Master Gardener^sm Column for the Week of February 7, 2005
Judy Koehly
Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^sm Volunteer

You know you can plant trees and shrubs in February with great success but did you know you can also plant roses! Bare root roses are dormant and sold as only roots and canes with no soil around the roots. Dig a hole for your bare root rose and mound up a pile of soil in the center of the hole. Carefully place the roots around the mound with the cane sitting on top of the mound, water well, and fill in with soil. New roses need to be mulched to protect them from the cold AND to keep the canes from drying out. Remove the mulch after the threat of frost is over and the roots are established.

One of my favorite winter things is my "winter pot." It's not too late to plant one if you haven't done so already. I like to use a very large Styrofoam-type pot. Place the pot where it will be visible as you enter the house or in a spot you can see from a large window. I put some Styrofoam peanuts in the bottom to assure good drainage, then I fill with potting soil mixed with dried cow manure. It's easy to find a sapling in the woods. I like to use a small holly or a coastal cedar (very similar to the Eastern red cedar). Place small tree in the center of the pot, add some hardy annuals for color such as pansies, snapdragons, or stock. Burgundy-colored heuchera also makes a nice accent plant in your winter pot. Add some ivy or trailing vinca to vine down the side and soften the look. Your winter pot will keep you smiling even on dreary winter days! As the weather warms up you can change to summer annuals.

Hellebores are another wonderful antidote for the winter blahs. This hardy perennial (Helleborus) with its exotic, hand-shaped, tooth-edged foliage, is an evergreen beauty in the southeast. Its delicate blooms appear in a range of colors. White, green, pink, maroon, lavenders, mauves, and deep purple will enliven your garden in late winter. Also known as Christmas rose and Lenten rose hellebores are neither roses nor do they appear on a holiday cue. Some will begin blooming in December, but blooming season for others can occur through June. Hellebores like to grow in high shade under pines. They are drought tolerant once established and must have "dry feet." When planting keep the crown of the plant slightly below soil level, but don't allow the soil to come up to the stems of the leaves. Hellebores are hungry plants and enjoy a top dressing of fertilizer.

Houseplants in a sunny window should be turned every two or three weeks to prevent them from becoming lopsided as they stretch toward the weak winter sun. Remember that they require less water and fertilizer during the winter months. After the flowers on your amaryllis fade, cut them off to prevent the plant's energy from going into seed production, which would be at the expense of bulb development. In the spring, plant your amaryllis bulb outdoors in a sunny spot being careful to leave about one third of the bulb exposed. Your plant will bloom in summer for years to come.

If you are interested in seeing an absolutely gorgeous, huge, exciting, and wonderful flower show AND you can be in Philadelphia, PA, in early March you must get to the Philadelphia Flower Show March 6-13 (visit www.theflowershow.com).

The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this article does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.

Send your gardening questions or comments to: Brunswick County Master Gardener Column, P.O. Box 109, Bolivia, NC 28422, or call (910) 253-2610. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope if requesting information or a reply. Answers may be printed in this column.

For further information or assistance, please e-mail:
Charlie Spencer, Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^smVolunteer

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Date Created 2/7/2005