Roses and their care

Dawn Gagnon Photography © 2023

Roses are some of the most beautiful and loved garden favorites in the history of gardening. They require some care to really enjoy their true beauty. It is always a good idea to do a little research on which roses will do the best for you in your zoning area and garden. Another important aspect you must factor in with deciding to grow roses is, what kind of a gardener are you? Are you just starting out? Do you have experience with growing roses? Do you have the time and resources it requires to grow a wide variety of roses? These are very important factors to consider before diving into the gardening world of roses. Here's a few articles that will help you make some of these decisions.

Rose pruning

How to correctly prune your roses

Roses are a beautiful addition to any garden but they do require some maintenance to keep them looking beautiful. In the south our roses start giving us beautiful color a little earlier so knowing the proper time and way to prune them is key to having a great show of color. Proper pruning and dead heading your roses is one part of the maintenance that must be done every season. Here are some basic steps to follow for pruning your roses. See the link at the bottom of this article for information on rose pruning.

Dawn Gagnon Photography © 2023

Disease Resistant roses

The Knock Out Rose

There is one flower that is quite a challenge in most gardens, even in the south, and that is roses. High temperatures, drought, and humid nights, often prove to be the enemy when growing roses. Finding one that is a good fit for your yard is important. The Knockout Rose may the one of the best to meet this challenge. This is a great rose to ease into the rose gardening experience, especially for novice gardeners that are just beginning to get their hands dirty. See the link below for a full write up on the great qualities of the Knockout Rose.

Dawn Gagnon Photography © 2023

Rose Garden Festival

If you love touring rose gardens around the country and love to participate in festival activity, there is a wonderful opportunity annually to visit Orangeburg, South Carolina's Edisto Memorial Gardens which hosts some of the most beautiful rose specimens in the world. This festival is held annually and there is a website to visit in the link below if you'd love to come to the Edisto Memorial Annual Festival of Roses.

Gardeners Photograph your hard work

You toil and toil to propagate a lovely garden, but do you photograph your hard work? It is imperative that the world see your creative side as well. A gardeners hands and eye for beauty and composition are not unlike any artist or professional photographer.

Vivid pink Azaleas (Photo credit: Dawn Gagnon)

Grab your cameras and commemorate your accomplishments. If you have some you'd like to share with this site please let me know through a comment and I will happy to help you display your talent and your artistry through the lens of your camera. Remember, a picture speaks a thousand words.. :)

Red blossoms on a branch (Photo credit: Dawn Gagnon)

Flowers All Year Calendar 2013

For sale, 2013 Calendar, lovely flowers all year long, not just in Spring and Summer Calendar. Makes a wonderful and thoughtful gift for Mom, Grandma, Aunts, and Sister.

Flowers All Year 2013 Calendar by DawnellasDesigns

Awesome and easy greenhouses

A greenhouse (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you love gardening you're probably the type that would love to have your own greenhouse. Whether you love starting your own seeds or you need a designated space to work in, greenhouses are great places to do what you love best. Here are some great new ones currently out there in the market.

1. Gardman R687 4-Tier Mini Greenhouse

What I love about this is it is great for those working with limited space. I can see this being used indoors, on a back porch or even in a sun room.  Super handy, super cute and under $40.00 Click on the image to check this one out.

2. Spring Gardener Gable Greenhouse
This green house is portable, inexpensive and great solution for those who do container gardening especially when there is an early frost and you need to protect your hanging baskets and container plants. At a cost of under $200.00 it can be a great green house for those just starting out with gardening.  Click on the image to check it out.



3. Greenhouse 15'x7'x7' Arch LARGE Green Garden Hot House

Now this green house is definitely for the no frills gardener that has a big garden and needs the extra space to start those seedlings off early. With measurements of 15'X7'X7' it's big enough to house a lot of plants especially if you make good use of the vertical space this one allows for. This one is inexpensive to at under $130.00 click on the image to check it out.

Growing bigger tomatoes

A scanned red tomato, along with leaves and flowers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you would like huge tomato plants you may be missing out on this handy little tip. Those living in the South know that having a large root base and plenty of warm sun and water produce big healthy tomato plants. Here's a great tip if you buy your tomatoes already started.

• If you purchase tomato plants that are already about 8 to 12 inches tall, strip all the leaves except for a few off of the top. Every leaf you remove will form a root which will create a huge root system on a young plant. The bigger the root system, the bigger the plant, the more tomatoes you'll yield.
• On a raised bed dig a hole big enough to accommodate your tomato plant. Remove your plant from its container and if the plant is root bound loosen by hand the roots at the base. 
• If you want to ensure better root production, you can apply rooting hormone to your plant prior to placing into the ground. 
•  Lay your tomato plant down sideways, yes, side ways and cover with a few inches of soil and compost leaving an inch or two below the cluster of top foliage. Do not bury too deep the warmth from the sun and quick absorption of water will help promote root production faster.
• At the neck of the plant just below the cluster of leaves at the top, wrap a 3-4 inch piece of newspaper around the plant. This will protect the plant from pests since it is the only part exposed.This will help prevent tomato cut worms from feasting on your newly planted tomato bush. 

How to attract more butterflies to your garden

© Dawn Gagnon Photography 2013

Butterflies are lovely little garden visitors that help pollinate your flowers and vegetables. Attracting them to your garden is easy if you plant plenty of flowers they love and follow a few simple tips. South Carolina is home to many varieties of wild flowers and butterflies. See this list below to attract them to your garden.

1. Avoid using too much pesticides. Even though we love butterflies they are an insect and as such are vulnerable to the same pesticides all insects are. Use natural and organic means of pest control when possible and be mindful of those that kill caterpillars.
   
   
2. Plant flowering shrubs, trees and vegetables in groups to help bees and butterflies pollinate easily. This also creates a grand impact visually as well.
   
   
3. Allow for some naturally blooming wild areas in your garden. While you may not think it an attractive area of the garden, you can always add to a wild section of a yard by adding additional wild flowers to it. Butterflies in particular need an undisturbed area to make nests for a butterfly friendly environment to flourish. If needed, add butterfly houses to your garden area.
   
   
4. Flowers that produce great quantities of nectar are more likely to have your garden teaming with butterflies. Flowers such as Peacock Butterfly Bush, Coreopsis, Asters, Phlox and many others are especially attractive to butterflies.
   
   
5. Have a decorative dish with damp, water logged soil in the garden. Be sure to keep it damp with water as butterflies will drink from this. They do not drink from standing water.
   
   
6. Lovely rocks and garden sculptures in the garden make ideal places for butterflies to rest. An added bonus to attracting butterflies is that in most cases the same things attract hummingbirds as well.

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How to build a bird feeder/plant hanger

Getting the most out of your focal point requires a little imagination and ingenuity. Adding function to an otherwise decorative item makes it even more valuable. Birds will love this beautiful feeding station, and you'll love how lovely this plant hanger is for a focal point in the yard.


Items you'll need:

* 1 rounded shovel
* 1 level
* 1 metal bird feeder, we used a lantern style
* 1 4X4 pressure treated post
* 1 bag of ready mix cement
* Phillips head screw driver
* 4-6 plant hangers with their hardware for attaching to post
* 1 pint of paint (optional and your color choice, stain can also be an option)
* 4-6 hanging flower baskets
* birdseed

Pick a spot in your yard or garden that you want to be a focal point. Make sure you have easy access to it though, because you will need to fill the bird feeder on occasion.

Dig a hole 2 feet deep into the ground. Place two feet of your post or more if you like it lower, into the ground. Pack some dirt around the sides to stabilize and have someone hold it for you. Make sure to use your level on all sides so that it is perfectly straight.

Add one bag of Ready mix cement into the hole.

Fill the hole with water. Let the post set for 5-6 hours. Once cement hardens, cover the hole completely with any remaining dirt.

Now attach your Lantern style bird feeder to the top by drilling holes and securing with the screws that come with your bird feeder.

Paint or stain your post in any color you desire and allow to dry. This time will vary depending on weather conditions/humidity..etc.

Once your post is dry, you are now ready to attach your plant hangers. I put mine at varying levels to showcase the hanging baskets that I wanted.
This is a long term beautiful focal point for any area of your yard that needs a little something extra.

Please note:

* Bird seed will fall into your hanging baskets so keep an eye on the grass that sprouts in your baskets.
* You can also hang wind chimes and birdhouses from this post just primarily for decorative looks.
* Try planting a climbing rose at the base, or a Mandevilla vine to train up the post for an even more dramatic effect.