Veggie Bites – Roses

My next big chore is to protect my roses; I have a lot of them. All of my roses are hardy, and most are on their own roots, so they do not need a lot of help.

Greetings fellow gardeners,

I am listening to the crackle of my woodstove while the temperature is continuing to go down. It is a fickle time of year with temperatures ranging from minus 6 to plus 18. If you are like me, you still have pots to put away, plants that need protection and perhaps some beans that still need picking. Luckily, this time of year gives you a second chance. When the temperatures warm, I can work the soil enough to finish my chores. This morning I will finish wrapping the tarps around my chicken enclosure although it does make the area darker. Fortunately, my buddy Randy will be helping me to install a light fixture to give them better daytime light. Chickens will not produce eggs at all if it is too dark.

I received the last of my bulb order and I am waiting for that bit of warmth so that I can get them in the ground. I don’t like to leave bulb-planting so late, but it was out of my control. I really hope these lovely daffodils, pure white daffodils called Mount Hood, will greet me in the spring.  I think, just for fun, I will try planting one of the bulbs in a bulb glass. If I am lucky, I will see a daffodil earlier than the spring!

I had a glass bulb vase in the cupboard, so I brought that out along with some glass beads and a Mount Hood daffodil bulb. 

I put the beads in the bottom of the vase and added water so that it just touched the root part of the daffodil bulb. Leo was a little too interested so I thought perhaps I should move the vase.

I put it under the lights in my plant compound and will keep an eye on the water level. I will report back about its progress (or lack thereof) …fingers crossed!

Winterizing Roses

My next big chore is to protect my roses; I have a lot of them. All of my roses are hardy, and most are on their own roots, so they do not need a lot of help. I like to use very light netting and wind it around each rose. The netting will help to catch snow over the winter. The one thing that will damage my roses is the freeze/thaw cycle that usually happens in late January. Extra snow will keep my roses safe. Having own-root roses is also an advantage because if the tops are damaged my roses have a better chance of coming back. 

Try to grab the next few warm days to finish your outside chores. I will be putting away the rest of my pots while netting the rest of my roses. 

Gardening Books

  “Gardening for the Kitchen: Herbs and Edible Flowers”, Published by Hole’s, c.2000 Lois Hole

Lois Hole has published an amazing number of gardening books. She has books on Trees and Vegetables and Perennials and Annuals and many others. Her warm, solid style is easy to read and her books are a great resource for the home gardener. 

“Herbs and Edible Flowers” is a particular favourite of mine as I like to plant flowers amongst my vegetables. She describes each herb and flower that she features in detail and adds ways to use them: how to store them, how to cook them, how to preserve them and much more. Any of Lois Hole’s books are well worth a look and many are available in our local libraries.