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One of the highlights of the American Rose Society Fall National Show was the photography competition. Many rosarians document their blooms with a camera. Some do it just for their own records, while others enjoy entering contests. These particular shots were the best of the best (see photo) out of a large pool of entries.Even if you are not interested in entering a judged show, learning some tricks of the trade will improve your photos and increase your bragging rights.These techniques apply to any garden and flower photography, not just roses.
With advances in digital cameras, it has become easier than ever to take good photos. However, that easily can also lead to sloppiness.1. Check the background and edges of your photo. Look for dead blooms and yellow leaves near your perfect bloom. Check the background for trashcans or your son’s roller skates and move them before you start shooting. If you can’t move an unattractive background, try a different angle. 2. Learn to use your camera’s macro feature. Most digital cameras have a macro feature, which allows close ups without losing focus. This is not always necessary, but if you are trying to capture dewdrops or a happy honeybee, you will need to make use of the macro.3. Shoot in overcast light to avoid shadows. I have lost several good shots to my own shadow! It is usually possible to shoot around shadows, but if you photograph your garden earlier in the day, this will probably not be a problem.4. In bright sun, try for back lit petals. If you must shoot the perfect bloom in direct sun, try having the sun come from behind the petals. This often produces a translucent effect, which can be very pleasing.5. Shoot with the best resolution possible. If you are just photographing your roses for your own enjoyment, most cameras will be fine. But if you want to compete or enlarge your pictures, you may want to invest in higher quality equipment.6. Experiment with flash. Some photographers use flash to fill in shadows; others don’t like the look. Try it both ways and see what is more pleasing to your eye. Learn how to disable the auto flash feature on your camera and also how to engage the flash in bright light situations where it ordinarily would not come on.Taking photos of your roses throughout the growing season will improve your skills and increase your portfolio. Then you can whip out some snaps of the Double Delights ™ along with 4 x 6s of the grandkids!Enjoy your roses!Warmest regards,Harriet Ottaviano Rosecaretips.com - How to Prune Rose Bushes
We just posted another one minute rose care video on YouTube.
The American Rose Society Fall National Conference and Rose Show was held recently in beautiful Palm Springs, CA.
Since that is only about two hours from our home, I was able to attend the presentations and show on the Friday of the event. This was my first time at an ARS National Conference and Show. It didn’t disappoint.We are spoiled in the southwest with good weather year-round for growing roses. Judging by the wonderful entries in the rose show, many gardens have saved the best for last.
The giant bloom of this Barbara Bush rose got admiring looks from attendees (see photo). I estimated the blossom at almost six inches across!The first of eight exceptional presentations I attended during the day was “Rose Rustling: A Tradition of Preservation” with Jeri and Clay Jennings, founders of the Gold Coast Heritage Rose Group. To quote from their material, “Heirloom plants are a unique living link, connecting our past to our present. If we ensure their survival, we extend that chain of history from our present to the future.”While I’m not sure I will be “rustling roses” to the extent that the Jennings do, I was inspired to join the National Heritage Roses Group the day after returning from the conference.Following in the old roses vein, Gregg Lowery owner of Vintage Gardens nursery in Sebastopol, CA. Gregg took us on a journey through some beautiful old rose gardens including a particularly interesting one in Australia. Cass Bernstein from Northern California is a writer and photographer who specializes in identification of old roses and misidentified newer ones. Those tags are not always right! As a puzzle solver at heart, I was fascinated by the science, logic, and art behind her quests.Make plans to attend a regional or national rose conference or show in your area. Those planned for 2010 include Wisconsin, Louisiana and Georgia.
You will come away even more inspired to enjoy your roses!
Warmest regards,
Harriet Ottaviano
Rosecaretips.com - Guide to Pruning Rose Bushes
We're having a special holiday sale on our rose care eBooks through midnight December 1st.
If you've been thinking of grabbing one of our eBooks but haven't yet because it's now past blooming season then now is a great time to pick one up. Also, they make a nice gift for a budding rose enthusiast you know!
For a limited time, the rose pruning guide "Pruning Your Roses: The Kindest Cut of All" is almost 20% off and the rose disease treatment guide "Don't Let Your Roses Bug You" is more than 30% off.
Act now to take advantage of these great deals before time runs out on December 1st!
Best,
Paul Ottaviano
General Manager
Rosecaretips.com
I know that’s not the way the song goes… but it was way too early in the day for wine and I was driving alone, so I had to make do with Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.
Getting from my home to Newport Beach, CA was easy on a Saturday morning, but once I got off the freeway and headed towards the ocean, the fog set in and I almost drove past the exit for beautiful Rogers Gardens.
Rogers Gardens is a horticultural landmark in Orange County, known for its beautiful Christmas displays as much as for its wide assortment of all things gardening. This foggy weekend it was host to the Orange County Rose Society Fall Show, “The Real Orange County”.
Peering through the dense fog in the parking lot, I could just make out an eerie tableaux of intent rosarians preparing their best blooms for the judging. Some of the participants had arrived as early as 5:30 a.m. with their roses, ice chests, scissors, q-tips, exacto knives, small paint brushes and rubber bands.
Rose shows can appear intimidating to the newcomer, but more experienced exhibitors are always eager to welcome novices. Everyone was a beginner at one time! Many rose societies have “mini-shows” at their monthly meetings where one can practice setup, identification, and presentation without the pressure of a big show.
Since I was not exhibiting, I had the time to help with placement of entries. This is not an easy feat, even in a comparatively small show. With over 20 sections sub-divided into more than 50 classes (and all of them arranged alphabetically!), the placement team was running non-stop until the judging commenced.
Volunteering at your local rose show is a great way to not only see beautiful roses that you might like to have in your own garden, but is also a wonderful opportunity to meet other rose lovers, share ideas, and admire the quest for perfection.
Enjoy your roses!
Warmest regards,
Harriet Ottaviano
Rosecaretips.com - pruning rose bushes, rose disease treatment, and more!
Those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile will probably have noticed the new Google ads feature in the right column.
We always want to focus on writing good blogs that hopefully give you some useful insight and information into rose care, and the world of roses in general. That said, we don't want to overwhelm readers with advertisements either.
However, in this economy it is important for information publishers like us to ethically monetize websites or blogs in a generally acceptable way.
We do sell the eBook rose care guides Pruning Your Roses: The Kindest Cut of All and Don't Let Your Roses Bug You at our website - both making our eBook customers happy.
But at this moment it is important that we find ways to continue growing so we can continue to publish good content for you, and relevant advertising is part of the solution since it also gives you additional sources of information or services to consider using.
The Google ads you see should be relevant to roses, rose care, or gardening. All things we'll go ahead and assume you're interested in. If you're reading this the day of the post it might be a day or two before relevant ads start being listed. If you're reading this at a later date and the ads are not relevant please let us know.
We make no guarantees regarding any of the third-party Google advertised sites you visit and we reserve the right to stop the ad feed at anytime. That out of the way, based on my experience Google does a good job of making sure the websites listed will be at least relevant to roses or gardening.
Also, please note that as of this post we're still using Google Adwords to promote our website rosecaretips.com and although I think Google will make every effort to avoid posting our own ad here I can't guarantee that it will never happen.
With that all said, of course you do not have to click through to any of the websites advertised unless it looks good to you. That is at your discretion. We love it every time you stay here or click through to our website and you're always welcome back!
We appreciate your understanding and your visits.
Enjoy your roses!
Best regards,
Paul Ottaviano
General Manager
What are my favorite garden tools? One is a 36” wand hose attachment with nine different spray variations. I just got one of these this past year and wonder how I managed so long without it. With spray patterns ranging from “shower”, the one I use most often for watering my rose bushes, to “angle”, which is great for hanging baskets – this wand is a must have for gardeners. Another fun find is a bulb planter. Just insert this deceptively simple device into your soil, twist, pull up and voila! A perfect hole for bulbs. Because of its inverted cone shape, the dirt stays in the tool and doesn’t fall back into the hole. It also works well for planting small annual sets such as alyssum. Probably the most important tool for rose gardeners is a comfortable pair of gardening shears. Don’t go just by what your fellow rosarians use. Go to a reliable garden store and try some on for size. Using a pair of shears that are too big for your grip can cause fatigue and slippage – neither of which is desirable when working with sharp instruments! For big deadheading jobs, I use an ergonomic pair that rotates with my hand movement. It is worth the extra investment to find the pair that is just right for you.Enjoy your roses!Warmest regards,Harriet OttavianoRosecaretips.com - Rose Bush Care and Maintenance
One of the highlights of the American Rose Society Fall National Show was the photography competition. Many rosarians document their blooms with a camera. Some do it just for their own records, while others enjoy entering contests. 
