During our rose growing season, I have featured monthly articles on garden bugs – mostly the kind of bugs we want to remove from our gardens. As the season ends, I thought I would switch to writing about the beneficial insects that I have added to my garden this season to control aphids, spider mites andContinue reading “Green Lacewings in the Rose Garden”
Author Archives: rosesgreatermilwaukeerosesociety4648
Winter Rose Protection
Each winter in our area is different. What works for winter protection one year may not work the next. Winter protection begins with proper selection, proper planting and healthy bushes. A weak bush will not have the proper reserves to take it through our cold winters. Roses are woody perennials. They need to go dormant in our climate. Don’tContinue reading “Winter Rose Protection”
October Rose Doctor
October Checklist for the Rose Garden. With the sunlight bringing shorter days it’s time to start thinking about our winter protection of our rose gardens. You should have stopped your fertilizing by now but is a good time to adjust your soil. I just had my soil tested and found that my PH was 7.2Continue reading “October Rose Doctor”
Leafhoppers in the Rose Garden
When Wisconsin rosarians talk about bug concerns in their garden, that conversation is frequently about spider mites, aphids or Japanese beetles. After eliminating pesticides in my garden for the past two years, I have observed a few different “bugs” in my garden. I am not sure if my new interest in bugs is making me more observantContinue reading “Leafhoppers in the Rose Garden”
Thrips in the Rose Garden
When we talk about “thrip damage” in southeast Wisconsin, most individuals are referring to the brown discoloration seen on lighter colored rose petals. Move the petals around and you may also see tiny insects darting among the petals. Most likely, you are seeing the adult Western Flower Thrip, a member of the order Thysanoptera, that containsContinue reading “Thrips in the Rose Garden”
Japanese Beetles
by Diane Sommers, Master Rosarian No series on rose bugs would be complete without a discussion on Japanese Beetles. Japanese beetles have been a significant problem in our rose gardens for years. I first saw these pests while on an Indiana garden tour during an ARS National Convention. I was so glad they were notContinue reading “Japanese Beetles”
Dragonflies
Between the Leaves – A Closer Look at Garden Bugs By Diane Sommers As I began to plan for my series of articles on “bugs”, I had penciled in Green Lacewings for our June newsletter. That changed while walking through the garden recently as I spied my first Dragonfly of the season. With their brilliant colors andContinue reading “Dragonflies”
Pre-Emergent Herbicides in Your Garden
By Diane Sommers, Master Rosarian Of all the things I enjoy about gardening, pulling weeds is not one of them. When I consider all the time I have spent over the years pulling weeds, I know there has to be a better way to manage weeds. Some years I am more diligent than others and some yearsContinue reading “Pre-Emergent Herbicides in Your Garden”
Selecting Roses for Your Garden
By Diane Sommers, Master Rosarian At a recent morning Pilates class, soothing music was playing and our instructor suggested we think of spring flowers popping out of the earth. We were experiencing one of the warmest winters in history, with February temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s. Almost as an afterthought, perhaps knowing I was the roseContinue reading “Selecting Roses for Your Garden”
Non-Chemical Insect Control
In April, 2025, Suzanne Wainright-Evans presented this webinar on the use of non-chemical practices for insect control in the garden. We know you will enjoy it and learn some good practices along the way!
June Rose Doctor
Welcome to the happiest time of the year for rosarians, June is the month we celebrate our National Floral Emblem, The Rose. It is time for us to enjoy everything we love about our roses. Try these few steps to make this time special. Keep up with your spray program for fungus according to manufacturesContinue reading “June Rose Doctor”
Exhibit Like A Winner!
by Lynda H. Fleming This is the third article about the fun and benefits of exhibiting your roses. Below you will find some easy tips and examples that will enable any of you to “Exhibit Like A Winner”! Disclaimers: I am not a Judge. The opinions are mine, based on more than 25 years of exhibiting. Winning Some! Losing Many!! HavingContinue reading “Exhibit Like A Winner!”
