Happy Fourth of July!

Here are some pictures of plants that I will be discussing in the near future!



Hens and Chicks
I actually forget what these are called! Time to break out the information cards!

Geraniums

Lamb's Ear

Asiatic Lily

Hope you have a happy and safe holiday! Try not to eat too many hot dogs!

We have Seedlings!! (and lots of bird poo)

Some of the seeds I planted are starting to emerge! How do I know they aren't weeds? I don't, but I can dream--so BACK OFF! Whew! Too much caffeine this morning.

I am assuming that is what they are because they don't look like the normal weeds I am used to cursing at and removing with vigor and vengence.

I must say I have not had to put that much work into them and they are growing (my kind of plant(s)!) It also helps that we have been having regular rain and I have not had to water as much, which I love because sometimes (read: most of the time) I like to be lazy.

Here are some pics of the progress. I'd like to thank the birds for taking a big fat crap all over them and ruining the picture. Could I have taken the time to wash them off prior to shooting them? Yes. Did I? No. Why? Lazy. Plus it's going to rain later. Trying to be green, people. Al Gore would be proud.

How to Plant a Bare Root Rose Bush (Part 1)

My mother-in-law asked for a "Strike It Rich" rosebush for her birthday and we, being the fabulous children we are, complied and got her one.

Now I have never really been a rose person. I think they are pretty and smell nice however they have always seemed a little daunting and I have heard they are tempermental. I like a plant that I can slap around and dig up in a day...can't do that with roses. They are like dainty little girls who don't like tackle football...not my kind of plant. My husband's grandmother, Granny G., was able to grow roses out of anything and would even get cut branches from other rose bushes to root and grow(now THAT'S a green thumb). I fear I lack that talent but I will attempt not to annihiliate this bush in Granny G's honor.

I had the rose shipped from Edmunds Roses. They have an excellent selection, were very quick, and their customer service was very helpful. They also sent along a pamphlet on how to plant your bare root rose bush.

So here goes:

Step One:

Allow roots of rose bush to soak for 12-24 hours prior to planting in a bucket.
I can do that! Thank God I read the directions or else I would have been pretty pissed about digging a huge hole and then having to wait 12-24 hours for the roots to soak! At that point I probably would have just thrown the stupid plant in the hole, soaking be damned, and killed it on the first step! I'm ALREADY stressed about this rose!

Here's a tip: Not everyone has a spare bucket laying around the house and the one that you typically use is probably gross and toxic to delicate rose bushes being filled with bleach or ammonia on a regular basis. I used 2 garbage bags to line the inside of the bucket and then filled it, plopped the rose in and let it soak away!

Step Two

Choose a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day. The more sun your rose gets the more flowers you will see.
Done! My father-in-law had to chainsaw away several large branches of a huge evergreen they have in their yard to allow more sun onto the spot she wants...he was thrilled (read: sarcasm). I have to be honest, I don't know if this is going to be a good spot for this rose...I have a feeling I'm going to be hitting tree roots while digging...time will tell.

Step Three

Since you have 24 hours check your supplies and tools.

For Part Two you will need ;
1. a shovel or a hole digger
2. Compost or Peat moss--if your soil is very dense or heavy you will need to mix something with the ground dirt to allow the roots to breathe and grow easier.
3. Sharp pruning shears
4. Gardening gloves

If you don't have these...get thee to a garden center!!

Strike It Rich Rose image courtesy of msucares.com!