If you need help diagnosing a lawn, landscape or garden problem and/or are interested in learning about old garden roses, we have two upcoming events for you.
The Plant Clinic will be held Friday, April 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Okaloosa County Extension Annex located at 127 NW Hollywood Blvd. in Fort Walton Beach.
The plant clinic provides a place to bring samples of lawn, landscape and garden plants for diagnosis, including weeds and insects for identification.
No registration is needed for the Plant Clinic. To participate, bring a fresh sample of the weed, plant, insect, etc., to the clinic. This may include a plant stem with several leaves, a 4-inch square of grass with roots attached, etc.
You also may bring a sample of soil for pH testing. Use a clean shovel, trowel or soil probe to collect a representative sample by taking thin slices or cores of soil to a depth of six to eight inches from ten different spots throughout the plant bed, lawn or garden. Thoroughly mix all the small soil slices/cores together in a clean bucket. Place one to two cups of this mixture in a closable plastic bag or small throwaway plastic container and bring to the clinic for testing. Attach a slip of paper with your name, phone number and where the sample was taken (e.g. lawn, vegetable garden, flowerbed, etc.).
Okaloosa County Master Gardener Karen Kirk-Williams will offer a free lecture on Antique and Old Garden Roses on Wednesday, April 17. Karen has been growing
these hardy roses without the use of insecticides or fungicides for over 20 years.
This hour-long presentation begins at 10 a.m. and will be held at the Extension Annex located 127 NW Hollywood Blvd. in Fort Walton Beach.
Old garden roses are beautiful and most are fragrant. Many were created in Europe in the 1700’s or 1800’s, long before over-breeding created finicky, upright roses that have no fragrance and require regular treatment with pesticides. These old heritage roses are diverse in growth habit, ranging from small shrub roses to large climbers. They also offer a wide range of bloom color, form and fragrance. There are thornless roses and many are repeat-blooming, with varieties offering flowers almost year-round in our area.
If you are interested in learning about selecting and growing disease-resistant old garden roses, plan to attend. There is no cost to attend but space is limited. Please call the UF/IFAS Okaloosa County Extension Office at 850-689-5850 to register.
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