Happy Rose Year.  Roses have been designated by the International Herb Association as the herb of the year for 2012.

Although I have never really thought of my roses as Herbs;  I have some Barb's, Lady Byrds, Maggies,and Even a William but I do not think I have ever had a Herb.  Well never mind.

Because a lot of attention will be given to using roses in all types of dishes from garnishes to teas (wonderful on a cold winters day) and jelly, I expect to see a lot of articles about cooking, making potpourri, bath soaps and lotions in the coming year.  Even the crew here at roses inc. Tulsa is getting in on the fun. Lyuba Teakel makes a mean Rose petal Jelly that goes great with that hot Rose Hip Tea and some toast or crackers.

 

If you have a favorite receipt that uses any part of the rose as an ingredient, and you would like to share it, please send it to me and I will get it in an upcoming issue of the Everything Roses Monthly.    

 

 

January is an excellent month to do the clean up, oiling, tightening and sharpening of garden tools.  Let me give you a few hints that should make the task easier.

Gather up all of your tools. Clean the tools with warn water and Clorox Clean Up or a similar product.  Use a wire brush for the tuff jobs.  You know, those shovels you should have washed off after use but you didn't have time.

After cleaning and drying the tools it is time to sharpen them.  As with everything else in life, there are several opinions on how to best sharpen tools.  Some use hone stones, power tools with grinder or fine sandpaper attachments to mention a few.  The problem I see with those means of sharpening is that a lot of the time you get the tools too sharp.  Sharpness is achieved by making the edge of the cutting tool thinner.  The sharper it is the thinner it is.  That would be great if that edge would not bend, but bend is what it does the first time you use it on something hard like a woody rose cane or a root. This bend is hard to see but trust me it is there. Remember that the sharper the edge is, the easier it will bend.  When the edge of the blade bends the tool is no longer sharp.  For these reasons I suggest that you use a fine tooth metal file for sharpening.  Depending on how long it has been since your last sharpening most of your tools will require no more than 3 to 6 strokes with that file to be ready to cut.  Files work because they leave a fine serration on the cutting surface while not making the surface so thin that it will bend when used. Using the file method will make your tools preform well for a longer period of time.

OK, we have everything cleaned, dried and sharpened.  The next step is to apply a moisture barrier to the tools.  I find that 30 weight non detergent motor oil works great on shovels, rakes, hoes and other soil contact tools while machine oil like 3 in 1 is best for pruners, scissors etc.  Sometimes if I have tools that the moisture is hard to get out from the cleaning, I will use WD 40 or a similar product but I always follow up with oil.

Now that we have taken care of the cutting ends of our tools it is time for some tender loving care on the handles.  Wether your tools have wooden or fiberglass handles you need to make sure all splinters and damaged areas are sanded smooth and a layer of marine spar varnish is applied to the entire handle.  Not only will this protect your hands from damaged caused by a ruff handle it will extend the life of your tools. 

These steps may seem like a lot of work but you will find that it will only take a short time to accomplish and that first time you use them in the coming spring you will smile.

 

 

 

 

If you do not have a 3 to 6 inch layer of mulch on your roses it is important that you apply it soon.  I personally am a little spoiled by Decembers weather but the bitter cold is coming and the bud unions of your roses must be protected from the rapidly changing temperatures.

 

If you can not find the time to mulch your roses please give us a call here at Roses inc. Tulsa and we can do it for you.  Hurry because time is running out.

 

 

Please E-mail us at Rosesinctulsa@cox.net , call us at 918-455-7673 or our toll free number 855-294-3037 and we will send you the list of varieties we will have for 2012.  I am sorry for this extra step but maintaining the catalog just became to much of a burden for me. 

 

I would like to apologies once again for removing the catalog from our web site but it was a necessary move.  We have a great selection of grade one bushes for 2012 and I hope you will take the time to e-mail or call us for the list of varieties we have to offer.  Our pricing will remain the same as last year with bare root roses at $20.95 plus shipping and potted bushes in bud/bloom here at the Nursery are $29.95 each or $26.95 if you buy 3 or more bushes at a time.

 

 Mark