Happy Birthday Gita!!!!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Have a beautiful day - enjoy those roses!!!

Gita - Daudz laimes dzimsanas diena!

Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Gita, Happy birthday to you... Hope your day is great... Terri

Happy Birthday Gita! Hope it is filled with all good things.
Shirley

Happy Birthday, Gita. Hope you had a great day. May your flowers be many, and your weeds few.

Happy Birthday, Gita!

Thank you--one and all!

I am so appreciative of all your good wishes for me.....

My DD and her Husband and I went to Red Lobster for dinner to celebrate. I have to tell you--GO! if you have a chance! They sure are good cooks!!

Right now they have their Lobster Fest going until 4/13. Have you seen all the TV commercials? That is why I HAD TO go! Droooollll.....

I got the dinner with 2 petite, grilled (3oz), Maine lobster tails and 2 different kinds of grilled shrimp in separate dishes--but all on one BIG, oval plate. Got mashed potatoes (to sop up all the juices and butter the shrimp came in) and the house salad. We also put away a bottle of wine....of course!

I tell you--for ME--it was a FEAST! Deeeelicious!!!!...even when, towards the end, my little, melted butter dish slipped off my plate and spilled all over the table......:o(

All the waiters even came and sang Happy Birthday to me----with a tiny butter container that they squirted some whipped cream in and had a lit candle stuck in it......It was the thought that counted!
My daughter and Mark gave me a very compact DVD player to hook up to my TV. Can you believe I did not even have one? I am SO behind times......

My sister in NJ keeps giving me DVD's she buys on sale and, recently, said to me: "When will you start watching some of the DVD's I give you?" And I said--I don't have a DVD player......

The Roses my Niece (from NJ) sent me made my day as well. So pretty!!!!

Thank you all! I love you all as my DG friends--even though we may butt heads now and then. Gita

Here's the "Rainbow Roses"--must be 2 dozen.....The vase came with it as well.

Gita, Your description of the meal makes me want to visit Red Lobster. I had seen those commercials and wondered if it would be as good as they looked. You convinced me. Are you gonna try to root any of those roses? I bet you could do it. The pregnant onions you gave me at the swap are doing well and growing nicely. I am delighted I haven't killed them over the winter. I was afraid I would.
Hugs, Shirley

Gita, I'm so glad you had such a wonderful day and those roses are gorgeous!

Happy birthday!!!!!!

Shirley--

I don't think roses like this can be rooted. They come from Columbia, S. America. Ther is nothing to root them from....

I WILL hang them upside down to dry though and have a nice 'forever" bouquet to look at.

Thanks to you all---again! Gita

I missed it! Happy Belated Birthday Gita, sounds like you had a great day :)

Gita:

I have started rose bushes from cut long-stem roses, before. I used to work for a florists supply wholesaler and I would take home out of date stuff all the time.

I usually cut off the flower, give a fresh cut to the bottom, split the stem in half at the bottom about an inch or so up, and then stick it in soil. I cover that with a glass jar (I find those Nestea Powdered Iced Tea jars work awesomely). Keep it moist and that's all there is to it.

Not all of them take, but it is worth a shot and fun to try. Pick your favorite one as an experiment and hang the rest to preserve the memories of your special day!

Willie,

At what point would you do all this? The rises are just now opening. Should I wait until the blooms start "hanging down"?

Also--aren't these hybrid roses? I have never rooted roses this way--but i do have about 7 Tea roses in my garden--all in different stages of "struggling" due to to many Maple roots everywhere.
When you did this--how long did it take before you could plant it outside and expect some kind of growth? Did you use rooting hormone on the stem? Any special soil in the pot?

See! You have my mind going now.....What do I have to lose???

Thanks....Gita

Gita:

I just stuck the darn thing into the dirt, basically. I think root hormone powder would help a lot.

Some roses do work better than others, but hey! If they are temperamental, just protect them in the winters. I am tired of winding up with climbing red roses (you know, the root stock to which the nicer roses are grafted)

Just keep the water fresh for the cut roses until you are done enjoying them. Often you will see the buds start to push out new leaves in the vase.

I think the fresher the rose when you start, the better your success, but I am just thinking out loud and might not be the case, though it seems like common sense to me.

I bet in your neck of the woods, it might be ok to do it now? Is the ground frozen? Past the last frost? Which, under the glass jar, makes the mini greenhouse effect, and probably move that area one temperate zone to the south warmer.

I think now would be a great time (spring) as the temps are cooler and the grounds wetter.

Some fun links about it:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf81542154.tip.html

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/plantfinder_rose_6.asp

Google search results to scan for more info:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=starting+a+rose+from+a+cutting&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

Gita, haven't been to Red Lobster in awhile your description def makes me want to go back. YUM

Those roses are gorgeous esp the cream with red edges.

Good info Willie.

http://www.ars.org/About_Roses/propagating-oasis.html

http://www.rdrop.com/~paul/hulse.html


Gita, this is the reason I asked about your roses. Both of these sites have some reallly good information. Many years ago my father rooted a double delight he had received while in the hospital. He is no longer with us but I know it can be done. It sure is worth a try.

Willie,

My gut instinct is doubting any success from the roses I received.
I am quite q gardener--and it just seems unlikely that I could tale cut roses, that have been flown across half the World, kept refrigetated and now are sitting in water amanded with that "plant food".

I agree that cuttings taken from Shrub Roses have a chance. I think that is what most of the articles in the links you provided refer to. Nowhere did they talk about hybrid teas.....
And surely--the long-stemmed roses one gets from a Florist, are Tea Roses.

The below c/p'ed paragraph is from the last link you posted.

**************************

How To Propagate Roses

PROPAGATING ROSES
Commercially almost all roses are propagated by budding. This takes a large degree of skill and involves buying rootstocks. For this reason most amateur gardeners who propagate roses, do so by using cuttings. This is the easiest way to propagate plants for you own rose garden at little cost.

Some modern roses, Hybrid Teas mainly, are not sufficiently vigorous to propagate by cuttings - only the stronger growing varieties such as 'Iceberg' and 'Peace' are amongst those which are suitable. In general terms, floribundas, climbers, ramblers and shrub roses are very likely to succeed from cuttings, most Hybrid Tea roses are likely to fail from cuttings.

*******************************
I appreciate your help and time looking up the links--but I think I will pass on this "experiment" ....even though you said you rooted roses that were at the Florist you worked on. They too had to be long-stemmed Tea Roses....right?

I have several Roses---thee hardiest and most fragrant one is "Sweet Surrender". My "Autumn Sunset" climber also does well. My favorite red rose I have is "Proud land". Many of the others are struggling because of the tree root compatition to different degrees and also that a couple of them were not quality roses and have very limited growth--like ONE stem for 3 years! Too bad--as these are nice Roses--"First Prize" and "Chicago Peace". They looked OK when I bought them--but never "took" the way I would have expected them to. I do all the right things--but nada!

This is the first, and only bloom, on the only stem it had the first Spring on my "First prize"....It is the prettiest picture of a Rose I have ever taken.....

Gita

Here's my "Sweet Surrender" rose......HUGE blooms with a zillion petals--so many, it has 2 whorls inside each bloom....

The Autumn Sunset climber.....has many colors as the blooms open--from orange to pale yellow....

"Sweet Surrender" bloom--close up....

Your roses are awesome! They look great!

I have been accused of practicing witchcraft, as I have odd luck when it comes to plants. Seems I drop a dead stick on the ground and it grows.

They still try to tell me orchids are a "tough plant to grow." I think the deal with labeling them as tricky is because most people do not have the patience or attention span to watch out for them.

The one I tried from the florist is just like the one you have in the photo that is red with the outside of the petal in cream. I have had that 5 years now. I know nothing about roses or what it a tea, only which are climbing. LOL It is in a sunny, but well protected spot close to the house.

I also have a long-stemmed, thornless, red rose I take cuttings from, but this rose bush is probably 50-60 years old. Not a new-fangled modern hybrid.

I am sure they have hybridized the life out of a lot of them, but hey, dad always said you will never know until you try.

Having worked for the floral wholesaler, I know that shipping from South America, etc. doesn't destroy their chances. I always saw fresh growth on the stems, even before re-hydration. Maybe it's because they keep them treated and chilled, just so.

Maybe it is witchcraft! I am certainly no expert!

Despite this interesting digression--Happy Birthday!

Hey, Sally--

It is MY Thread--and I can digress if I want to----THERE!!!! Nobody to set forth any rules.....

Only problem I see is having people think it is my B-Day a month from now if this Thread is still alive......Might have to change the heading.....If it continues on Roses from Cuttings--and if there is more interest--I will do it Monday.

Thanks for the wishes! What is that plant in your picture? Is is some kind of a Ginger???

Gita

Willie--just for you! My Multi-Blue Clematis.....

WOW! my favorite color and vine all in one shot! Stunning!!!

It is now on my WANT listing!!

The NE Forum had a birthday thread make it all the way round to the next birthday, so we made it a rule, if it lasts that long, you don't have to add a year to your age!

Thanks for the introduction to Multi-Blue Clematis .... move over Nelly Moser!

That's ok over on the NE forum we went over a year on Harper's b-day thread.

Hey!!! It's OK with me!!!!

Willie---What else can I dazzle you with?????
Ahemmm---It is amazing how glorious one can make one's Garden look with close-up photos......You would think I have an Arboretum here......Haaa...haaa.....

OH! I know!!!!! Ready?????

How about my AMAZING "Bob Hope" Camellia????

Dah......I'm toying with you--you know.......

Here's Rose that is NOT, probably, known to too many people, as it was a sort of "Special Edition" one grown just for Home Depot one year.
I have worked for HD for 11 years now--so, of course, i had to buy one.

It is Neon Orange--and called "Orange Passion" --just like the aprons we all HAVE TO wear!

I can't say this Rose is overly hardy--but it keeps hanging in and blooms OK with the first flush--as do all the Roses here.....The, in their subsequent bloom-cycles--they all have succumbed to--either--the Japanese Beatles, or Black Spot.....Don't you get it in NY too, Willie???? It seems to be an East Coast thing......

Anyway----Here is the "Orange Passion" Rose...just for YOU!

I will, gladly, send you seeds for this Double Yellow Datura......

OR---

The triple, Purple and white Datura. Both will grow to 3' tall and wide from seed--and bloom the same Summer.....AND--give you hundreds of seeds if you can get the seed-"apples" to mature.
Here's the Purple Beauty........Get a hanky--if you are drooling......

Had to grab a bucket!!! Those are all awesome! The Orange Passion is incredible .... great color, no doubt!

We get those pesky beetles and black spot some, but I am pretty lucky not to see it. Maybe some beetles on the monarda, but those are usually disposed of post haste.

I haven't grown any camellias yet. Yours IS amazing, very nice shade! I want to get some gardenias for the GH, eventually, too.

Gita - I like that the Dats bloom first year but I was not overly impressed (quite the opposite ) with their scent. I'm trying the old whites this year as I was told they did smell wonderful. What has your exp. been?

do Datura seedlings look like tomatos- the seed leaves? I have a suspicious # of tomato seedlings in my Dat pot.
My photo above is a trick shot--Verbena bonariensis against foliage of Gold tropiCanna I love those colors together.
Your present arrives tomorrow in the Articles. If I'd suspected your birthday was last week, I could have scheduled it then, boo hoo.

Gita, Here's my little Heuchera blossum birthday offering to a large hearted gardener! Thank you for always sharing your wonderful advice. May your "Yuk" bed become "Yummie"!

Thanks Sally for your sentiments----I SO look forward to reading your article!

and Thanks Stormy for yours----I find DG so much a "Family" of mine!
I LOVE to share--I LOVE to give! It makes my life meaningful! What else is there?

Gita


Soon......

edited to say---Sally--I found another page if information on the Pregnant Onion--but I know it was too late to include it in your article.....I can still send it to you--if you like?????

This message was edited Mar 7, 2009 9:30 PM

Happy birthday, Gita!! Hope it was fun.

That blue clematis is stunning!! What did you say the name was??

Cantell & Gia, I grew the yellow Daturas last year. I did not detect a flower scent, but the leaves were aromatic and smelled of cumin to me.

Fox...

The blue Clematis I have is called "Multi Blue". I bought it one year at HD.

It is on the trellis where I planted the Grandpa Ott Morning Glory. It just about killed it!
You bet I will be pulling up all the 100's of volunteers as they sprout....I want the Clemetis to have this trellis all to itself....

Holly--did you ask me about the scent on the Daturas?
NO! There is none. I think the native white one some people have does have a scent....the one that is also called "Jimsonweed"...

Here's another picture--just for you.....

Gita, Roses for you, sounds like you had a great day.

Happy Birthday Gita!

~Diana and Harry

Thank you Diana , Harry and Foxnfirefly! ...and anyone else I missed thanking for the good wishes on my B-Day--which, by now, is already a whole 4 days ago!

You all are so sweet!!!!

Gita

Will be bringing scads of rooted cuttings of my "Angel-Wing Begonia" to Holly's.....
I cut it back every year--so I always root the ends i cut off.....more to share--NO???