dramm rain wand is the best watering device EVER. Gentle deluge for the plants and one that is very calming for me too! I love it so much that I gave Mr. G one for Father’s Day to use on his tomatoes. He loves it!

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

Set to release this Sunday (July 10) is an interview I did with Kimberley, the Rose Geek. Be on the look out. It was great to hear her rose story.

BRINGING A ROSE TO MARKET – Rose Chat Podcast

NEW BOOK

Look what just came in the mail. One of my favorite rosarians of all time, Michael Marriott has written a book. If you aren’t familiar with Michael, he spent the last 25 years as the head garden designer and rose expert for David Austin Roses. He is also well known for his expertise in rose fragrance!

At first look it is beautiful and starts off with a bang … the first chapter is “The Romance of the Rose” and moves quickly to the subject of rose fragrance with the “The Magic of Scent”. I can’t wait to fully dive in! If you’d like a copy, you can find it on Amazon here.

An inspirational guide to choosing and growing the best roses!

Below are links to two of the most recent podcasts I did with Michael. In both, he shares amazing information!

ROSES IN EVERY SEASON ..

https://rosechat.podbean.com/e/roses-in-every-season/

COMPANION PLANTING…

https://rosechat.podbean.com/e/companion-planting-for-roses-michael-marriott/

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

Even with all the horrible heat and drought so many plants just keep going! I do water but only a small percentage gets any regular watering. Most just have to make it on their own.

There is a question I ask myself every July… Why didn’t I plant sunflowers? I love them but just don’t seem to have a place for them. I’m not big on bright yellow but who can resist sunflowers. Maybe next year. 🌻🌻🌻

July does give us ups and downs, but it also gives us enough heat to get the dahlias going… big plus!

Featured Dahlia … Creme de Cognac from Longfield Gardens.

Thanks for stopping by! 💐

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: MORNINGS

Link | June 24, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

Most of you are probably like me and in the midst of a heat wave making mornings so very important to us! To spend time in the garden we have to beat the heat!

My favorite way to start the day is with coffee in the garden doing my devotions. My devotions this time of year are centered around the garden. Time began in a garden. Jesus went to a garden before the cross. Jesus said I am the vine you are the branches. There’s a flood. There’s drought. There’s rocky soil. There’s the mustard seed. You can’t go very far in the Bible without bumping into a garden or garden illustration. It’s very gardeny.

I was recently asked for recommendations for gardeny devotional books, so here is a list of the ones I have, they’re all a bit different. Several I bought many years ago but they may still be available through Amazon or other online outlets.

Garden Mercies by Laurie Ostby Kehler
Devotions from the Garden from Thomas Nelson Books
A Gardener’s Little Devotional Book by Worthy Publishing
Meditations on a Rose Garden by Carolyn Huffman
Down a Garden Path by Karla Dornacher
A Well-Watered Garden by Harriet Crosby
NIV Gardeners Bible

POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

In the potting shed, I have Foxglove seeds started for next year’s garden. As biennials, in my garden, they make leaves the first year and winter over and bloom the second year. They also are known to be prolific self-seeders and that has worked for me lately but there were many years when we’ve had colder winters that did not happen. Last year I bought a lovely pot of peach foxgloves. This year in that same area I have 4 peach foxgloves! Self-seeding at its best. Always good to note about this plant ALL PARTS ARE POISONOUS.

The seeds I planted are Carousel Mix from Renee’s Garden. They will be a mix of pastel shades.

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

Many of the roses are laying low, hiding from the heat and the Japanese Beetles. Since my open garden on June 12, we’ve had NO rain! NONE. The only upside to the lack of rain is that the barrage of Japanese Beetles has been stymied due to the hard ground. Only a few brave souls have emerged. We are looking forward to a drenching rain but so far none is in the forecast.

This time of year it is great to take note of those things that are doing very well. There are some roses and many perennials and annuals that don’t seem to mind the hot dry condition. Here are my BFFs right now – coreopsis, daylilies, coneflowers, daisies, veronica, and phlox. So far my dahlias are doing okay too. I’d not say they are thriving but growing and I’m still hopeful they will be spectacular. The big exception there is Creme de Cognac… I started the tuber inside and it did well and now it is blooming like crazy – way ahead of the others.

YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY IN THE GARDEN

Never forget you are in good company in the garden.

And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8 He is the Master Gardener.

Happy Gardening Friends!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Open Garden Dress Code

Link | June 17, 2022June 16, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

This has been a year for the record books. Aren’t they all! 😳

Leading up to “Open Garden” day, we had torrential downpours almost every day. Some days it rained all day. So with standing water in areas of the garden two days before “open garden” I was close to canceling. I can tell you my master gardener friends were not big fans of canceling. And yes it was raining the day of the big event but not torrential downpours. My thoughts were… if we were England we would not cancel, we would just dress for the weather. So, I sent out a note saying just that and added – bring your umbrella and wear your Wellies it’s garden tour time.

30 minutes before people were to arrive the rain stopped and the sun came out!!! We had the best time! Did the garden look it’s best…. HEAVEN’S NO! Every bloom had been water damaged. But, that didn’t stop the fun. We had the best time. How can you not have a good time with friends in your garden — it’s just the best.

Guest entered the garden through Mr. G’s lineup of tomatoes!

ZINNIAS FOR EVERYONE

I just love Zinnias. I tried several “new to me” varities from seed this year plus a few extras to share. A few weeks before open garden day, I had so much fun potting up Zinnia seedlings for visitors to take home.

ROSEFEST UPDATE

Rosefest was a big success. Loads of people and loads of roses. In the Rose Show I saw some of the most beautiful roses I have ever seen thanks to all those who entered … especially John and Donna Hefner. They are such experts and are so willing to help others. They took home the top honors.

Thanks to RISE UP AMBERNESS (Proven Winners) I won an award for an arrangement. The class was “BIRTHRIGHT… honoring our parents”. In the arrangement I included foliage from the Rose of Sharon shrub from my (deceased) Mom and Dad’s garden.

ROSE CHAT

More episodes are being released all the time. Check them out here. When you click the most recent episodes will become linkable. First up you’ll see my chat with Tom Carruth – one of the most successful rose hybridizers in the world. He has brought us classic beauties like Julia Child, Hot Cocoa and the amazing Forth of July climber to name a few. He is currently the currator for one of the most beautiful rose gardens in the world … The Huntington Rose Garden in San Marino, CA.

BRINGING A ROSE TO MARKET – Rose Chat Podcast

THey’re back

Oh, how I hate to tell you that it’s now Japanese Beetle season again. 😫

You know how much I love my Vanessa Bell roses. Well, the Japanese Beetles chose her to be the first to munch on. So, it begins. 😡 If you’d like to read my article on Japanese Beetles from last year, read on here.

PRESSING FLOWERS

I haven’t pressed flowers for many years but I have been craving to do so this year. Mr. G gifted me with an absolutely gorgeous (and large) press from Gardeners Supply. He loves to buy gifts from there as they have such quality! If you are interested in pressing some beauty too, here’s a link.

What am I going to do with the flowers I press??? I’m not sure but I do envision a jar filled with beautiful pressed flowers. We’ll see!

ROSE OF THE WEEK… BLISS PARFUMA

What a rose! It has stood up to all the rain like a champ! This rose came to me from Heirloom Roses last year and it is outstanding. A strong, vigorous plant with gorgeous blooms. Like all the Kordes roses in my garden, it is disease resistant. It also has a light fragrance. To read more, here is a link to Heirloom.

COMPANION OF THE WEEK … SELF-SEEDED FOXGLOVE

Look at this beauty. It self-seeded from a Foxglove I bought at Lowes last year. Such a beautiful color. I will be saving seeds and making sure some make their way into the ground again!

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

The rain gave way to torrid heat. I think most of you are in the same hot boat! Many plants are “melting” but some are taking the heat in stride. And, I’m trying to do the same.

We will close out the gallery with the boldest of all… one of the newest kids on the block – South Africa.

Whew, she is making a name for herself. She is positioned right beside the prissy pink Pomponella who may be giving her a side-eye. I might have to find a better place for her “boldness.”

Friends, glad you stopped by. Stay cool!!

Maybe make some lemonade. This is the recipe for lemonade I loved to serve to guests coming to the garden — back when the world was more comfortable with that sort of thing. I sure hope we get back to that soon.

My kids call it, “LEMONADE THE MOM WAY.”

For each can of Minute Maid (or other brands) Frozen Lemonade add…

2 cans water
2 cans Canada Dry Ginger Ale
1/2 cup sugar
3 large sprigs of fresh mint
1 – 2 lemons, thinly sliced
Add ice and ENJOY!

BLOOM THYME FRIDAY: Fireworks & Fragrance

Link | June 3, 2022June 3, 2022 | Teresa / TheGardenDiary.com

I am finishing today’s post while having lunch in the garden. Praise to the Master Gardener and giver of all good things. Even in the midst of horrible situations, His handiwork is all around us.

My current view…

There couldn’t be a better day to share the fireworks and fragrance that are going on in my garden…

Many of the roses were highly affected by the horrible rains when the buds/blooms were forming and the horrible heat that followed … but like the survivors they are, BLOOM THYME fireworks and fragrance began!

GHISLAINE DE FELIGONDE

Let’s start with Ghislaine de Feligonde she is devouring the potting shed in a wonderful way. Every year she is more than I dreamed she’d be when I planted that tiny plant 5 years ago from High Country Roses.

THE ARBORS

New Dawn was one of the roses affected by the rain and probably won’t last as long as she normally does but she couldn’t help showing off with Peggy Martin! I don’t think Sweet Drift (lining the walkway to arbor) was affected at all – these little beauties have never been more beautiful!

MOTHER OF PEARL

All 7 of my Mother of Pearls went crazy at the same time! The color. The fragrance. The sturdy shrub. An excellent rose.

VANESSA BELL

Vanessa Bell is just the best color of yellow. She is such a full rose that some of the blooms did “ball” instead of opening but not very many considering the weather. So lovely… She is truly my favorite David Austin. I purchased another one this year and she is budded up and will bloom soon.

FUN IN THE SUN

This is one of my favorite new roses… Fun in the Sun.

Just look at her and she’s fragrant too. I checked with Matt Douglas from High Country Roses to see if he has any left and he does! I may get another and if you want one too, here is a link to the website… https://www.highcountryroses.com/shop/modern-roses/hybrid-teas-grandifloras/fun-in-the-sun/

ROSEFEST

SAT, JUNE 11, 9 – 3 PM

If you’re local, the Indianapolis Rose Society and Hamilton Country Master Gardeners have teamed up to bring a beautiful day of roses. Roses for sale, demonstrations, garden tour, great speakers, and free Proven Winner’s beautiful roses to the first 40 guests! For all the details, read on here…

Rosefest 2022

NATIONAL ROSE MONTH

June is National Rose Month! For details on how the rose began our national floral emblem, read on here for a post I previously shared. https://thegardendiary.com/2021/06/03/june-is-national-rose-month-3/

BLOOM THYME GALLERY THIS WEEK

TAKE A DEEP BREATH… we will end with a short video of Madame Hardy. The fragrance is amazing and that cute button eye is what she’s known for. The rain was particularly hard on her but she still has a lot to show!

Friends, we’ll talk more blooms next week. Until then, HAPPY GARDENING!🌹

SUPPLY/DEMAND

ROSES

FROM STAR ROSES & PLANTS WEBSITE

IRS ROSE SALE

DAHLIAS

2023 Dahlia Order from Longfield Gardens

OVERWINTERING DAHLIAS

SEEDS

Oh Happy Day: The start of seed organization

WINTER SOWING

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

GARDEN WORK

Have fun planning and plotting! 🌹🌸🪴🌼🌱💐

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SUMMER MEMORIES…

A BIG TOMATO SURPRISE

ONE THING I WON’T DO NEXT YEAR

UNWELCOME VISITOR

NOVEMBER…

Until next time ….

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A SPECIAL FALL MOMENT

DAFFODILS

GEARING UP

BLOOM THYME

ROSE CHAT

Friends, until next time, whether you are gardening or dreaming… ENJOY

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DAHLIAS

COSMOS

STAR OF THE WEEK:

ROSE CHAT PODCAST

BRINGING A ROSE TO MARKET – Rose Chat Podcast

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WILL I DO IT AGAIN?

Here’s a bit more about Lisi:

JAPANESE BEETLES UPDATE

SOMETHING NEW: BLOOM THYME MINUTE

BLOOM THYME

Until next time, I’ll leave you with this greatness…

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ROSE CHAT PODCAST

BRINGING A ROSE TO MARKET – Rose Chat Podcast

NEW BOOK

Below are links to two of the most recent podcasts I did with Michael. In both, he shares amazing information! ROSES IN EVERY SEASON ..

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

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POTTING SHED PUTTERINGS

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY IN THE GARDEN

Happy Gardening Friends!

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ZINNIAS FOR EVERYONE

ROSEFEST UPDATE

ROSE CHAT

BRINGING A ROSE TO MARKET – Rose Chat Podcast

THey’re back

PRESSING FLOWERS

ROSE OF THE WEEK… BLISS PARFUMA

COMPANION OF THE WEEK … SELF-SEEDED FOXGLOVE

BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK

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THE ARBORS

MOTHER OF PEARL

VANESSA BELL

FUN IN THE SUN

ROSEFEST

SAT, JUNE 11, 9 – 3 PM

NATIONAL ROSE MONTH

BLOOM THYME GALLERY THIS WEEK

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Below are links to two of the most recent podcasts I did with Michael. In both, he shares amazing information!

ROSES IN EVERY SEASON ..