Grower debunks notion that roses are temperamental
Rose grower Jackson & Perkins rejects the notion that roses are temperamental and tricky to grow. So it recently published a series of books, “Beautiful Roses Made Easy,” designed to dispel that idea.
Each book is tailored to a different region of the country. The Midwestern edition, written by Teri Dunn and Melinda Myers, thoroughly addresses rose planting and care and includes photos and descriptions of roses that are appropriate for this part of the country. A rose maintenance schedule helps readers see at a glance what needs to be done and when.
The book also looks at roses as part of a larger garden, offering plenty of ideas for companion plantings.
“Beautiful Roses Made Easy” is priced at $19.99 in paperback.
Q & A
Q: I read an article in a Florida newspaper about powder-coating metal items, and I wondered if such a treatment is available (elsewhere). I’d like to have my patio furniture powder-coated instead of painting it.
A: I found a few companies in the area (Ohio) that will do powder coating for individuals. The process involves sandblasting the item to remove the old finish, pre-treating with a chemical, applying a plastic in powdered form and then baking the powder on, said Todd Fisher of Northeast Coatings in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
However, Doug Paskiet of Summit Powder Coaters in Barberton, Ohio, cautioned that it might be more cost-effective to buy new furniture than to powder-coat furniture that’s poorly designed and made of a metal other than aluminum. The design of some outdoor furniture traps water and promotes rust, he said, and also makes it difficult to remove that rust and re-coat the entire piece effectively. Because of those kinds of problems, his company no longer powder-coats patio furniture.
The Web
Site: Hartz Mountain Corp.
Address: www.hartz.com
The company sent us its new breath enhancer for dogs, called Hartz Breath-Strips for Dogs.
What’s the big deal about doggy breath?
Dogs have sweet breath unless they are sick or have peridontal disease, and if that’s the case, candy won’t fix it.
The Web site gives us the feeling it was put together in the 1950s. Its search function won’t allow two word searches. Moving through the pages is tedious and confusing with undefined groupings called subcategories.
We couldn’t find the breath strips online, but they may be at a pet supply store near you anyway. The back of the package is written in English and French, so they’re clearly international.
We envision strip-popping pooches in Hawaiian shirts and shades, wild and crazy guys like Dan Akroyd and Steve Martin.