By now, we can really see how most of our shrubs and perennials fared over the winter and marched into spring. Some plants are doing fine, others are still very slow. Even the burst of heat over recent weeks still hasn’t been enough to bring forth some plants with vigor and vitality. Maybe we need a good, gentle rain!
As I sit down with you today, I fear that Sweet Pea’s tree peony, the plant that we coaxed along for over thirty years, may have perished over this last winter. There is still no sign of life among the quiet branches. I have not totally given up hope yet, but with each passing day the chance of seeing a tender shoot emerge is looking less likely, in spite of generous watering and daily, anxious visits to check the plant.
Such is gardening. I am disappointed but I know we did what we could for a long time. We’ll never forget the elegant, pure-white blooms each spring; a wondrous gift from Heaven for a plant that wasn’t even supposed to grow in our climate.
Some of our roses, on the other hand, surprised us by starting out slowly and are now lush with healthy new foliage. If you haven’t trimmed back your roses after winter yet, go ahead. It’s time. It’s not complicated, just cut off any branches that are brown and brittle. It will make the rose bush look nicer instantly.
Next, we should give them a good drink of water, followed by a spring tonic of fertilizer.
There are special fertilizers meant especially for roses, but you can also use a balanced fertilizer. I read that adding one tablespoon of Epsom salts to a gallon of water and using this once in a while to water our roses will also give the plants some of the nutrients that they need.
Also, we should think about where our roses are planted. They like full sun, six to eight hours of sun a day, and soil that drains well. If possible we should try to keep soil consistently moist, avoiding spells where the soil gets very dry and even more, avoiding wet soil that has the rose’s feet wet for long periods of time.
There are so many kinds of roses that we can easily find just the right rose for our garden location. The experts at the nurseries can tell us what type of roses will do well in our climate, although I know many gardeners like to challenge themselves and plant a rose that might not be right for our location, but is just too beautiful to resist! It is a source of pride and excitement if it does well! “Canadian Parkland” roses are easy-care and can stand our cold winters, and are show-stoppers, like the “Cuthbert Grant” and “Adelaide Hoodless”. The Morden roses have a strong and solid reputation for hardy roses, and they are exquisitely beautiful. “Morden Blush” is so lovely, like spun sugar and candy floss blended to make beautiful petals. “Morden Fireglow” is a scarlet-red that is a repeat bloomer. And “Morden Sunrise” captures the beauty of an early prairie morning.
If you don’t have a rose in your garden, make this the year to treat yourself! Do a bit of homework, ask other rose-growers, and you will find just the rose you are dreaming of!
Yorkton and District Horticultural Society members, please note that our June meeting and windup has been cancelled. Let’s hope that next year we’ll be feasting together again and sharing gardening stories once more!
Thank you to our friends at the Yorkton This Week for amazing work during difficult times. Let’s pray for health for all, a bit of rain, and joyful days out in our gardens. Have a great week and be sure to wear a hat!
