Super Food for Better Health

On January 4, 2022 By SCLMRoseIn #HelpfulTips, #PositiveThinking, #stress, Rose Gardening, RosesLeave a comment

By: Rosalinda Morgan

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.

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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 (Brigadoon) and a Tip for Healthy Living

On September 28, 2021 By SCLMRoseIn #PositiveThinking, #Wednesday Wisdom, Rose Culture, Rose Gardening, Roses1 Comment

Early stage of bloom

Later Stage of Bloom

Class: Hybrid Tea

Year of introduction – 1992

Registration Name – JACpal

Parentage: Unnamed Seedling x Pristine

Hybridizer: William A. Warriner (United States, 1991)

Introduced in the United States by Jackson & Perkins Co.

This winner of the All America Rose Selection award in 1992 is categorized as a pink blend, a description that says nothing about its real color, a creamy blush spreading from the center into deep pink coral. At times, it looks like coral-orange with cream reverse. It’s wonderful seeing it changes color as it opens from bud to bloom.

Brigadoon has moderate, spicy, fragrant blooms produced one to a stem, and are best up to the halfway stage where the bud is perfection itself. As the flower opens, it holds its shape but does tend to drop the immediate central petals – something that will only bother an exhibitor. As a flower for decoration, it is a real eye-catcher. The bush is vigorous, upright, medium-tall, about 3’ and 28” wide, and well-branched with semi-glossy deep green, dense, leathery foliage that can be pretty large in cooler climates. The long, pointed, ovoid buds unfurl to double (35-40 petals), large (5” across) to high-centered, reflexed bloom form, and blooms in flushes.

Brigadoon can be grown in USDA zone 6b and warmer and used for beds and borders, as cut flower or container rose. For spring pruning, remove old canes and dead or diseased wood and cut back canes that cross. In warmer climates, cut back the remaining canes by about one-third. In colder areas, you’ll probably find you’ll have to prune a little more than that. It requires spring freeze protection but can be grown in the ground or in a container. In a container, it requires winter protection.

Tip of the day: Eat lunch outside – When sunlight hits the body, production of the neurotransmitter serotonin increases, which can make you feel happier, more alert, and more energized. (Be sure to wear your sunscreen!)

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

On April 22, 2021 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 (Secret) and a Motivational Tip for the Day

On October 8, 2019October 8, 2019 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 (Sunshine Daydream) And A Tip For A Successful Living

On June 13, 2019 By SCLMRoseIn #amblogging, #amwriting, #HelpfulTips, #motivational, Rose Gardening, Roses2 Comments

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.

A Rose (Eyeconic Pink Lemonade) And a Tip for a Healthy Living

On May 28, 2019 By SCLMRoseIn #amwriting, #motivational, #PositiveThinking, Eyeconic Roses, Hulthemia Roses, Rose Gardening, Roses1 Comment

Registration Name: ‘SPRolempink’

Type: Hybrid Hulthemia

Eyeconic™ Shrub Rose is another new breeding breakthrough in the rose world introduced by the Conard-Pyle Co/Star Roses. After many years of attempting to cross modern roses with Hulthemias, (a species-type roses originating in ancient Persia), rose breeder Jim Sproul finally succeeded. The Hulthemias are a once-blooming species with a characteristic red blotch. The Eyeconics™ capture the blotch, but everything else about these roses is modern, from their rebloom to their pleasing small, shrub-like habit to their disease resistance. The bushy 3 to 4-1/2 foot plants are filled with dark green, very glossy foliage that sets off the 2- to 3-inch, ruffled, non-fragrant blooms.

Eyeconic™ Pink Lemonade is light pink to melon rose with a darker red ring surrounding the inside of the petal that is typical of the Hulthemia hybrids. The bud form is small, ovoid open melon-pink with a red ring maturing to shell pink with the red turning to a purplish eye. The medium size bloom is cuplike with an average of 8-10 petals, 3 ½ inches in diameter. The plant is prolific and blooms continuously for months with blooms in cluster of five blooms per stem with dark green, very glossy foliage. It is a breakthrough rose, coming from a breeder, Jim Sproul who has been working more than 20 years on Hulthemia hybrids.

Eyeconic Pink Lemonade has an excellent habit and self-cleaning. The plant is compact, bushy, approximately 3 ft. tall by 3 ft. wide. This ultra-vigorous shrub is a carefree addition to any garden. Unhappily, there is no fragrance.

Tip of the day: – Laugh a lot. Laughter is the best medicine.

Until next time. Stop and Smell the Roses.

Rosalinda

Romantica Roses

On March 15, 2019 By SCLMRoseIn #amwriting, #motivational, #PositiveThinking, Romantica Roses, Rose Gardening7 Comments

Rouge Royale by Regan Nursery — Rouge Royale – Photo Credit: Regan Nursery

For rose lovers who want the charm and fragrance of the Old Garden Roses with their large variety of flower forms but longer blooming period, there are large selections now available. First, there was David Austin’s English Roses, then other growers started producing roses with the Old Garden Rose characteristics. One of them is the Meilland Company of France (developer of the famous Meidiland family of Landscape Roses. Alain Meilland of the legendary French rose company, the Meilland Company that boasts six generations of family ownership and hybridizer of the Romantica Roses received the Great Rosarians of the World award for 2012.

After David Austin’s success with the English Roses, the House of Meilland followed suit with a series of garden roses blending the best qualities of Heirlooms with modern Floribundas and Hybrid Teas. They call this group of rose Romantica Roses. Many of these varieties were bred in the South of France by Meilland International. These new French Roses represent an important expansion of the English Rose style, with astonishing new varieties and versatility that take the concept pioneered by David Austin to an entirely new level from romantic antique to modern Hybrid Teas, from climbers to shrubs with extensive color ranges, nostalgic pastels to vivid hues, wide selection of attractive plant forms, excellent disease resistance, outstanding foliage typical of the Meilland breeding line, old-fashioned fragrance and dependable repeat flowering habit for all seasons color. These characteristics appeal to both the novice as well as the advanced gardener. Their improved disease resistance and garden performance make them a wonderful addition to the modern landscape.

Here is a list of Romantica Roses that you can incorporate in your garden:

Bolero – F – White – 2004
Dee-lish -HT – Medium Pink – 2011
Francois Rabelais – F – Medium Red – 1998
Guy de Maupassant – F – Medium Pink – 1996
Jean Giono – HT – Yellow Blend – 1998
Michelangelo – HT – Medium Yellow – 1997
Peter Mayle – HT – Deep Pink – 2003
Polka – LCl – Apricot Blend – 1996
Rouge Royal – HT – Red Blend – 2001
Traviata – HT – Dark Red – 1998
White Eden – LCl – White – 2004
Yves Piaget – HT – Medium Pink – 1985

Note: F (Floribunda), HT (Hybrid Tea), LCl (Large-Flowered Climber)

Tip of the Day – When someone is telling you about an important event that happened to them, don’t try to top them with your own story. Let them have the stage.

Until Next time. Stop and Smell the Roses.

Rosalinda R Morgan

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

On February 26, 2019 By SCLMRoseIn #amblogging, #inspiration, #motivational, #PositiveThinking, Rose Gardening1 Comment

Class: Hybrid Tea

Hybridizer: Dr. Keith W. Zary

Date of Introduction: 1999

Parentage: ‘Anne Morrow Lindbergh’ x ‘New Year’

‘Gemini’ is always a winner. It won the 2005 Members’ Choice Award from the American Rose Society. It also won the AARS 2000 award. It has all the qualities that exhibitors love – high-centered large blooms, 5”-7” in diameter, double (17-25 petals), and elegantly formed. It has a lighter tint in the spring and gets darker hue as it progresses through the season. The light pink color with a darker hue on the edges is so beautiful. No wonder it always captures a place at the Court of Honor of a Rose Show.

Gemini produces plenty of exhibition type blooms on a tall, bushy plant (4-6 ft high x 3 ft wide). Most often, blooms come singly on a long, thick stems with large, deep green glossy foliage. This rose looks great in the garden and in a vase. It also lasts a long time in a vase. If you have one space in your garden, try to get Gemini. It will capture your heart as it does most judges at the Rose Show.

Tip of the Day: Set short term and long term goals.

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

On December 12, 2018 By SCLMRoseIn #amwriting, #HelpfulTips, #motivational, #Wednesday Wisdom, Rose Gardening, Roses1 Comment

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 October 27, 2018 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 (Jubilee Celebration) and a Tip for a Happy, Healthy and Successful Living

On October 11, 2018 By SCLMRoseIn #amblogging, #amwriting, #inspiration, #motivational, #PositiveThinking, David Austin Roses, Rose Gardening, Roses1 Comment

Jubilee Celebration

Rose: Jubilee Celebration

Class: Shrub

Hybridizer: David Austin

Date of Introduction: 2002

Jubilee Celebration was named in commemoration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. It has lovely rich pink blooms with tints of gold on the underside of the petals. The blooms are large, pleasantly cupped above an attractive glossy foliage and blooms continuously. The rose is very healthy, vigorous, 4 ft. x 4 ft. building up into a fine shrub.

The scent of the young flower is almost pure lemon zest, later becoming a delicious, fruity rose fragrance with hints of fresh lemon and raspberry. It is an excellent rose throughout the US including the challenging hot and humid climate of the south east. Winner of the fragrance prize and people’s choice in Glasgow, Scotland.

I planted my one plant in a raised bed. It gets plenty of morning sun and shade in the afternoon and seems to be happy where it is.

Tip of the day – Commit yourself to constant self-improvement.

Until next time. Stop and smell the roses.

Rosalinda

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

On October 2, 2018 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.