Hello Fellow Gardeners,

I have to disagree with Gloria Steinem’s famous quote “a rose is a rose is a rose.” In my opinion, each rose has a beautiful uniqueness all it’s own! When people think of roses they generally think of the typical red rose that are popular on Valentine’s day, however, roses do come in different sizes, shapes, scents, and colors! Which is my justification for having more than 100 of them! I am a firm believer that you can never have enough of a good thing! Hey, some women love shoes, I love roses!

The light pink rose is Constance Spry which features an old fashioned rose scent and a beautiful cabbage like bloom with 100 petals!

The yellow Charlotte rose (a David Austin) is one of my favorites!

Ramblin’ Red featured in both pictures, is one of my new climbers! I’ve had it only two years, but it has already grown to be a real beauty! It will eventually grow to be 10 ft tall, and is disease resistant, has no winter die-back, and continuously blooms! It has a beautiful sweet scent that is very light. If you are looking to get your feet wet in roses– I highly recommend starting with this wonderful and easy to grow rose! However, don’t forget to give it plenty of room!

This is my Alchymist rose– it is a climber that is heavily fragrant and easy to grow! It only blooms once, but it leaves an impression!

Morden Sunrise is a small bush (3 x 4 ft) but is nice for a border! It features only two rows of petals that fade from a sunny yellow to a pale apricot, and is wonderful for taking pictures!

This big n’ beautiful bush is my prize Therese Bugnet! It is a repeat bloomer, it grows into a huge 6 foot bush, and the scent is very strong making my whole yard smell lovely!

Finally Double Delight is a Hybrid Tea rose (one of the few I’ve had success with) that needs winter protection, but as you can see the effort is well worth it!

I usually like to plant my roses with other roses instead of mixing them in with Irises, daylilies, and other flowers. The reason for this is simple– it just makes it easier to take care of them!

Don’t be afraid of roses! If you do your research (or just read the Daily Weeder regularly!!) you will find the right roses for your zone and your individual planting needs and you will be able to enjoy your own beautiful rose garden!

If you would like to learn even more about roses and see what other roses are blooming in my garden check out The Rose Show.

Happy Gardening,
Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Today I wanted to share with you pictures of my own rose garden. As you can see, the myth that roses are hard to grow is simply an old wives tale! I currently own 100 + roses (I stopped counting after my husband started estimating the cost per bush– believe me it’s safer not to know!).

I do add approximately twenty roses every year to my garden. I like to mix it up with old garden roses (for their history and fantastic scent), modern (for new colors and varieties), and climbers (old and new to add drama to the garden!). In my experience I have found that varieties from David Austin, Canadian Explorers, Carefree Wonders, and Morden grow very well in my area (zone 3). However, I have also found that in general hybrid teas just don’t last more than two or three years tops in my garden. Here is a few pictures of what I have been able to accomplish so far…

This bed is filled with French and British varieties of roses! It simply smells magnificent and is one of my favorite places to spend time! It is only three years old, but as you can see, the roses are thriving!

This is my first attempt at a rose bed! A lot of mistakes were made here, but a lot of good lessons learned as well! Most of the roses here are winter hardy to -40 degrees (for example: William Baffin, John Cabot, and Therese Bugnet). Now it’s a wonderful mix of pink and purple shrubs and climbers! This garden is especially dear to me since it displays an anniversary present from my husband– the knight in shining armor!

Here are a few close-ups of some of my absolute favorite roses (and varieties I’ve had amazing luck with!).

Left: Nicole Rose

Right: I’m not sure what this one is– this is why I always stress labeling in my articles, you see I’ve learned my lesson!

Left: Robusta

Right: Tequila Sunrise

Left: Therese Bugnet

Right: Bonica

Hopefully this will inspire you to start your own cold climate rose garden and cultivate your own passion for roses! Up next I will have many more pictures featuring my garden in bloom, so come take a peak for tips, tricks, and inspiration!

Happy Gardening,

Marie Suzanne

Hello Fellow Gardeners,

Today we’re going to take you through the conclusion of our daylily series! Now that you did all that hard work of picking out your daylilies, planting them, dividing them, and more, you don’t want to take a chance on losing them to Mother Natures whims! Here we are going to show you how to take care of your daylilies all year long!

Caring for Your Daylilies all Year Long

Spring Care

A yearly addition of compost or manure along with slow release fertilizer is recommended to keep your daylilies happy and healthy. Do not forget to water well during the heavy blooming season and if you see a little less enthusiasm on the part of your plant then add a liquid fertilizer to the mix and everything should be fine!

Winter Care

All daylilies need 2 to 4 inches of mulch. However, remember to keep it away from the crown at least one inch!
A good rule of thumb is not to remove the mulch in the Spring until the maple trees are in bloom! By then you don’t have to worry about sudden cold snaps and your precious plants should be safe from harm!

Fall Care

Do not remove the old daylily foliage in late fall. It helps hold the winter mulch and snow.

Also, be on the lookout for Sclerotia, a fungus (a common symptom is black spot on the leaves). If you notice this on your plant then go ahead and remove all the damaged parts of your daylily.

For more diseases to watch for check this out!

There is a lot more gardening tricks, tips and ideas headed your way, so keep checking the Daily Weeder for gardening fun!

Happy Gardening,
Marie Suzanne