Mid-July in My Maine Garden

The fairy roses are blooming

I have had good luck with this plant. It seems to be quite hardy. 

This is my only foxglove plant which bloomed this year.
Last year's foxglove are done, but these seeded in.

These seeds pods are from a patch of mustard seed greens.
They overwintered, bloomed in the spring, and then I let them go to seed.

The seed pods pop open at the slightest touch.
To collect the seeds, I cut off the long stems and put the pods in a bag.
Next, I shook the bag, pulled out the dry pods, and collected the tiny seeds.

5 Tips for Early Winter Rose Care in milder zones of the Pacific NW

Roses this time of the year in milder regions of the Pacific NW may still be in bloom, although these blooms are far and few between. This week I noticed the first frost on the ground where I live in Portland, OR. This pink rose is one of my "David Austin" roses that I planted this year.  Since roses can be costly, you may want to take extra care to protect them so they can survive the winter.

Here are 5 tips for Early Winter Rose Care in the milder zones of the Pacific NW

1. Leave any remaining roses on the plant until they fully die.

2. Remove all diseased leafs or twigs and make sure to throw them away.

3. Prune in the spring unless you have hybrid tea roses or floribundas. If you have these roses prune to waist height to protect roses from wind damage. Prune most Pacific NW roses Feb-March.

4. Check pH levels. They should be 6.5-7.0. If low add a cup of lime. You can also do this in Spring.

5. Plan what roses you want to buy for next season while there is less to do in the garden.

First Blooms, Portland, OR

One of my first roses to bloom every year

Here is a look at what is blooming in my May garden. The weather has taken a change for the better, which has resulted in the gardens first blooms. All of these flowers are on my patio.

Unknown climbing Rose

This peach rose is a climbing variety at the side of my house. I don't prune or deadhead it much because the rose plant is so tall, that I would need a ladder to reach the blooms.

One of my potted Roses

I don't remember planting so many pink roses last year. This is one of  the cheap roses I bought last Spring for $3,99 from Fred Meyers. I planted it along with the other pink rose in a one gallon pot. It needs to be transplanted to a bigger pot this year. I would suggest that you start with a 2 gallon pot or bigger first if you want to grow your roses in pots.

Another pink Rose that turned peach when cut

I have noticed that the colors of the roses in my garden this year are really intense. This might be because I have been feeding all my plants with Organic Fish Emulsion. It is a liquid fertilizer that you just mix with water and apply around your plant every few weeks. I also have 3 very expensive David Austin old fashion English roses in pots.

Hostas do good in the shade

It appears that it is a good hosta season. I love hostas. These are also potted on my patio.  There is no escaping slugs here  with our wet Oregon weather. I have been using organic slug pellets. Some years I have put out dishes of Beer and that has worked most of the time. This year I did not want to take any chances.

This one is by my front door

Pink Snapdragons

This is a annual Snapdragon that never died. Annuals will often do that here in Portland because of our very mild winters.

Potted Strawberries

Potted Strawberries. My favorite fruit. I also have a raised bed for Strawberries.I mix the June fruiting varieties with the ones that produce fruit many times during the season.

Late Summer Visit to the Portland Rose Garden

This is one of the oldest public gardens of its kind in the United States. The garden was founded in 1917. There are over 10,000 plantings of 500 varieties of Roses. The garden is free to the public.



International Test Rose Garden-Portland

The Portland International Test Rose Garden is located right in the center of the city in Washington Park, which is also the home to the Oregon Zoo, The Japanese Gardens and many of Portland's most popular attractions.

The garden is free to the general public and is located on four acres of land. It is home to 10,000 Roses. Portland is known as the "City of Roses" and even has its own "Rose Festival" and many other smaller Rose gardens around the city. Most Roses start to bloom here from May to June, with many blooming all the way to late fall so there is always something to see here.

Rose beds are long, oblong and pathways are grassy. Warning signs are posted everywhere. Don't even think about picking any of the blooms. There is a $500 fine.

I love the old fashion English Roses. Perhaps they remind me of my English roots. In the house where I grew up, the garden was a formal Rose garden that included Tree Roses.

Pretty in Pink. A mass of lovely pink blooms. As a side note dogs that are leashed are allowed in the garden.

A lovely view of the Rose Garden. There are also a few smaller theme gardens where you will find plants other than Roses. If you are visiting Portland, you must add the Rose Garden to your list of sites to visit.