Rose Update

Good evening fellow bloggers,

I am happy to report that the great rose crisis of the past two years is over. After heaping them this winter with compost and carefully cutting them back this spring and watering them and fertilizing them-we have had our first beautiful bloom open up! It was glorious. We are now anxiously awaiting the others to share their joy-just to make sure they are okay. It is the pink rose below. My 'falling in love' rose is almost ready to open as well. I will share pictures of it when it opens. I was very careful in my rose selection for number of petals as well as the color. I wanted one of each striking rose color. The only color selection I do not have is a white-I couldn't resist the 'falling in love', so this was chosen in lieu of a white rose.

Today we planted our pink petunias along the driveway. We have a small strip towards the bottom of the driveway between the driveway and the rock garden that is reserved for annuals. This year we did pink petunias. My husband and youngest son, Nathan, assisted with this project. My final project was to plant my succulent dish garden. This was fun and rewarding. I love it! Now they just need to grow a little and fill in nice and thick. These are relatively easy to put together. Surprisingly Lowe's and Home Depot have a great variety right now of small size succulents to chose from. Buying the groundcover pearl pea gravel and the cactus/succulent soil was only around $30.00. I already had a pot that I bought many years ago in Santa Fe at Jackalope. I added my finishing touches of a miniature bird bath and a miniature bistro patio set-courtesy of my sister and nieces for my birthday. I just love it! So far, I think this is the best year for my garden.

I have been slowly adding some shade perennials to the shade garden here and there trying to get it to the colors I want. It is not complete, but always a work in progress.

That is all for my updates for now! Miniature trees will arrive in a week or so and I will update again at that point.

Kentucky Blue Grass & Rose Bushes

Today was an interesting weather day here in Denver. There are several forest/wild fires burning and so we were very hazy today. But there were also some thin, high level clouds in the sky. Later in the day it became very muggy-very unusual for Colorado. Don't like it.

Kentucky Bluegrass on the high plains

My kentucky bluegrass Lawn has really been loving our recent rainy, cool climate. It has perked up lush and green. Kentucky bluegrass is a cool season grass. Cool season grasses green up early in the spring (usually starting in mid-march-dependent on some variables) and thrive in these temperatures. They tend to go into a slight dormancy once we reach temperatures above 85 degrees-late June through August. It is best to not fertilize with high nitrogen during these extreme temperature periods. Nitrogen encourages growth and fast growth, in any plant, will cause undue stress on the roots because it is telling the above ground portions of the plant to focus on growth. This will cause the plants to sometimes go into shock because the roots should be focused on just consumption of nutrients and water. The best remedy for our lawns at this time of the year is Revive. Revive is a soil conditioner made of basically, chicken manure and detergent. The kentucky bluegrass will then thrive once again in late summer into the late fall. This time of the year is when the grass is really focused on root development. In the spring and the fall it is best to not water your lawn before 6am. Typically in Colorado we do not have too many diseases that attack our residential lawns due our dry climate. However, these risks increase during these cooler periods combined with early or nighttime watering due to water not evaporating off of the grass blades. It is also better to wake up your lawn in the spring with long deep waterings vs. brief frequent waterings. This allows deeper water penetration that encourages the roots to spread deeper allowing it to become more drought tolerant when the temperatures do rise. (Unless your lawn has developed necrotic ring spot). The next thing to know about kentucky bluegrass lawns is that it likes 8 hours of full sun. Anything less than this made cause shade damage to the lawn. Bank's grass mites have been very active in the Denver area this spring-starting in March. Mites enjoy hot/dry weather and can even feed under a blanket of snow because it insulates them. They tend to feed on sloped areas and south and west facing lawn areas. They can devastate a lawn in just a mater of weeks-killing sections. Pesticide applications can be completed to reduce their populations and their damage. Also increased watering during these warm dry periods will help. Ensuring that you are aerating your lawn keeping the thatch layer low, so that water has better penetration is also important. Once mites have done their damage the only solution is to re-seed or lay new sod. Keep in mind that even with a pesticide treatment, mites can come back about three weeks later, so it is important to check for them again. Use a white piece of paper, swiping it across the suspected area as if wiping off a coffee table. Look for green-orange streaks on the paper. If you have these, then you probably have mites. Healthy, thick lush turf will be able to choke out many weeds on its own. And remember pre-emergent lawn fertilizer (weed n feed) does not control perennial weeds that were established in the lawn the season before. It creates a barrier to help prevent weeds coming to the surface. If you have questions, contact someone in your area that is knowledgeable in turfgrass care.

Hybrid Roses

I have six hybrid tea roses I planted three seasons ago. I did my usual soil preparation and planted my roses bordered by six small boxwoods. I planted them in front of my living room window because I wanted beautiful roses there. So far, they have not been beautiful. It was so hot the summer I planted them they spent most of the season stressed out. I have them on drip irrigation. So that fall I cut them back to 8". Last summer they came up gang busters and all of the tissue was beautiful and healthy. I had such high hopes for them. They took forever to bloom and then the blooms didn't look right and faded quickly and some of them didn't even open. I was so frustrated because I am a horticulturist-this should be easy for me right? Not so much. I called a local rosarian specialist out to look at them. They do not charge and she took her own personal time to come out to look at them. It was fabulous. She said my roses looked pretty good but that they needed to be mounded more at the base because the graft should be mostly buried in the soil. She also said it was possible that i had some midges or adelgids that had attacked the buds. I decided I would give them one more shot-if they didn't perform the following year I would be removing them. So I was determined to have them healthy. I waited to cut them back in the fall. I then removed some of the dieback in the spring when they started to show signs of waking up. I watered them with the garden hose regularly -until I could turn on the sprinklers. I bought some bayer systemic rose/flower fertilizer, insecticide, and disease control. I applied it to the roses almost two weeks ago and watered it in. So now I wait. They look as they did last spring with lush foliage and buds starting to form and getting plump. So now I wait and check them every day hoping that the flowers formed are full and fragrant and the colors that I purchased them as appear. That was the other problem, after I planted them the colors of the flowers changed and I hated the colors. They just didn't match at all. So, if it doesn't work, they are coming out and I am starting over! Hopefully I will have my answers in a couple of weeks. I anxiously await!

Memorial Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day. On our way to have lunch at my in-law's we drove past Fort Logan cemetery. Each white grave stone had an American flag standing watch for the service member laid to rest there. I am very patriotic and the line of cars coming and going from struck a cord deep within me.

We took the boys for a drive in the mountains on Saturday. And had a beautiful picnic lunch by a creek. It was a bit cool out, but lovely.

Ah, Sunday-this was the day we took on a major project. Putting together a fort/swing set for our two boys. The amount of parts and pages of directions was a daunting task. Needless to say, we have only to get the support beam up for the swings and we will be done with it. Pretty amazing to look at and know that we built that. And, that it will not be going with us if we ever move. Hahahaha.

I wanted to take a moment to explain the name of my blog. Some years back I started a website called Fields of Heather. My name is Heather and my dream is to one day travel to Scotland and see the fields of Heather there, my namesake. Since that domain name was already taken on blogger, I chose Heather's pastures. Where I grew up there were fields and pastures all around us. Today, many of these pastures are being turned into tracts for homes. Rather sad. So each of my little gardens is a pasture. My front yard is broken up into several little "pastures". I chose to design it in little bits each year. The only way I can afford the projects and physically get them completed. Because of this they all turn out a bit different. The landscape doesn't necessarily flow the way a landscape designed all at once would, but I love it and the variety it gives me. I have an area dedicated to iris and peonies, a small formal rose garden with six hybrid tea roses, I have my perennial garden, and my two rock gardens. I have two sections in the front left to complete at this point. I have chosen as this summer's project to continue to wrap around the front of our house with a cottage garden centered around three dwarf conifers and two large moss rock boulders. There is a lot of work to complete in this area in order to start this project. I have to move a couple of tons of crushed granite rock, move old weed barrier, and amend the soil. So far I have a weeping white spruce at the corner of the where the garden will begin.

The final project is on the opposite side of the driveway. An area I hope to build raised beds in to create a small community vegetable garden. Once this project is complete I will use flagstone pavers to create a small sitting area to reflect and enjoy all I have built.

So far this year my garden is looking just beautiful. I still have some plants to add to the waterfall rock garden to complete it and then I will pea gravel it and add some mexican beach pebbles to edge it. And I still need to add some perennials to the shade garden.

Next time we are going to talk Roses and Kentucky Blue Grass lawns.

Lets talk Rain

Well, before I talk about the recent rain we have received-let me give you a garden update.

I planted my vegetable garden on Sunday. Turning the area over first and then raking level. The usual-Tomatoes, peppers and a couple of carrots. I also planted my "unknowns" to let them grow so that I may further determine what the heck they are! I cleaned out the pond filter and re-potted my water lilly. Crossing my fingers it performs. I fertilized my roses with the new Bayer three step process. I have used the Bayer product before, just not this new version. So I am hopeful it will take care of the insect issues I had with the rose buds last year and they will perform. If they perform like they did last year, well they are going to be dug and either moved or trashed-because I can't have roses that don't perform they way they should.

I also finally figured out how to take macro photos on my camera. I know, I know-what took me so long right??? Well, I took some glorious photos to share with you. I will put them at the bottom.

WATER/RAIN: Here in the Denver area and the area considered to be the front range of Colorado we have been the recent recipients of large amounts of precipitation. I believe close to five inches so far in the month of May. Now, keep in mind that we are a semi-arid climate generally receiving about 15" of precipitation annually. Some broadcasts-radio/tv have been commented that the large amounts of rain can be detrimental to a tree's health and a certified arborist should be called out to evaluate the trees. This, generally, speaking is true. Our soils, in this area predominantly alkaline clay soils. As some have reported the threat of the moisture collecting on the leaf surface can cause excess weight on the plant causing what we call 'storm damage'. I just don't see how this is possible. This is typically a very big concern for us here during the early fall before leaves have senesced or in the early spring after leaf emergence-when we are at risk for heavy wet snows. These storms can cause severe structural damage and sometimes catastrophic. The larger concern would be for the root system of the plant. All plants (and living things for that matter) require water to survive, thrive, and grow. All plants have a threshold of this vital ingredient before it starts to cause detrimental effects. Too much water or too little can have very similar signs/symptoms. My concern for our plants during these heavy periods of rain (and not a cloud burst) - several days of heavy rains- would be for the root systems. It can compromise a root system just as severely dry weather can. It weakens the soils the plant is rooted in and the plant may become unstable, especially when high winds are involved during the storm. It can also cause a lack of oxygen-effectively drowning the plant because the roots cannot absorb oxygen. Yes, people the roots need oxygen. The leaves take in the Carbon Dioxide and the roots take in Oxygen. Our trees in Colorado endure great extremes-sometimes even from day to day. Imagine standing in one place your entire life and enduring all they do? My best advice-no matter where you live-if you have a concern for your trees, have a tree that is aged, leaning, diseased/infested please do call a certified arborist out to evaluate your trees. They provide us with so many benefits. And, it is not even a bad idea to do this annually-just as you would service your swimming pool, AC unit, furnace or car. And to be honest, sometimes we cannot even tell or prevent something from happening in a healthy tree. It is a living thing and therefore, can be unpredictable. Happy Gardening folks. And a happy Memorial Day. Take a moment to remember our veterans or someone special in your life you have lost.

Spring Gardening has begun!

My son fell asleep in the car ride on the way home today from work. So he slept a good part of the evening. I did as well after dinner. It has been a long, rough couple of weeks at work. I had a major landscape installation to complete with our crews as well as many appointments with clients and misc. items to take care of. I am ready for Memorial Day week-that is for sure. I also worked with a migraine headache today-that I still have.

Not to mention the weather lately has been a major challenge. Of the past 7 days only two have been decent weather. And both I was working and unable to garden. Last week in about three days we had 2.5" of rain in Denver-highly unusual for us. And it hit us again today. We had snow in the mountains, rain and hail in the city, some funnel clouds and oh-my nemesis the WIND. It is definitely a four letter word in my book.

So decided that I needed to blog. Monday was good weather and Nathan again fell asleep in the car on our way home at the end of the day. I wasn't really in the mood to plant my goodies from the Denver Botanic Gardens plant sale. But I did need to till in the compost I laid last fall-even though some of it blew away. And the soil was perfect for light raking and turning over. So I began my warm-up garden exercises. I use these types of activities often to get my juices flowing for the creativity needed to plan or plant. So after I raked the perennial garden I then planted my shade garden perennials. I thought well, perhaps I will do the rock garden plants this weekend, but then i got into the groove and got them planted as well. I was wanting to get it done prior to this rain we received-thought it would better for them to help get them settled into place. Plus we have a busy weekend coming up again. So I have planted all that I have purchased.

I do have a tray of some items that I started by seed in February and March. They are sitting in the dining room still growing. Most of them are ready to plant. I know what most of them are at this point-however, I am sometimes not very good at the details-I made plant tags, however over the past couple of months-even with a sharpie marker-have faded. So some of the items I have no idea what they are. So I will plant where I think they should go for now and then transplant them later.

I also managed to repot the two water plants I purchased at the sale. So I hope they will be happy now and thrive! This weekend I will clean out the pond filters.

Well, I am signing off for now. I will update pictures soon.

Spring 2011 Waterfall Rock Garden Additions

While attending the plant sale at the Denver Botanic Gardens I am always sure to visit the booth setup by my favorite rock garden nursery-Laporte Avenue. Love them! So I have new additions for the rock garden waterfall area. I needed to add some plants into this garden and so these little guys will really help out. I will get them planted this weekend. Some similar items to what I already have and some new items. Unfortunately some years the plant sale is better than others and those with a discerning eye can recognize the difference. This year was not as good of a year for the variety. Here are some samples of what I purchased. I have several others that I did not upload photos for. The last one is a rock garden variety ornamental garlic. The forth photo is a hardy, sun tolerant moss. It is very cool!