Someone wrote to me in HMF about wishing that member garden list the type of soil (sandy, loamy, or clay), and pH (alkaline, neutral, or acidic), plus annual rainfall .... that way she knows which rose is appropriate for her region. I also wish the same.

Just FYI, I have alkaline sandy clay soil, a Mediterranean climate with 15 inches of rain a year (ranging 7"-22"), and only light occasional frost.

Rosefolly

Roses with multiflora parentage do better in neutral to acidic soil, but turns yellowish (chlorotic) in alkaline soil. As to rootstocks, Dr. Huey is better for alkaline clay soil, Multiflora is better for acidic soil, and own-root do best in loamy soil (fluffy and moist). I have heavy clay, so I pot up all the bands & gallons bought in pots to let their rootball grow big, before I can put them in my alkaline clay.

It help a lot if HMF members can list the type of soil (sandy, loamy, or clay), and alkalinity (acidic, neutral, alkaline), plus average rainfall or snow. Dave and Deb Garden in Montana set a good example of listing the type of rootstock (Dr. Huey), and how they take care of their roses.

Ya'll don't forget to subscribe as a paying member too. If we rose addicts don't support it I don't know who else will.

Hi Susan: I uploaded some pics of my garden with companion plants. Below is the link to my garden:

I enjoyed looking at everyones gardens this morning. Ours is a work in progress, most has been documented by a blog, one I did not update for a year...lol I usually just upload a cell shot to facebook as I work on things there, guess I need to sort through those.

What is your name on it and I can search instead.

Over the years, the trolls have tried to take down many rose sites. I often wonder why because we don't share sensitive information and have nothing to hide.

HMF is targeted daily. The site has almost become a challenge to the dang hackers.

Thank God, the Admin team is able to create a very secure site. Yes, it will cause some inconveniences for the rest of us, but even the most sophisticated hacker has not been able to breach the security on the site and the less sophisticated usually find they cannot achieve their goals of stealing content or posting inappropriate material.

So.... sorry for the inconveniences you may experience, but I'd rather deal with those than the trolls.

Smiles,
Lyn

Susan, your roses have great colors ... I wonder what potting soil do you use? Thanks.

Unfortunately my soil pH is 7.7, too high for bonemeal. University of Colorado Extension stated that bonemeal can't be used at pH above 7 ... best for slightly acidic potting soil like Miracle Grow Moisture Control... which I'll use next year for my incoming 10+ bands.

There are a few Australian agriculture papers on increasing wheat yield via liquid, or soluble phosphorus. I'll try that next year on my pink daffodils - it's NOT pink here, it's blah beige in my alkaline soil. I saw them vivid and brilliant pink in my last house, with acidic soil.

Susan, I hope you'll post your pics. in HMF. One doesn't need to be a member to post pics. I no longer use Photobucket since it's a pain to load pics in there. Loading pics in HMF is super easy, plus one can put comments next to the pictures.

Roseseek (Kim Rupert) kept telling me to list the roses grown in my garden in HMF. I postponed, until now, it took exactly 10 minutes to click on the names of roses grown ... I have less than 50 roses.

One doesn't have to be a paying-member to post pics, or to show-case one's garden. The comments that Seil put in next to each picture she posted in HMF helped me tremendously ... as to which rose would be hardy, or which one is stingy-bloomer on own-root.

I have hundreds of daffodils that I collected over the past 2 decades with many colors: inner red, inner orange, pink in many shapes ... plus the various yellow daffodils.

A friend wrote to me that she gave her hydrangea acid but it didn't turn blue. Phosphorus is needed to turn flowers pink shade, and aluminum sulphate is needed for blue shade, regardless of soil pH. I posted the info. on changing flowers' colors in Ingrid's thread "A rant on the Dark Lady."