In the Garden, Talking 'bout the garden.... #8

I have a rose monster growing in my yard and I don't know what to do!!  I found two small rose bushes growing in the alley behind my house several years ago.  The alley was definitely not a proper home so into the yard they came.  The bushes grew but there wasn't a single rose bud for the first few years.  At that point, I knew nothing of fertilizing or pruning and it hadn't dawned on me to look it up.  A friend told me to sprinkle some Epsom salt in the soil which I did without asking any important questions like why or how much or how often.  I went for it and ultimately, both bushes bloomed.   I don't know if it was actually the Epsom salt or if the roses just needed time to adjust to their new surroundings. In any case, the matter of the rose-less rose bushes was resolved. 

Last year I learned about pruning and did my best to cut the bushes back which apparently just made it grow even more.  I felt very positive about my robust bushes and was satisfied with my work.  Throughout the colds months, the bushes continued to grow and were getting a bit out of control.  In March I put on my rose gloves and cut those babies way back.  Within two weeks (which I thought was rather fast), the bushes started to fill back in; while I had good intentions, I didn't address it at that time. 

There's a little pathway behind the raised bed where the roses are planted.  Queen uses the path during play time with her boyfriend King (the dog next door).  There's a chain link fence that goes between the two yards and King has tried several times to dig himself a path under that fence and into my Queen's secret garden.  In order to prevent any potential love fests, we've placed cinder blocks along the bottom of the fence.  King & Queen have learned to enjoy each other's company with the boundaries we've set and until recently it was working out great.

The other day I realized that Queen was constantly running through the raised flower bed (also home to recently planted blueberry bushes & strawberries) instead of using her path.  Normally, if I command her to "stop" or say "no", she obliges but this time was different.  After getting frustrated with the disobedience, I went over to see what was causing the problem.  Low and behold, the rose bush had grown over to the fence, blocking Queen's path.  The weight of the bushes had caused the trellis to start leaning and the thorny mass of vines now bursting with rose buds were flailing around with reckless abandon. 

Queen certainly isn't going to let the rose monster keep her from her King.  She continues to cut through the raised bed instead of going around it.  I'm torn because I want to see the roses bloom.  How do I save the buds and contain the monster at the same time?  That is the question... one I hope to get answered in the coming weeks.

Rose Monster... but isn't the 1st rose beautiful?!

Since I wasn't equipped to handle the rose situation, I decided to move on to things within my skill set.  I checked for other blooming flowers and planted a few purchases from a recent trip to Strange's Garden Center.  I was very pleased after filling pots with various combinations of marigold, petunias, zinnias and pansies.  Over time, they will provide a nice burst of color for my yard.  The hydrangeas I purchased last year are progressing nicely and now have buds forming.  They also appear to be ready for larger pots.  I remembered a gift from my mother in law that had spent the winter tucked in  a corner on the side of my back porch.  I pulled out the pot and found that the seedling from last year, was still hanging on.  My mother in law said it was a hydrangea which I believe might be of the oak leaf variety.  I'll be keeping a closer eye on it over the coming months.

Potted flowers & possible Oak leaf hydrangea (orange pot)

Hydrangea

My grapevine is progressing nicely and has approximately 25 bunches of grapes forming (yes I counted!). 

Grapes

The veggies are growing well in the garden but insects have already started to attack.  As a result, the leafy tops of my turnips are starting to look like Swiss cheese.  I've pulled out my homemade red pepper spray and will be spritzing the leaves of everything from now on.  I was hoping that bug prevention wouldn't be needed so early but as I have no control over nature, it appears that the time has definitely come. 



Turnips

Sunday,  April 22nd was a day of non-stop rain.  Everything in the yard received a deep soaking which I'm sure will cause a nice jump in the garden's growth.  I look forward to what this week will bring!