‘Celestial Night’ Rose, One of Felicia Alvarez’s Favorite in the Purple & Lavender Category

There is a new book out by Felicia Alvarez called Growing Wonder, A Flower Farmers Guide to Roses. Alvarez is a third generation flower farmer with an 80 acre mostly rose farm outside of Sacramento. In ‘your best friend warm and friendly voice’ she expertly guides you through how to grow roses, debunking the myth that roses are hard to grow. She even breaks out rose growing into three category types to help you further grow fabulous roses whether you are a “Weekend Warrior,” “Everyday Gardener,” or an "Aspiring Rosarian.”

Alvarez covers all the bases on roses in very readable chapters on rose selection, planting roses, rose care, harvesting and suggested resources. I have learned so much from her and her book. Here are just a few tips:

1) Whether you buy a bare root or potted rose, the most important thing is to get it into the ground.

2) Know your soil type, irrigation output, and soil moisture.

3) You can prune a rose year-round.

4) Roses can thrive in pots and containers.

4) Compost is different from mulch, and compost is key for your roses.

5) Feed your roses on a schedule of U.S. holidays beginning with Easter/Passover, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.

6) A healthy rose goes a long way in defending itself from pests. Observe your roses diligently, and act quickly when pests appear.

7) Harvest your roses early in the day, and when buds are a tight bud-to-marshmallow form.

8) Maintaining a cool temperature for your roses after harvest is key for a longer post harvest life.

9) Her time-tested favorite roses for growing and cutting, broken down into color schemes and types.

10) Design a simplistic floral bouquet with roses, and let your roses shine!

11) Avoid taking rose thorns off their stems for floral arrangements, unless it is for a bridal bouquet, etc. Removing rose thorns creates more wounds and places for bacteria to enter.

‘Distant Drums’ Rose, A Multi & Taupe Favorite of Felicia Alvarez and Erin Benzakein at Floret Farms

Besides actively managing her rose farm, selling her cut roses and writing, Alvarez created Menagerie Academy, which offers garden rose education with one-on-one assistance, workshops, and online courses. Visit her website Menagerie Flower for more rose information and rose care products. Alvarez lives on her farm with her husband and darling two young sons.

‘Sally Holmes’ Rose, One of Felicity Alvarez’s Favorite Climbers and Mine Too!

I highly recommend this book for all of you who love to grow roses. It is a wonderful reference to have at hand for rose information, inspiration, and to increase your garden rose expertise.

Alvarez says to grow the roses you love. I love the romantic climbing Eden rose, the landscape classic White Iceberg rose, the apricot hybrid tea rose Just Joey, and the stunning deep purple to lavender floribunda rose Intrigue, to name a few more that grow in my garden. Please share what garden roses you love to grow!

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Flower Power

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

The creative folks at Ethel Gloves approached me, and asked if I might want to review their gloves, and ultimately share my thoughts with you. Upon accepting their offer, I was sent a complimentary pair of Ethel Gloves. It is my intention to present a fair, unbiased, and informative review for you.

I had never heard of Ethel Gloves before, but in researching their website, they are widely distributed. I like their philosophy of gloves created for women gardeners, which focus on fashion, function, and protection. Their product packaging alone was enough to woo one over, clever and beautifully designed.

My initial reaction when I put my new Ethel Gloves on was similar to wearing my winter leather car-driving gloves...classy. Instantly I felt fashionable in my garden gloves, something I've never experienced before. I have a small hand, and received a size small, which fit my hand nicely. The gloves come in S, M, and L. The glove conforms to your hand easily and has reinforced finger tips and palm surface for protection. An elasticized cuff, keeps your gloves comfortably in place. So fashion was good, nice fit, and many styles to choose from.

Putting on my Ethel Gloves, I started my hands-on gardening practices. I was pleasantly surprised at the great hand dexterity in holding tools, clipping plants, and best of all, creating my vintage container designs. In my designs I'm working with chop sticks, tiny spaces, intricate placing of plants, and usually without the aid of my garden gloves, but Ethel Gloves are like a second comfortable skin and worked well throughout my designs. So function, was very good.

I consider myself a bit of a "guerrilla gardener". In one week I helped move a wood pile, trimmed and mulched over 30 rose bushes, and tended to my black berry bushes, wearing my new Ethel Gloves. For these heavy duty chores where thorns and splinters lurk, I could have used a little more protection from my Ethel Gloves. So protection was only fair. Please note, Ethel Gloves does have a specific "rose glove" available. However, we all have a wardrobe of clothes and shoes for specific activities and functions. If you are an avid gardener, why not have a wardrobe of garden gloves to choose from as well.

The Ethel Gloves shown above are the Gala model, priced at $20.00, black with contrasting grey fleur-de-lis pattern, and black palm. This glove is machine washable. For more information on Ethel Gloves, please go to Ethel Gloves.