With bourbon, Portland, and china ancestry, hybrid perpetual vary considerably but share a few characteristics that make them special. As their name implies they are repeating, some more so than…
Some roses are beautiful in every way with abundant foliage and masses of colorful flowers. Many, however, could use a little help when out of bloom, or need something attractive…
Bourbon roses are generally believed to be the result of an accidental cross between the china “Old Blush’ and the autumn flowering damask, ‘Quatre Saisons’. The name comes from the…
When China roses were introduced into the West at the end of the 1700s, rose growing changed dramatically. Rosa chinensis brought a new gene pool to the West that introduced…
Every garden seems to have places where a groundcover is needed. Often these places are problem areas due to such factors as shade, soil conditions, or slope. These places may…
If your looking for something a little bit different, take a look at moss roses. Their sepals, calyces, and pedicels are covered with a growth that looks like moss. This…
Wet soil can be a problem in any garden and finding plants with handsome foliage that will grow there in full sun can be even more difficult. There are, however,…
All plants need some water during the growing season but some need a lot less than others. If you have an area in the garden that dries out quickly and…
How many times have you seen in a plant description the phrases “resents wet feet”? or “likes moist but well-drained soil”? Plant roots need oxygen and the water prevents them…
The name orchid conjures on images of exotic plants from foreign shores. Most of them are not suitable for the outdoor gardens in the United States but there are some…
Karen 
Chuck