Throughout the past decade we have learned to know and love the Knockout Roses. The whole series has proved to be just what it promised, a quantum leap forward in easy care roses. But there has been a need for a Knockout rose of a more compact stature.
A New, More Compact Knockout Rose
The "Bloomingest" of all the Knockouts and the
most disease resistant
This low-maintenance, colorful, free-blooming rose
will add much delight and beauty to your garden - as a low hedge surrounding the
patio, under windows in the foundation planting or as a focal point in the
perennial bed - just about any place with well-drained soil and about a half a day
of good sun. Rainbow Knockout's compact size and winter hardiness make it ideal
for growing in a large container.
You receive one bareroot plant at the proper planting time for your area. $21.85 each less 20%. |
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Garden Club Questions and Answers
Question: I'm trying to get any questions out of the way before spring is here. It has been a "rule of thumb" to never fertilize a new transplant. Yet I have read Smoke Tree/Bush should be fertilized with Cotton Seed Meal and Kelp Meal as part of the initial planting. Would you give me your considered opinion on this? Answer: I suggest you refrain from fertilizing any new transplants with fast acting synthetic fertilizers. They have harsh water soluble ingredients that can burn tender new roots. Both Cotton Seed Meal and Kelp Meal are 100% natural organic fertilizers whose nutrients are not available immediately, but slowly, over time, by bacterial action. You can think of these products as "predigested" and therefore very gentle. I feel confident they can be used on all new plantings. Question: Would this new Hydrangea 'Ryan Gainey' be happy in a (large) pot? My garden shade is too dry to keep it happy, but my morning sun patio gets watered every day, as well as help from Soil Moist in the pot. I know that most hydrangeas' roots want more space than any pot can offer, but I wonder if this smaller plant would do better. Answer: Hydrangea 'Ryan Gainey' will do well in a large pot. However, I think, you should try one in the ground also. Although 'Ryan Gainey' prefers a moist spot, once it is established I believe this hydrangea will prove more dry-soil tolerant than most all other hydrangeas. What you may want to do is to grow your hydrangea in a pot until it gets pot-bound and then move the larger plant to the garden. Question: I fertilized my southern-exposed front yard last weekend before all of the snow. I realize that it might have been a tad early. Did I waste my fertilizer, or is the snow driving it deep into the soil? Answer: If you used either Turf Trust or Espoma 100% Organic Lawn Food you did just fine. If you used one of the fast release chemical fertilizers, much of it will be wasted because these fertilizers are water soluble and the grass won't be taking up their nutrients for weeks, until the soil warms up significantly. By then, a lot of the nutrients will have leached away. Question: I have quite a few large hanging baskets lining my porch. Two years ago I bought pre-formed coconut fiber liners. They were quite expensive. The liners need to be replaced again. Is there a less expensive alternative? Answer: Some nurseries sell coconut fiber from large rolls. You can buy as much as you need. Then you would have to cut it to fit the baskets; but by the foot, coconut fiber is less expensive than pre-formed liners. You can also use burlap - either two layers of regular jute burlap or one layer of artificial burlap made of plastic fibers. The latter does not decompose and should last for many years. The plastic burlap is a slightly lighter shade of brown than the regular jute burlap. I have also known people to use one layer of porous landscape fabric (the kind that is meant to inhibit weeds). This is a good, inexpensive, rot-resistant alternative if the black color is okay. Question: We have a really bad deer problem and they seem to eat almost anything that I plant. I have a very sunny area in front of a fence. It is about five feet wide and as long as I want it to be. I need plants that are about two to three feet tall. Can you recommend a pleasing combo of perennials that the deer will not destroy? Answer: I suggest that you consider Russian Sage (Perovskia), thread-leaved Coreopsis verticillata, fountain grass (Pennisetum), Siberian Iris, perennial Salvia and Daffodils. These plants all love the sun. They are very drought tolerant, very deer resistant and they combine beautifully together. They are about as low-maintenance perennials as you will find. All of them survive incredible neglect. Question: I have a large cactus that I want to repot. It is loaded with spines. Do you have any suggestions as to how to do this without getting a handful of prickles in the process? Answer: Obviously you are going to wear thick gloves. Beyond that I have two suggestions: First, if the cactus is not too large you can grab it with tongs - either the kind used on the Bar-B-Que or the kind used to grab formula bottles or corn on the cob out of hot water. Second, cut a strip (about 2 inches wide) of cloth or heavy paper. Wrap it around the cactus like a belt, leaving about 6 inches at each end. Grab the two ends of the belt together and you should be able to handle the cactus easily.
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