Have you ever wondered why the string of prayer beads used by Catholics is called a rosary? Well, the answer lies in the bush outside your window. Once, the beads in rosaries were made from rose petals. Many modern rosaries are made from wood, silver, or glass, but it is still possible to buy rose beads. Or, if you are a rose gardener, you can simply make your own. These beautiful and fragrant beads make unique jewelery and a wonderfully personalized gift.

Making rose beads from rose bushes (actually, you will use the rose petals from the roses themselves) is not really that hard. It is also a great project that you can do with your kids this summer. Here is how to make rose beads from rose bushes.

Here is what you’ll need:
* Several quarts of rose petals. This is an excellent use for the flowers from your rosebushes that are just starting to wilt.
* A food processor or grinder
* Plastic wrap
* A cast iron skillet
* Thin nails

First, grind or pulverize the petals thoroughly. Then spread them in the skillet, cover airtight with plastic wrap, and set aside.

Once a day for 10-12 days, scrape the mixture out and regrind it. Eventually the petals will turn into a dark, putty like substance. Now you can mold the paste into beads of any shape you like.

Put a nail in each one where you would like it to be threaded. Leave the nails in the beads and set them in a sunny spot to dry for a couple days.

Remove the nails and, voila! You have rose beads. Happy Jewelery Making!

And the best thing is this: you can easily make it in your own backyard! Most recycling centers and garden centers sell compost bins, or you can make your own with wooden pallets and/or chicken wire. If you decide to spend money on a bin you may wish to consider a rotating barrel-type composter. They are a little more expensive, but well worth the effort they save. If you want the absolutely most simple method, just start an uncontained pile in a quiet corner.

To make your own compost, simply take any kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps and any other “greens” you have on hand, such as seaweed or garden cuttings—but not cuttings from your roses, which do not compost well. Throw them in your bin with an equal amount of “browns” (dried leaves, straw, or even newspaper). Forget about them for a few weeks, then turn the pile over with a pitchfork or, if you have a barrel composter, turn the barrel. Continue to add scraps over time. From time to time you’ll want to check the moisture level in your compost. It should feel about as damp as a wrung-out sponge.

Depending on your container and turning method, in a matter of weeks or months you will have compost! It will look more or less like loamy, light brown dirt. Sprinkle it lightly over the area containing your rosebush’s roots, or mix it with the soil when first planting a bush. Your roses will love you for it… and you’ll love the roses that your compost helps produce. Happy Growing!

The best time to fertilize established bushes is in late winter during the dormant season, just after pruning. That way you are not feeding the parts of the rosebush that are destined to be cut off. Once the soil begins to warm up in the spring, the fertilizer will begin to break down and feed your bushes. Here is a great basic recipe to use for your fertilizer. The amount is per medium-sized bush:

1 cup bone meal or superphosphate (0-20-0)
1 cup cottonseed meal
1/2 cup blood meal
1/2 cup fish meal
1/2 cup epsom salts (magnesium sulphate)

To apply the fertilizer to your rosebushes, first water the area liberally. Then apply the mixture evenly on the ground, out to the perimeter of the bush. Rake it lightly into the top couple inches of soil, then water again.

For newly planted bare root rosebushes, care must be taken not to burn the new roots. For these bushes, wait until after the plant has produced its first blooms to apply fertilizer. Water well first, apply the fertilizer and water well again. You may now begin a regular feeding program, but take a little extra caution - use weaker strength fertilizers on a more frequent basis for a safe, adequate food supply.
Roses appreciate an application of slow release fertilizer in spring, midsummer, and again in the fall. Use organic fertilizer and add a tablespoon of chelated iron to the dry mix. Apply the fertilizer mix around the base of the plants, dibble it into the soil and water well. Your bushes will love you for it, and will reward you well with flowers. Happy Growing!

It’s best to prune with very sharp pruning shears. The cleaner the cut, the more easily your rosebush can heal and grow. Don’t put anything on the wound—it’ll heal nicely by itself. The year you first put a rosebush in the ground and the year after it does not need pruning. Before the third growing season it is time to prune heavily—in addition to your regular pruning, standard practice is to shear off the top third of the bush at this time.

Both in the third year and in every other, pruning should include completely cutting out any dead wood. Also remove any branches that are rubbing, crossed with other branches, damaged, or diseased. If you aren’t sure whether a stem is dead or not, cautiously check the color of the inner core. If it is green, the wood is still alive. If it is brown, it is dead.

If you think your rosebush is healthy enough to take vigorous pruning, cut back to two or three buds and all of the lateral branches that bore flowers during the preceding year. Canes that grow in the wrong direction can be trained or simply removed. Each of the remaining stems should have the growth bud facing out. It will look like a slight scar or line on the smooth bark of the rose
bush.

Last but not least, remember that whenever you cut a rose off you bush, even to deadhead, you are pruning it. Take care to make your cuts just above a fully developed leaf to encourage strong new growth. Your bushes will be grateful, and reward you with big, beautiful blooms. Happy Growing!

Mulch does a number of wonderful things for your rose bushes. It can help deter weeds, prevent moisture loss, cool the soil structure on hot summer days and, as it decomposes, provide nutrients to the soil beneath. Mulch helps protect your rosebushes from fungal spores, which get bounced onto the bushes from rain that splashes on bare soil. On top of all that, the right mulch is simply very attractive underneath your rose bush.

“But…” you may find yourself asking, “what exactly is mulch?” That’s a good question, in part because there’s more than one answer. In general, “mulch” is a category for materials that you use to cover the ground. Here are just some of the materials one can use for mulch: wood chips, shredded bark, pine needles, cottonseed or cocoa bean hulls, chopped leaves, ground corncobs and peat nuggets. Other, inorganic materials are available and labled “mulch”, such as shredded tires, but these are not good choices for your rose bushes.

A 2-3 inch layer of mulch is best for rose bushes. Be careful to leave a couple inches around the base of each plant un-mulched. For rosebushes less than five years old, use one cubic foot of mulch per rose bush; for rose trees, use one cubic foot of mulch at any age; for climbers, use one cubic foot of mulch for any age plant. For rose bushes older than five years, use two cubic feet of mulch per bush.

Warning: as mulch decomposes, it uses up soil nitrogen. Watch closely for signs of nitrogen deficiency and apply appropriate fertilizers, if necessary. Otherwise, simply enjoy the appearance and benefits of your new mulch. Happy Growing!

The best time to transplant roses is during late winter, after the last hard frost but before the bushes begin to bud. First, prepare the new planting site. You will want it all ready to receive your rose bushes before you take them out of their old home, so the roots don’t get a chance to dry out. Dig an adequate hole, then mix some good soil, some compost, and a handful of bonemeal together. Pad the sides of the hole with this mixture. Fill the hole half-full with water and let it soak in.

Next, prepare the bushes to be transplanted. Pick a cool, cloudy day or perform the transplant in early evening. Start by pruning their top growth a bit to make them easier to manage. If transplanting from the ground, dig as large a root ball as will fit into the waiting hole and move the plants to their new home. If transplanting from a pot, trim any tangled roots so they will be able to grow out in the ground.

Even if you do no trimming, expect that you will break a few roots. Don’t worry, your bush will survive, especially if you pruned it recently. You will want to be very gentle in moving the bush, however. Damaging the trunk or branches will leave your roses vulnerable to fungal disease. Once your bush is transplanted, fill any space with more dirt/compost/bonemeal mixture. Water it immediately, then cover the area with an organic mulch, such as bark chips.

Over the next few days and weeks keep a close eye on your rose bush, watering frequently. Do not add any fertilizer until you see new growth. Once your bush is budding, you’ll know it has taken to its new home. Congratulations, and Happy Growing!

Anything less than six hours of sun will sacrifice some blooms. But if you pick a rose with prolific flowers and big blooms you will have a healthy, happy bush. Furthermore, some pale-petaled roses whose colors look washed out in bright sunshine will seem to glow in partial shade. When you buy your rosebushes from your local nursery discuss the best varieties for shade growing for your region. In general, rugosas and floribundas will be your best bet.

To plant rosebushes in the shade, first remove the existing soil in the bed. Then, if trees are causing the shade, place a root barrier between the rose bed and the tree roots. Twenty-four inches should be deep enough to keep out most roots. Mix together some good soil, compost, and bone meal and return it to the growing bed. You will want to use a little more compost than for a sunny bed. When it is time to fertilize, you will also want to increase the amount of fertilizer.

Make sure you water your roses well. Just because they are in the shade does not mean they won’t dry out quickly. Expect that they will grow a little taller than roses in the sun. Enjoy your shady roses, and Happy Growing!

According to fossil evidence, the wild rose has been around for around 35 million years. For the past 5,000 years, rose varietals have been bred by people. The first humans to purposely cultivate roses were the Chinese, who grew them primarily for medicinal purposes.

During the Roman period, roses were grown throughout the Middle East. They were used as confetti at celebrations and as a source of perfume. Roman nobility ordered the installation of large public rose gardens in the south of the city. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the popularity of roses rose and fell in cycles. At some points in Western history, cultivated roses could only be found in the gardens of monasteries in Europe, which were responsible for perpetuating earlier strains.

In the late eighteenth century cultivated roses were introduced into Europe from China. Most modern-day roses can be traced back to this time. These new cultivars were repeat bloomers, setting the stage for breeding work with native roses to select for hardiness and a long bloom season. At that time there was little color selection among European roses, and they didn’t bloom more than once a year. Roses imported from Asia were of greater quality, variety and many offered repeated blooming. The joy of tending plants that bloom throughout the growing season caused rose gardening to catch on as a hobby throughout the developing world.

Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, was a huge proponent of rose growing in the 1800s. She not only grew roses, she brought a bush of every known rose variety to the garden of her home, Chateau Malmaison. In doing so, she initiated a cultural obsession with roses that still exists in France today.

Now in America, roses are everywhere. You can still grow roses for medicine or perfume, but most people grow them for their beauty. Regardless of your reasons for growing rose bushes, may you enjoy participating in a tradition nearly as old as history itself. Happy Growing!

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The red rose is one of the simplest–yet very romantic gifts that you can give someone. Maybe that’s why so many people choose to give red roses on Valentine’s Day. If you are one of those people, though, you need to make sure that you follow these tips to ensure success when giving red roses:

Don’t get caught out: ensure prompt delivery of the roses. If you haven’t called your florist yet, now is the time to make sure that you call. Make sure you have the recipient’s name, address, phone number, which red roses you want sent, how many, and how you want to pay for them. If you’re local, you might consider picking up the roses to make sure that they get delivered on time.

Send the right message. If you are having trouble thinking up a suitable message, don’t hesitate to ask your florist. Florists see thousands of love messages–and they are always more than willing to make a few suggestions.

Here are a few suggestions if you cannot think of any:

Catch someone by surprise. A great way to catch someone by surprise–especially if they work in an office or school–is to send the flowers a day earlier, on February 13th. Tell them that “you just couldn’t wait, you love them that much.”

Tell the recipient of the roses, “Today is a very special day - a day for declaring my ever-ending love for you.”

At the end of the day though your own words are much more meaningful.

Giving Flowers - the tradition

The tradition of giving flowers–especially roses–on Valentine’s Day first came about in the late seventeenth century. Roses became the flower of choice because it was reputed to be the favourite flower of the Goddess Venus - the Goddess of Love. Florists often refer to the single red rose as a ’signature rose.’

Valentine’s Day colors are typically red and white. Some also say that you should include the pink rose, though. Why these colours? Red is the symbol of passion, while white is the symbol of purity. Pink, some argue, is a more appropriate colour for younger lovers–it represents a meeting point between two poles.

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Traditionally, a Valentine’s Rose has a long stem. But, if you prefer something different you might ask your florist to arrange different bouquet of roses. After all, there are many ways to give roses:

A bunch of red roses say “I love you.” A bunch of roses also stand for respect and courage.

A single red rose symbolizes beauty, youth and a heart innocent of love: “You are young and beautiful.”

Red roses mean “pure and lovely.”

Red and white roses, together, or white roses with red edges, signify unity.

Two red roses taped or wired together to form a single stem indicate an engagement or upcoming marriage.

A full blown red rose–placed over two red buds–forms a combination that signifies secrecy.

A pink rose represents happiness.

A rose left by itself is a symbol of hope.

Whatever the reason roses, whether it is one single red rose or a dozen red roses, be sure your Valentine will appreciate your thought.

Rain Bird is getting set to deliver a dozed years of participation in the Rose Parade. They are celebrating the world’s most precious resource through their 2008 Tournament of Roses(R) Float. Their focus is on bringing awareness to environmental preservation through the use of Intelligent Use Of Water (TM) and they salute India’s rich heritage of weaving the Earth’s most precious resource into its cultural celebrations.

Rain Bird has also put the following video together that shows the making of their Rose Parade float:

Preservation Celebration will feature a trio of majestic Bengal tigers prowling through India’s subtropical jungle as whimsical monkeys demand attention with their antics. Spectacular albino peacocks frolic among eight cascading waterfalls and lagoons in a jungle of exotic flowers, vines and gardens that have claimed the exotic temple ruins of civilizations past.

Jim Hynd and his team of floral experts will bring the Bengal tigers on Preservation Celebration to life using petals of orange strawflower and glossy black onion seed with accents of yarrow, pampas grass and cordon blossoms. The monkeys will be artistically crafted using a combination of combed palm fiber and pharmitas grass. And the Peacocks’ feathers will be formed from crisp white carnation petals and coconut chips with flowing tails of purple Madame Pompadour dendrobium orchids.

Cascading vines laden with lavender cattleya and purple dendrobium orchids will be used to create a fantasy canopy over a brilliant tropical jungle floor made from more than 50,000 orange Mirage and Tropical roses. Floral umbrellas in petals of gold and yellow strawflowers will provide spots of shade in this tropical forest, and exotic lush gardens of heliconia, protea, ginger and tropical foliages will complete the magnificent floral presentation.

Utilizing a float chassis specially designed and engineered to safely support the 13,000 + pounds of water that will be prominently displayed on this float, the realistic movements of the tigers will be accomplished with computerized hydraulics, and more than two-dozen high-pressure misting nozzles will enshroud the scene in a light fog as Rain Bird’s Preservation Celebration travels down Colorado Boulevard.

Once again, Rain Bird will be depending on their patented Time Release Water irrigation supplement to provide continuous moisture to the live portions of Preservation Celebration, keeping all of the living plants lush and beautiful without additional watering.

A vegetable-based gel-like formula that breaks down into water at a rate that consistently nourishes plants for up to 30-days, Rain Bird’s Time Release Water is an ideal “tool” for keeping the live plants on Preservation Celebration healthy, lush and able to be enjoyed by millions of parade goers on January 1, 2008.

In November, hundreds of volunteers including Rain Bird employees and their families began the process of applying hundreds of thousands of fresh flowers and other plant material to Preservation Celebration, a task that consumes a total of 10,000 hours to complete.

The 119th Tournament of Roses Parade marks Rain Bird’s twelfth year as a participant in the New Year’s Day classic, having won Judge’s Special Trophy in 2007, Grand Marshal’s Trophy in 2004, President’s Trophy in 2000, Director’s Trophy in 1997 and Sweepstakes Trophy, the parade’s top honor, in 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001, 1999 and 1998.