Many gardeners give up on their roses in the summer, believing they produce quality flowers only in the spring. Rose blossoms do tend to be smaller in the summer and the colors not quite as vivid because the summer heat forces the blooms to open before blossom size and color pigment have completely developed. But given the proper care, combined with a few simple pruning techniques, roses will re-bloom every six weeks until the first frost.

There are two ways to prune roses during the growing season, and both will encourage new blooms to set. Most roses have leaflets (with three to seven leaves) every couple of inches along the stems. In order to produce blooms you need to prune at least to the second five-leafed leaflet. (Pruning just above will eliminate nasty dead stems called coat hangers.)

If you also want to prune for size control, you can go as far down as two leaflets above the previous cut. Pruning beyond the previous cut tells the rose you don't want it to bloom. Remember that hybrid tea and grandiflora rose stems tend to grow at least 18 inches after each pruning before blooming, so if you prune only the minimum amount you will have a very tall (and possibly leggy) rose by the end of summer.

Because roses are constantly growing, they are in constant need of food. It's important to feed roses every 6-8 weeks with a quality rose food like Gro-Power Flower & Bloom 3-12-12. Continue feeding through September, and you will have quality rose blooms into fall. So don't give up on your roses. With a little help, they will provide loads of blooms for you all season long.

Who's your bud? Not the budworm. When the weather warms up, you can bet this pest is on its way. The budworm (a type of caterpillar/moth) is gunning for your geraniums, petunias, snapdragons, and other flowering plants. Knowing the budworm's diet, habits, and the effective control methods, you will be armed and ready for combat.

It can be hard to spot budworms. They are very small and they tend to take on the color of the bloom or foliage they are infesting, further enhancing their camouflage. You will see irregular chewing on the blossoms and round holes through flower buds and leaves. The numerous black droppings they leave behind are one of the telltale signs. Many gardeners may not know they have a problem until the damage becomes severe.

Controlling this pest depends on the amount of planting. With a small patio of plants, physically removing and killing them should be effective. A larger yard would require spraying. Insecticides that contain Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), such as Safer BT Caterpillar Control, offer reasonably effective biological control. Because the Bt must be ingested by the insect to be effective, it may take a few days before you no longer see any signs of budworms. Plant sprays containing Sevin are also effective in controlling budworms.

Now that you know what to look for, and what to spray, you'll be armed and ready at the first sign of attack.

Frank grew up in the section of La Mirada known as Blue Hills, where his father grew flowers commercially for the cut flower industry. Many years later, in 1950, after Frank married Asaye, they moved to rural (at the time) east Whittier. They started a nursery on ten acres of land which had been a lemon grove. The nursery was located where the present Blue Hills is; the rest of the land was devoted to growing flowers, as his father had. Eventually it became too hard to manage two demanding businesses at the same time, so Frank sold the rear part to the school district—to become the current Jordan School.

The original nursery building also provided living quarters for the family, eventually including 3 children. As the nursery prospered, they built a home on Jordan Road as well as the current nursery building.

The new building had space for other small businesses—where Orchard Fresh Foods is now located—including a lawnmower shop and a tropic fish store. Eventually they all left and Orchard remodeled the space.

Those years weren’t all work for Frank; he still found time for his favorite avocation of breeding and racing quarter horses. And as he moved into retirement, the next couple of generations have taken their adult roles in the nursery where they grew up.

Another August, and we're trying to finish everything in our gardens before the REAL heat comes. So here's a question about garden problems in the past.

This Week's Question: According to the Historical Society of Camden County, New Jersey, what was the most common garden theft in the 18th century? Tie breaker: Why?

This Week's Prize: 6" houseplant ($11.99)
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