Friday, December 4, 2015

Roses, forcing Paperwhites and a new Project

Unfortunately my mom, who is living in Germany, has developed a serious health problem and I decided to fly to Germany on short notice to support her in these difficult times on the Thanksgiving weekend.

There is a lot to do and to organize to help my mom, who has been released from the hospital on Monday, and therefore so far I have found very little time to blog, but at least tonight I want to put up a Periscope video about my own garden that I recorded on the 19th of November.

As usual I had to show some roses ('Pope John Paul II', 'Moondance', 'Snowbird', Pretty Jessica') that were blooming at that time, I am talking a little bit about rose care and growing own root roses from bands into strong plants that can be transplanted into the garden. I also give you an update about my Paperwhites that I am forcing in Hyacinth glasses and tell you about a new garden project in the front yard that I am working on.




I hope you enjoyed watching the video. Forcing bulbs, like Paperwhites, Hyacinths and Amaryllis indoors has a long standing tradition. After I completely blew it last year, this year at least I could muster to try to get some Paperwhite bulbs to flower. I am curious: Are you forcing any bulbs indoors to overcome the winter blues or even for Christmas? Please, if you have a moment of time, let me know in your comments. Thanks!

See you in the garden!

Christina

I am linking to Rose Garden Malevik

18 comments:

  1. Dear Christina ~ I hope your mother's health will improve. It's nice that you can be there with her at this time.

    Love, hugs & prayers ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Lorraine, thank you so much for your good wishes for my mom!

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  2. With very best wishes to your Mom Christina, I hope things are looking better now.

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    1. Jessica, thanks for wishing my mom well! Yes, she is doing a better by now!

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  3. I hope your mother is doing better, Christina! I sympathize with the digging challenges - I face similar problems with rocks and poor soil. I'm not forcing any bulbs this year but I'm watching to see what happens with the Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs I planted out in the bed along the street the year before last - most bloomed there last year but they weren't vigorous, however prior experience in my former garden indicates that, given the right conditions, Amaryllis will naturalize here.

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    1. Kris, thanks for thinking about my mom! Yes, she is doing better altogether, even though there are the expected ups and downs.
      Yeah, digging is no fun in our soil, but when I really start complaining I try to remind me how lucky I am that I even have a garden. Digging just takes longer here, much longer in comparison to any decent soil, but eventually we got done what we wanted so far.
      I have seen awesome Hippeastrums at the Huntingtons. Hope yours will bloom profusely this year. I wanted to plant some too but didn't get around to do it.

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  4. I hope you mother is feeling better now! Must be difficult to be living so far away from her.
    Your video is amazing.
    Warm wishes

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  5. I am sorry, Christina, to hear that your Mother has been having health problems and I hope that she is feeling better. I'm sure that having you there with her is lifting her spirits! Interesting video - I have some paper-whites blooming in my living room right now. I love the scent. Sending healing thoughts and prayers. x Karen

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  6. Christina, I first wish you all the best with your mother´s health. That rose Lavender Chrystal is such a beauty I love the colour. I was surprised to see you put Paperwhites on the hyacinth glasses, I have never done that. I have put the paperwhites in soil in a pretty dish end of October. I leave them in my cool greenhouse till Christmas, but because the weather is still rather warm, 14 degr.C. during daytime, they are showing their buds already. They will definitely be in bloom with Christmas. The glasses with the Hyacinths I keep in the dark and cool basement until January for a new and fresh start in 2016.

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  7. Dear Christiana, I hope your mother feels better. It is awful to be so far away from her during sickness. About your garden, its unbelievable to hear a gardener have to dig tree weeks to plant a rose. I feel privileged to have -heavy- clay soil! Last week I have planted six roses in one hour or so. Groetjes Hetty

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  8. Las rosa están lindas como siempre. espero que tu mamá se recupere pronto. Un abrazo para las dos.

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  9. Chère Christina, je suis profondément désolée d'apprendre que votre maman est souffrante. J'espère et souhaite qu'elle retrouve au plus vite une meilleure santé. Vos roses sont toujours aussi merveilleuses. Pour les bulbes, je cultive des jacinthes et des amaryllis qui donnent leurs premières fleurs dans la maison. Pour étaler les floraisons, dans deux semaines, je rentrerai les jacinthes qui sont au frais dans le garage pour ne pas éclore trop vite.
    Belle soirée....Jocelyne

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  10. Oh, forcing Paperwhites and Amaryllis is great thing to do now.
    Hope your mother will recoversoon.

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  11. Oh, so sorry to hear about your mom. I will be thinking about and praying for both of you. Christina: You asked us to comment about forcing bulbs. I am not forcing any for indoor display this year, but I do have several in outdoor pots, which I'm storing in the garage and on the front porch until late winter/early spring. I have had Amaryllis and Paperwhites in the past, and they're both beautiful and fun to observe! Interesting instructions on various topics in your video. Blessings as you care for your mother.

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  12. Dear Christina, I hope your mother is doing better, I can so sympathise with having my own mother living in Spain – it’s so difficult when they are so far away :-)
    Loved your video, my goodness what a digging task it is to get roses in the ground in your garden, I don’t envy you that job, even if you have the help of a gardener.
    I usually have amaryllis but I keep them from year to year so mine are not ready for Christmas, they need 6-8 weeks dry storage after the leaves have died down so I usually plant them around Christmas time and they flower in February.
    Have a good week, take care, Helene.

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  13. Haven't had Paperwhites in years, it's nice to see someone is making the time to start them.

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  14. Here's hoping your mother's health is improving, it must be very hard for you both to be so far apart. The garden can be so therapeutic during stressful times.
    very interesting video, thank you !

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  15. Christina:
    I am enjoying your blog. I have paperwhites coming up nicely in the window next to the Christmas Tree!

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