Flowers

Home and garden news and notes

06.10.11

WHAT'S NEW: COMPANY TURNS PHOTOS INTO WALLPAPER</p><p> Picture your favorite photo as easy-off wallpaper.</p><p> InkShuffle can turn your image into a removable wallcovering big enough to cover an entire wall, if you like. The image can be cropped or otherwise tweaked till it's exactly what you want.</p><p> Not feeling creative? You can also choose from the company's extensive library.</p><p> ON THE SHELF: BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS RELEASES 10TH EDITION OF DECORATING BOOK</p><p> Better Homes and Gardens is out with an all-new edition of its "New Decorating Book," its 10th since the book was first published in 1956.</p><p> The guide helps readers take the looks they love from the iconic magazine and translate them for their own homes. It brims with photos for inspiration and offers a wealth of tips, suggested color palettes, design guidance and other helpful how-tos. There's even a section of suggestions for pinching pennies in the decorating process.</p><p> The book comes with a mail-in coupon for a free one-year subscription.</p><p> "Better Homes and Gardens New Decorating Book" is published by Wiley and sells for $24.99 in softcover.</p><p> Q&#38;A: WHY ROSES STOP BLOOMING</p><p> Q: I am hoping you can point me in the right direction for a problem I am having with my 10 Knock Out roses. The first two years after they were planted, they bloomed the entire season. The problem began in the third year. The roses bloom profusely in early June. After that, the plants thrive with deep green leaves and new red growth but no flowers. Last year I applied Rose-tone fertilizer each month to encourage blooms but still got nothing other than deeper green leaves. This is the third year I have experienced this problem and would hate to discard all of the plants.</p><p> A: Gary L. Pierce of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension addressed a problem like yours in a post online for TV station WRAL. He said it's common for Knock Out roses to stop blooming profusely sometime between their third and fifth years if they don't get enough sun, water or fertilizer.&#226;&#128;&#168; Knock Out roses need at least six hours of sunlight a day, so consider whether something has changed in your roses' environment that's shading them " maybe a new fence or a tree or shrub that's grown taller.&#226;&#128;&#168; Testing your soil is a good idea, too. It's possible your roses need more potassium than they're getting from the Rose-tone.&#226;&#128;&#168; Pruning the plants might help. Conard-Pyle, the grower that produces Knock Out roses, recommends pruning them once a year. Cut them back to 12-18 inches above the ground in early spring, after the last hard frost.&#226;&#128;&#168; It's also possible the problem is location. Denise Ellsworth, the horticulture educator for the Ohio State University Extension in Summit County, noted that since Knock Out roses are such good performers, people sometimes aren't as careful about choosing the best planting site. The plants commonly will thrive the first year, but their performance will start to decline in subsequent years, she said.</p><p> Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address.

Source: Kansas City Star