Why Yes, I Am Dorkishly Excited!

I've wanted to hybridize my own roses for a while now, and last spring I finally took that first step.  I attempted three crosses (which I'll keep to myself for now) and, in the fall, was rewarded with a harvest of rose hips.

Once I had these, I cut open the hips and harvested the seeds inside.  I wrapped those up in slightly damp paper towels, labeled them carefully, and put them in small plastic bags.  Those I stored in my fridge to stratify them - tricking them into thinking they'd gone through a winter.

Now that it's about time to plant, I opened up those packets today.  Lo and behold!  I have sprouts!  Well, a few.  The rest I have hopes for.

I planted the seeds in seed trays, and I'm hoping for the best.

Look at that little guy!

Now to try to grow some plants.  In a few months, I'll transplant the strongest seedlings into larger pots and harden them off.  With any luck, a few of these will grow up and bloom!  If I've managed to create something no one has already made, and it goes through the rose trials with success, I'll get to name the new rose.  How cool is that?

MOAR planting!

I may be addicted to gardening.

My husband said to me today, "It's okay.  I'd rather be married to the crazy flower lady than the crazy cat lady."

It might be because I've come home with new plants on five of the last 8 days.  Or maybe because I keep saying, "That's it, I'm done!". . .until I get a new idea twenty minutes later.  Maybe it's because I now have 25 roses and 7 varieties of calibrochoa and I really want more.

The thing is, my kids are growing up and don't need the constant attention that younger kids needed.  I can't have a pet, because my husband is allergic to just about everything.  In a way, the garden has become my pet; I feed it, I water it, I talk to it.  So far I haven't had much luck with playing fetch, but you never know.

Every year in the garden is a learning year.  I'm learning more and more about what comes back and what struggles, what I love best and what I wish I hadn't bothered with.

Many of the roses that I had over the winter are struggling to make a comeback.  I'm seeing improvement on my Burgundy Ice, my Scentimental, my Sedona, and my Wonderstripe.  Sterling Silver, Hypnotized!, Gingersnap, Anna's Promise and Dark Knight are not looking too good.  I'm worried.

The champs that came through just fine are Belle Doria, Oranges & Lemons, George Burns, Julio Inglesias, Cinco De Mayo, Candyland, and of course the Pink Knockout.

Purple Tiger didn't make it, which is fine, since I ended up with two new ones this year rather by accident.  Much to my surprise, the JFK, which I pronounced dead last summer, has made a comeback.  I guess you never know!  Here's hoping it takes and I get some of those big beautiful white blooms.  I have my fingers crossed!

I found a Strike It Rich in a bodybag at Home Depot and brought it home.  She's taken to the planter like a champ, and I'm anticipating great things.  Everything I ordered from Heirloom Roses arrived huge and gorgeous, and continue to grow happily.  I can't wait to see how they bloom!  I even sent a thank-you email to the nice folks at Heirloom.

2016, here we come!

Last year was amazing!

I finally got into rose shows and competing.  I loved it!  The first show, at Moorestown Mall, was a little nerve-wracking - new people, new procedures - but everyone at the shows was amazingly friendly.  I was hugged as soon as I introduced myself!

Not knowing what to expect, I fumbled around a bit to begin with, but was soon grooming my blooms and getting the hang of things.  I did take home two ribbons, which surprised me, especially when I saw the quality of the blooms other competitors had brought along!

I also volunteered to clerk (basically following the judges around and helping with things like tying on ribbons and delivering score sheets).  Clerking really gives you the chance to see what the judges are looking for when they render their scores.

By my second show at Deep Cut Gardens, I actually knew a little more about what I was doing.  I was thrilled when I made the head table with my large Rose in a Bowl entry!  I was surprised and delighted.  Once again, I had a wonderful time with the friendly people, and I've made a few Facebook friends that I hope I'll see more and more.

This Neil Diamond rose was my big winner!

With any luck, and some cooperative weather, I'm hoping to do four rose shows this year.  I have 7 new roses coming for 2016 (so far!), so if all my plants survive the winter, I'll be getting close to 40 varietals.  I'm not sure where I'll put them all, but I am thinking my other perennials might be in trouble.  Since I can't move outward easily, I'm looking into building upward, by relocating bulbs and non-rose perennials into pots on shepherd's hooks.  That cute little ladder didn't last the whole season, so I'll need to find other ways to make it work.