June 2024
“My liking for gardens to be lavish is an inherent part of my garden philosophy. I like generosity wherever I find it, whether in gardens or elsewhere. I hate to see things scrimp and scrubby.” ~Vita Sackville-West
As May blooms into June, I find the garden roses really hitting their stride. My favorite May is when Lilacs meet Bearded Iris, are joined by Peonies and collide with Garden Roses. Such a beautiful time in the Garden as we head into June.
Hello! If you are new(ish) here, welcome! I hope you find our complimentary newsletter a source of knowledge, education, and inspiration, as we all grow together as gardeners, and spread the flower and foliage love. My goal is to provide content that empowers you as gardeners to try new things, and be courageous in your Gardening journey.
In the PNW, it is not uncommon to have die-back winters: those that are cold enough to cause pretty severe winter damage to canes and plants. It certainly doesn’t happen every year, but is something the rose grower can be prepared for, and there are a few things one can do to help.
The first is to source roses that are own-root. Own root roses are important in that they are grown from cuttings, thus asexual propagation, and a carbon copy clone of the plant they were cut from. This is in contrast to grafted rose stock. Own root roses that withstand tough winters will regenerate from the root system. So as long as the root stock remains healthy and survives, your rose will continue to grow true to type.
Grafted roses, however, in a severe die-back situation, will grow back according to what the root stock is, which almost always is not true-to-type of the original rose you purchased. This can be heart-breaking, but is easily avoided by sourcing roses from growers that offer own-root stock.
Here are a few we order our Garden Roses from, that are reliable suppliers, and offer a wide range of varieties.
David Austin Roses
https://www.davidaustinroses.com/
Heirloom Roses
If you are purchasing from a grower, such as Weeks Roses, ask your nursery supplier if they are grafted or own root, they should be able to tell you.
There are 3 different categories of roses, and it is beneficial to know which category your rose lands in, then the type, for care, pruning, and training. The 3 main types are Old Garden Roses, which are often referred to as “antique” or “historic”, and only bloom once per season. Cecile Brunner, pictured in our heading photo is an example of an Old Garden Rose. Wild Roses are considered the wildflower of the roses, or the “species rose” and do not have the history of cross-breeding and hybridization. Wild roses are almost always pink, seldom red or white and super rare yellow. They are a single bloom with a five-petal flower, the standard for the flower structure in this family. Damask roses are an example of a wild rose. Modern roses are the final category, and all bred after 1867, which took the place of Old Garden Roses. Modern roses will offer both continuous blooms, along with larger blooms.
Creating further distinction, along with a countless variety of roses, are these specific types.
🌹Climbing
🌹Hybrid Tea
🌹Grandiflora
🌹Floribunda
🌹Polyantha
🌹Miniature
🌹Shrub
Preparing for a Season of Bounty
It’s a bit challenging to encapsulate all the things required for a full year, or even a full season of care for any given plant. The culture is dependent on a number of factors, and varies based on the type of rose grown, as well as your individual microclimate within your garden. There are a few great resources when looking for specific information and guidance.
American Rose Society
Seattle Rose Society
https://www.seattlerosesociety.com/
Heritage Rose Foundation
https://www.heritagerosefoundation.org/
The Royal Horticulture Society
David Austin
https://www.davidaustinroses.com/pages/advice-and-inspiration
There are some great pruning videos on YouTube that offer visual cues while talking you through the process. I think the Heirloom Roses videos are well done, as a great starting point.
A Floral Experience by Teressa Johnson
Date: Saturday, July 20, 2024
Our first floral club is meeting Saturday, June 8th, in the updated Potting Shed, connected to The Garden Shop. Attendees will learn some simple design techniques, participate in a short garden tutorial, and make their own bouquet to take home from our 100% grown on site botanicals. Both sessions are sold out for 2024.
Class Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024
Class Time: 10:00am & 2:00pm
We will host a workshop detailing all you need to know to add, or be successful with Bearded Iris in your gardens. Late July to August is the ideal time to dig, divide, and move Iris in your gardens. Workshop will be Saturday, July 27th with more details to come.
We are planning to host an event with Lucy Hunter, The Flower Hunter, in our gardens, on Saturday, August 17, 2024. Details to come.
Let’s learn how to preserve your home-grown tomatoes together! We are simply crazy about tomatoes, and have several methods for carrying their delicious flavor through the winter months until we have fresh tomatoes again. If you purchased 3 or more tomato plants from us, this class is complimentary. An email will be sent to all eligible customers.
You are all welcome to attend, and learn with us, no matter where you got your plants from, and we will share enrollment details in the July newsletter, along with a link to get your tickets.
This class is a demonstration only as food handling laws prevent us from sharing prepared foods with guests at this time. We will provide a handful of recipes for you to take home, and give you the opportunity to ask all the questions.
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2024
Time: 10:00am
Please kindly remember that when our Garden Shop is open, a ticket is always required to enter our Gardens. Our gardens are currently closed for renovations, and we thank each visitor kindly for respecting our spaces by keeping to open areas exclusively.
Upcoming Garden Shop Dates/Hours
Saturday, June 8 10-4
Sunday, June 9 10-3
*We do have our Peony Stroll on both June dates, and tickets are available in The Garden Shop, but we are encouraging folks to get their tickets online in advance through our ticketing site:
- Make sure you order your Bearded Iris!
- Feed and Dead Head Roses - cuttings are great for your dinner table, night stand, or bathroom counter.
- Watch watering, install or manage your drip irrigation systems to ensure plants are getting adequate water as we head into the dry and hot season.
- Remove suckers from tomato plants
- Be on high alert for insect pests
- Pay attention to any dead, diseased, or dying parts on trees and shrubs, and prune them out.
- Remove suckers from grafted trees, including fruit trees.
- Last chance to prune early-flowering shrubs, such as Lilac.
- Clean up Azaleas, Rhododendrons.
- Mulch areas that have bare soil.
- Thin any seedlings that were direct sown, such as carrots, beets, lettuce, etc.
- Stake any plants that require support.
- Keep Weeding!
- Any flowering plants you want to prevent seed spread, cut out spent blooms or seed pods before seed set occurs.
- Past Newsletter Access Here: https://laughinggoatfarm.com/blog/
- Sign up for Laughing Goat classes!