Awesome Blossom

No, this is not a post about Mayim Bialik. Although I have total respect for her and think she is super smart.

This is blossom in the literal sense, as in a flower in blossom…..

Spring is one of my favorite times of year, along with summer, fall, and winter (in that order). Now if I still lived in Seattle, that order would change a bit. But here in sunny SoCal, I love it when my roses bloom in the spring. It means the fungus hasn’t hit yet, no organic fertilizer is needed… they just blossom. Some may ask, how on earth are you getting blossoming roses like that when you live on a sand bed?

I have a special process for planting my roses- although, it may not really be all that special, some of you may not know and want a few of these beauties greeting you on a pleasant spring morning!

1. First, buy from a high quality nursery. I bought this climbing rose and my hybrid tea roses from Marina del Rey Garden Center. It can be a bit pricier, but worth it. My roses are going on four years old.

2. Dig a large enough hole in your sand pit so that the base of soil ball is about 3 in below the surface, and about 3-4 in all around. Make sure this hole is in a sunny place!! Roses, like me, tend to grow and thrive in a nice, sunny spot.

3. Fill in about 2.5 in of high-quality organic soil. Sand is actually fantastic for drainage, not so great on nutrients, so you want some soil in there.

4. Spread 1-2 scoops of Scott’s Osmocote into the hole, depending on the size of the plant. I wouldn’t normally suggest using a product like this, but it works wonders for a first-time planting.

5. Place the plant into the sand hole (on top of the Osmocote and soil), then begin to fill the hole with soil so that the entire plant ball is covered in soil. The top of the plant should rest just near or at the surface with a light coating of soil.

6. Drench the thing.

For maintenance, be sure to water weekly; daily in the summers. Also in about January/February, prune into a ‘crown’ so that you have just a base left with some stems, like this. This will ensure these kinds of blooms next spring!

I know it seems like a lot of work, but these gorgeous plants are pretty low maintenance (other than the watering and once-a-year pruning). Anyone can have pretty roses!! Pretty roses are proven to lower blood pressure. Ok, that’s a lie. But it is definitely nice coming home to these lovelies every spring day!