Deck the Halls With a Few Handy Hints

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. Roy L. Smith.

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought I'd bring in a little holiday spirit with a few useful hints for your Christmas decor. I have been recently transfered to Ruthven Nursery and Garden Center for the winter season for their annual 'winter wonderland'. From Christmas trees, to garlands and wreaths, to the most gorgeous display of ornaments you can find from here to Stratford, it's amazing some of the helpful hints you can pick up!

Potted Christmas Trees

An interesting alternative to an artificial or cut Christmas tree, is a potted live evergreen. Having the option of planting the tree after the

holidays as opposed to having to pitch it in the garbage, not only helps to save the beautiful evergreens, but the money you spent on it too. At Ruthven nursery, or other Christmas tree suppliers, a variety of potted Christmas trees are available for purchase, usually including Frasier Firs, Douglas Firs, and Blue Colorado Spruces (to name a few). If this option interests you, there are a few things that you need to consider before purchasing one:

Be sure to dig your hole in November so that you can easily plant your Christmas tree when the ground is hard and frozen. See former blog "Preperations Before you Start Planting" in order to get a keen sense on preparing the soil for adequate root growth in the spring.

You must have an area within your home for your potted Christmas tree that provides cool temperatures, far away from any direct heat. This helps with any seasonal confusion the tree might have if kept in warm temperatures during a winter season.

Be sure to have a large drainage tray that the tree can sit in when you water it during this time. Remember to water it every day until planted.

Make sure that the indoor lights you use on a live plant produces little heat.

This is not a difficult thing to find, in fact, most indoor lights produce minimal heat.

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

Another interesting idea is trimming holly bushes during December. If you grow your own female and male holly bushes, do some quick trimming before the holiday season, and bring in some of the branches for a little home decor. To prolong the use of any fresh evergreens that you may bring inside your home, spray Wilt-Pruf before bringing indoors. This clear spray coats the evergreens and prolongs their life to get you through the holiday season.

Christmas Wreaths

It is believed, in Christmas traditions, that hanging Christmas wreaths on the door will keep all the evil things away. As with most Christmas decorations, the wreath symbolized Jesus' birth and God's grace. Evergreen wreaths are the most popular, providing a splash of colour among the (usually) white landscape. Pine boughs are the basis of many Christmas wreaths. You can pick up pine boughs at a local garden center, home center, etc. Combine it with dried grape vines, fake apples, and bay leaves (or magnolia leaves have been the new 'hit' this year), for a nature-inspired wreath. Include rosemary boughs for an effective and holiday fragrance. Or, as is popular with our frequent costumers, traditionally design your wreath, adding ribbon and ornaments for a classic and elegant look.

Of course, the holidays puts us in the mood to try out some new home decor ideas, placing us in a "too strapped for cash" position. Hopefully some of these natural and innovative ideas help make your home beautiful and classic for the Christmas holidays, and a little more "cost friendly" too. Happy decorating!

A Little Spring Before Winter

Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.- Lou Erickson

To get away from these chilly Novemeber nights, and to satisfy my gardening woes, I decided to post a little something to help drive us through these winter months and give us gardeners something to look forward to!

A Growing Guide for Roses

I have a few great tips that will make your roses prosper in the spring. First, it is essential to have the perfect location for your roses. Be sure to choose an area in full sunlight, a location with approximately 6-8 hours of sun per day, as well as one that is open and airy required for good air circulation. Plant your roses in well-drained soil, seeing as roses do not like "wet feet!" You must dig the soil to a depth of eighteen inches, and then cover the ground with approximately two inches of peat moss as well as a layer of composted manure. At the time of planting, be sure to add 100 grams of 12-4-8 Rose Food to one square meter. (rememeber: roses are heavy feeders of magnesium and iron, nutrients necessary for chlorophyll production and leaf development).

NOTE: Climbing roses should not be placed on a north-facing wall.

Planting of Rose Bushes:

Dig a hole of sufficient size to accommodate the root system of the container rose. Next, gently remove the rose from the container, being careful not to injure the root system. Be sure to set the plant deep enough so that after the soil is leveled, the graft union is one and a half centimeters below the soil level. Then you can back fill the soil firmly around the root system. After planting, water the plant well to set the soil firmly around the roots. You can add two inches of mulch on top of the soil, but be sure to shallowly cultivate the mulch between the plants to help retain soil moisture around the roots. Do not plant rose bushes any closer than eighteen inches apart.

Fertilizing Roses:

After the growth is well under way, feed roses with one or two feedings of Rose Food during the growing season. This should be evenly distributed over the soil surface and worked into the soil with a cultivator. The last feeding should be done no later than the end of July to reduce the chance of winter-kill. During the growing season, rose plants showing deficiencies in their leaves or generally lack vigor, can be fed with a fertilizer of 24-18-16 (Miracle Grow for Roses or Iron Plus) for immediate recovery.

Pruning Bush Roses:

Newly purchased roses usually do not require pruning at planting time. During the growing season, do not let the blooms go to seed. Faded flowers should be removed immediately. Early in the summer, cut the flowers with a long stem, leaving only two to three leaves close to the old wood. As the season advances, cut the flowers with a shorter stem. Each spring, after the roses are removed from their winter protection, the following pruning procedures should be carried out:

1. Remove all broken or injured branches back to solid healthy wood.

2. Cut off all weak growth, leaving only four or five of the healthiest, strongest branches.

3. Then cut back these branches to five to six inches long, leaving two to three buds on each branch. The cuts should be made clean and slanted one inch above the buds.

Remember: A strong pruning in the spring will result in bigger and more roses during the season. Roses which are not well pruned will produce masses of blooms in June, but very small and very few blooms later in the season.

Winter Protection

Of course, I must throw in a bit of winter talk in this post! However, it is important for your roses to have efficient protection during the winter months.

- for Hybrid Teas and Floribundas: When the weather turns very cold, before the heavy frost, the roses should be cut back to approximately two feet from the crown (knee height). All the leaves should be cleaned away and the soil should be built up against the crown of the plants. Rose collars are very handy for this purpose, as they will hold the soil around the crown.

- For Climing Roses: Climbing roses should be built up around the crown as well. In very cold locations, (unfortunately Canada), it is recommended that the branches be tied together and protected by covering with burlap or similar material. Do NOT use plastic.

- For Shrub Roses: Hardy shrub roses do not need the special pruning and winter protection as described for the other roses.

**If there is any other question about growing roses, feel free to post a question in the comments, and I'll be sure to answer you back. Hopefully, this guide will help keep you on the right track! --Good Luck Fellow Gardeners--

Keeping Your Trees Warm for the Winter

Bulb: potential flower buried in Autumn, never to be seen again.

To Wrap or Not

During the winter season, it is believed that in order for your evergreens to make it through the winter, they must be wrapped in layers of burlap. I'm here to tell you that this is only a myth, and instead, multiple layers of burlap can actually hurt your trees rather than help. However, as in all cases, there are just some exceptions where burlap, or other preventative measures, can help, and I'm here to guide you through the necessities of winter care.

Instances Where Burlap or Other Winter Care is Needed

1. Any newly planted evergreen is prone to "winter-burn" and should be covered in burlap for the winter.

2. If your trees or shrubs are planted close to the road or driveway where they may fall in close proximity to salt spray, they should be covered with at least two layers of burlap.

3. In some instances, such as protecting your mums for the winter, cover the root area of the plants with at least three inches of mulch.

4. Use plastic tree guards to protect the plant from any animal searching for bark to knaw on during the winter. Make sure that the tree guards go higher than the level of snow, seeing as this may pose the problem after a snowstorm.

5. A very popular product, called wilt-proof can be used on any broadleaf evergreen, such as azaleas and rhododendrons. This product ensures the saftey of your plant through the winter months by coating the leaves with a thin layer of wax coating.

Of course, these are just a few things that you may do when prepping your garden for the winter. However, do not stress out if your garden has been feeling a little neglected lately and you don't have time to get out there before the frost. Most of the time, us gardeners tend to let nature take its course. It helps build anticipation for the next season!