A Little Longer

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We have just finished an entire week of beneficial rain. The other morning, at 4:00, I woke to the sound of rain on the roof. The window was cracked just a tad to let in some fresh air. The downpour outside sounded like a blessing from Heaven after our several years of drought. The April showers this week have washed away the rest of the snow piles in my neighborhood and the process of greening has begun. The buds on the Weeping Cherry tree are swelling as are the lilacs and the rest of the spring-blooming shrubs.

Crocus and daffodils are smiling at anyone who chooses to peek at them and I saw our woodchuck a little while ago. She is always so tiny early in the spring! Woodchuck pups arrive during the winter and it takes a lot of her energy to feed them…she must be ravenous! Last year, she introduced five babies to the meadow out back, and I’m wondering if it will be the same story this year. Time will tell.

Rose Canes

My rose canes are greening up, and I can’t wait to get started pruning. There is always a lot to do in the spring, cleaning up the garden. With roses, a clean garden helps to keep clean roses. If there was any black spot in the garden last Fall, it is important to get all those spotty leaves out of the garden before the new leaves start to appear. If it should rain on those old rose leaves, chances are that the water will splash up on the undersides of the new foliage and carry black spot spores with it. That is how Spring black spot infections begin, so that is why I prune and rake out my gardens methodically, one at a time. Pruning stimulates new growth, along with longer days and warmth. I’m planning on starting Monday morning, and I’ll keep you posted on how things are looking.

This Winter has flown by, with so many Connecticut Rose Society activities! We just finished up by hosting the American Rose Society Yankee District Convention last weekend. It was a wonderful time to visit with ‘rose family’ just before our season begins. It is so energizing to spend a couple of days with like-minded folks! If you haven’t joined your local rose society, maybe this will be the Spring for you to become a member. We love sharing our rose growing methods, and we love new members in our organization.

If you head out to the garden in the next few days, do some stretching exercises to prepare. Stretch your legs, arms, and back several times a day. When you hit the yard with your pruners, gloves, and knee pads you probably will not feel so stiff in the days and weeks to come. Don’t forget the sunscreen and wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

I have probably bought my last bunch of roses from my friend, Sue, at the Bloomfield Stop and Shop Florist Shop. Sue keeps me smiling all winter and lets me rummage through all her blooms regularly. The rose pictured above is called ‘Orange Crush’ and I just love it! I have rooted a cutting and I am going to try it in my garden this summer. I’m crazy for the color and the form of the blossom. We’ll see how she does!

The forecast for Monday is 75 degrees and sunny! I’m expecting the flowering shrubs and trees to pop quickly, and the long-range forecast has no freezing temperatures in it. Watch for the forsythia to make a yellow explosion in your neighborhood, sharpen up your pruners, and I’ll meet you in the garden in spirit!

Meet Marci Martin

Marci Martin has loved roses for as long as she can remember. From the time she was a little girl, she was fascinated with how…

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