Published May 19, 2004

“It will never rain roses”

So said George Eliot. Around here we’d be content if we could be assured it would just rain rain instead of snow from now on. Thank goodness all the threats of snow haven’t amounted to much here. Let’s hope it stays that way.

The complete quote from George Eliot says: “It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.” And with our weather it is important that you plant the right kind of trees. And no, it’s not as simple as saying if you want roses you plant a rose tree.

If you’re like me, you agree with the Gertrude Stein quote, “ Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” Maybe there was a time when it was as simple as that, but it is no longer the case.

Julia, from Wild Cove, emailed and asked some advice about growing roses. As I promised in my first article, I knew nothing about it, but I set out to see what I could learn.

Did you know that the government of Canada has been developing roses “expressly to survive through Canada’s winter”? Says so, right in the Roses Catalogue from Vesey’s and also at their web site (www.veseys.com ). I didn’t know about it until I was told by Ian, of the Newfoundland Horticultural Society.

Explorer Roses and Parkland Roses were developed especially for Canada. The Explorer Roses are named for the explorers that were among the first to brave Canada’s winters. There are a number of different roses in each of these series and they are available in a number of different colors. Most of them are said to be hardy to zone 3 and some even to zone 2.

Both Ian and also Todd, of the Newfoundland Rock Garden Society, have had some experience with growing roses in Newfoundland. Both mentioned that David Austin Roses have been known to grow well in Newfoundland. Todd also stated that “standard hybrid teas, grandifloras and floribundas are challenging to grow here and not recommended unless you want to fuss and have a sheltered site”. Ian stated, “You will stand the best chance of success if you start off with a pot grown rose from a nursery rather than the waxed store bought plants.”

Wanda Dicks, of the Garden Center in Springdale, says there is still plenty of time before you would consider planting roses this year. The Garden Center doesn’t have their roses in yet but will have them in plenty of time for planting.

I’ve had to rely on experts outside of our area, though still in Newfoundland, for information for this article but I’d love to have a network of local experts to call on. If you have had any experience with growing roses in our area, I’d love to hear from you. Email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca.

If you are thinking about planting roses in your garden this year and want more information about the roses that are hardy to our area check out the special roses section in the links section of the online home of the gardening column http://greenthumbsandgreenhorns.blogspot.com/ .

George was right. It will never rain roses, and if you want roses to succeed around here you have to make sure you plant the right kind of rose tree.

Published May 5, 2004

If April Showers Bring May Flowers, What Does April Snow Do?

That’s what I’ve been trying to find out. That’s what we Newfoundland gardeners need to know.
Last fall I planted some bulbs in my flower bed. These bulbs are supposed to bloom in the spring. I was shocked a few weeks ago when the snow melted on one side of my flower bed to find sprouts coming up! I was so excited, but also a little worried. Our winter wasn’t over. There were still mounds of snow everywhere, and still the threat of more falling from the sky any day. Everyday I watched these sprouts grow with mixed feelings. I was so excited to see them coming up, but I was worried that they’d come too soon and were going to be killed before they had a chance to bloom.

Then it happened. I went away for the weekend and while I was gone we got the snow I feared. Some of my flowers had bloomed while I was gone, but when I got home they were covered with snow. I didn’t even get to see them in bloom! I was sure they were killed by the snow, but it turns out they survived with just one casualty. I was blessed to see many blooms in the following days.

Then it happened again. Another coating of snow. I should of taken a picture of the flowers while I had a chance. I’m not sure if they’re going to pull through this time or not. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Have any of you had similar experiences or do you have advice to offer? I’d love to hear from you. Come on Green Thumbs, we Greenhorns need you. Fellow Greenhorns, speak up. We can learn from each other. You can email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca. I did get a couple of calls last week and will tell you more about them in upcoming columns. Someone has suggested starting a garden club, and someone else has lots of hints and encouragement to share about vegetable gardening. What are your thoughts?

For those of you with curious minds, the bulbs I planted were crocuses and tulips. The crocuses are the ones that bloomed early and may now be dead. I’m hoping the tulips have survived and will bloom soon. I’ll let you know what happens.

It seems like we may finally be getting the showers, instead of the snow. At least I hope we’ve seen the end of the snow. Maybe we need to change the saying to April snow brings lots of woe, hurry up showers so the flowers can grow.

Published April 21, 2004

Gardening in Green Bay - White Bay

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines a green thumb as “a knack for growing plants” while a greenhorn is “an inexperienced person.” While I really want to fit in the first category, I humbly admit that I belong in the later. I am not, however, content to stay there.

Every summer I watch these beautiful gardens bloom all throughout my community and I turn green with envy, but my thumb stays black. It frustrates me to no end. I search the library and the internet for books, magazines and web sites about gardening, but they are no help what so ever because they present gardening in the ideal place with ideal weather and ideal soil. I don’t want to move! I want to learn how to garden here on the rock in the wind and the cold. Its possible. I see the evidence all around me, but I can’t find any information to help me learn how to do it.

I’m a person that needs to know how to do something before I do it. I read all directions that come with everything. That doesn’t help you with gardening in Newfoundland. If you follow the directions you are planting things in the snow. It doesn’t work. I know from first hand experience. I’ve decided that the only way to learn how to garden here is to talk to successful gardeners in your area.

That’s the purpose of this column - to bring together green thumbs and greenhorns so that we greenhorns can learn from the real experts, not the so called experts that know nothing about gardening in our area.

If you are a successful gardener living in the Green Bay/White Bay area look out, I’m coming after you. If you would be willing to share with us about your garden please email me at greenhorngardener@yahoo.ca.

If you are a fellow greenhorn and have topics or questions you’d like addressed, I can assure you I know nothing about it, but I’ll do my best to find out what you want to know. Or if you know of a garden that you admire and want to know all their gardening secrets, tell me where it is and I’ll see what I can do.

Green thumbs and Greenhorns unite!