There are many aspects to planning a backyard makeover, one of the largest and most daunting tasks being landscaping. Landscaping can be as simple as planting a flowers and trees to as complex as laying a brick patio. Although I have multiple long term plans for my backyard makeover, I think of this as a lifelong project, one that I will invest infinite number of hours planning and even more hours of physical labor, this is a project that must be tackled one project at a time. This summer I started by installing a flower bed along the fence and planted Knockout Roses alternately with Golden Euonymus.
Preparing the flower bed
I chose the Knock out Rose to line the fence because of their ease of care and the summer long blooms that they produce. These roses produce 2-3” blooms consistently for approximately 5 months, and grow to a mature height of about 3 feet. From my experience, the Knock out Rose Bush is virtually impossible to kill as long as you make sure the plant receives plenty of water and sunshine. This year I received the plants from an online nursery, Great Garden Plants, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the quality and the beauty of these plants.
The plants arrived via Fed-Ex within a matter of days. When I opened the box I was very impressed. Each plant was planted in a 1 quart size container and separated in the box with cardboard dividers. The container of each plant was wrapped with plastic and secured with a rubber band which kept the soil nice and moist through delivery. The plants were very healthy, and appeared to be thriving.
With the shipment, I also received a planting guide with detailed instructions on how to care for the plants. Within these instructions I learned that I needed to wait 24-48 hours after receiving the shipment before planting so the plants could acclimate to the new environment; how often to water the plants; and when to fertilize the plants. These instructions came in particularly handy since I had never ordered plants from an online nursery before.
Despite the record high temperatures, these plants continue to thrive. I think the first week they when through a little bit of a shock period and with the hundred degree temperatures their leaves started to scorch ever so slightly. I continued to water the plants daily and every Saturday I give them a little bit of fertilizer to boost their blooms. I think that these plants will be the perfect addition to our backyard for many summers to come.
Finished Garden Bed
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| Natalie is a mother of two energetic boys ages 5 and 7. She spends her weekends working outside in the yard and loves DIY home improvement projects. She enjoys playing sports with her children and dreams of becoming a professional photographer. |
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
About Julee
Thank you Natalie for a terrific review. Knock Out Roses are an ideal choice for a very busy mother of 2 energetic young boys – you want gardening to be easy yet beautiful.