Category: #HelpfulTips

A Few Suggestions to Stay Healthy

On By SCLMRoseIn #HelpfulTips, #motivational, #stress, Roses1 Comment

By: Rosalinda Morgan

Author, Saving Wentworth Hall

Here are a few suggestions to stay healthy. I’ve been practicing healthy habits since I’m in my early 40s, and it shows because, at this last quarter stage of my life, I have no health issues and do not take any prescription drugs.

Dementia is one issue affecting the elderly. As you get old, you seem to forget things. Losing your keys is a minor sign, but if you keep forgetting something or forget what you said constantly, you should begin to worry. Walking, doing the crossword puzzle, cooking, and reading keep your brain active. I read a lot, write quite a bit, and am an editor of two quarterly newsletters. Exercise or any physical activity will increase your brain’s protective proteins and lower your risk of developing dementia. I also take time to garden – taking care of my 60 roses and plenty of annuals, perennials, and shrubs. 

If you are a couch potato and watch TV for more than four hours, you will likely have a blood clot. Sitting too long in front of the computer will do the same thing. Stand up, do something else. Stay away from the screen. Take a break every 30 minutes from your computer to increase your blink rate. Staring at your computer screen makes you blink less, leaving your eyes dry and itchy. Focusing too hard on the screen can cause headaches, fatigue, and blurred vision.

You only have one set of eyes, and you should protect them. Eat yellow and dark leafy vegetables high in lutein and zeaxanthin to help protect the eyes from damages that could lead to vision loss. I take PreserVision eye vitamins to supplement my diet. Studies also show that taking 7,000 steps five days a week can lower glaucoma risk by 73 percent.

Be selective with the food you eat. Eat food that helps lower your cholesterol. Avoid foods high in saturated fat because they will raise cholesterol levels in your blood. This excess cholesterol builds a waxy substance on the walls of your arteries and reduces or blocks the blood flow to your heart.

Have a positive outlook in life. Look into the brighter side of things. Stop worrying about things you can not control.

Until next time. Stop and smell the roses. Here is one for you!  

Celestial Night – a floribunda. Beautiful and fragrant!

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Super Food for Better Health

On By SCLMRoseIn #HelpfulTips, #PositiveThinking, #stress, Rose Gardening, RosesLeave a comment

By: Rosalinda Morgan

Author, Saving Wentworth Hall

Let’s start the New Year with a goal to stay healthy and avoid catching the virus. Let’s begin with healthy food to sustain us in this challenging time. Here are some of my favorite superfoods for better health.

  1. Broccoli – It’s loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, vitamin K, and folate. Steam until it’s bright green and just tender. Some people hate broccoli, but it is the best vegetable around. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a spritz of fresh lemon juice if you like. When my kids were young, most of their friends hated broccoli, but my children loved them. They told their friends, I cooked the best broccoli. The secret: I sauteed them and sprinkled some soy sauce, pepper, ground garlic, and onions, adding a little water until it was bright green. That was simple, and the kids loved it.
  2. Sweet Potatoes – Sweet potatoes are nutritional superstars. They are loaded with carotenoids and are a good source of potassium and fiber. Toss sweet potato wedges with a bit of olive oil and roast until tender and lightly browned. I remember growing up snacking on just boiled sweet potatoes. Plain!
  3. Leafy greens. – Don’t miss out on powerhouses like kale, collards, spinach, mustard greens, and Swiss chard. These stand-out leafy greens are loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and fiber. Saute in olive oil with minced garlic and season with ground black pepper and red wine vinegar.
  4. Garbanzo beans are rich in protein, fiber, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. But garbanzos (chickpeas) stand out because they’re so versatile. Look for no-salt-added varieties in cartons. Add a handful to your tossed salad, or stir them into your vegetable stews, curries, and soups. I sauteed them with some onions, and they were delicious.
  5. Mangoes – A cup of mango supplies roughly 100% of a day’s vitamin C, a third of a day’s vitamin A, a decent dose of blood-pressure-lowering potassium, and three grams of fiber. I miss those yellow ones that grow in the Philippines. Those are the best!
  6. Avocado – Another tropical fruit that I love. Avocado is a rich source of several B Vitamins, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and potassium. Avocados also contain phytosterols and carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which are good for the eyes.
  7. Watermelon – It’s a heavy-weight in the nutrient department. A standard serving (about 2 cups) has a third of a day’s vitamins A and C., a nice shot of potassium, and a healthy dose of lycopene, all for only 90 calories. And when they’re in season, watermelons are often locally grown, which means they may have a smaller carbon footprint than some other fruits.
  8. Wild Salmon – Fatty fish like salmon, which are rich in omega-3 fats, may help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. And many types of wild-caught salmon are more sustainable than farmed salmon. We have salmon once a week. I sprinkle some herb and olive oil and bake them for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.

So there you have them. Always remember, you are what you eat. I’ve been practicing good eating habits since the ‘70s, and it shows. I’m very healthy, have no health issues, and do not take any meds.

Aside from eating healthy, stop and smell the roses to keep stress at bay. Here’s a beautiful rose for you:

Nicole – An award-winning floribunda growing in front of my house in New York.

A Rose (April in Paris) and a Motivational Tip for the Day

On By SCLMRoseIn #HelpfulTips, #inspiration, Rose Gardening, Roses1 Comment

 

Name of Rose: April in Paris

Class: Hybrid Tea

Registration Name: Jacprize

Parentage: ‘Pristine’ x ‘New Zealand’

Hybridizer: Dr. Keith W. Zary

Date of Introduction: 2007

This All-American Rose Selections Award winner and a Jackson and Perkins’ former Rose of the Year® features beautiful, pale, seashell pink, high-centered blooms edged in a deeper shade of pink. Substantially petaled, they last and last in a vase.

The pointed, ovoid buds spiral into 4½-inch blooms on sturdy, generous stems well-suited for cutting. Durable, they maintain their elegant appearance for a long time in a vase or display. An intense tea rose scent wafts from the flowers like an uncorked perfume bottle to be savored in the garden or vase. It reminds you of a spring romance in Paris.

The creamy blooms, typically borne singly, are produced in flushes throughout the season. It will grow to 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. The shrub is a dazzling showpiece in the garden. The dark green foliage sets off the light pink blooms. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn’t necessarily require any plants in front of it. It grows faster, and under ideal conditions, can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

‘April in Paris’ thrives in average to evenly moist conditions and slightly acidic, well-drained loam in partial sun. It will not tolerate standing water. This rose does not really like full sun, as the delicate petals will burn as the sun heats up during the summer. Make sure the plant has good air circulation, which promotes vigorous and healthy growth and helps prevent disease. During the summer months, a layer of mulch helps retain moisture, keep roots cool, and discourage weed growth.

Pruning is required in the spring, trimming the shrub to half its height or about 18 inches off the ground. Old canes and dead wood should be removed, and canes that cross each other should be cut. In warmer climates, the remaining canes should be cut by one-third. More trimming is required in colder climates.

‘April in Paris’ makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright growth habit, plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when roses are grown in a container, they may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag and may require more frequent waterings than those grown in the yard or garden.

Tip of the Day: Be romantic!

A Rose (The Pilgrim) and a Tip for a Happy Life

On By SCLMRoseIn #amblogging, #HelpfulTips, #inspiration, #MondayMotivation, #motivational, #PositiveThinking, David Austin Roses1 Comment

Name of Rose: The Pilgrim

Class: Shrub (David Austin Rose)

Registration Name: AUSwalker

Hybridizer: David Austin

Date of Introduction: 1987

‘The Pilgrim’ rose hybridized by David Austin and introduced in 1987 is not named after the pilgrims in Massachusetts but the pilgrim in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Parentage is ‘Graham Thomas’ x ‘Yellow Button’. It grows 4 ft tall x 5 ft wide and up to 10 ft as a climber. Its perfectly formed blooms are quite large, shallowly cupped, rosette-shaped and up to 170 petals. The beautiful yellow color pales towards the edges of the blooms, giving a charming softness that is rare among yellow roses. The soft green foliage complements the soft yellow blooms. It has a delicious medium to strong Tea and myrrh fragrance. The bush is quite healthy and repeats very well.

In warmer areas, it is a good idea to do summer pruning to keep the plant upright and bushy. It is superb as a climber, one of the best English Rose climbers. It will quickly reach some height and still produce flowers and leaves lower down on the plant which is rare among climbers.

Tip of the Day – Learn how to cook one awesome meal to make those dinner parties much more special. (Not just on Thanksgiving).

A Rose (Secret) and a Motivational Tip for the Day

On By SCLMRoseIn #amblogging, #amwriting, #HelpfulTips, #motivational, #PositiveThinking, Rose Gardening, Roses2 Comments

Name of the Rose: Secret

Class: Hybrid Tea

Registered Name: HILaroma

Hybridizer – Daniel Tracy/E.G. Hill Co.

Date of Introduction: 1992

This exhibition quality pink blend Hybrid Tea is a winner of the All-America Rose Selections Award in 1994, Portland Best Rose in 1998 and the Gamble Fragrance Award in 2003. It is white with raspberry pink edges and is both excellent on the show table and garden display. It is a medium, moderately thorny, bushy plant with an upright habit, semi-glossy dark green leaves on long stems and produces lots of large high-centered blooms 4 to 6 inches across. It grows 3 to 5 ft tall and 2 to 3 ft across. Blooms come on single stem or in clusters of three or four. Blooms are double (30 to 40 petals) and tend to get larger in cool weather.

Secret is a generous performer giving blooms from late spring to early summer and repeats through to fall. It can be used in beds and borders and if you need lots of fragrant blooms to share with others, plant Secret in the cutting garden in threes so the plants look bushier. It has a strong, spicy fragrance. It is winter hardy and has good disease resistance. Who says modern hybrid tea does not have any fragrance? Secret can perfume a room with just one bloom.

Tip of the Day – Be around positive people who do positive things.

A Rose (Pristine) and a Motivational Tip for the Day

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Name of Rose – Pristine

Class – Hybrid Tea

Hybridizer – Warriner

Date of introduction – 1977

Registration Name – JACpico

Parentage – ‘White Masterpiece’ x ‘First Prize’

‘Pristine’ has the delicate look of porcelain, you’ll be tempted to feel the petals to see if it is real. The bloom is high-centered, double (30-35 petals), large – six inches across and somewhat ruffled. Most often, it comes singly on a long, thick stem although quite thorny, with large, dark green glossy leaves. It is a very vigorous plant and very disease resistant. It can be used for cut flower or for garden display. It has gathered enough trophies to be a favorite among exhibitors.

The tapered bud opened white to creamy petals blushed with light to medium pink on the edge of the petals and displaying orange-yellow stamens in the center. Fragrance is light. Habit is quite tall and spreading, from 4 to 7 ft. tall and 3 to 6 ft. wide. It tends to spread its canes sideways so prune it to inward-facing buds to discourage sprawling. It blooms continuously throughout the season. The best location for this rose is in the back of the border. Good companion plants are pink flowered plants and some blue stately delphiniums. For regions with harsh winter, it requires winter protection.

Tip of the Day – Keep your desk and work area neat and clean.

Until next time. Stop and Smell the Roses

Rosalinda

A Rose (Sunshine Daydream) And A Tip For A Successful Living

On By SCLMRoseIn #amblogging, #amwriting, #HelpfulTips, #motivational, Rose Gardening, Roses2 Comments

Sunshine Daydream – 2012 AARS Winner

After two years going through the toughest tests in their test gardens across the country, the All-America Rose Selections had a winner for 2012. The 2012 only AARS winner is Sunshine Daydream hybridized by Meilland International and introduced by Conard-Pyle Co./Star Roses.

Sunshine Daydream is a butter-yellow grandiflora with lighter edges and an ovoid bud form that turns into cup-shaped flower as it opens up. It is complemented with dark green, glossy foliage on a round and bushy plant, 5-1/2 ft tall and up to 4-1/2 ft wide. Sunshine Daydream has a large flower size with about 25-to 35 petals and blooms continuously from spring to late fall. Disease resistance is excellent including blackspot. It has no fragrance.

For a great flower color and bloom production, Sunshine Daydream surely is a winner to all rose lovers and gardeners. Sunshine Daydream’s sunny color will brighten any garden. I planted one in front of my house and it is the only yellow rose in that flower bed.

Tip of the day – Never invest more in the stock market than you can afford to lose.

The Hildesheim Rose and a Motivational Tip for the day

On By SCLMRoseIn #amblogging, #amwriting, #HelpfulTips, #inspiration, #motivational, Rose Lore, Roses1 Comment

 

Hildesheim Rose 2
Photo Credit – Wikipedia

I hear it all the time that rose is difficult to grow and yet the Hildesheim Rose, (Rosa canina commonly called dog rose) is estimated at approximately 1,000 years old. It is said to be the oldest rosebush in the world. It is the one climbing the wall of the apse of the Cathedral of Hildesheim in their courtyard at Hildesheim, Germany. It is a symbol of the city of Hildesheim and its prosperity. According to the legend, as long as the rose keeps blooming, Hildesheim will not decline. During World War II in 1945 allied bombers destroyed the cathedral yet the rose not only survived the bomb attacks but it grew new shoots just a few weeks later and soon was growing strong as ever. It has withstood war, drought, pestilence and poison gas to bloom serenely every summer against the Cathedral wall.

There are several mythical explanations of the origin of this rose. The most appealing story is that of Emperor Louis who became separated from his men while out hunting for deer. Night was falling and the snow was blowing fiercely about him as he hung his crucifix on a thorn tree, knelt and prayed for help. Worn out from his exertion he curled up in the snow and slept. The next morning, he awoke to find his crucifix hanging from a rose tree in full bloom. And through the leafless forest he saw his men walking toward him. In thanksgiving he built a chapel on the spot. The chapel grew in size until it became the great Cathedral of Hildesheim against which the rose still blooms.

Tip of the day – Don’t miss the chance to ask your grandparents questions before they die. They are a great resource of valuable life lessons but ask before it’s too late.

Until next time. Stop and smell the roses.

Rosalinda Morgan

A Rose named after Our Lady of Guadalupe and a Motivational Tip for the Christmas Season

On By SCLMRoseIn #amwriting, #HelpfulTips, #motivational, #Wednesday Wisdom, Rose Gardening, Roses1 Comment

IMG_3220

 

In the Rose Gardening World, Our Lady of Guadalupe is a lovely pink Floribunda with 25 petals. Our Lady of Guadalupe Rose blooms are complemented with reddish green leaves and very healthy. It is prolific bloomer and as good if not better than Knock Out roses in my garden.

 

When it was first introduced, only Jackson and Perkins carried it for a while with part of the sales going to a charity. It is such a lovely rose in the garden. I had two bushes planted in the middle of a formal garden with six roses on the same bed. On one of my Ice Cream Socials at my garden in New York, I showed the rose to the priest who was attending the Ice Cream Social. I also had two American Beauty roses, the priest’s favorite rose on the bed and two Brother Cadfael roses, another pink rose. The priest decided to bless the bed and the whole garden.

 

The following winter, we had a very harsh winter and lo and behold, the roses in that bed all died except Our Lady of Guadalupe. I then replaced the four roses with John Paul II, Brother Cadfael, Glamis Castle and Tess d’Urbervilles. When we had the Ice Cream Social again the next year, Fr. Burns was back and I told him the story. He could not believe it and told me he would tell his mother who loved to garden.

 

The feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is Dec. 12. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to the 16th century, when, according to tradition, an Aztec Indian named Juan Diego had a vision of the Virgin Mary in December 1531 who identified herself in Spanish. The appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe generated the conversion of Mexico, Central and South America to Catholicism. Indeed, Our Lady of Guadalupe became an integral part of Mexican life and a central figure to the history of Mexico itself. The three most important religious celebrations in Central and South America are Christmas, Easter, and December 12, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her appearance in the center of the American continents has contributed to the Virgin of Guadalupe being given the title “Mother of the Americas”. After the Spanish Conquest, Diego was one of the first converts to Christianity, according to believers. He was canonized in 2002, making him the first indigenous American saint.

 

Tip of the Day – Share your time, treasure and talent to help others.

 

Until next time. Stop and smell the roses.

Rosalinda

 

A Rose (Olympiad) and a Tip for a Happy, Healthy and Successful Living

On By SCLMRoseIn #HelpfulTips, #motivational, #PositiveThinking, Red Roses, Rose Gardening, Roses1 Comment

 

Olympiad by Flickr
Photo Credit – Flickr.com

Parentage – (‘Red Planet’ x ‘Pharaoh’), 1982
Hybridizer – Sam McGredy, New Zealand
Introducer – Armstrong Nursery, Ontario, California

Olympiad was the official rose of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. It was also the winner of the All America Rose Selection Award in 1984 and the Gold Medal Portland Award in 1985. Olympiad is one of the best red hybrid teas as a bedding rose for gardeners and an excellent source for cut flower. The blooms come usually singly on long stems. Olympiad has good repeat throughout the season. The long pointed buds unfurl to double (35 to 40 petals), large (4 – 5 inches across), high-centered brilliant clear red flowers with a mild fragrance. Very thorny stems bear medium green, semi-glossy foliage with medium red new growth.

Olympiad

Olympiad is a tall (4 to 6 ft with a spread of 3 to 4 ft.) upright, compact rose plant. Disease resistance is generally good but if you have a problem with black spot in your area, it is advisable to take preventive measures. If only Olympiad had a strong fragrance, it could be a perfect rose.

 

Tip of the Day – Maintain a good posture. Enter a room with poise and confidence.

 

Until next time. Stop and smell the roses.
Rosalinda Morgan

A rose (Rosa Rugosa) and a Tip for a Happy, Healthy and Successful Living

On By SCLMRoseIn #amwriting, #HelpfulTips, #inspiration, #motivational, Low Maintenance Roses, Rose Gardening, Roses1 Comment

 
Rosa rugosa

Rosa rugosa roses are very attractive plants but prickly, heavily armored with unforgiving thorns and noted for its wrinkled or rugose foliage. Rosa rugosa produces an abundance of flowers in almost any soil, from heavy clay to beach sand and is a rich source of vitamin C. Rosa rugosa blooms for a long period of time and bears either single or double blossoms with wonderful fragrance. After the petals fall, the plants produce rose hips of a deep red-orange. Rosa rugosa are extremely hardy, except maybe in the most northern gardens. They can be planted in a row to serve as a dense, impenetrable hedge. They are disease-free and rarely bothered by insects. They are also useful in cosmetics and in food. 

 

Rosa rugosa can sucker and spread throughout the garden. The Rosa rugosa’s sprawling characteristics can be useful in keeping steep banks stabilized. If you live next to the water, it is useful to hold banks against erosion. Rugosa roses thrive on ocean mist and sandy soil to beautify many coastal settings. Rugosa roses are underappreciated because it lacks the show quality of hybrid teas but they are tough plants. 

 

Here is a list of some of the rugosa roses currently available.

Alba – white, single, 6 ft.

Conrad Ferdinand Meyer – Mid-pink, double, 8 ft., train as climber.

David Thompson (Explorer series) – Medium red, double, 4 ft.

F.J. Grootendorst – Medium red. semi-double, fringed petals, 6 ft.

Hansa – violet-red, double, 6 ft.

Henry Hudson (explorer series) – white, double, 3 ft.

Jens Munk (Explorer series) – Medium pink, double, 6 ft.

Linda Campbell – medium red, double, 3-5 ft.

Magnifica – dark red, full, 6 ft.

Martin Frobisher (explorer series) – Light-pink, semi-double, 6 ft.

Max Graf – pink blend, single, 2 ft.

Nova Zembla – white, double, 8 ft.

Sarah Van Fleet – medium pink, semi-double, 8 ft.

Scabrosa – mauve, single, 6 ft.

Sir Thomas Lipton – white, double, 8 ft.

Therese Bugnet – medium pink, full, 6 ft.

White Grootendorst – white, full, 6 ft.

 

Tip of the Day – Strive for excellence, not perfection.

 

Until next time. Stop and smell the roses.

Rosalinda Morgan

 

A Rose (Aloha) and a Tip for a happy, healthy and Successful Living

On By SCLMRoseIn #HelpfulTips, #inspiration, #MondayMotivation, #PositiveThinking, Rose Gardening, RosesLeave a comment

Aloha

 

Class:   Climbing Hybrid Tea

Parentage:   ‘Mercedes Gallart’ x ‘New Dawn’

Hybridizer – Boerner, 1949

 

 

‘Aloha’ is a rose of medium pink color with strong fragrance, reminiscent of Hybrid Perpetuals. This large flowered climber has beautiful blooms on long canes, and a long flowering season, blooming heavily in late spring to early summer, followed by excellent repeat blooms through summer and fall. Most often, flowers come in clusters and occasionally singly. The large, rounded buds open to very double cupped flowers (58 petals) up to 4 inches across. The petals are a medium rosy pink on top with a deeper rose-pink reverse. All the petals have pale edges, and drop cleanly and never ball. Foliage is dark, glossy and leathery and is disease resistant but may show some powdery mildew if not given enough space with good air circulation.

‘Aloha’ is a versatile plant, classified as a climber but can also be used as a shrub. With pruning, it can make a long blooming shrub for a mixed border. As a climber, it can climb 8 to 12 ft. tall with the support of a post, pillar, arbor, fence or trellis. The canes are very attractive arranged on an espalier. It is important to train the canes early on as they tend to get too thick and are impossible to train.

 

Tip #34 – Don’t neglect your teeth. Get regular dental checkups. Brush. Floss your teeth. People with poor oral health are at a higher risk for both heart attack and stroke. A study just came out that found a link between a certain type of oral bacteria and hemorrhagic stroke. So brushing and flossing your teeth every day is important.

 

 

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses.

Rosalinda R Morgan

Author & Garden Writer