Thoughts while pruning roses against the fence:

I'm trying to remember why on Earth I ever planted these roses on this side fence.  Here I stand, attempting to dead-head, removing the last flush of bloom this one rose (actually large green rose hips) and trying to think of a good reason to sacrifice my flesh in the pursuit of ornamental horticulture.  Was it the promise of large, silvery white blossoms glistening in the sun after a dark during a dismal rainy winter?  Or was it the promise of bragging about the sheer mass of dark green leaves hidden among blossoms?  Or did I just fall prey to flower catalog "madness "as I and others do each winter and early spring?

At this time, bloodied and with even more tears in a favorite gardening shirt -- all shirts seem to end up as marked for gardening after the first tears and stains-- I'm convinced that this large, overgrown rambler (Rosa 'Silver Moon') hates me to touch it!  It's proud that it grew 20 feet this year -- again, and wants no loving sniping from me,  just admiration for another year of blooming and growing!  I know I'll heal again just as I have in the past.  Darn that "prickle-bush" as Bruce calls it!!  It knows as do the other rambling roses in my yard that I adore them and will continue to risk flesh and clothing to make them look their best.  I'm trapped in my backyard and I can't stop sniping!

 

Lasagna gardening?  ‘Sounds crazy even when you know what that means.  Crazier still, it’s a gardening technique that really works.

A little like diets that promise you’ll lose 20 pounds a month and never feel hungry, lasagna gardening sounds improbable, exaggerated and a waste of time.  Better to stick with tried and true methods that reward hard work, sacrifice and the results of long-term commitment.

So I thought, but much like those diets I can’t resist, it sounded so simple I was willing give it a try.

First of all the old garden bed does not require tilling.  Just cover weeds and all with a layer of cardboard or 3-5 layers of newspaper.  Be sure to cover everything well to eliminate little peeks of sun nourishing future weeds.  Soak the layers to keep them in place.

Voilà!  Decomposition begins in the dark under those layers, earthworms begin to happily tunnel through the dark moist area and the soil begins to loosen up.  The grass or weeds break down fairly quickly because they are in the dark under the paper.

Top off the lasagna with alternating layers of “browns” such as fall leaves, shredded newspaper, peat, and pine needles with layers of “greens” such as vegetable scraps, garden trimmings, and grass clippings, just as in a compost pile.  Sprinkle it now and then.

Fall is the perfect time to start the process.  Just leave it alone until spring, then start planting!

Several years ago, my husband and I cleaned out the 3' x 40' strip of soil between our house and our neighbors. There were several roses that were salvaged, but everything else was removed. This buffer zone between houses needed soil amendments, irrigation changes and plants that could handle hot afternoon sun. My husband wanted color and I wanted scent, so we compromised. He purchased two crape myrtles in red and plum and I went shopping for lavenders. Knowing that lavender is a Mediterranean plant, has few problems (root rot, mildew and rust), required little water and LOVED the hot afternoon sun, made it an ideal choice. The flowers would be harvested to use for decorating and smell, a real bonus.  Many of the plants located at the nursery would grow too large for this narrow strip. Searching through the plant inventory at a local herb farm, Gros Bleu Lavender (Lavandula x intermedia) was found and it only grew to 13 inches. The plant marker also noted that it had extremely long flower heads and navy blue flowers. Eureka!  My search was over and I  have not been disappointed with my choice. They finished blooming last month and have been trimmed back to compact round orbs to keep them tidy and healthy, ready to fill out and scent our garden again next year!

 

My husband and I moved into our home eleven years ago.  We really liked the location and the front and backyards were already landscaped, a big benefit since we were both working and commuting at the time.  The irrigation system was already in so my husband only had to tweak the system or replace parts that got run over by the lawnmover from time to time.  We had a basic gardening service take care of the lawn and trim the hedges so we didn't give it much thought. It was pretty and green.

A few years down the road and we both agreed that it would be nice to have some rose bushes.  So we shopped for roses on the weekends and found spots in the back garden for our new treasures.  Of course, we choose our roses by color, fragrance, and size.  My earlier experiences with roses had been rather lucky.  I had planted bush roses that bloomed and thrived in the East Bay climate with virtually no pests or diseases.

We were happy with our beautiful roses and as we ran out of room in the backyard, we decided to remove one of the lawn mow strips in front yard and plant some more roses.  These new roses would benefit from the daylong full sun exposure with the south west orientation;  something we were beginning to realize might be a problem with some of the shady backyard planting areas.  We had a dedicated rose bed encircled with tree roses which were doing very well until I decided to plant a cute little fig tree in the vacant middle part of the bed. A couple of years later the fig had to go, as it grew up it provided a little too much shade and attracted the squirrels, much to the chagrin of our two large dogs. (to be continued on October 12)