Please help me save my roses!
Rae Duff
11 months ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (17)
rosecanadian
11 months agoRelated Discussions
help me save my garden..please!
Comments (12)I'm going to take an entirely different approach. And this is based on many years as both a professional design/landscape consultant and garden coach. Extensive perennial plantings are high maintenance. Not sure how large your assorted perennial beds are but maintaining 8 of them, 3 of which are very visible, is going to take a lot of time. Based on your screen name, I assume you work for a living? And no doubt, so does your spouse. Do you want to spend limited free time doing a lot of gardening or would you rather have more time to just enjoy your outdoor space? And if you are new to gardening, there is a high learning curve involved with an extensive, existing garden, I'd suggest that you slowly convert the perennial beds to lower maintenance plantings, focusing on small trees and shrubs. These will not be maintenance-free but will require less attention than a heavily herbaceous perennial bed. You can certainly keep whatever perennials you find very appealing, but include them as only a portion of the plant selection, not the focus. There is a horticultural rule of thumb - the larger and longer lived a plant, the less ongoing maintenance it will require......a sliding scale with annuals and perennials at the high end and shrubs and trees at the lower end. Also, the more evergreen, the less maintenance required (generally). You may want to hire someone to help with this. Garden coaching/consultation is a pretty active business segment in many parts of the country. They can help you both identify the plants you have, determine which might be appropriate to keep and help to select others to replace and offer lower maintenance and a longer season of interest. At a modest hourly rate, this may be an excellent investment. FWIW, most Master Gardener organizations do not provide for this type of onsite, individual/personal attention, at least under the auspices of the program. Their mission is community outreach via plant clinics, community gardens, answer lines, etc., not a one-on-one approach. Checking with your local program office or county extension should clarify....See MoreHelp me save my sanity please. Area cats doing their business
Comments (24)Paula, I feel your pain. I have been dealing with this problem for over 25 years. It's our front bed, which usually had annuals, and every spring when we would go out and cultivate the bed we would be digging up oodles of cat poop. Then the laws changed and cats had to be tethered or they were picked up and it stopped a bit. Now it's back with feral cats, and two neighbours who put out food for the cats. Two years ago, we trapped nine and had them delivered to the Humane Society. One year, they had a nest behind my wood pile and I was alerted when I saw three kittens gamboling in my backyard. They keep breeding, and I am now in the process of keeping a new litter of 4 out of my yard. I have used just about everything, including the citrus, cayenne, garlic, but they work for a while. Last year, I lifted all the soil and replaced it, mixed in a good amount of used coffee grounds, and sprayed the earth and the walkways with a mixture of dettol and water. That kept them away. But I also chase them (I think they know me now and run once they see me), I turn the hose on them if I see them, but there was one place right next to my door that I could not keep them from. Last week, a neighbour gave me a plant of rue (it's dangerous and can cause awful blisters). She uses it in her garden to keep them away. Apparently there's something about the smell of the plant that will keep them away. For me, I will continue to use the dettol because that works, it's cheap and easy to use. They just hate the smell. I spray it before planting out seedlings which they will dig out, across the path they will use to my garden, and if they come near, I spray it on them. If they ever do their stuff, I dig that lot of soil out, then soak the soil there with dettol so they lose the scent. It's a horrible problem to have especially because the feral cats keep reproducing. It seems things may be getting better soon: a For Sale sign went up on the lawn of one of the 'feeders'. That may cut things down a bit. They enticed one, took her and got her spayed, but there are too many for that to matter. The Humane Society said the only answer is to campaign to get them to stop feeding the feral cats. Then they move on....See Morehelp me SAVE my rose geraniums!!!
Comments (8)I bought a beautiful hanging basket of geraniums for my front porch last summer. Moved it to a shady spot under some oak trees as I planned to be away from home for a few days and would not be able to water it during our dry central Texas heat. When I returned from my trip (to my great dismay) found that the deer had nibbled my lovely geraniums...flowers and all... down to three inch stalks. I trimmed the stalks and moved the plant out to my enclosed patio to try to nurse it back to health. To my great surprise, it's now in full bloom again. However, the leaves are no longer a luscious green and full. They are so tiny they're almost invisible. What happened? How can I encourage the leaves to return to their original healthy state and still keep the flowers blooming?...See MoreUrgent help! Please help me save my favorite plant!
Comments (4)My moonflowers, which are related to morning glories, sent out new branches when the tops snapped off this spring. I've never pruned morning glories, but there's a chance they will do the same. I would carefully straighten the bent stems, and not cut them unless the vines began to wither where they were bent. Sometimes a plant can rebuild a bent stem, but it takes time and must be treated gently, like a broken bone. Either way I don't know if they will bloom, because I don't know how they behave in your climate. The vines will definitely need something to climb, otherwise they will sprawl on the ground and likely get stepped on by imbeciles. Can you put a trellis in that spot? A teepee made from three or four long sticks tied together at the top? Make sure to sink the poles deep into the ground, at least a foot down, so it can't blow over in a strong wind. I've had that happen. I've also had wind and rain rip vines off of poles. You may want to gently tie the vines to whatever poles/supports you use, to prevent this. I hope this helps; blue morning glories are worth saving for their beauty alone, and it sounds like these have a special place in your heart....See Morejim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
10 months agolovetogarden
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agochris209 (LI, NY Z7a)
10 months agorosecanadian
10 months agoLyla Watts
7 months agoDiane Brakefield
7 months agoKittyNYz6
7 months agolast modified: 7 months agoDiane Brakefield
7 months agoMoses, Pittsburgh, W. PA., zone 5/6, USA
7 months agolast modified: 7 months agoSunf
last monthlast modified: last monthHU-268996831
last monthVaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
last monthlast modified: last monthDiane Brakefield
last monthVaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
last monthfloraluk2
last month
Related Stories
FUN HOUZZDecorated Houses Help Save a Detroit Neighborhood
Art's a start for an inner-city community working to stave off urban blight and kindle a renaissance
Full StoryDESIGN POPThese Pets Saved the Day, or Save Every Day, at Home
Before American Humane gives out its Hero Dog Awards on Sept. 29, we celebrate readers’ pets who’ve helped their humans
Full StoryHOME OFFICESQuiet, Please! How to Cut Noise Pollution at Home
Leaf blowers, trucks or noisy neighbors driving you berserk? These sound-reduction strategies can help you hush things up
Full StorySAVING WATER11 Ways to Save Water at Home
Whether you live in a drought-stricken area or just want to help preserve a precious resource, here are things you can do to use less water
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGN10 Big Space-Saving Ideas for Small Kitchens
Feeling burned over a small cooking space? These features and strategies can help prevent kitchen meltdowns
Full StoryORGANIZING7 Habits to Help a Tidy Closet Stay That Way
Cut the closet clutter for a lifetime — and save money too — by learning how to bring home only clothes you love and need
Full StoryBEFORE AND AFTERSBathroom of the Week: Save-and-Splurge Strategy for a Master Bath
A designer on Houzz helps a North Carolina couple create a bright and modern retreat with budget-minded design choices
Full StorySTORAGEStorage Walls — the Space-Saving Workhorses of Design
Clear the clutter and even divide a room if you please. With multifunction wall storage, there's nowhere for interior designs to go but up
Full StoryENTERTAININGGot Hand-Me-Down Dinnerware? Make a Memorable Meal
They might be mismatched and not your style, but those inherited plates and forks can help bring meaning to your table
Full Story
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR