Monday, December 26, 2011

Bad advise for the rose gardener

I’ve been surfing GardenWeb Forums this evening, still in recuperation-mode in the aftermath of my Christmas iron-man-marathon dinner. Digging in the garden all day never made me as sore as standing on my feet all day for three days shopping, cleaning, cooking, and cleaning some more. The dinner was delicious, the family gathering was wonderful, the pressure is gone, and I'm on the mend.


One of the posts that I read on The Roses Forum was quite special, so I thought I would share it with you. The poster was seeking “the most impractical piece of rose advice you've ever gotten”. When I first saw it, it had a huge number of follow-ups (forty-five) since December 23rd (three days ago), so I guessed it must be a good one. It did not disappoint, and the best part was that more than just the bad advise was shared. The replies included the ‘better advise’ that should have been given and a lot of insight from rose gardeners who have learned the right way sometimes the hard way and who don’t mind passing on that precious wisdom to the rest of us. I just knew I was reading gold, so I’m passing it on to you. Click the link above and have a fun read.

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A post with no photos? It’s hard for me to do a post without including photos, but I haven’t taken any for days. So I scrolled down my rose photo folders, looking for a rose to feature here. My sentimental favorite came to mind, ‘my boy’, ‘Louis Philippe’, and interestingly enough, Louis was my very first blog post one year ago – almost to the day. You can read it if you click on the link. I can’t believe it’s been almost five years (next February) since I planted this rose and started my rose garden.


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Perhaps you can see why I feel the need to brag on him. I think he’s a handsome fellow, but I’m prejudiced. Here he is at various times in the early part of November, a hefty 7’ tall and 7’ wide.


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I’m not sure why I associate ‘Louis Philippe’ with my late poodle, Pepper, but I do. Pepper was also 'my boy'. So sweet, and Louis smells like cherry candy, also sweet. It’s a mystery, but I like thinking of Pepper when I think of ‘Louis Philippe’ and vice versa. I miss him.


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8 comments:

  1. Louis Philippe IS beautiful ... I can see why you feel compelled to brag about him. It's definitely justified.

    That is a fabulous photo of Pepper! It's so hard when they're gone.

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  2. Beautiful Rose. I can see why you love it. Pepper was a doll also.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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  3. Louis P is a favorite of mine as well. One that just keeps blooming year round. A real delight.

    Pepper looked like a real sweetie pie.

    Enjoy these last few days of 2011 and have a wonderful 2012.

    FlowerLady

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  4. LP is gorgeous. And I, too, associate different plants with people or animals, things, or places. So nice of you to have a sweet reminder of a sweet companion.

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  5. Your LP is big and beautiful! Mine, started from a rooted cutting from a gardenweb friend, is up around 3X3 these days. Amazingly fast grower and prolific bloomer, LP is a great rose for Florida gardens. Your Pepper must have been a precious member of your family. I'm a dog lover myself and have just acquired a new poodle/bichon mix (Jack) from poodle rescue to fill the void left from my Andy who passed away in June.

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  6. Dear Sherry, Thanks for the link -- I enjoyed reading the comments. Love your LP -- makes me wish I lived in Florida. Happy New Year! P. x

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  7. Beautiful photos of Louis and of Pepper, too. I totally understand how much you miss Pepper...I have a sweet, loving cat that I miss very much. Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year filled with an abundance of roses! :-)

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  8. Beautiful rose! I love the humor of bad advice, especially when it's given so seriously. I once had a master gardener tell me to lime everything in my yard because it "needed it", which was ludicrous because a soil pH test showed it didn't. Pepper looks soft and cuddly, a requirement of all dogs!

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