Sad, sad, sad rose bushes this season in Milwaukee, WI
nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
8 years ago
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Jim_in_AV
8 years agonickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
8 years agoRelated Discussions
scorched earth: desperate for design help (w/sad pics)
Comments (27)I don't mean to scare you. When I read your original post, it sounds like you had a vision near the bottom where you itemized 1-4. One and two sound like you had a comfortable direction. The post seemed like you worked together with the landscaper to form a "vision" and then started implementing it. It now sounds like it was much looser than that, so there is a difference and with that difference there is reason to believe that you can have better results. You asked if I am a design professional. I am a registered landscape architect. "However, you scare me a little bit, Laag....as a novice gardener I wouldn't expect that the execution would be immensely difficult. Depressing to think that a lovely plan on paper could be spoiled in the brown-thumb hands of the wrong person." Implementation of landscape plans is actually highly variable. A layout plan of plant placement may not be that way so much, but you have a lot more in the mix than plant placement. You have topographic changes which brings a third dimension that spurs off a number of other issues. Sticking to just the aesthetic parts of those issues, you have the steps, terracing, retaining walls, and how the elevations affect how the plants visually interact (which is very different than if they are in a flat plan). A very good design can be drawn that takes all of this into account. But having that good design does not get you out of the woods just yet. The execution is very dependent on the ability of the person to layout the plan. It is much more difficult to do on varying terrain. That is not really easy for people who do it all of the time and is quite difficult for someone who has never done it. That is an area where a good plan can be horribly compromised in the implementation. Let's say that both the design is good and the layout is done accurately. Now we have the sculpting of the terrain to deal with. This is not easily drawn on a small scale plan with contour lines and very difficult for inexperienced people to convert from lines on a piece of paper to the actual contour of the ground, so a lot may be left up to the person doing the work to try and make it work. Let's say that is done well. Now you have the actual construction of the steps. You may have some well drawn construction details that show you what needs to be done, but a lot of garden designer's are not experienced in drawing up construction details and the added ability, time, and liability would drive the design cost up. But let's say the designer has provided good construction details. You still need the skill set to build them. Some things are fairly simple to do such as forming and pouring concrete. But putting together a stone wall takes more than being able to read a construction detail. It takes real skill. It is true that a not all walls have to be masonry masterpieces, but there is a point where rustic crosses the line to crude. Crude will detract from the intent of the plan. Let's say that the skill set to build the walls and steps are good. Now we can move toward planting. A #5 Nikko Blue Hydrangea might be called for on the plan. If you call three nurseries and have them each ship you one, will they all be the same? I can tell you that it is unlikely that they will be based on my own experience. This means that selection of a nursery can impact the implementation. Let's say you have found a good nursery. Now, plants are living things and they are handled at nurseries. This means there are variations from one plant to another. Someone has to know which plants are the healthiest, the right shape, and otherwise the best choice for this particular job. This does not mean that any other #5 Nikko Blue is not going to work, but it does mean that it adds a quality variation in implementing the plan. Let's say that we are able to do this very well. Our land form is shaped, steps and walls are well laid out and well crafted, and our beautiful plants are on site. Now there is the digging of the holes. Some will make them bigger and some will make them smaller. Some will amend and some won't. Some will amend with xyz and some with abc. Some will bury them 2/3 and then water them in and finish burying them after the water subsides. Others won't water them in at all. So, yes, implementation of a plan can take a great plan and turn it into a lousy landscape. ... or not....See MorePlanted bare root rose 2 days ago,,,looking sad what to do
Comments (13)Thank you all. They actually were in dark colored soil (bare root bag) that I kept very moist until they were in the ground and have kept my eye on watering them now that they are in the ground, daily. Around me, I've only seen the saw dust bare root at one place but they were out of Z.D. at the time. I bought them from a very reputable and well know nursery and the guy actually went into a holding area to get me the best ones. I'll snap off the new growth as you all said. Question: Would some alfalfa meal on top of the soil be of help now or just wait? I read someone else's post about this. I wouldn't do the tea but just do the meal on top and water. For my other 19 rose bushes (inherited when we bought this house), when should I do this alfalfa thing? Any BEST time to do this? Since many of the older established roses are of unknown varieties, is there any way to tell what TYPE of rose they are since I noticed that the new leaves in some are dark almost purpleish and in other bushes they are bright green? I was just wondering about them. So far I've taken out some of the bushes that had no smell or where just shrub roses etc. that I didn't like and picked out new ones that I wanted. Just something I noticed and thought you all might have some insight into this. Fun learning all this stuff. I'm soaking up all the knowledge I can right now. I'm a sponge much to my husband's pocket's dismay.... ;D...See MoreBlack Spot is Making Me Frustrated and Sad
Comments (9)Usually, the aphids will be a problem only for a couple weeks at most. Then the good bug (like Lady bugs) will come along and eat 'em up--problem solved. Of course, if you have been spraying insecticides, you've probably killed off most of the good bugs--which is why you may have to stop the insecticides for a year. The next year, the good bugs should show up to help you. While you wait for the good bugs, you may have to manually get rid of the aphids for a while--gently run a finger and thumb up around a heavily covered bud. That will kill most of them there. If you are squeamish, the soap spray will help--until the good bugs come along and take over the job. Or some people use a stiff spray of water to flush the aphids off the buds. If your blooms are getting all eaten up, I'd guess you have a different bug problem than an aphid problem. If it happens, take pics and show them to us here. Maybe we can help you figure our the problem and solution. As far as fungicides go, most of Bayers products aren't that good or have some negatives built into them--my advice is to stay away from anything they sell that says all-in-one or three-in-one or anything like that. On the other hand, the Bayer spray called Bayer Garden Disease Control for Roses, Flowers, and Shrubs is excellent. Follow directions carefully, and everything should be fine after a couple sprayings. Hope that helps. Kate...See MoreWhat a bummer in the Garden, sad rant on what to do next
Comments (7)Inclined to agree with Ann. Roses, even quite large ones, can be kept successfully in pots for years with only a modicum of extra care - I have several which get the old potting soil scraped off the top couple of inches and replaced with new stuff every year. Every 3-4 years, I turn them out and trim the roots and I use a general slow-release fertiliser such as Osmacote. While multiflora is not reknowned for its long bloom season, it does make a nicely foliated full bush which will not get as rampant in a pot. I fully sympathise with your tender heart (although mine is quite a bit more stony) and if you are cursed/blessed (take your pick) with a sentimental nature, then go ahead and keep the rose. As far as I understand, multiflora has been a host for the particular mite which causes RRD - the disease will affect any rose so having a multiflora on your property will make little difference if mites are upwind of you - any rose will act as a potential host....See Moremad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
8 years agoseil zone 6b MI
8 years agojim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
8 years agoPatty W. zone 5a Illinois
8 years agozack_lau z6 CT ARS Consulting Rosarian
8 years agonickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
8 years agokentucky_rose zone 6
8 years agomaryjozone5
8 years agokentucky_rose zone 6
8 years agokittymoonbeam
8 years agoSamuel Adirondack NY 4b5a
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoBuford_NE_GA_7A
8 years ago
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