Gardening 101: Growing and Caring for Roses

Review
“This book is informative. My parents have grown roses for the longest time, and I just moved into a place with its own garden and wanted to give it a shot. Outside the advice of my parents, this book answers most everything I was curious about and probably saved me a few headaches. Great info and I recommend picking this if you have any interest in gardening”

Product Description
No flower matches the romance of roses, and now you can learn to grow them yourself with this book from home gardening expert P. Allen Smith. Discover how to choose among rose bushes, climbers, and ground-cover, classic varieties or beautiful new hybrids. Find out which species of rose are most likely to thrive where you live, and make informed decisions to create a thriving collection of flowers.

“Growing and Caring for Roses” will take you through the process from planting to blossoming to pruning, with special attention on protecting your plants from pests and preparing your garden for winter. The only thing better than a gift of roses from someone you love is coming home to blooming roses, making every day feel like Valentine’s Day.

Excerpt from the Book:
“Roses will grow in a variety of soils, but the soil must be well-drained. Roses perform best in a healthy soil that is full of life, from tiny microbes to squirmy earthworms. These organisms work together to break down nutrients that then become available to plants. Lots of organic matter creates a healthy environment in which your roses can thrive. Roses like a soil pH from 5.5 to 6.5. A soil test can determine the actual pH of the soil and whether you need to amend it to correct its acidity.”

Table of Contents:
Introduction to Rose Gardening
Chapter 1: Selecting Roses to Plant
Chapter 2: Planting Roses
Chapter 3: Pruning
Chapter 4: Common Rose Problems
Chapter 5: Preparing Roses for Winter

About the Author:
P. Allen Smith is an award-winning designer, gardening and lifestyle expert. He is the host of two public television programs, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, P. Allen Smith’s Garden to Table and the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith Gardens.

Smith is one of America's most recognized and respected design experts, providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues. He is the author of the best-selling Garden Home series of books published by Clarkson Potter/Random House, including Bringing the Garden Indoors: Container, Crafts and Bouquets for Every Room and the recently published cookbook, P. Allen Smith’s Seasonal Recipes from the Garden.

Allen is very active on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Allen’s Blog and YouTube. He is the host of the new YouTube eHow Home channel that debuted January 2012 producing thousands of hours of exclusive premium entertainment for Google. In partnership with Demand Media, an online leader in web content and social media, Allen and his company is also producing unique programming for Google’s YouTube channels eHow Pets & Animals.

Smith is a regular contributor on The Weather Channel and hosts his own radio program the “P. Allen Smith Show”. His design and lifestyle advice is featured in several national magazines.