The sounds of the water from your garden feature and the effect it can have on you is an experience not to be missed. Pump up the volume with the sound of splashing water. For instance listen to the sound of running bath water and to the constant dripping of a tap - which can be annoying to say the least. However, if we change the word dripping to trickling and replace the word running with flowing then that is another kettle of fish (excuse the pun if you have a pond.

If a water garden feature is to prove its worth to the eye and ears then choose your garden ornamentation with these two factors in mind - pretty to look at and nice to listen to

Fountains and waterfalls are most favourable among gardeners. Before engaging in the structure of water garden features as such then you need to remember - these type of features actually oxygenate and freshen the water with the constant ongoing movements. If you have fish in the pool of your fountain/waterfall then they will love the lively waters - but water plants like lilies and lotus may suffer because of this. Plants as such prefer stillness and may well be hampered in flourishing in action packed waters.

Careful thought and planning behind your water garden feature will make your venture a whole lot easier. If you want a bit of both worlds (fish and plants) then you can. Your water garden feature can still be home to aquatic life but instead of floating water plants on top of the water why not landscape surrounding areas with pretty shrubs - this can be very affective as well as cost effective because what ever plants you you use will not have to be of a specific plant type .

Another suggestion is to erect a mini replica of your feature to the side of the larger garden fixture with no pump action and have floating plants there. Water movements are very important to give off an effect which is relaxing to listen too and attractive to look at. Circulating swirls are fabulous water moves.

Water garden features and accessory tips can be found from the best friend you could ever have at your side when taking on the task to build or erect a water fountain - and that is a manual. It is a wise decision to have yourself a DIY book with you at all times when undertaking jobs as such. Water garden suppliers will have all the information you need. Garden centres offer complete do it yourself kits.

Gardening books will tell you all you kneed to know like that there are two basic pump types - the submersible pump and surface pump. The surface pump is usually enclosed in a container alongside the pool where a polythene tube is used feed the fountain or water fall. To undertake this installation is far less complicated than you could imagine.

If you choose the alternative method - then the water garden submersible pump is a lot simpler. Plumbing is reduced to a minimum. Submersible pumps are not visible to the eye. This type of pump can not be seen due to its location submerged under water so therefore no sound.

In other words out of sight out of mind - I don`t think so - not with the injection of beauty it creates.

To create the perfect water feature that will attract attention from neighbours and aquatic life is to make it unique. Fabulous ideas and tips http://watergardens.webinputbiz.com. Information on garden birds http://www.birdbook.webinputbiz.com.

Blue flowers are some of the most striking plants around and can add a rich splash of color to any garden. Plant them in a cluster of all blue or mix them in with other flowers for a rainbow of color.

When planting flowers, it is important to remember to follow the instructions on the tag for the plant. Always buy plants that will thrive in the conditions in which you intend to grow them. A plant that loves sun will not do well in a shady area and you will only be disappointed with the results.

When planning your garden, be aware of the bloom time of the flowers. Planting perennials with different bloom times near each other will insure a garden that has blooms all season long. Remember also to plan for the height of the plants, putting the taller ones in the back.

Consider the flowers on the list below for your garden.

Polemonuim aka Blue Pearl - A compact plant with deep sky blue flowers that grows to 10". It blooms in late spring to early summer. Plant in partial shade and in well drained soil.

Blue Sea Holly - This dramatic plant has a lavender blue cone like flower with long spiked petals. It grows to 30" and is a favorite for dried flower arrangements. Plant in full sun - blooms in mid to late summer.

Delphinium aka Butterfly Blue - Bright blue delicate flowers adorn a plant that blooms in early to mid summer. It reaches 10" tall and prefers a sunny location with rich moist soil.

Campanula aka Blue Carpet - Bright blue to lilac colored flowers bloom for weeks in the middle of summer. This low growing perennial grows to 4" and prefers full sun with well-drained soil.

Penstemon aka Blue Buckle - This plant has tubular shaped blooms in blue to purple and flowers in mid summer to early fall. It grows to 15" and likes well-drained soil with full or partial sun.

Hydrangea aka Nikko Blue - Gigantic clumps of blue flowers adorn this shrub for most of the summer. In the fall, the flowers turn a golden color. This plant is a new variety that prefers rich soil but will grow in shade, partial sun, or full sun.

Vinca - Medium blue flowers and glossy green leaves form a carpet that grows to about 6" tall and blooms in mid spring. This plant will grow in most soil conditions, in the shade or sun.

Ajuga aka Bronze Beauty - This short bushy plant has spikes of blue flowers that grows quickly. Great as a ground cover or in raised beds. It blooms in spring and prefers a shady area.

Scabiosa aka Butterfly Blue - A bushy perennial with lavender blue flowers that bloom from June to October. This plant likes full sun and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Verbena aka Babylon Blue - Blue purple flowers petals adorn a plant that blooms in early spring. Great for window boxes and planters.

For more information about planning your garden, visit The Spring Garden Flower Guide and The Garden Center Info Guide

David Chandler

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Color determines the tone of flower arrangements to a large extent. If you decide to create specific flower arrangements, you need to carefully choose the nuance of the flowers. They can be different, due to the artificial breeding of different flower types. Colors can either attract audience or convert the attention from your flower arrangements. It can have a positive or a negative effect on the perceivers. Colors reveal your feelings and provoke different emotions, such as happiness, sadness, love, cheerfulness, or serenity.

Flowers used in flowers arrangements can be of different hues and shades depending on their crossbreeding and other agronomic procedures as well. Roses are a typical example of what continual crossbreeding can do. Roses are found in hundreds and hundreds different types. They can be found in almost all shades imaginable. Now a recent trend is to have roses with some petals different in color from the others. This artificial procedure of breeding is very popular among rose lovers and agronomist.

Flower arrangements depend so strictly on choosing the right color combination, that you may even need extra help to sharpen your color taste and sensitivity. The color circle can be the ideal tool. It is a circle where all the colors are drawn, including the three basic ones- red, yellow and blue, the secondary ones, as well as the intermediate ones. The first thing you need to know if you want to have success in making flowers arrangements, is which are the three primary colors. All the other colors are made from combining the three primary colors. Red, yellow and blue cannot be made when combining secondary or intermediate colors.

Flower arrangements depend on the basic colors. Flowers are often found in various combinations of the primary colors. You need to know what basic emotion each primary color brings to mind. Red is the color of passion. If you like your flower arrangements to acquire a passionate feeling, use red flowers when creating the bouquet. Red reminds you of Christmas and valentines. Yellow is the color of brightness and joyfulness. It is used for creating flower arrangements in birthday parties or in baby flower arrangements. It evokes feelings of youth.

Whichever color combination you choose for your flower arrangements, first of all, ask yourself what the event is, and which color will most fit to the purpose.

Find Flower Shop - the easiest way to locate a flower shop in your area Article by Robbie Darmona - an article writer who writes on a wide variety of subjects.

The gardener without years of experience will do well to consider planting a mixture of grasses rather than a solid turf of a single species. If he knows exactly what he is doing, and understands how to control the diseases which might attack his particular single species of grass, the chances are it will survive and thrive without serious injury.

But the beginner rarely has the necessary skill and knowledge for this, and, even when he does, he often runs into unforeseen trouble. If conditions change—such as an extremely wet or dry year—a solid turf of one species may suffer severely, whereas one containing several grasses will pull through in good shape.

Disease is a good example of the type of problem a mixture may help avoid. The fungi which attack grasses are quite specific in their action. That is, some will attack fescues but not bluegrasses, while others attack bents but not fescues. Except for rust, which is largely airborne, most of these turf diseases are spread by contact from one blade to another.

If the turf is made up of more than one species, this plant- to-plant contact is broken. I have seen one section of a lawn, seeded wholly to Common Kentucky Bluegrass, go down by late June when attacked by helminthosporium leaf spot, while another part of the same lawn—planted with Chewing’s Fescue and Highland Bent in addition to the bluegrass—showed only an occasional area affected by the leaf spot. Both areas were maintained exactly the same.

Another advantage of mixtures is that they tend to adjust themselves to the varying soil conditions often found within a lawn, and also to differences in sun and shade. It is not uncommon for the same lawn to have one area that receives three hours of sun­shine while a short distance away it has sun all day long.

One of the very real problems a seedsman has, for example, is in recommending a grass to the man who doesn’t know what a sunny lawn is. I have actually studied lawns which the owner claimed received sun "all day long" and found they had four hours or less.

This is often true in cities, where the line of parkway trees and the house form barriers that cut off the sun until late in the morning and then block it again early in the afternoon.

By doing just a little research, which often amounts to asking a representative at your local nursury or home supply store, you will find the perfect mixture of grass seed for your needs and avoid many troublesome and time-consuming problems.

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One of the biggest trends among homeowners today is building or improving outdoor rooms around the house, such as patios and decks. According to a recent survey conducted by the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC), 50 percent of homeowners in the U.S. spend more time at home now than they did five years ago. Further, 80 percent of those surveyed thought that it was very important for a home to have a relaxing outdoor room. One of the top items PERC recommends for creating the perfect outdoor room is a patio heater.

A study conducted by the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association (HPBA) shows that 56 percent of all grill owners, and 69 percent of gas grill owners, now grill out on a regular basis year round. By using an outdoor patio heater, or perhaps an alternative such as a chiminea, many of those people could continue to enjoy the entire outdoors experience by also eating outside during cold weather.

The Safety of Patio Heaters

Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to home appliances. Patio heaters these days are very safe, and getting better all the time. Many gas heaters come with a piezo electric starter, so there is no need for matches and no pilot light. Another common safety feature is an automatic emergency shut off. If a unit with this feature is ever overturned or even hit too hard, it will instantly shut itself off.

Fuel Types

Patio heaters are manufactured to run off one of three different fuel types: propane, natural gas, or electricity. Natural gas is used for permanent, stationary heaters. Propane, conveniently available in tanks, allows a heater to be moved about. Infrared heaters are often powered by electricity, though some are run by natural gas.

Choosing Between Various Options

New types and sizes of patios heaters become available regularly. As you look through the various options below, consider your specific needs. Do you want a stationary heater, or a portable one? How much heat do you need considering the people you will entertain? Asking yourself these kinds of questions will guide you to the heater best suited to your outdoor room.

Free-standing, table-top, or wall-mounted?

Free-standing heaters are larger (about 95 inches tall) and more powerful than table-top heaters. Table-top heaters, though, because they are lighter and smaller, are also much easier to carry around, wherever you want to go. A good example of a table-top heater is the Lil Arctic Sun Original, which can radiate heat in an 8 foot diameter.

For larger groups, you might want to try the free-standing Arctic Sun Bullet, an affordable commercial grade heater that radiates heat in up to a 20 foot diameter. Infrared heaters are often quite versatile; they can be be hung on a wall, on a pole, or even possibly overhead.

Portable or stationary?

Stationary heaters are advantageous because they hook up to your natural gas lines, and so do not have tanks that need to be replaced or refilled. If you plan on moving the heater to different locations, though, you will need a portable propane model. Portable heaters can be either free-standing or table-top models. Many of the free-standing units come with hidden wheels to make movement easier.

One of the newest and most unique types of portable heaters now available is the Dayva Tiki Torch. It is small heater with a long spike that can stick in the ground or the umbrella hole of a table. This heater is perfect for camping or a late-night trip to the beach.

How much heat?

The strength of a patio heater is rated in BTU’s. As an example, a 45,000 BTU heater will produce a 20 foot heat diameter. Free-standing heaters are generally more powerful than table-top heaters, and so can be used for larger groups.

In conclusion . . .

Patio heaters are a welcome and useful addition to America’s increasingly outdoor lifestyle. They safely and efficiently turn chilly nights into warm, comfortable evenings, perfect for you and your family to get together and relax. After all, relaxing is one thing we just do not do enough these days.

Trey Collier is owner of BackyardCity.com - Where North America shops for Outdoor Living essentials, including high quality outdoor patio heaters and outdoor fireplaces.

INTRODUCTION

Water in the garden. It brings us refreshing coolness on the hottest summer day. It satisfies our senses with sounds that only water can make. It delights our eyes with the unsurpassed beauty of colorful water lilies, the glimmering iridescence of fish and reflections from the sky.

Water has immense attraction to all people. For centuries Europeans have enjoyed the beauty of fountains and water gardens in their public squares and private estates. Water gardens create "natural" focal points, whether located in the home garden, shopping mall, or office building.

This book is written to fill a void in today’s selection of gardening books. A few books are sprinkled here and there, covering specific areas of water gardening such as plants and Koi, but this book is written to cover all facets of decorative water gardening for homeowners as well as professional landscapers and architects.

The word "pond" conjures up different images for different people. Some envision a farm pond with a dirt bottom, fed by a creek bed and alive with ducks and frogs. Others see a mossy-covered goldfish pool in the corner of a yard. For our purposes, the word "pond" will be used in the Webster’s Dictionary sense: "artificially enclosed body of water; a body of standing water smaller than a lake, often artificially formed." In this book you’ll also find some of the newer terms - aquasphere, aquatic habitat, aquatic environment, or waterscape.

The reasons for considering a water garden are varied. Commercial landscape architects use water in their designs for effect and uniqueness. Homeowners want to exchange their rakes, lawn mowers and weedeaters for a work free garden. Others desire a pond "just like grandpa always had," yet most of us are simply looking for a garden to enjoy, a haven for relaxation.

Water does have a relaxing affect, whether it be the rhythmic waves of the ocean, a gently running brook, or the quiet beauty of a pond. While we may be unable to recreate nature with oceans and brooks, we can find pleasure in designing and building ponds.

MOTIVES

Before deciding on a water garden, consider your motives. Ask yourself the following questions:

* Why do I want a pond?
* Am I trying to save work for myself?
* Do I want a part of nature in my own backyard?
* Am I looking for a fishpond? Or a plant pond? A fountain or waterfall?
* Do I want to cool off in the pond?
* Do I want to convert a swimming pool?

Am I looking for a focal point in the yard or simply a subtle blend of plants and fish? Many people think water gardening means digging a hole, filling it in with water, plants and fish, and that’s all there is to it. While it’s true that established ponds require minimal work, prospective water gardeners should realize that a certain amount of responsibility goes with a pond garden.

When you build a pond, you’re putting in a natural habitat, something that is "alive" and "breathing" with plants and animals. Plants live and grow in this natural habitat; natural gas exchanges are going on; birds, bugs, fish, frogs and animals come to visit and drink from you pond. In other words, you’re doing more than just cementing an area in the yard and filling it with water. You are bringing nature into your surroundings.

EXPECTATIONS

Prospective water gardeners should also examine their expectations. What do you want from your pond?

Before starting construction, you should decide if you want a fishpond, a fish and plant pond, a fountain, or a waterfall. For example, a Koi pond without plants will be constructed differently than ponds containing both fish and plants.

Do you want you pond to be a focal point - something that stands out dramatically with waterfalls or spraying fountains? Or is your life hectic and frenzied, so you’re looking for a quiet haven for meditation and relaxation?

If you expect a low maintenance, relaxing environment, you’ll find it in water gardening. You may wonder how water gardening can be effortless. The answer is nature. Properly planned water gardens achieve an ecological balance of water, plants, fish, and snails.

Water ponds answer a multitude of expectations, but the final decision on what you want from your water garden must come from you.

2005 Brett Fogle

Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several pond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com and pond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive a complimentary ‘New Pond Owners Guide’ for joining, just visit MacArthur Water Gardens at our website.

In the past decade and a half, organic products have achieved almost mainstream status. Where organic produce was a specialty item in a few upscale grocery stores in the early 1990s, today’s supermarkets commonly offer organically produced items.

An upward spiral is happening: Organics have become more available and more affordable. The result is that a larger proportion of the population buys organics. This leads to an increased general awareness of the benefits for people and the environment of organic production.

Greater awareness of the benefits contributes to a greater demand for organic products. Higher demand encourages growers to an even larger production of organics. Increased production results in organics being increasingly available and affordable… and upward the trend goes.

During the 1990s, organic product sales dramatically increased at the rate of more than 20 percent every year. By the beginning of the 21st century, sales of organic products passed the $9 billion mark. Today in 2006, the majority of US consumers (7 out of 10) buy organic food at least some of the time.

These statistics are encouraging indications that organic production is here to stay. This is good news for the well-being of people and the environment.

~~What ORGANIC means~~

Fifteen years ago, organic growers might have had to explain to shoppers at a farmer’s market what the label "organic" means. Today, most people understand that for a product to be labeled organic, it had to be grown without using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or hormone supplements.

But organic growing is a system, and is not just a matter of substituting natural materials for synthetics. Whether on the large scale of the market farmer or the small scale of the backyard gardener, the underlying principles of an organic system are to work within the boundaries of nature to grow healthy food.

The system starts with a focus on healthy soil, which supports healthy plants. When plants are strong, they are naturally disease and pest resistant.

~~Why ORGANIC is better~~

Rather than apply chemicals to cure disease and control pests as conventional growers must do, organic growers are oriented toward prevention through continuous soil improvements. It’s a big difference in attitude: the chemical quick-fix vs. long-term soil building.

The benefits of taking the long-term approach are immediate. Rather than having to keep indoors during a "re-entry interval," (after using poisonous chemical pesticides, there is a required safety period when people must avoid the area), organic gardeners never experience exile from the location where they grow food.

Also, there is the difference in the effect on local water sources. Organic gardeners don’t contaminate ponds and groundwater with synthetics.

In short, gardeners who live where they grow food have a particular motivation and advantage in using an organic system: personal health and safety. But everyone benefits when organic methods are used because they are sustainable: wholesome food is produced in a system that respects the natural environment.

Life-time gardener Judith Schwader specializes in organic gardening methods. She shares expertise, humor, and advice for your gardening success at the interactive website A to Z Gardening. Visit now for valuable information to enhance your gardening experience. Also visit FB Home for additional home and garden information.

Select for Success

Perhaps the only thing more important in Alaska than soil warming is variety selection. No matter how warm your soil, your garden will be a failure if your lettuce bolts, sending up a seed stalk instead of producing a head, your squash plants finally set fruit the week before the first frost, and your root crops never get around to producing. These problems are often the result of planting poorly adapted varieties.

Unfortunately, many seed-rack varieties at your local supermarket simply won’t do well in Alaska, even though the packet may read “Seed especially developed for your area." Chances are they’re the same varieties offered for sale in other northern states.

Until his retirement, Dr. Curtis H. Dearborn tested varieties for Southcentral. More recently, Dr. Don Carling has been carrying out potato trials. In Southeast, varieties were tested by local gardeners directed by Walt McPherson. Recently, Bob Gorman has been conducting limited trials in raised beds in Sitka. These are only a few who, over the years, have engaged in variety testing for Alaska.

The Cooperative Extension Service (CES), cooperating with the US Department of Agriculture, publishes the latest findings of the University’s Agricultural Experiment Station scientists in three lists covering major state growing areas: Interior, Southcentral, and Southeast. The Southcentral list, obtainable free from any local Cooperative Extension Service office, now includes notes on maturity, yield, and growing tips.

Photoperiods

The problem with poorly adapted varieties is often not cold soil, but photoperiods. Photoperiodicity is the striking effect of day length on growth and reproduction in plants. While many plants aren’t particularly fussy in their requirements for a daily light-dark cycle (these are called day-neutrals), some very important ones are definitely long-day plants.

Still others are short-day plants, and it is these that present serious problems in far northern gardens exposed to constant daylight for months during the summer. Much of Alaska never really gets dark from early May to early August. Even at the southern tip of Southeastern Alaska, summer nights are still very much shorter than northern states like Washington and Maine.

Daylight itself is not the problem; it’s actually the length of the night that counts. A short-day plant is really a long-night plant. Plants carry out some very important chemical reactions at night; if they don’t have enough uninterrupted darkness to complete these, their whole life cycle may be upset.

The most noticeable effect is disruption of the flowering process. A street light outside the window will keep a poinsettia (which requires at least 12 hours of night) from blooming. Commercial growers routinely “force" short-day (long-night) autumn bloomers by darkening their greenhouses for part of each summer day.

Most varieties of squash and cucumbers produce only male flowers during early summer. Only when nights lengthen in the fall are female flowers also formed, often too late to produce mature fruit.

A few apparently short-day vegetables are eggplant, butternut squash, and true spinach. Most members of some other species (like beets and lettuce) are adversely affected by long days, but satisfactorily adapted varieties have been developed. Consult the variety lists Alaskan researchers have provided.

A Successful Harvest

There are wonderfully productive gardens in Southcentral, from north of Wasilla to south of Homer. By concentrating on soil warming, and by choosing adapted varieties of cool weather crops, you, too, can harvest success, sowing in Southcentral or on the Kenai Peninsula.

Ann D Roberts is the author of Alaska Gardening Guide Vol 1, covering cold weather gardening in Alaska, with specific growing tips for vegetables. The book, written and published in Alaska, is in its third printing and is already the “definitive and indispensable reference guide to every Alaskan gardener.” Readers can check out its table of contents at http://AlaskaGardeningGuide.com. Ann is presently working on Vol 2, covering perennials and lawns. This article may be freely reprinted only in its entirety, including this final paragraph.

1. Failure to notice the length of the growing season. Are you located in an area that has a long growing season? Lucky you! This factor shouldn’t have much affect on your gourd crop. Those in the northern climates with short growing seasons should check carefully how many days that gourd variety you desperately want to grow needs to get to maturity.

2. Using fertilizer with too high of a nitrogen content. Nitrogen is great for getting your plants off to a good start, but if you continue down that road, you will have all leaves and no fruit. The first number on the fertilizer bag stands for nitrogen. If that number is a lot higher than the other two you’ve got the wrong fertilizer for your gourd plants. Use it on the lawn instead.

3. Plenty of flowers but no gourds develop. Looks like you don’t have any pollinators. Gourd plants have both male and female flowers and the pollen from the male needs a way to get to the female. Since the hard-shell gourd flowers open at night, you need some nighttime insects to do the job. You may need to do some hand pollinating.

4. Poor Soil. Gourds grow best in a light soil with plenty of good organic material added. Enrich your soil with some well-rotted manure or compost.

5. Last but not least. Harvesting before they are mature. Sure your gourds grew fast and they look like the right size, but that doesn’t mean they are ready to be picked. Gourds need plenty of time to mature on the inside to make a good hard shell. Don’t pick gourds until the vines are dead and dried up.

These are my five top reasons for gourd failures. There are some other things that could affect your gourd crop, like insects and critters, disease, and poor weather conditions, but the majority of the time, my top five reasons are the culprits.

Martha Bloom, grower and crafter of gourds. More information on gourds and crafting them can be found at her website http://marthasgourds.com

Now that you have a rose garden you are proud of, it’s time to take the next step and let others see the beauty of your roses. Rose shows and exhibits are exciting events where you get a chance to see how your roses stack up against other rosarians’. It doesn’t matter if you win — the experience alone will be fun, and you’ll learn a lot.

Visit a Rose Show

Before entering your own roses, visit a few rose shows to see how everything works. If at all possible, get permission to enter the preparation room to see what experienced displayers do before the judging begins.

Get The Rule Book

Get a copy of the rule book from the American Rose Society. Visit their web site at www.ARS.org for more information.

When you decide you are ready, look for a show that’s close to home to limit your travel time and expenses. Many exhibits offer special judging classes for beginners, so try to find one of those for your first time.

Follow this timetable and you’ll be ready to face the judges on the day of your show:

30 Days Before The Show

It’s easiest to start with 1 single bloom on a stem, so select the 1 rose you will be showing. Be sure to pick a rose with a sturdy and straight stem.

Begin preparing the rose for exhibit by cutting off all of the buds that are forming on the side of the stem between the top and the leaf. This focuses all the nutrients to the single bloom at the end of the stem.

Support the cane of your selected rose by staking it with a bamboo stake and some rose or twist ties. This protects the cane and helps to support the rose as it grows.

Spray fungicide when needed, and promptly remove any aphids or spider mites. Aphids can be removed by spritzing with soapy water. Spider mites can be lightly sprayed with plain water.

Water your roses as you normally would, and apply organics and fertilizer as needed.

Put together your tool kit for the day of the show. Most experienced rosarians carry the following in their kits:

* American Rose Society Rule Book
* Shears
* Several soft cloths
* Cotton swabs (such as Q-Tips)
* Plastic wrap
* Small, soft artist’s paintbrush

7 Days Before The Show

Cover your selected bloom at night with a baggy that’s secured below the bloom with a tie. Remove the baggie before the sun rises in the morning. Do this every night until you leave for the show.

2 Days Before The Show

Cut the rose, with the stem a bit longer than usual, because you will be re-cutting it on the day of the show.

Place the rose in a florist’s bucket, cover the bloom with a baggie and tie it off below the bloom. Place the bucket and rose in the refrigerator.

Morning of The Show

Remove the rose from the refrigerator, place the container and rose safely in your car, grab your kit, and head for the show!

Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit grow-roses-now to learn more about this fascinating hobby.

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.