Rose-pruning demo

Training Roses

Training Roses
By Bob Leland

Roses have a number of potential uses in a garden or home. They can provide flowering plants for gardens as well as key elements in front yard landscaping ideas. They make beautiful decorations or even borders to prevent other flowers from spilling out of their designated areas. However all of these uses require that your roses be trained to a certain degree.

Training Flowers
Training flowers, you say? Impossible! They're not pets, after all. But, of course, in a way, they are! Many rose types can indeed be trained through careful application of positioning and your pruning shears, growing where and how you want them to grow and in the positions you want them to grow in. You are forcing the roses to fit your ideal for the space, rather than their natural inclination. And, if you're careful, the result will be well worth the effort!

Direction, Height and Width
Training roses is all about three things: direction, height and width. You are attempting to control the direction your roses grow in, the height they grow to and the width they spread out in a given area. Essentially, you are attempting to train your roses to fit the space you've provided them. In the case of some types, climbing roses for instance, you could also be training them to spread over a given area, filling it. Remember that you'll be working within the limits of the space provided, so it's a good idea to keep those limits in mind when you begin your training of your roses.

Pruning
Different methods of pruning yield different results in regards to your roses. Cutting your roses into a particular shape will encourage your roses to grow in certain directions, pruning climbing roses to grow upwards for instance, or rambling roses spread evenly across a given area. Too, like most flowers, roses will inevitably grow towards the sun, so placing them in an area where the sun will shine straight down on them, as opposed to at one angle or another is probably a good idea.

Landscaping
If you're training your roses in order to use them for landscaping purposes, consider planting them at strategic intervals and using garden stakes to encourage spreading or curling in the stalks or branches. Any good landscape plant guide will recommend ways of planting flowers. Garden stakes are also a good method of controlling where your roses grow in relation to walls or walkways. Trellises and archways are good training grounds for climbing roses, as they give the plant a sort of 'road' to follow in its growth. Prune stalks that seek to spread away from the trellis and set it in the sun to encourage speedy growth and you'll have a wonderful garden adornment in no time.

Training roses is a simple matter in most cases. A pair of shears and a little sunlight and you have all of the tools you need to encourage your roses to grow where, when and how you want them to grow. Remember too that it's an ongoing project. Training roses will take time and patience on your part, and it's good to have an idea of what you want the end result to be before you start.

Bob Leland is a rose growing enthusiast. He owns and maintains About the Care of Roses, a resource for front yard landscaping ideas [http://www.aboutthecareofroses.com/LandscapingRoses.xhtml] using roses, and for rose lovers and hobbyists.

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Backyard Birding Tip On How to Get Your Favorite Birds to Come to Your Yard

Author: Sam

Having food in your yard is among the most important components with regard to backyard birding. Birds may eat through normal meals sources, for example, berry shrubbery and bugs, but it is important to have bird feeders with the proper seed to have various birds arrive at your yard.

Below are great tips to acquire a variety of birds to your own feeders:

Sparrows: Distributing seeds out on the ground can do a good job bringing in a reasonable amount of sparrows. To get more sparrows, spread seed close to your woods, in the middle of your yard, as well as below your bird feeder.

Grosbeaks: Grosbeaks prefer bigger seeds, for example, black oil sunflower seed or even striped sunflower seed.

Titmice: Titmice, along with chickadees, like sunflower seeds. If you do not have any sunflower seeds, then they will eat suet.

Buntings: Buntings can be very hard to to draw in in your feeders; nevertheless, it's not impossible. Millet is your best bet to have in your bird feeders to have the buntings to come to your yard.

Finches: Finches like thistle, however they will eat the majority of anything you have in your your feeder area including black oil sunflower seed and millet.

Chickadees: Chickadees consume a selection of various meals including black oil sunflower seeds, shelled nuts, and also peanut butter.

Woodpeckers: Woodpeckers really like suet, and that's the very best bet for attracting these birds to your feeder.

Hummingbirds: Hummingbirds will come to hummingbird feeders. You will get these kinds of feeders in shops such as Walmart or virtually  almost every birding retailer.  When you have the feeder, create a sugar water mix. Unlike frequent perception, adding coloring to the water doesn't have an impact on the quantity of birds that come to your feeder.

Orioles: To get orioles to come to your feeder, put bright fresh fruit such as oranges (cut in half) outside on a platform so it is easy to see for the birds.

After you have this all setup, you will be able to sit back and relax!

Backyard birding is a great pleasure and you can do it all year-round! It is a good idea to keep your bird feeders full during the Winter time to give the birds some thing you can eat, and you will be able to see different birds coming than those that you saw during the Summer!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/bird-watching-articles/backyard-birding-tip-on-how-to-get-your-favorite-birds-to-come-to-your-yard-6189673.html

About the Author

J.M. Simmons is an avid birder and blogs about Backyard Birding.  He has been birding for all of his life and has been from snowy mountains to sandy beaches to bird and he currently leads bird walks frequently.

What You Have to Do to Prepare Your Rose Garden for Spring

What You Have to Do to Prepare Your Rose Garden for Spring
By David Elefant

Do you live in a region where spring arrives in late March or early April? If that is the case, that makes you an "early spring" rose gardener. But, if March or early April still has people skiing in your area then you will only be able to use our rose garden tips once the cold season has passed and spring has arrived.

The beginning of spring is the moment that will have you actively arranging your rose garden. As you get ready to see the gorgeous rose buds that should appear magically in the next few days. In short, here is a rundown of things to do so that your roses will have a great year.

Start by removing from your roses the dirt you may have covered them with or any other protective items. Your roses will have to adapt again to the warm sun and mild rains of the coming months.

You may find damaged and dead canes that did not subsist the winter on your rose bushes. Cut them off before starting your spring pruning. Remove any residue or debris that may be around the base of your bushes.

To nourish your rose plants add some organic compounds to the soil. You can mix up your own by using a blend of composted manure or mushroom compost, or any of the usual meal blends which can include alfalfa, cottonseed, fish or blood meal. Don't want to get your hands dirty outside of your regular gardening tasks. Buy a pre-packed mix from a garden supply store.

Break up the dirt around your roses to allow water to reach the roots. Winter cold may have hardened the soil. Rose bushes need well drained dirt to flourish.

You are now ready if you like to add new rose plants to your garden.

Opinions diverge on what is the best time to start your regular fungicide treatment. We recommend you start immediately. Others say to begin 14 days after you finish pruning.

Use different fungicides throughout the year to stop any fungi from obtaining immunity to a specific brand product.

The use of pesticides should be avoided. Only use them if you notice apparent damage. Keep on the lookout for aphids. Use a strong spray of water to remove them or put an insecticide to the infected area.

Your rose garden is now all set for spring, but your work is not over yet. Summer will soon be here. Read our Spring Rose Garden Care article to learn how to prepare your roses for the coming summer.

To find more tips on early spring rose gardening visit http://www.rose.myzury.com, a site that focuses in giving rose gardening advice, tips and resources that you can use to grow a beautiful rose garden.

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