Greta's Garden

Monday, May 29, 2006

May 29 - Memorial Day - Tomatoes and Roses


Thought I'd share with you the size of two of my tomato plants. They're huge. They far surpass the neighbors' who have only once, in eleven years, had fruit on the plant before me. You guessed it. We do have a little rivalry going.

Then there are those that haven't made it to the garden to be planted yet .....



I was in Fayetteville on Thursday of this past week and stopped to smell the roses. Literally. The rose garden there has 1,000 bushes with more than 3 dozen varieties. I've been doing some work in that area and had seen the plants last winter when they were dormant. I'd not had a chance to see them in full bloom.

This is a picture of my "Double Delight," a tea rose with a very strong smell. I learned about it while working at Chinqua-Penn Plantation, in Reidsville. (That facility is owned by NC State University - who closed the house a couple of years ago. )

While at the Fayetteville Rose Garden, I met the rose expert who said roses like to be fed, watered and groomed. He said roses need 6-7 gallons of water per week, should be fertilized (there are different kinds - read directions) and dead headed. That means the roses, just as they're beginning to fall apart, need to be clipped off. Clippping, watering and feeding are essential to keeping your roses blooming all summer long.

He also said roses don't like wet feed. No, I didn't say cold feet, just wet ones. So, he suggested making sure roses have really good drainage and good soil. He recommended planting them in a raised bed.

He added it's imperative to prune the plants in late fall, early winter. They'll be happier, live longer and bloom more if you do.

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