Zirana City Blog

Has anyone noticed how very beautiful the gardens in our neighborhood are this year? I was wondering if the amount of rain we had followed by glorious weather had anything to do with it? June is the month that one notices how well and showy the roses are. It is so hard not to stare at the lush gardens while driving, remembering to keep one’s eyes on the road! Mine (Betty Boop, Irresistible, double Gourmet Popcorn and tiny, tiny Si) bloomed like crazy. Contrary to popular myth, roses are not as fussy as some would lead you to believe. Following are some easy steps for the care of roses:  Make sure they have good air circulation and lots of sun by pruning out the inner branches and removing lower leaves at the bottom foot of the plant. If you deadhead (remove the spent blooms) regularly, water on a regular basis, and feed every 4 weeks with a  balanced rose food, you will see marvelous blooms all summer long. To prevent powdery mildew and hit a few aphids, it might be necessary to spray every few weeks with a  mix of 2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp hort oil, 2 tsp of dishwashing soap in a gallon of water. A few spoonfuls of epsom salts at the base of the plant seems to help, along with a  product called Pay Dirt that my rosarian friend Lore recommends.   

Full article at -http://www.zirana.com/sanmateo/city_news/gardening_tips_for_june_by_mary_crowell_.html