Dr. Abbey Cash is in her 20th year as a Master Gardener Volunteer and has a passion for growing Roses in Columbia County. Trained as an educator, having taught in elementary, and at the college level, Abbey is also an avid hand-fan collector as well as a grower of annuals, perennials and bulbs. She joins the podcast, Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, in a discussion about demystifying the challenges of growing roses in Zone 5 in New York State.

Understanding hardiness zones is key to the selection of a rose that will grow well in the Hudson Valley. Abbey takes us through the many things to look for when picking a good, healthy rose to purchase. There are many different types of roses to choose including hybrid teas, floribundas, climbing roses, miniature roses and tree roses. While not discussed in this episode, make sure to avoid the multiflora rose, an invasive species in our area (see more information in the resource section).

Once you bring a rosebush home, the fun is only beginning. There are many things to consider in selecting a site where the rose will thrive.6 hours of morning sun with one side protected is ideal. Creating a soil ‘formula’ (with cow manure, compost, peat and slightly acidic soil) is also a key to success. The planting process is also multi-faceted but will improve your odds have having a beautiful rose to grace your landscape for years to come.

Once the rose if planted, however, you are not ‘done’. Keeping your new roses healthy and free of insects and/or diseases may involve the use of fertilizers, sprays or powders that need to be applied periodically. Roses also require some TLC (tender, loving care) and grooming. Understanding the basics of pruning will help to keep your roses producing either individual stems, climbers, or a beautiful hedge throughout the season. But water only when really needed, keeping the water at the base of the plant, not on the leaves, to avoid the dreaded ‘black spot’.

There is also work to be done to prepare roses for the winter, cutting them back (except for climbers), burying the knob at the base of the plant with soil, and spreading the area with pine needles and pine branches and/or straw. These actions are reversed in the spring to prepare the plants for another growing season.

Listen to this episode of the podcast, Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, to improve your odds of successful rose growing!

Hosts: Jean Thomas and Teresa Golden

Guest: Abbey Cash

Photo by: Tim Kennelty

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski, Robin Smith

Tim Kennelty returns with Part 3 of his Good Plant/Bad Plant Retrospective. In this episode he continues with a wealth of information about native plants that are beneficial to the environment, as well as others that tend to be invasive or noxious. Today, Ironweed, Japanese Barberry, Asters, Tree of Heaven and Viburnums are featured.

Ironweed, is a great native, pollinator plant known for its purple flowers and impressive height that will add ‘presence’ to any garden. Ironweed prefers rich moist acidic soils but will grow in average moist to wet soils in full sun. Use in a rain garden, cottage garden, meadow, along streams or ponds or the back of the border.

By contrast, invasive Japanese Barberry is not such a good choice for a garden as it creates a great habitat for the white-footed mouse which is known to be a carrier for tick-borne diseases

Asters, once known as New World asters, are now classified under a different genera, particularly Symphyotrichum. These native plants offer vibrant colors in purple, pink and white while also supporting late-season pollinators, making them an excellent addition to your garden.

On the flip side, the invasive Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), is a non-native plant that has wreaked havoc in many ecosystems, including New York’s. As Tim describes, it’s critical to manage this troublesome plant, which also serves as the primary host for the destructive spotted lanternfly. Listen and learn how to identify, control, and support your local ecosystem.

Viburnums are a very admired and fast-growing flowering landscape shrubs or small trees with a large number of cultivars available. Bloom times span from early spring through June, followed by attractive fruit and great fall foliage. However, not all viburnums are created equal. Learn about the differences between the native and non-native species

Host: Jean Thomas

Guest: Tim Kennelty

Photo by: Tim Kennelty

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Welcome back to Part 2 of the Good Plant/Bad Plant retrospective that includes previously aired short segments on beneficial plants as well as invasive ones. In this episode, Master Gardener Volunteer, Tim Kennelty, talks about the benefits of dogwoods, milkweed, and coneflowers, as well as the challenges associated with garlic mustard, multi-flora rose, and mugwort.

The first segment features a family of about 50 species of trees/shrubs/sub-shrubs that grace the landscape with multi-season interest with spring flowers, berries in mid/late summer and fall color. Dogwoods are fairly easy to grow and have great spring flowers for pollinators, nutritious fruit for birds and many are host plants for butterflies and moths. In contrast, the non-native garlic mustard is an invasive herb. It is a biennial, maturing over two years. In its second year, it produces thousands of seeds (that can be viable for 10 years), which when they germinate, they push out beneficial native plants, inhibit growth of other plants, and quickly become dominant in the landscape.

The second segment features milkweed, a butterfly magnet, which offers both ornamental and wildlife value. As you probably know, milkweeds are the only host plant for monarch butterflies. Milkweed flowers are rich in pollen and nectar and are extremely attractive to native bees, wasps and beetles, as well as more than 400 different species of insects. With more than 70 species of milkweeds in North America, there's a milkweed for you. On the other hand, the multiflora rose is a perennial shrub from Asia that was once planted for erosion control, wildlife enhancement and to deter roaming animals. But today, multiflora rose is considered an invasive plant as it quickly forms thickets, pushing out native plants and inhibiting nesting birds. A single plant can produce up to 500,000 seeds per year, viable for up to 10 years, and dispersed by birds and other fruit eating animals.

This episode ends with a segment about featuring the purple cornflower (echinacea purpurea), a favorite New York native garden perennial, beloved by butterflies and hummingbirds. Seed heads, if not removed, become a great food source for birds in the winter. Tolerant of heat, drought and poor soils, the flowers look great in a mass planting or in flower arrangements. But Tim also discusses the challenges of dealing with mugwort (artemisia vulgaris). Mugwort is a perennial weed in the daisy family. It grows in loamy or sandy soils in forested areas, and along roadsides. It spreads by rhizomes and can form dense mats. This plant has been listed as invasive in several states.

But remember, if you want to support wildlife in your yard, make sure to plant natives.

Host: Jean Thomas

Guest: Tim Kennelty

Photo by: Teresa Golden

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski

Resources