After I listed a charming Westbourne Street home, everyone who has seen the house and gardens has asked me how my client grows such beautiful roses. Her roses are breathtakingly large, with lush green foliage and strong healthy canes. She showed me the fertilizer she uses – Magnum Rose and Flower Fertilizer – and I noticed that it was full of magnesium sulfate, which made me remember a secret my grandmother used on her roses: Epsom salt. Used for medical, health and agriculture purposes, Epsom salt is actually not a salt at all. This naturally occurring mineral, clinically known as magnesium sulfate, is an economical supplement that will keep your plants thriving, especially roses. Named after the springs in Epsom, England, Epsom salt is no longer mined there, and what we find today is usually derived from the mineral epsomite. Magnesium assists plants with the photosynthesis process, which is how plants create the chlorophyll that allows them to convert sunlight info food. It also helps plants soak up nitrogen and phosphorus, the minerals they need for growth and for the production of beautiful flowers. Sulfate is the natural mineral form of sulphur, and it also aids in the plant’s ability to produce chlorophyll. The combination of magnesium and sulfate helps plants absorb the mineral nutrients and vitamins they need. In January or February and again in late summer, I use Walter Anderson’s Ada Perry Mix on my roses. One of the many mineral ingredients in Ada Perry Mix is Epsom salt. Next January, use 1/2 a cup of Epsom salt on each rosebush after they have been pruned, and work it into the soil around the base of each bush. Then, as the leaves and buds begin to form, dissolve two tabs of Epsom salt per one gallon of water, and pour it around the base of the rosebush and let it soak in. You can use this “drenching” solution now and throughout the growing season about once a month. In August, add another 1/2 cup to the base of the rosebush, and work it into the soil to give your roses a boost. Remember that Epsom salt is only a supplement that boosts your plants’ ability to absorb the nutrients they need; you still need to nourish your roses with a balanced fertilizer. An organic fertilizer, such as Dr. Earth’s Rose and Flower Food, will provide your roses with the other nutrients they need to be happy and healthy. Your entire garden will benefit from using Epsom salt, and there are many different ideas online for using it. Tomatoes and peppers enjoy a feeding of Epsom salt (a tab per gallon of water every two weeks). You can also use Epsom salt on your house and outdoor potted plants (one tab per gallon of water once a month), which will help flush away natural salt build-up and help roots stay healthy. You can see more of the garden at the Westbourne House at BarberTractBeachHouse.com. Linda is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in La Jolla. Her garden has appeared in local and national magazines. Tour Linda’s garden at: LindaMarrone.com.