What’s in Bloom


	Hibiscus	Butterfly Bush	Hydrangea	Roses
Botanical Names	Rosemallow Jamaica.	Buddleia	Hydrangea
Exposure	Sun & Indoors	Full Sun	Partial shade	Sun & Partial Sun
Watering	Regular to dry	Regular to dry	If planted in full sun, sufficient moisture is needed. Will require additional watering on hot dry summer.	Regular & Heavy drinkers Avoid getting foliage wet, watering only at the roots to prevent black spot fungus or other fungus from attacking the foliage.
Bloom time	Summer	Summer Blooms repeatedly	Mid-summer	Most species bloom in late spring and summer
Coloring	Varies by species	White, pink, red, purple, orange or yellow flowers	White, blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple	Varies by species
Plant Lifespan	Most species are Perennial	Perennial	Shrub	Perennial
Growth Habits and conditions	Thrive in warm temperatures as Bloom best with at 60° to 90°F (15° to 30°C) Do not flood roots Routinely and steadily water in warm weather and only when plant appears dry in cold weather Feed plant food Ensure that there is plenty of drainage if you choose to pot	Can reach 6'-12' 6 to 8 feet Zone 5 to 9	Grow up to 4-5' Spreads 4-5' Well drained, moist soil.	Average size roses will need at least a 4’ x 4’ area to grow and fill out. Roses must be given six or more hours of direct sunlight per day. Plant to plant them in a southern or western exposure for best results. Make sure to dig a hole that is at least two square feet for your new rose bush. Build a small mound of dirt in the center of the hole and spread the roots out on top of it. In our cold NH climate, the roots should be buried just slightly deeper than it was growing in the pot.
Pests of Diseases	Hibiscus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species	No serious insect or disease problems.	BACTERIAL DISEASES - Bacterial blight, Bacterial leaf spot FUNGAL DISEASES - Bud and flower blight, Interveinal chlorosisn (Lack of iron uptake due to alkaline soils), Fungal leaf spots, Powdery mildew, Root rot, Rust, Southern blight VIRAL DISEASES - Phyllody (Hydrangea ringspot virus), Ringspots	Subject to several diseases (rose rust, rose black spot, powdery mildew) Used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species The main insect pest affecting roses is the aphid (greenfly), which sucks the sap and weakens the plant. (Ladybugs are a predator of aphids and should be encouraged in the rose garden.)
Planting Tips	Spraying plants and under leaves with strong jets of water helps protect against aphid and whitefly infestations This plant is frost sensitive	Can reach 6'-12' tall and have a spread of 4'-15' Relatively drought-tolerant Fast spreading and invasive Mulch butterfly bushes in the fall Prune bush back to about 4 feet high for the winter This perennial will re-emerge from its roots in spring.	Plant in well drained soil Add roughage to wet soil Plant in early summer to fallPlant in early summer or late fall Transplant a hydrangea when it has become dormant and lost all of its leaves (late fall or winter).	Plant with rich soil and plenty of organic matter Prune to ensure strong re-blooming. Spraying with insecticide is often recommended (be careful not to kill beneficial insects) Fungal diseases are best solved by a preventative fungicidal spray program Spread of disease can be minimized through pruning and the use of fungicides, but the infection will not be reversed.
Uses	Often grown for their ornate flowers or used as shrubbery in landscaping A primary ingredient in many herbal teas Some species are used for jams, food coloring, paper making	Buddleias are vigorous growers that remain evergreen in winters with minimum temperatures of 20 degrees. Where winters are more severe they can be deciduous, merely dropping leaves, or herbaceous, freezing completely back to the ground. Phenomenal growth is achieved the next spring, even if they do freeze all the way to the ground.	You can change the color of the blossoms, by changing the acidity of the soil. Add Aluminum Sulfate to make the soil acid for Blue flowers. Or, add Lime to make the soil alkaline for Pink flowers. You will need to repeat the process 2 or 3 times over the growing season and continue it as long as you want the change to continue. It may take a year or two to see the results you want. This doesn't usually work on the white varieties of Hydrangeas.	Used in perfumes, make-up and skincare products Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine The French are known for their rose syrup, most commonly made from an extract of rose petals. In the United States, this French rose syrup is used to make rose scones. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content.