I just thought I would share with you the TWO whole things I grew this year! .... aside from weeds. Wait... I actually had some hanging annual baskets too. Anyways....
For Mother's Day Dan bought me some rose bushes. When we put them in the ground they each had a few blooms on them, and a handful of buds. Then over the next 3 weeks the buds bloomed... and it was very pretty! After that, I was sure they were done for the season and that was the end of my roses for 2008. (Please note that I know NOTHING about roses - except that aphids like them ) I thought... well, that's over, but it was pretty while it lasted. Then we noticed some new growth showing up on them... the new growth was a different color than the old and it looked.... FUZZY. We looked closer and realized that they looked fuzzy because they were COVERED and I mean covered with fuzzy bugs. I hurried in the house to ask google what I should do!
I found out that the fuzzy brown bugs were aphids and that the immediate answer was to "hose" them off. I read that they like to eat the new growth. I ran back outside and put the nozzle on "jet" and sent those buggers flying. Two days later, they were back... but only about 25% of what they were before. I continued to hose them off of my new growth for a couple weeks and the new growth took off. Then I had a baby.... and it's the boy's jobs to water and I wasn't paying attention to the roses.
All of a sudden I realize that they are blooming again and there are blooms all over! And more coming! WOW. Who knew these things could make so many flowers! I have rose petals all over the place from the older flowers dropping them. SO... I still don't know how to REALLY get the aphids to find their sustenance elsewhere... but at least the hosing worked for now.
Tomatoes.... my husbands woe. LOL Just kidding. A few years ago I bought some cherry tomato plants and they did awesome, produced a ton of tomatoes. I gave them away to many. Next year I didn't buy any plants... but my cherry tomaotes had re-seeded themselves and there were plants everywhere!! Dan wanted to pluck them all up because they weren't growing in their designated area. NO WAY! Pleeeeeeaase let me keep them , it's free tomatoes!! Okay, he does. Then this year... yet again they are back. They were late this year, because of the weather... but here nonetheless. Tons of them. I bought ONE tomato plant this year, a large fruit variety and it is doing well... but it is surrounded by my "free" cherry tomato plants...still in all the wrong places, practically choking out the roses.... and my sweet, sweet husband still hates them but allows me to have them. So, we have plenty of tomatoes if anyone wants any! I LOVE them.. they are so much better than the store's! So... that's what I grew this year. :)
Oh... and here's a little before and after photoshop for ya, since it's been awhile.
3 comments:
Your roses are very pretty and how fun that you got to obliterate the enemy aphids! When I get aphids on mine I spray them with a solution of 1 tsp. dish detergent to 2 cups tap water and that always does the trick. I also spray the dirt around too and it seems to keep other critters away too.
I'm glad to see that someone has nice tomatoes! I think I got 3 tomatoes off of my plant this year! What a blessing to get free tomatoes! Especially yummy homegrown ones!
Gorgeous roses!! I love them! I do miss all the beautiful foliage I had at our last house. It is so awesome to be able to grow your own food, and you are so right, it is so much better than store bought! Great job!
Those are beautiful roses and tomatoes! I'm hoping to plant some tomatoes next year. They are so much better than store-bought tomatoes!
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