I’m trying a different way to train vines up a fence. Previously, I had screwed hooks into the fence and tied rose branches to them as the rose bushes grew. I’m going to try a new vine training strategy that will hopefully save time and look better.
I placed all my gardening tools on the hood of my husband’s car (shhhhh). I have plant ties (I love this little contraption), gardening wire, eye hooks, scissors, pruners, wire cutters (I used my carpet cutters because I couldn’t find my wire cutters), sidewalk chalk, a tape measurer, and a wrench.
I used the tape measurer and my children’s sidewalk chalk to mark where I wanted my eye hooks. Then, I screwed in the eye hooks, using my bare hands and then a wrench to twist them deeper into the wood. I then cut the gardening wire and inserted the ends into the eye hooks. I twisted the gardening wire on each side to secure it.
I pruned the rose bush and used the garden ties to secure the remaining branches.
Teddy helped oversee the project.
I’m also going to try training some of the branches to be ground cover. I used a plant stake to secure one branch to the ground.
This is how this area looks now in February. We’ll see how it turns out throughout the year!
I love roses–but not in my yard. They are beautiful, but they are high maintenance. A couple months ago, I pulled out several miniature roses in the courtyard. They dropped their little miniature rose petals all over and made a mess. But I just noticed this little rose sprouting from a root underneath. I’m going to let him grow since he’s so determined.
The pink Cyclamen is blooming in the courtyard. This Cyclamen is one of the first plants we planted. We got it from a real estate agent welcoming us to the neighborhood, and the plant has been blooming almost non-stop for several years now. It takes a break only during the winter. I love low-maintenance plants that offer something to the garden for multiple seasons!
It’s a windy day here in Roseville, CA. Our Fern Pines are blowing down, along with our Italian Cypress and some of our vines.
Our Kramer’s Supreme Camellia has a big, beautiful bloom–the first ever. We’ve had this Camellia bush for about three years. Last year, all the buds faced downward and never opened up much. We have this bush in complete shade, but I understand the Kramer’s Supreme Camellia could tolerate some sun.
It’s a new year, and I’m looking forward to watching the garden come alive! So far, we have azaleas and cyclamen in bloom. We also have our camellias just beginning to bud. (Teddy is looking forward to more romps in the garden as well.)
I don’t know if our lemon was ripe enough. My five year old daughter decided to sneak into the courtyard and pick it. So the kids each had a shot of lemonade on New Year’s Eve. Yum!
Japanese Blood Grass dies back each winter, and it spreads. I should have planted it in a container.
I love how the Green Carpet looks in our courtyard around the stepping stones and rocks. My intention was to have ground cover that acted like carpet, making our courtyard like a living room. It would be great if it didn’t always have clovers all the time. Thankfully, my daughter is old enough to help me pull them out now.
