Amsterdam is a city of canals, wooden shoes and liberal thinking. But even the red light district doesn't shine as bright as this floribunda rose!The Verschuren name has been associated with roses since 1875 and they are the breeders of 'Amsterdam'. This colorful floribunda produces huge clusters of vivid deep orange-red blossoms and won the Gold Medal of The Hague when it was introduced in 1972.   Read More

A winner of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.and among the highest rated roses by the American Rose Society, Rosa rugosa 'Alba' may be regarded as one of the world's most perfect roses! This ancient shrub has been grown for centuries in Korea, China, Japan, and in Europe where records go back as far as 1870. Like all rugosa roses, it is extremely cold-hardy, having a natural range in Asia as far north as eastern Siberia.  Read More

Like shining candles floating on the water, this rose from the late J. Benjamin "Ben" Williams rests brilliantly atop healthy compact bushes. 'Floating Candle' is a beautiful hybrid tea rose with dark orange blooms that show peach and golden undertones at the base of the petals." Its exhibition-type form makes it a perfect choice for rose shows or as a cut flower for indoor vases. Read More

Like shining candles floating on the water, this rose from the late J. Benjamin "Ben" Williams rests brilliantly atop healthy compact bushes. 'Floating Candle' is a beautiful hybrid tea rose with dark orange blooms that show peach and golden undertones at the base of the petals." Its exhibition-type form makes it a perfect choice for rose shows or as a cut flower for indoor vases. Read More

The Charlatan was painted by the Venetian artist, Pietro Longhi, in 1757. The suspicious tones of the painting call forth the image of an old-time medicine show purveyor who has long since left town by the time the people who bought his "snake oil” realize that it does not perform as advertised. Read More

Ludovic Van Winkel (1893-1954) served during the First World War as a stretcher-bearer and was ordained a priest in 1921 and became Europe’s famous scouts' chaplain. The name Lavki is a Russianized version of his birth name. In 1923, one of his scouts convinced him to write down one of the stories that Lavki had told them. Read More

Sam McGredy IV from New Zealand has produced some of the world’s most beautiful roses and there is something special about each one. This particular rose of his is literally ‘Something Special’ and it’s the perfect name for an exquisite rose. Read More

If your thoughts wax poetic on a burnished autumn day, you are not alone. Many poets have taken pen to paper in an attempt to capture the glowing beauty of the season including John Keats. One of his most famous and enduring poems is “Ode to Autumn,” first published in 1820. Read More

The Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST), is a registered charity that owns and operates Lord Nelson and Tenacious, the only two tall ships in the world designed and built to enable people of all physical abilities to sail side-by-side as equals. The ships have been specially designed and built to achieve this goal. Read More

Mr. Suzuki hybridized 160 new rose varieties, 30 of them were awarded the ARRS and other global competition prizes. In addition he collected approximately 2,000 species and old garden roses as the basis for his breeding programs at his research institute, the Keisei Rose Nursery. Even legendary rosarian Peter Harkness was so impressed by Suzuki’s nursery “For quality of growth and richness of variety I have never seen its like. I could have stayed for days.” Read More

2010 Bayer Advanced Launches Natria Products

A Truly "Green" Greenhouse

Aphids, Mealybugs and Scale, Oh My!

 

A Modern-Day Dinosaur

The Wollemi pine tree grows a towering 130 feet and was not discovered until 1994. It existed during the days of the dinosaurs and is considered one of the oldest and rarest plants on earth. There are only about 100 of these ancient wonders surviving in the wild. Fortunately the Wollemi has been successfully propagated and is relatively easy to grow and to maintain because it adapts to full sun or semi-shade conditions as well as temperature ranges from 10 degrees F. to 113 degrees F. (USDA Zones 7-11). Because of its flexible stems, branches and leaves, it withstands high winds. The textured bark resembles dark, bubbling chocolate and the pendulous foliage has fresh apple-green young tips in spring and early summer that contrast with the older, deep-green foliage. Use as a garden or landscape tree or as an indoor/outdoor container plant. When grown as an indoor plant, recent research indicates that the Wollemi is one of the most effective air pollution cleaners. Ensure the survival of this ancient treasure by planting one for the garden or home. GardenLife members can go to www.ancientpine.com and enter the code 09 for a 10% discount.

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Save Water: Call the Swat Team

The American Waterworks Association conducted a study that found 58% of residential water is used for landscapes and that lawns are the nation's most irrigated crop. Smart controllers linked to weather stations via radio waves automatically adjust watering schedules contingent upon the most current weather conditions, effectively reducing water usage and runoff. Also a consortium of water agencies and the Irrigation Association developed a smart controller performance protocol known as SWAT (Smart Water Application Technology) to ensure the quality of these controllers. Check www.irrigation.org before purchasing a smart controller. The average retail price for a 12-station "smart controller" is approximately $500 or more plus $48 per year to link up to a weather station. Also contact your local water district for any available rebate or voucher programs to install smart irrigation controllers

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Pheremone Lure

To control those pesty flower and pantry moths that have hitchiked their way into baking and cereal products stored in the pantry, use a pheremone lure that attracts the fluttering pests and traps them safely. Go to www.springstar.net for more details and purchasing information.

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Hard-Pan Soil Fix-It

John & Bob's Permeate Liquid Biotiller adds beneficial microrganisms to loosen and aerate compacted soil and promotes the generation of nutrients for plant use. Mix with water and use a backpack or hose-end sprayer to apply. Just 8 ounces mixed with one gallon of water treats 1,000 square feet and 32 ounces treats 4,000 square feet. For more information and the nearest retailer, visit www.johnandbobs.com.

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