Flowers
Roses that you purchase at a nursery are grafted onto rootstock. They’re sold that way so that they’ll grow faster and bloom more quickly. To avoid suckers that form from rootstock take your own cutting from year old stems of your favorite roses in autumn.
Roses love banana peels. They rot quickly, releasing minerals roses need such as calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and phosphates. Just cut them up and mix them in the soil at planting time or anytime you want to give your roses a boost. You can also make a banana peel tonic for use after the plants are established.
Transplanting roses is a little trickier than transplanting other plant varieties. Start by thoroughly soaking the rose bush so that you can remove it without disturbing any of the roots.
For an economic alternative to buying plants for the garden, consider raising annuals from seed. While many perennials take lots of time to mature, there are plenty of annuals that will come up quickly and give lots of color through the season.
Ground layering is an easy way to propagate hydrangeas. First, cut a notch in one of the branches of the main plant or scrape a little bark off the underside. Take the same branch, bend it over, and bury it in the ground. Make sure at least one leaf node will be underground.
Deadheading flowers is the process of removing faded or dead flower blooms from plants. In many plants removing these blooms promotes new flower growth by preventing the plant from putting its energy into seed production. Watch this video to find out more.
