Washingtonians

[Chickielady]

This for Stumpfarmer:::
Our Lyda girl...... I call her a girl as her name is Lyda...
Anyways.she was on rampant growth, and sprang 5 tops, all having a spray of no less than 12 buds, when winter hit.
I moved her into the green house for winter...and some buds did open despite the cold.
But the rest may be getting a mildew.
I do have a fan circulating air in there & open the door for fresh air daily....

She is about 4 feet, keel to mast tip.
My Q for you is:
Should I prune her down, and if so, eliminate some of the 5 growths.....?
How to prune a rose like this has NEVER came into my necessary needs...if that makes any sense.
I have only had the normal florabunda types...simple to prune & feed.
With Lyda having so many buds sitting idel for weeks now...mildews can form on them~~~~~~~~~~
I may get copper dust for her...........???
Need your input flower lady.
That should have been your handle

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Thought I'd show CL my Rhododendron oreotrephes, although the best photo I've got sort of underplays the blue (plumbous, to be all botanical) haze that covers the leaves and stems because I was being all artsie-fartsie.

Very pretty plant, grows up through larger trees and shrubs in the same way the local native R. macrophyllum does but has smaller leaves and pale bluish flowers.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:
I totally understand and sympathize. But aren't they a hoot?

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
I actually have a rain suit that I never think to wear. I bought it for hort school. I got it in my head that I wanted to go get the Rhododendron oreotrephes Mom promised me before she died, and nothing was going to stop me. Fortunately, rhodies have small root systems relative to their size. All species plants have a lot of variation. The flowers on Mom's are luminous against the blue leaves.

Oh, I love R. oreotrephes! I first saw it at Kruckeberg's and got mine from Botann; it's a tough thing to get started in sand, though, needs a lot of water.

I hate wearing rain pants over jeans, and don't own any sweats with the elastic left in them, so I've just been getting wet! Luckily today has been showery instead of solid rain like yesterday, lots of rainbows and sufficient sunbreaks to get a lot done without getting soaked.

I wear shorts & Tees..............and found I dry faster !!
Got a bit tired of having 4 sweatshirts & coats hanging about drying.........

A little bit like Kaneke.... but I do wear boots with good sipes...as my runs are clay muddy in between the oyster shell we put down...in some spots the clay mud will suck the boot right off your foot...not my Sorels though.
So Chickie runs amuck in shorts & Tees with snow boots on

No more slipping for me !!!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
I'd take her out of the greenhouse and put her somewhere protected from the north wind, and then take out about what you would with a florabunda when the forsythias start to bloom. Shrub roses are tough, and do better with good air circulation but I know how very hard it is to sacrifice any buds! I never spray anything anymore, but if you're doing lime sulfur on fruit trees next month or so it couldn't hoit.

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
You ?
Artsie Fartsie ??

I have 2 Rhodies here, planted by the former occupants, who came from Arizona every spring to escape the heat, and returned in fall.
They planted a small rose too...looks to be some sort of tea............maybe, hell I don't know.
It was untended for several years as were the rhodies.
The rhodies were infested with grub...leaves all cut up, so I sprayed & they bloomed last spring:: RED so RED it is like a firetruck.............
And the rose I dug up, and potted & is in the green house with Lyda.
It has never bloomed..was planted on a sandy hillside here & I've no idea what it is...maybe this year it will be loving the compost & bloom for us !!!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
Oh, I love R. oreotrephes! I first saw it at Kruckeberg's and got mine from Botann; it's a tough thing to get started in sand, though, needs a lot of water.

I hate wearing rain pants over jeans, and don't own any sweats with the elastic left in them, so I've just been getting wet! Luckily today has been showery instead of solid rain like yesterday, lots of rainbows and sufficient sunbreaks to get a lot done without getting soaked.

I wear shorts & Tees..............and found I dry faster !!
Got a bit tired of having 4 sweatshirts & coats hanging about drying.........

A little bit like Kaneke.... but I do wear boots with good sipes...as my runs are clay muddy in between the oyster shell we put down...in some spots the clay mud will suck the boot right off your foot...not my Sorels though.
So Chickie runs amuck in shorts & Tees with snow boots on

No more slipping for me !!!

I wish I could but being cold makes me feel as if I'm going to die. I used to have an old, old pair of men's wool suit pants that I took in a foot at the waist and worked outside in in winter, but they were lost in a tragic stupidity event when we were moving into this houseoid and I haven't found another pair at Goodwill to replace them.

 

[Chickielady]

Ok...Thanks Stumpfarmer !!!
I will get her out tomorrow & put her on the South side of the green house.
I was concerned about her roots freezing being in a big pot~~~~~~~buried in the ground is better, but she will not be buried until the house is done & then she can grow UP the front porch....a dream of mine, to sit on the porch swing & have all those blooms...I cannot believe how fragrant even 1 single bloom is from this rose.
It is also very different than most flora bunda types & long stem types...I have noticed.
It is more sweet, hard to describe.

 

[Zgoatlady]

Quote:
Ok, not to start anything, just getting educated, I thought Cedar shavings were bad for chickens, that's why I've stayed away from them at all costs??? Obviously you are using them so??? also, I have never had much gumbo, I've tried shrimp gumbo, it was pretty good, I don't know anything about file`?? What is it?? I just remember it from the Ole' Hank Williams song!!! LOL

Cedar has a oil in it which isnt good for a lot of animals. Dont use it around the goats..

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
I wear shorts & Tees..............and found I dry faster !!
Got a bit tired of having 4 sweatshirts & coats hanging about drying.........

A little bit like Kaneke.... but I do wear boots with good sipes...as my runs are clay muddy in between the oyster shell we put down...in some spots the clay mud will suck the boot right off your foot...not my Sorels though.
So Chickie runs amuck in shorts & Tees with snow boots on

No more slipping for me !!!

I wish I could but being cold makes me feel as if I'm going to die. I used to have an old, old pair of men's wool suit pants that I took in a foot at the waist and worked outside in in winter, but they were lost in a tragic stupidity event when we were moving into this houseoid and I haven't found another pair at Goodwill to replace them.

Geeze............I run outside (lately) and run back in.
IF it is below 30, I have a few pair of carpenter type jeans lined with soft jammie-type flannel.............HEAVY especially after running around almost nekked, but soooooooo nice & warm.
Look at Dennis Company or send me your waist size & I will get ya a pair...you will love them !!!