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| Falling in Love is harboring a little spider; no toxins mean the beneficial bugs do the work for me. |
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| Fragrant Cloud is on the lower right: one bud will fill the room with rose fragrance. |
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| Fragrant Cloud shows off a high-pointed bud and bloom |
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| The group photo has Falling in Love on top, Veterans Honor, Tropicana, and Barbra Streisand in the back, Queen Elizabeth in front on the left, Fragrant Cloud on the lower right. |
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| This is either Barbra Streisand or another purple rose from the first collection we bought for $8 each. |
Collections of roses open up our minds about favorite roses. I have had to itch to grow many varieties, but the best surprises came from three group purchases, sight unseen. The first was a TV offer that included Falling in Love, Easy Does It, and Barbra Streisand.
The other two included Europeana, Bride's Dream, Purple Splash, Hot Cocoa, and some others we love.
Secrets of Growing Roses
I promised FB friends that I would reveal my secrets for growing splendid roses. So here they are, soon to be developed in my upcoming book, Creation Gardening.
The title gives away my secrets hiding in plain sight, like the purloined letter of Sherlock Holmes. Nevertheless, the garden chemical industry and lazy gardening writers have obscured the obvious. I will just outline these secrets for now.
- I assume God created and engineered every single living creature and all elements in our universe, commanding them into existence through His Creating Word - the Logos - as revealed in Genesis 1 and John 1.
- Every living thing has a purpose, so knowing and using this purpose is the way to enjoy beautiful, productive flowers and food plants.
- Killing insects with chemicals means killing all the beneficial bugs and spiders while harming the soil and adding toxins to the water table.
- Leaving pests alone will let the pest-eaters (beneficial bugs, spiders, toads, birds) fill up and reproduce where they are needed most. Very important for roses!
- Killing fungus (blackspot) works as well as killing weeds, but worst of all, kills beneficial fungus in the soil. Not smart.
- Killing all weeds is dumb because weeds can be harnessed to feed and harbor birds. Every weed does something good, but they are not always welcome and can be pulled or covered over for building compost.
- Stored rainwater is a great blessing for all plants, especially roses, so every effort should be made to gather a supply when it rains.
The Four Noble Truths of Rose Gardening
- Red wiggler earthworms build, tunnel, and mix the soil, allowing water to penetrate more easily and benefit the plants. They should be purchased and added to every lawn and garden.
- Organic mulch improves soil, turns into compost on the spot, holds water, harbors beneficial bugs and spiders, and prevents wind erosion.
- Pruning follows the truth of John 15:1-10. The deadwood must be cut away. The productive branches must be trimmed to make them even more productive. Lazy non-pruners put their roses to sleep by letting them go to seed.
- Roses are not a member of the cactus family, so they are especially vulnerable to drying out or over-watering. They need rainwater first of all, stored water second, and extra watering when those are not available. One good soak a week is necessary.
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| I ended up with two Hot Cocoa plants for $5 each last year, when they were in short supply. |
