Coming Up Roses

The other day, I purchased three rose plants to plant in my front yard’s garden bed. I have to admit that I bought them totally on a whim (because I loved the plants’ beautiful yellow blooms) and knew little about the plants or their care.

 It turns out I should have done some research before buying, since the variety I purchased ( Cl. Smiley Face ) is a climbing rose (rose bushes may have been more appropriate) that can grow as high as 12 feet. (And I have them planted in front of other bushes that are approximately 4 feet high, so I would want them lower than that.) The good news is that the roses are supposed to be fairly hardy and are resistant to mildew and rust, two problems that tend to plague roses.

So, I’ve done some research online and by downloading the title,  “Roses for Dummies”  (it seems there’s a “Dummies” book for almost everything) onto my Kindle. This is what I’ve learned so far about choosing and  growing roses :

1. Consider hardiness zones:  Before choosing a rose variety, see if it’s suited for your geographical area by checking the information provided on the plant’s tag against a  plant zone hardiness map .

2. Choose a sunny location:  Roses, which undoubtedly can give their owners a sunny disposition, also need a lot of sun. Plant your roses in a location that gets at least 8 hours of sunlight. My roses are planted in a sunny spot on the eastern side of my home, so the location should be good. Roses that are planted in shadier spots will produce fewer flowers.

  3. Water frequently:  To thrive, roses need plenty of water. Be sure to water your roses early in the day so the leaves can dry out before evening. Also, a soaker hose would be a good investment. Be sure to provide your roses with  1 to 2 inches of water per week . But be sure that the planting bed in which your roses are planted have adequate drainage, since standing water is not good for your plants.

  4. Improve the soil:  Feed your roses well, and they will show their gratitude with beautiful blooms. Add compost and fertilizer to the soil in which your roses are planted per your rose grower’s recommendations.

  5. Mulch:  Mulch around your roses to help the soil retain its moisture and to control weeds.

  6. Watch for pests:  Roses are prone to various types of diseases and pests, so check the leaves of your plants frequently for any  sign of trouble and treat accordingly .

The endearing smiley face « Minnesota Prairie Roots

I URGED HIM to speed up, to catch up to that yellow jeep ahead of us.

“I want to take a picture,” I explained, and my husband obliged although he thought me a bit crazy.

And maybe I am sometimes. But that canary yellow jeep, the single visual jolt of brightness on yet another recent dreary weekend, tripped something in my brain.

If you live in Minnesota, I expect you’ll understand. I mean, honestly, weren’t you tired of all the cold and rain and gloom on the heels of a long and snowy winter? (Remind me of that tomorrow when the temperature is predicted to reach 100 degrees or higher.)

So, given that context, the yellow jeep with the smiley face wheel cover made me smile as we traveled on U.S. Highway 14 between Mankato and Eagle Lake recently.

Smiley faces, no matter where I spot them, always increase my happiness quotient.

My appreciation of smiley faces stretches back further than I’d like to admit these days. This happiness symbol popped up everywhere when I was in high school, which would be, yes, the 1970s. Oh, how I wish I still had my smiley face bulletin board and my smiley face button.

So there, that should explain why I wanted to photograph the yellow jeep on a drizzly Saturday afternoon along a Minnesota highway. The smiley face represents a link to my past, to those turbulent teen years when I needed a bright smile as much then as I sometimes still need one some four decades later.

I can’t think of another symbol with such upbeat universal appeal. Can you?

Do you, like me, have fond memories of the smiley face? I’d like to hear.

© Copyright 2011 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Up until the past several days, clouds and rain have mostly defined our weather in Minnesota. Last week we got six inches of rain in Faribault. In ONE week. You can imagine the ponds of water in fields.

I took the smiley face photos on the day we toured the sculptures and sidewalk poetry in Mankato. Those were day brighteners too. But the smiley face really made me smile.

Because our drives are typically not short, we need to find ways to entertain ourselves in the car. The Alphabet Game (finding words on the signs from each letter of the alphabet) is only fun for so long. So we watch for peculiarities, especially with license plates. We will sometimes try to make phrases with the words and numbers on the plates, or just pay attention to where they are from. The best was when we were moving from Minnesota to Indiana and we saw a truck from Michigan, pulling a trailer from Ohio, with a truck on the trailer from Pennsylvania!

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