Rose Cottage Ltd

One of my grandfathers used to use the phrase, “Now if that isn’t the damnedest thing!” For which my grandmother would give him a little slap on the arm – for “cussing” in front of the children!! I think that might have been his response to the info below…

“Tree of 40 Fruit”

“Aken’s Tree of 40 Fruit looks like a normal tree for most of the year, but in spring it reveals a stunning patchwork of pink, white, red and purple blossoms, which turn into an array of plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries and almonds during the summer months, all of which are rare and unique varieties.

Not only is it a beautiful specimen, but it’s also helping to preserve the diversity of the world’s stone fruit. Stone fruits are selected for commercial growing based first and foremost on how long they keep, then how large they grow, then how they look, and lastly how they taste. This means that there are thousands of stone fruit varieties in the world, but only a very select few are considered commercially viable, even if they aren’t the best tasting, or most nutritious ones.

Van Aken has grown 16 Trees of 40 Fruit so far, and they’ve been planted in museums, community centres, and private art collections around the US. He now plans to grow a small orchard of these trees in a city setting.”

Read more about it here. I’d have several of these on my property for the looks alone! Beautiful!

Patience pays off and since I’ve never had any patience anyway, I’m glad this little Gardenia is doing so well and blooming so profusely! I babied it all winter – making sure it got as much available sun as possible and now payback time is here! I wish I could make this a “scratch and sniff” image for those who are not familiar with the Gardenia scent. Very sweet – and what falls into my category of “old fashioned” flowers.

The Azaleas have already bloomed outside and most of them even seemed to make it through the recent rain.

Inside, my Gardenia is FULL of potential with about 30 buds that will soon add a really nice fragrance to my dining area.

The good news is that the pollen seems to be through the worst of its “season.” The not-so-good news is that with the warmer temperatures and enough rain, I swear I can HEAR the grass growing. Lawnmowers can be heard on almost a daily basis around town this time of year. But, lawns look fantastic and the heat and humidity has still not arrived. You don’t have to ask me twice to do almost anything outside this time of year!

Every once and awhile you buy a plant that is supposed to bloom more than one season – and it actually does!

Such is the case with this Hibiscus I bought at the Lowes garden center July 2012:

This was the first of potentially many blooms to come on this showy little plant. If you’re looking for something that is low maintenance, grab one of these and just ignore it over winter. A little sun, water, and a top-off of some good potting soil in the spring will all but guarantee results like these.

It does seem a bit prone to white fly so a sprinkle of Sevin dust is also a good idea.

Dreary day in North Carolina but we can always use the rain and all my yard work was completed yesterday so let it pour!

Nice color around the yard this time of year though. Here’s a shot of the Clematis providing its show a bit later than last year:

Congratulations to Oxbow – who won the Preakness Stakes yesterday. I actually picked the winner this year – who won against 15-1 odds – but I had no money in the deal so just enjoyed the victory!

Happy Sunday…

Words seem unnecessary…

If you want to get a quick fix on the personality of any garden, or on any gardener for that matter, have a look at their selection of garden planters.

Other than some desert-type gardens where you can almost plant and walk away, it takes work and consistency to keep a garden alive. I always feel bad when I see small plants sitting in someone’s yard, still in the small plastic containers they were sold in – usually with the plants showing great signs of distress. So for those who take an active role in their garden, planters – which can be moved to adapt to weather and sun requirements – are a good half-way measure between backhoe-level landscaping and those little plastic pots.

Here are a few I really like for 2012…

This Weathered Rust Brunello 26-inch Planter is a lightweight planter hand crafted through an exclusive eight-step process. Using only the highest-grade resin and innovative technology makes these planters lightweight and incredibly durable.

The exclusive anti-shock manufacturing process provides years of enjoyment. Weatherproof & UV-Protected deep inner lip enhances durability.

Lightweight and incredibly durable with a 10 Year Warranty to never Fade, Crack, or Chip.

The Victorian Parasol Hanging 20-inch Bronze Planter is sure to be a point-of-interest wherever it hangs with its elegant design that will bring a touch of sophistication to your patio or deck area.

For a unique accent piece, this planter will accommodate a variety of flowers in its 14 or 20″ inch pot. The design of this planter has a basket, surrounded by curved metal finished with an upside-down parasol base.

This Victorian Parasol Planter can be hung from the three attached chains.

This Aged Moss Arbor Bowl Planter would fit in well on my rather rustic country property.

The Wildwood Collection features large and free tree leaves that wrap around the pedestal and bowl, mirroring the environment that surrounds us. The relief is touched with a mossy green compelling your eye to blend the sculpture in the foreground with the leafy growth in the background.

The expert finish given the Arbor Planter Bowl and Pedestal allow it to blend naturally with its surroundings.

Handcrafted and made in America from high-fired Terra Cotta. Outdoor use – but bring inside before freezing temps hit.

The Thames Bowl Planter was originally created as a special commission for London’s County Hall.

For more than twenty years, skilled designers, craftsmen and engineers have been producing decorative plant containers and architectural features for homes, gardens, hotels and public buildings around the world.

High Quality Fiberglass planter – 40″ in diameter; 20 inches high.

Maintenance Free Material: Fiberglass Frost proof, but not “freeze-proof.”

Over a 1,000 possible choices from large square planters to amphora planters….wine not included…

I wrote a post about the benefits of mulch early last year.

Here’s a not-great image of the mulch I used in 2010. It did an excellent job of laying a good base and in discouraging annoying and stubborn weeds. But I needed something more to tackle these areas near and around the house itself.

This year, I’m using a slightly different mulch and going back after those “tameable” areas of my 7 acres and I will be providing some better “before” and “after” photos.

I think you might be surprised at the improvement.

Today, the 12 yards of Pine Mini Nuggets mulch was delivered and placed exactly where I plan my base of operations! To get some idea of the actual size of this pile – my Mini Cooper is parked right behind it!

The mulch I chose this year was less fine than what I used prior. In fact, some of that mulch is still where I’m headed again this year. But the nugget mulch will have a better chance of staying where I put it – even in areas that tend to runoff towards the lake.

Here’s an up-close picture of the new mulch.

I am very lucky to have a company nearby that has mulch I can visit before I buy. Quite often this is the best thing to do before deciding what type of mulch is best for your landscaping efforts.

As I also mentioned in the prior post, having a large quantity of mulch delivered is the only practical and affordable way for me to plan and complete my landscaping project. I can’t carry more than a few bags of mulch from Lowe’s in a Mini Cooper and by the time I’ve loaded and unloaded them just to and from the car – I’m exhausted.

Tomorrow I will just head out and be able to start working.

From a cost standpoint, I estimate I will be saving somewhere around $700 by purchasing this mulch in bulk. $700 savings means maybe I can afford to add a new fountain or birdbath to the equation. Or I can just leave it as “savings” – not a word you hear too often in the world of landscaping.

Happy Weekend!

Today I am surrounded by trees. In a few weeks I will be surrounded by the same trees, but all the green foliage will begin drying and dropping – everywhere!

For those contemplating a “leafy” yard in the coming weeks, here are a few items that will provide needed assistance…

Never Rake Leaves Again!

Finally, a sweeper that’s lightweight and easy to push! This 26-inch Push Lawn Sweeper makes quick work of just about any pickup task and do a thorough, efficient job the first time around. Poly construction is durable and lightweight.

Hopper Capacity: 6 cu ft
Sweeper clears a full 26″ swath
Hamper lifts out for fast dumping

Flowtron Leaf Shredder Plus Shreds As fast As You Can Load It!

Stop bagging and start recycling your waste. The Flowtron Leaf Shredder Plus keeps your curb free of the leaf mountains and eliminates laborious bagging. This unit and saves on disposal fees and trash bags while the unique hopper and funnel shape prevents material throwback.

For easier dumping, unit can be mounted on a standard garbage can, or a bag can be attached to the bottom with a bungee cord.

The Flowtron Leaf Mulcher Features: Lightweight and portable; weighs only 17 lbs 5.9 amp thermally protected universal motor with overload protection. Increases compost breakdown.

I bought two of these a couple years ago and at around $14 per – they are worth their weight in gold!

These Bosmere Cleanup sheets (84In X 84In) make clean up a snap!

Garden Collection Gather-up Sheet made of woven coated Polyethylene. It has four corner handles made out of Polypropylene webbing so that it can be easily gathered up when loaded.

~ Strong Handles Tough and Durable
~ Available in 2 Sizes
~ Ships Quickly!

The Leaf Collector Tripod Bag might prove more manageable for those working this job alone – which often seems to be the case!

I’ve seen these advertised and it might be time to “grab” a pair.

If I get them here before Halloween I can use them to terrorize some of the trick-or-treaters…just kidding…

These Hand Leaf Grabs (Pair) make leaf-pickup time go much faster.

Just slip hands into side handles making your hands much bigger for collection.

Made from strong plastic.

Order now for 10% and also get free shipping on ALL ORDERS over $99. No time to lose…Fall begins tomorrow!

Looking for the “Gutter Dogs?”

Official “Fall” is only 2 days away – time to think about planting bulbs now for spectacular garden color next year.

Nature Hills Nursery has thousands of selections – bulbs, plants, trees, and even Christmas trees and wreaths for advance holiday planning.