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ROSE RAMBLER 3.4.2014
ROSE RAMBLER 3RD APRIL 2014
Hello dear rose friends … crazy weather for autumn with one morning at 5 degrees and within a week its 25 degrees first thing. We and our roses are at the mercy of the weather but whatever the weather, we’ll wether it!
This coming weekend we’ll be up in the Dandenong Ranges for the Tesselaar Gardening Expo – hope to see you there because we will have vases of a plethora of the new and recent release rose flowers on display again this year!
I just love walking through the rows and collecting rose blooms for an exhibition; then displaying them in vases and watching people sniff and extol at the virtues of the most heavenly of flowers … a fragrant rose.
Have you ever read a book that is so lovely, you never want to see THE END? I’ve been growing roses for 30 years and during that time I’ve read “FOR LOVE OF A ROSE” by Antonia Ridge at least 20 times and will continue to read it and wish that the story never ends.
If you truly love roses, do yourself a favour and read this beautiful story of the families involved in the creation of Hybrid Tea rose: “PEACE”.
Last year when we were in South Africa at the World Rose Convention, I had several discussions with Alain Meilland whose (grand) Papa Meilland bred the Peace rose. Alain Meilland is a feisty, vibrant man who is so passionate about roses and was an inspiration to me. His grandfather, Papa Meilland, travelled the world to argue for the legal rights of the gardener who creates a new rose.
We now have Plant Breeders’ Rights which means that gardeners pay a royalty for more recently released roses which makes them a bit more expensive than older roses. Take the time to read Antonia Ridge’s story about how ‘Peace’ was created and you will appreciate and generously spend the extra few $’s to buy a newly released rose.
In Australia, PBR applies for 20 years.
GRA’S GARBLE …
Trim back old flowers 10cm from where the rose finishes. If you remove this finished flower it helps the bush to resist fungus attack on wet damp and cold nights. You still might get flowers before winter pruning.
Spray eco-fungicide with seaweed solution and eco-oil. If there are any insects include the eco-neem which sucking/biting insects ingest and it goes into their brain and they stop eating.
You can apply these sprays with a watering can and it is best applied in the morning when the foliage has dried.
Remember that all the products we use and recommend are safe in the environment, are all Australian Made and are approved organics. Bees are safe with all these products too.
Q. What do bees do with their honey? A. They cell it.
If you haven’t already fertilized, do it now with a quality organic fertilizer which is safe for earthworms and frogs.
Great time to plant potted roses as the roots will settle well before the light winter prune and you’ll have an established rose this coming spring … at the rate this year is going, that’s just around the corner!
NEVER PUT FERTILIZER IN THE PLANTING HOLE
– SEAWEED SOLUTION ONLY!
– SEAWEED SOLUTION ONLY!
Have a great week in your garden – see you this weekend at Tesselaar’s Plant Expo, maybe the week after at our Art & Rose Expo weekend or whenever you feel like getting in the car and taking a drive to Clonbinane … Gra
OPEN GARDENS IN KILMORE
– ART & ROSES EXPO
There will be four beautiful Kilmore gardens open on the weekend of the Art Expo along with Walk and Talk in the Garden with Graham here at the Rose Farm.
If you would like more information, please call Diana 5787 1123 – it would be handy to know if you are bringing a group for this weekend adventure in and around Kilmore.
PLANNING ANOTHER ROSE GARDEN …
Now is the time to start preparing the bed if you’re planning on planting roses this winter. Remove the turf or weeds to about 10cms depth and place layer upon layer of any type of animal manure, barley/wheat/oat/pea straw, fallen autumn leaves, sprinkling of rock dust and then water over with renew (sea minerals) and seaweed solution. As the worms come up to start digesting all this, keep topping up with layers of all the goodies.
There is absolutely no need to turn the soil – don’t break your back and then pay for chiropractic realignment … the worms will come and they’ll do all the digging for you. They’ll also leave all their castings.
By the time bare-rooted roses are ready for planting, all you have to do is dig at the planting hole and you will have the most productive, humus rich soil that the roses will definitely want to be planted into.
Have another beaut week in the autumn rose garden and we’ll see you really soon at Clonbinane!
~ Cheers from Diana, Graham & Mooi
ROSE RAMBLER 10.4.2014
ROSE RAMBLER 10TH APRIL, 2014
Hello dear rose friends … Warm welcome to all our new subscribers who joined up to receive our ramblings after meeting with you at the Tesselaar Plant Expo last weekend.
The weather was glorious and just as well because I had forgotten to order a marquee. It was delightful to watch people walk past our site and then do a double-back because the fragrance was unbelievable and they just had to come and have a closer look and sniff. Rose flowers in vases like this are simply magic.
Graham and I walked through the rose fields to pick the roses which is such a joyous thing to do. Arms loaded with roses out in the middle of a paddock. After being in the sun at the Expo for two days, I expected to have to bin the flowers but we still have them in vases all about the place here – lovely!
RAIN, RAIN, RAIN …
Not the best timing to be so wet since we have bus groups visiting this weekend but we are not complaining. If it stays mild after all this rain, we will enjoy an extended autumn flowering season. Often a good deep soaking of rain is all a rose garden needs to promote more flowers and although our gardens are irrigated, tap water just isn’t quite the same.
BONUS FERTILIZER …
Great mobs of kangaroos have pooped all over our yard during recent months because grass stayed green as a result of run-off from watering pots in the nursery and our yard was the only place with a decent bit of green pick.
They’ve returned us a favour because all their poop has ‘melted’ with the rain and I’m quite sure it’s added a heap of nutrient to the soil. Worms will be starting to breed soon so they’ll have a party too. Nature is wonderful, isn’t it?
I’ll be needing to mow again as soon as we see the first peek of sunshine. So refreshing to see green after the long hot summer.
WEBSITE UPGRADE …
Within the next few weeks, our website will be set up ready to take orders for winter roses. Our new assistant, Virginia, is currently working with my niece, Katrina who is a professional photographer (InVision Photography) and if the proofs are anything to go by, those girls will put together an amazing website.
If you would like to place winter orders in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to call me on
03 5787 1123. I will keep you posted when the new site is up and ready for ordering your winter roses – very exciting.
GRA’S GARBLE …
If you haven’t fertilized, do it now while it’s raining. Sprinkle over the entire soil surface and if you happen to throw fertilizer over foliage at the base of the roses, hose it off because it can burn the foliage.
Some pets eat fertilizer so to avoid this, soak the fertilizer in a garbage bin for a few days and pour the liquid over the roses – add seaweed to the ‘brew’ as an extra tonic for the roses and you’ll get more flowers for longer.
With all this humidity, regular applications of the rose maintenance spray program will keep fungus at bay and maintain healthy foliage. The fungicide works by altering the pH of the foliage surface so fungus spores cannot live there. The more foliage on the plants, the more photosynthesis occurs and this equates to more flowers … simple!
I planted yellow pansy seedlings for loads of colour in the winter – with all the rain, I’ll have to go and put out the snail-bait.
Q. What is a slug? A. A snail with a housing problem …
Gra.
~ See you at Clonbinane soon … Diana, Graham & Mooi
ROSE RAMBLER 23.1.2014
ROSE RAMBLER 23.1.2014
Hello dear rose friends … phew! Don’t you stand in awe of the roses as they tolerate the most incredible weather events like this massive Victorian heat-wave and still continue to flower? The potted roses look absolutely sensational because we kept them very well watered and they were fed just ten days before the real heat set in – roses actually LOVE the hot weather provided they have good irrigation. It’s no wonder that roses are becoming increasingly more popular!
In extreme hot weather the flower colour can change. In some of the darker varieties, the colour will intensify where the pale varieties will actually bleach. An example of this is a hedge of ‘Crepuscule’ which appears to have creamy/white blooms all over when the rose is actually deep apricot.
When I do garden consultations for the really warm zones, I always highly recommend some bright/strong coloured roses be planted amongst the pastels so that your eye is drawn to take a closer look and the rose garden is always interesting.
GRA’S GARBLE …
The jokes first please Mrs. Editor.
Q. What do you get if you cross a sheepdog with a bunch of roses?
A. Collie flowers.
Trim, trim, trim. Roses are not just dead-headed – you MUST cut stems at least 30cms from the finished flower to ensure good strong re-growth which in turn will produce another mass of blooms within 45-50 days.
If you are planning a special occasion at your place sometime in the coming months, trim 50 days before the event and I guarantee you will have stunning roses blooming then. Be sure to apply one handful of quality organic fertilizer to each rose bush and deep soak weekly – you’re set to impress!
Grow some ‘GREENS’ amongst the roses. Silver beet, chard, spinach, parsley – all greens which provide Vitamins A, C, K, calcium, zinc and magnesium which are vital trace elements.
Sharpen and clean your secateurs frequently and they’ll be a pleasure to work with … go out and trim, trim, trim with a smile on your face!
Gra.
PLANNING AHEAD …
If you are a member of a Garden Club, Probus Club, U3A or similar organisation, I urge you to start planning a group visit for the weekend of
Saturday, 12th and Sunday, 13th April
Rotary Club of Southern Mitchell
Annual Art and Roses Tour
Rotary Club of Southern Mitchell
Annual Art and Roses Tour
Here at Silkies Rose Farm we will be hosting complimentary morning/afternoon teas along with ‘WALK AND TALK IN THE GARDENS’.
Group bus travel will be subsidised by $10 per passenger with free entry to the Art Expo in Kilmore. Maybe you can organise a couple of car-loads of friends who would enjoy a day out in the country – please contact me and I will arrange the subsidy for your travel expenses.
If your group would like us to come and speak with them to ‘sell’ this opportunity for a great day out, please let me know.
ROSE OF THE WEEK …
‘TROPICAL SUNSET’ is an outstanding performer in all weather but tolerates the heat exceptionally well by producing stunning dark crimson new foliage which is a beautiful foil for the creamy-orange and yellow splash of colours in each petal. This stunning Hybrid Tea is a healthy tall bush which flowers freely, continually and the flowers make wonderful arrangements in a vase. There is a light, sweet fragrance to enhance the overall beauty of this aptly named rose.
IN CLOSING …
Have a happy week in the garden with the little people in your life as they go off to school soon; share this little ditty with them:
“Let my words, like vegetables, be tender and sweet;
for tomorrow I may have to eat them”
– author: Unknown.
~ See you soon at Clonbinane … Diana, Graham & Mooi
IN CLOSING …
If you must, take your beverage in hand, pick up the hose and give the roses a drink in the evening too … be sure it’s a good soaking and only at the base of the plants – they’ll get a good face-wash with the next rain or when you’re out there one morning with a coffee!
~ Enjoy your garden – cheers from Clonbinane – Diana, Graham & Mooi
ROSE RAMBLER 2.1.2014
ROSE RAMBLER 2.1.2014
Hello dear rose friends – HAPPY NEW YEAR and hope you enjoyed the celebrations as much as we did. This really is an exciting time with expectations that we will all fulfil our new year’s resolutions. Did you write yours down and stick it in the top drawer of your bedside table so that you’ll take a peek at it each night before you go to bed?
May all your dreams for 2014 come to fruition!
We enjoyed lovely family get-togethers and loved that we were able to come and go as and when we pleased during the past two weeks of holiday time. Now, we’re back to business as usual and there’s lots of trimming and sorting, feeding, weeding and all the regular ‘stuff’ which is part of living in a rose nursery.
This time of year means whether you’re a parent or grand-parent, there will probably be little people around on a regular basis and rather than have them impose on your gardening time, take them out into the garden with you. Set them achievable tasks like 5 cents for every weed you pull out in that square metre of ground – might not mean a whole lot to the little, little kids but from 6 upwards, I guarantee you, they’ll be counting and multiplying and you’ll both be checking the arithmetic. This is so much fun to do with kids. When they get distracted and go play elsewhere, you get time for your serious gardening and then they’ll be back and wanting some attention. Throw the ball around for a while and then once again, off they’ll go again and bingo, more time for your gardening pursuits.
With a new puppy around, I find I have to break my tasks into a little bit of ‘play time’ with Mooi (MOY) then she’s happy to sit and watch for a while, I get more weeding/trimming done and then we have another play and so on – that way, we’re both happy and I feel satisfied that I still get my gardening chores completed. Kids are really no different to pets (or, for that matter, husbands who need to be fed! Giggle!!!) They are all an interference to your need to stay in the garden.
HOW REALLY TOUGH ARE ROSES???
They’re about to be tested out, big time! On Tuesday, 17th December, 2013, yes, the week before Christmas, Graham and I together with a team of Council staff planted 400 roses in the Black Saturday Bushfire Memorial Park at Wandong. Nearly 300 of the roses were bare-rooted plants; we used some potted/flowering specimens from our nursery stock to give some immediate impact for the local community as two former plantings of native shrubs had died!
After planting, all the roses were saturated with Natrakelp soil conditioner (liquid seaweed) and on that hot Christmas Eve when we realised the Council had not watered the plants, we went there with hoses but the mains water pressure let us down. On the evening of Christmas Day, members of the Wandong Community Group assisted watering the roses with their 1,000 litre tank – the mains water pressure was good on that evening so we got the job done much faster than first thought.
Every rose is already producing shoots though stems are very sunburnt!
I hear you asking “but why would you plant bare-rooted roses in December?” Well, the park looked drab with the dead native plants along the walkways so we approached the Council and asked would they be interested in planting roses if we could get them from our rose grower, Brian. Meantime, I contacted Brian to see whether the excess stock from the past season had already been burned – “No, but it will be next week” was his response and he offered a less-than-wholesale price rather than burn such beautiful rose plants.
Consultation with both parties ensued. I selected varieties from the ‘overs list’ which I considered would be strong enough to endure such ‘abnormal’ planting and while the roses were in transit, I completed the garden design.
Graham and I are committed to having a beautiful rose garden at this Memorial Park – the colour of the roses around the actual memorial are symbolic of fire – orange, yellow, red and the beautiful ‘Edgar Degas’ with all those colours combined is very dominant in this area of the planting. Other varieties we used are ‘Bonica’, ‘Summer Memories’, ‘Mary Rose’, ‘Knockout’, ‘La Sevillana’ and ‘Hommage a Barbara’ plus a few others in lesser numbers.
EDGAR DEGAS – Delbard rose of immense beauty and vigour.
Very free flowering, lightly fragrant and extremely healthy rose.
Very free flowering, lightly fragrant and extremely healthy rose.
The community at Wandong/Heathcote Junction was ravaged by the ’09 Black Saturday Bushfires and now they will have a beautiful rose garden planted with roses that were also saved from the peril of fire! It will make a lovely story for future generations.
GRA’S GARBLE …
Happy Gardening New Year!
Q. How do you know when Santa is in the room? A. You can sense his presents.
If you use liquid seaweed mixed with water and pour it over the leaves of your roses and other plants, it actually makes them tougher. It makes the leaf skin thicker so it will give an extra 3-5 degrees heat and cold tolerance. Use it now every week for an increase of up to 30% more rose blooms and healthier plants!
Q. Why can’t a bike stand up by itself? A. It’s two tired.
Happy holidays if you’re on hols but if you’re back at work, enjoy that too because you can go home and enjoy the garden while we have the longer summer days. Gra
ROSESALESONLINE …
With Australia Post back ‘on the job’ roses can now be ordered for posting again! Fortunately, all orders processed right up until the last post were delivered before Christmas. If you received a gift voucher for Christmas, pop in soon for some amazing roses to plant in your garden now!
Best wishes and enjoy the rest of the holiday season …
Diana, Graham and Mooi at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane
ROSE RAMBLER 19.12.2013
ROSE RAMBLER 19.12.2013
Hello dear rose friends … in case you haven’t quite got things sorted for last minute Christmas gifts, remember that we can still send a gift voucher and the original offer is still valid …
GIFT VOUCHER CHRISTMAS SPECIAL*
FOR EVERY $50.00 YOU SPEND, WE WILL INCREASE THE GIFT VOUCHER VALUE BY ADDING
AN EXTRA $30.00 TO THE REDEEMABLE VALUE OF THE VOUCHER
OFFER VALID UP TO 22nd DECEMBER, 2014
*MAXIMUM 2 GIFT VOUCHERS PER CUSTOMER
GIFT VOUCHERS ARE PRESENTED ON BEAUTIFUL ROSE CARDS AND ARE VALID FOR SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE DATE.
GIFT VOUCHERS CAN BE POSTED DIRECTLY TO THE RECIPIENT WITH YOUR CHRISTMAS MESSAGE … EMAIL info@rosesalesonline.com.au YOUR MESSAGE WILL BE COPIED AND PASTED INTO THE GIFT VOUCHER
Between now and next week Thursday, Christmas dinner will be done and dusted and you’ll be needing some respite so what better than to spend time in your garden. Oh, the peace – just you and the roses!
ANOTHER YEAR JUST SLIPPED ON BY…
It’s been a wonderful year for us here at Clonbinane! We’ve settled the roses into their new ‘home’ and gotten used to the idea that our business is different – we speak to you weekly through this newsletter which continues to be a real pleasure for all of us, lots of our roses leave the nursery packed in a box rather than the boot of a car, we grow more of our own food now and rose gardens are being planted here. We have new chooks, the Langshans and a miniature poodle puppy, Mooi. Life is grand!
Graham is more understanding about me spending time at the computer and is slowly learning how to read more on this screen. The old saying: “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” has happened for Graham.
GRAHAM’S TIPS FOR HOLIDAY ROSE CARE…
- Soak, like really soak the garden beds before you go and make soaking them one of the first chores when you get home;
- Potted roses can be left with a deep saucer of water under them but will need attention at least every second day;
- If your whole-garden mulching hasn’t been done yet, place a thick layer about one-metre square around each rose bush;
- Dose each rose with liquid seaweed which ensures 3-5 degrees greater heat tolerance!
Generally tidy up the garden before you go to make your place look ‘lived-in’ and less attractive to intruders!
Last joke for this year: Q. What do cats eat as a special treat? A. Mice creams.
Have a really lovely holiday season – a break in sending the Rose Rambler will give me time to research more information and find some great jokes for 2014 … see you then
– Gra
Following are our hours for this Christmas trading period:
CLOSING: MONDAY, 23rd DECEMBER, 2013 AT 4.30PM
RE-OPENING: FRIDAY, 3rd JANUARY, 2014 AT 9.00AM
We are grateful for your ongoing support of and contribution to our business and wish you and your family all the joy of Christmas along with good health and happiness in 2014.
This rose is called: “CHILD’S LOVE” and we hope that you treasure your moments with all children this Christmas.
With love and best wishes from Graham, Diana and Mooi (say: Moy) at Clonbinane
ROSE RAMBLER 12.12.13
ROSE RAMBLER 12.12.2013
Hello dear rose friends … yes, it’s close to Christmas but why not take a few hours to go and visit this beautiful garden at Eltham – lose yourself in the glory of a space which you didn’t have to do the work in and maybe you will enjoy the pleasure of helping somebody else at this Christmas time!
There’s a story behind this open garden so take a look at the website. Enjoy!!!
TIPS FOR SPRAYING THE ROSES …
Usually Graham does the rose spraying but since we’ve been here at Clonbinane, I’ve been working alongside him to learn more about the plant-management side of things – it’s been most interesting.
Because the spray liquid is a dirty colour (liquid seaweed), I found myself not spraying the rose flowers and it has made a significant difference – we used to go around after spraying and trim the affected rose blooms. It is really quite easy to have a good cover of spray without spraying the flowers – if you think about it, good foliage cover is the principle aim of the program.
REMEMBER NOT TO USE THE ECO SPRAY PROGRAM WHEN THE WEATHER IS FORECAST TO BE MORE THAN 30 DEGREES AND ALWAYS SPRAY BEFORE 10.00AM.
So, can you spray in the evening after a hot day? Well yes, you can, however, during hot weather the plant shuts down which means that the stomata (likes pores in our skin) close to protect the hydration of the plant. Since we are spraying the foliage and we cannot see whether the stomata is open or not, we suggest that your rose spray program be done first thing in the morning before 10.00am to ensure maximum benefit to the roses.
THE SPRAY PROGRAM …
Apply at least monthly
To 10 litres of water add:
¼ cup Eco-rose fungicide powder (mix with some water to dissolve)
¼ cup liquid seaweed (check pack details for exact measure – they vary!)
¼ cup Eco-oil insecticide (also ‘sticks’ spray liquid to leaves)
Mix all the products together and stir well. You can add Eco-aminogro (fish based fertilizer or say, Charlie Carp) which will act as a foliage fertilizer. Eco-neem can also be added if there is a significant outbreak of certain insects that bite or suck the plants – within 48 hours the insect population will be controlled.
This spray program is suitable for most plants and should DEFINITELY BE USED ON THE FRUIT TREES AND IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN!
HOT OFF THE PRESS …
A lovely catalogue THE AUSTRALIAN ROSARIAN is now available and you are welcome to email your address details so that we can send you a copy – it is now available for download here or visit rosesalesonline.com.au!
Thank you to Rose Rambler subscribers who sent through photos of their roses – I could have made a catalogue from those alone! However, only the back page was allocated for customer pics … hope yours is on there!
GRA’S GRUMBLE …
Okay, so now I’m 70 and you all know! Thanks so very much for all the messages of congratulations which made the occasion extra special. The day/night at the Werribee Zoo with our kids and grandchildren was great fun while being a treasured learning experience too.
Here’s a photo of the site Diana and our son Eric managed for the wonderful State Rose and Garden Show which was held on the Sunday in the State Rose Gardens – treat yourself and take the family to this wonderful destination for a fantastic day out! A hidden treasure at Werribee.
Q. Where do sheep go on holidays? A. To the baa hamas!
IN CLOSING …
When it all gets too busy and the world seems to be going just too fast, pick up the secateurs and close out all of everything but grooming your roses … speak with them while they tell you about themselves – a more interesting conversation could not ever be had! Enjoy your garden this week.
~ Diana, Graham and Mooi at Clonbinane
ROSE RAMBLER 28.11.2013
ROSE RAMBLER 28.11.2013
Hello dear rose friends … the last days of Spring, 2013 and it really doesn’t quite feel like we are ready for Summer – crazy weather but the roses are growing beautifully and producing lots of magnificent growth and blooms. On the glorious days when the air is still and the sun is shining on the potted roses in the nursery it is blissful to walk around and be intoxicated by the heady fragrance of the roses.
Pick a day like that to come to the Rose Farm … when you go through the ‘booze bus’ on the way home, you’ll register zero but might still be asked to “Please step out of the car and walk in a straight line” … they’ll know you’re high on something.
MULCH … SO IMPORTANT …
There are two really important tasks to be carried out right now in the rose garden – the hot weather WILL come:
- Check and repair, as necessary, the watering systems; and
- Buy quality lucerne or pea straw mulch for immediate application
Once you know the watering system is all ok and before you apply the thick layer of mulch around the roses, give each rose a good handful of complete organic fertilizer which will be spread over the entire root-zone of each rose bush – definitely not ‘dumped’ at the base of the rose!
When the fertilizer has been liberally distributed over the entire soil surface, apply a nice thick layer of quality mulch – in order of preference :
- Lucerne (ask for second or third cut because it will have fewer weeds)
- Pea Straw (if it seeds, just see this as an opportunity for another layer of mulch and know that once you have pulled the ‘pea weed’ out, it will not re-seed)
- Any other mulch material
Remember last Summer when it suddenly got intensely hot and our plants were totally unprepared for the onslaught? Avoid this type of stress on the roses in your garden this year and be prepared for all weather variables – give regular doses of liquid seaweed which should avail your roses of between 3-5 degrees of greater heat stress tolerance.
GRA’S GARBLE …
Did you know that lemons are like roses? They need the same amount of food and an even amount of watering. Both LOVE liquid seaweed poured over their leaves and if you add 2 caps each of Eco-Oil and liquid seaweed, you’ll deal with most bugs too!
Rose petals and lemons are loaded with Vitamin C so squeeze half a lemon into a cup of warm water first thing in the morning – the acid tasting lemon alkalises your system.
Use rose petals in salads to give the dish some pizzazz.
While I’m talking about food, use lots of Turmeric in your chicken, beef or lamb dishes; add garlic and onions – said to be anti-inflammatory (ie reduce face wrinkles) and reduces swelling associated with rheumatoid arthritis – also an antioxidant. Look out for the bulbs like mini ginger in green grocers now – it can be grown in the southern states from November through to May.
Q. What do you do if you break your toe? A. Call a toe truck!
7 LITTLE WEE DO’S – WHY WE ARE SO DIFFERENT …
We guarantee our roses for 3 months after purchase
We grow roses without using chemicals
We are specialist rose growers
We can send roses around Australia in the post all year – except to Tassie/WA
We sell all Australian-made products
We are a registered Sustainable Garden Centre
We are not cheap but we sell all types of top quality roses!
Check out our quality roses and products at www.rosesalesonline.com.au
Hope to see you at Werribee this Sunday …
Graham
IN CLOSING …
Graham’s wish for his 70th birthday was to spend the whole day in the State Rose Garden at Werribee … he’ll be there for two whole days because we are celebrating with our children and grandchildren at the Werribee Zoo Slumber Safari on Saturday and then, (by sheer coincidence), we have a site at the State Rose and Garden Show on Sunday (Vasili will be there too! Gra and Vasili in the same place will be a hoot so you must come!)
See you soon …
~ Diana, Graham and Mooi (say: MOY … not MOOEY – silly me for not thinking!)
ROSE RAMBLER 5.12.2013
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ROSE RAMBLER 21.11.2013
Hello dear rose friends … we slipped out for a few days last week to go and see Graham’s own rose in the Trial Grounds in Adelaide. WOW!
GRA’S RAMBLE … I never thought I could breed my own rose and to see it flowering in the National Rose Trial Grounds was a real hoot! Read this the other day, a bloke called Walter Bagehot wrote it and it was how I felt along the way while I was cross-pollinating, harvesting and setting the seeds – waiting, waiting for a stunning rose to emerge :
THE GREATEST PLEASURE IN LIFE IS DOING WHAT PEOPLE SAY YOU CANNOT DO!
(Editor, Diana’s note: Now I understand why he has 10 minute showers, leaves lights on all the time and drives home the long way … damn that Walter bloke for telling him it was okay to do things he ‘cannot do’ someone please send him a verse and tell him about what he ‘shouldn’t do’!)
Climbing Roses that are FANTASTIC –
- CREPUSCULE – a buff/apricot colour which flowers for 9 months, can be pruned with a hedger, has almost no thorns and is lightly fragrant.
- MME. ALFRED CARRIERE – most magnificently perfumed white rose with a blush centre in cool weather, flowers nearly all year – certainly the first and last to flower and is almost thornless.
- GOLDEN CELEBRATION – gorgeous flower as big as a pie, swirling mass of petals filled with sumptuous perfume and all the class of a great David Austin rose.
All climbers enjoy a trim when the flowers are finished and they will be back flowering in 45-50 days … great value! Do let us help you select the very best climber suited to the situation you would like to cover with beautiful roses.
My good friend Sue at the Whittlesea Court House sent this tip to share:
My tip for weeding (not that I can do it much now – well not on my knees anyway) use some of the bubble wrap plastic to kneel or sit on. I scored some of the larger stuff – about inch size bubbles from some packing, which is great. I have a long sheet of it so can put it down and move along, sometimes doubling it over for more padding. Easy to clean – shake off the dirt or hose it if gets muddy. Haven’t tried the small bubble wrap but the big stuff works really well and I just fold it away in my gardening stuff. Unfortunately it doesn’t come with anything to hold onto to get up. Yes I need something now!!!!
Q. What did the lawyer name his daughter? A. .. wait for it ….. SUE ! Keep smiling … Gra
SUMMER ROSE CARE SEMINAR WEEKEND …
THIS SATURDAY 23RD AT 10.00AM & SUNDAY 24TH NOVEMBER AT 1.30PM
Yes, we know it’s not Summer yet but the rose care skills you need to have your roses looking their best for Christmas and beyond needs to be planned so come along to a session with Graham in the garden this weekend … booking would be handy but not essential.
MOON PLANTING GUIDE … There has been an overwhelming request for more dates to be published, so this will lead you well into Summer:
No sowing on 25th November. Best sowing/planting from 1.05pm on 27th, all day 28th to 5.00pm on 29th. No sowing before 7.55am on 3rd December. Best sowing/pruning days from 8.00am on 3rd to 11.50am on 4th; all day on 7th and 8th to 12.50pm on 9th. More in 2 weeks!
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW … A little dream comes true in the form of MOOI LILY (translated: MOOI : beautiful in Dutch and LILY : 6 year old Logan wanted to name her this) our darling little miniature poodle has stormed into our hearts and become a part of our lives. Do introduce yourself when you next visit us at Clonbinane.
IN CLOSING … “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” … Anna Frank wrote in her diary written during the invasion of Holland in World War 2 and very much necessary for us to remember every day in these last days of 2013 and onwards – be happy and positive while the roses bloom so delightfully!
Diana, Graham and Mooi Lily at Clonbinane
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EVERY ASPECT OF ROSE GROWING, LOG ON AND CONTRIBUTE TO allaboutroses.com.au