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My Garden

"For mine is just a little old-fashioned garden where the flowers come together to praise the Lord and teach all who look upon them to do likewise."

--Celia Thaxter

    I garden in the sandy soil of Michigan's Thumb. There are more than 160 roses gracing my Zone 5 gardens. During the last five years I have become better acquainted with the fun of rose gardening. Though I am still learning, I am happy to share the knowledge I've gained with others who may just be entering the exciting world of
roses.
      My favorite roses are the David Austin English Roses. I also prefer roses that, for the most part, remain disease-free during the growing season. Recently, I have been turning my attention towards Old Garden Roses. They are becoming more and more popular as their charms and reliability are rediscovered by a new generation of rose lovers. Many of the OGR's offer cane hardiness, and this is a real plus for those of us who garden in colder regions. I have planted a few of these reliable old roses in a section of the patio garden we've been developing in the spring/summer of 2000.
Mme. Legras de St. Germain, Maiden's Blush, Jacques Cartier (syn. Marchesa Bochella), and Chloris will be enjoyed from a park bench we've placed nearby.
      For the past three years I have experimented with propagation by the method of taking softwood cuttings from mature roses during the summer, rooting them in a humidity chamber on a shaded porch or in clear plastic bags under fluorescent lights, and then planting them out in the garden. Any nonpatented rose can be multiplied in this way. For more information about rose cuttings see Cheryl Netter's excellent article on cuttings .
      Within this site you will find an index of roses, information about winter prep,
tips on gardening in sandy soil, and lots of beautiful photos to tempt you to make yet another trip to your local nursery. Enjoy your visit!

This is a non-commercial site created to promote the enjoyment and appreciation of roses. Any links to or comments about companies who offer roses for sale reflect my personal preference only, and are not promotions for their company. Special thanks to all those who have provided links, graphics, and photos.

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