ROSE RAMBLER 5.9.2013

ROSE RAMBLER 5.9.2013

Hello dear rose friends … Hope all you Dads had a very Happy Father’s Day!

Welcome to Spring with warm, sunny days and a definite hint of the glorious flowers to come.  By now all your new and beautifully pruned roses will be shooting madly – I hope you have given them a high quality fertilizer to nurture them through this time of intense growth.

Remember that a rose which is growing in well fertilized, humus rich soil will naturally be far more able to resist any pest and disease problems … if you haven’t yet fertilized your roses, DO IT NOW and do it again in another 8 weeks when they are flowering!

HOW TO FERTILIZE YOUR GARDEN …  Fertilizing is a very important task and your plants will reward you immensely when they are fed with high quality products … we are so lucky now that science has produced easy-to-use fertilizers with a complete package of nutrients so that we don’t have to purchase a little bag of this and another bag of that … buy a quality ALL PURPOSE FERTILIZER and spread it all over the root zone of the plants!!!

We’ve only got one small space to put the food into our bodies … yes, our mouth!   The clever mechanism of our body distributes the nutrients from that food, throughout our entire system!  Plants spread feeder roots over the whole canopy of their growth so if you throw the fertilizer at the base of the plant, that fertilizer isn’t being distributed evenly for the plant to be able to utilise it.  Take a bit of time to lightly distribute the fertilizer around the entire root-zone of your plants … do it frequently and enjoy the rewards!

GRAHAM’S TIPS … Roses appeal to every single one of our senses …

  • SMELL .. yes, they are great for fragrance – put your nose in a rose!  I wear a peak-cap which reads:  ROSES FOR NOSES .. learn how to enjoy the fragrance of ALL roses!
  • TASTE .. rose petals are increasingly being used in cakes, salads .. follow our organic rose management program and freely use rose petals in your food .. try it!
  • TOUCH .. experience the gentle moment on watching a child feel the rose petals – don’t scare them about the thorns .. kids will learn to respect walking around roses!
  • SOUND .. Yes, even sound is embraced in a rose and you can ‘hear’ it too .. the birds in the early morning opening the stomata (pores) to receive the dew or maybe your liquid seaweed application tonic … read the book “Secret Life Of Plants” to know more!
  • SIGHT .. WOW .. what a display of colours – surely the biggest range of any flower species on our planet!

(There was no joke written on the page so I presume you’ll have to wait till next week… Diana)

PESKY LITTLE PESTS …  We are already getting phone calls about the infestation of aphids –please don’t despair about aphids because they will occur on the more ‘protected’ roses – the one’s in the corner of the garden, under the eaves maybe, places where it isn’t windy, and provided you have some other flowers in the garden now, the ladybirds will be happening because they need the pollen and nectars of all the flowers to induce their breeding program … once they get going, the aphids will come under attack as the primary feed-source for the ladybirds!  All the little birds like sparrows, wrens and pardalotes will also be feasting on the aphids and other predator insects in the garden … so,

PLEASE don’t go down to the local supermarket or garden centre and purchase a ‘quick-fix’ chemical spray!  Let nature take it’s course, don’t get too anxious – let the birds and ladybirds enjoy the bounty of this beautiful Spring, continue with your regular rose maintenance program and if things get a bit out of hand, increase the rate of application of your eco-rose products!  Call us if you feel you need more advice.

IN CLOSING …  In the ‘busy-ness’ of everyday routine, take a quiet walk through your garden and revel in the joy of Spring … this blossom is on my 50th birthday fruit tree which has been shifted several times and produces delicious nectarines and peaches every year – how many will I get this year …???

2013-09-04 07.01.12

Enjoy the glory of being a gardener – cheers from Diana & Graham

Rose Rambler 29.8.2013

ROSE RAMBLER 29.8.2013

Hello dear rose friends …  there’s always something to share … gardening is just that way and a tip for those of you who have fruit trees that you wish to protect from possums is:

“Hello there Diana, thanks for all the pearls of wisdom you send out.

RE the possums – mine love the nectarines but do not bother my roses  –  choosy!!!

However, last year I heard, saw or read that if you spray with molasses one cup to one litre water, they will leave the fruit alone. Last year when there were actually some nectarines growing on the tree (none this year to check), I sprayed with this concoction and lo and behold the nectarines survived. Just a light spray over the plant did the trick.   Perhaps someone would like to try this. As I was not able to repeat this year I cannot be sure if it was just coincidence …??? Cheers,  Dorothy”

“Hi Diana & Graham, Sorry to hear the parrots are misbehaving in your garden. I feel a bit guilty as I did chuckle but sympathize really, a bit destructive like the possums around here. At the moment I am hanging small yellow plastic containers with moth balls in them on my rose bushes. (They are about 10cm long and came from Bunnings.) They seem to be working but have only been there 2 weeks. These containers are sealed but moth balls are poisonous so not a good idea if you have inquisitive children.

I have also cut up the black, plastic, spiky guards and nailed them to the top of the fence. That does make life unpleasant for the possums when I run out in the evening (doing a Diana) and they need to escape in a hurry!  Have a good day.  Margaret”

If you have a pearl of garden wisdom to share, please send me an email just like Dorothy and Margaret did and here also, are  GRAHAM’S GARDENING TIPS:

  • I suggest that molasses sprayed on an area of weeds will reduce their proliferation.  Why, I hear you ask?  The weeds do not like ‘sweet soil’ and since molasses is a sweetener, made from sugar cane, weeds cannot and will not grow where the soil is sweet!
  • Coffee grinds are very useful so don’t ‘bin’ them for the following reasons:
  1. There is a heap of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium including traces of other minerals.
  2. Acid loving plants appreciate a sprinkling of coffee grounds directly on the soil around the base of the plant.
  3. Slugs and snails will not crawl across the grounds – use them as a repellent.
  4. Place the grounds in the compost heap – worms absolutely love them!

Next time you’re at your local Café, ask if they will save the coffee grinds so that you can use them on your garden … they’ll most likely oblige – especially if you offer to collect them a few times each week and provide a lidded container for the storage.

Joke of the Week … What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish?

Answer:  You will rise and shine! What a wonderful way to start Spring … it’s going to be a great season!

RE-POTTING PLANTS … At least every two years, plants which have been in containers must be planted into fresh potting mix.  Follow these easy steps to rejuvenate your potted roses:

  • Tip the pot sideways out onto an old bag or plastic sheet – you may need a knife to lever the plant out;
  • Trim 2/3 of the growth – remove all dead or old wood;
  • Cut away 1/3 of the existing root ball and tease remaining roots;
  • Reposition the plant using a high quality, fresh potting mix;
  • Water-in with the hose to remove all air-pockets – you may need to top up the potting mix after this soaking;
  • Water over with liquid seaweed to reduce the transplanting shock.

It’s never too late to undertake this very important task – plants which are left in containers for more than two years will definitely deteriorate.  Always use high quality potting mix and for the life of the plant, water containerised roses with liquid seaweed at least once a month.

IN CLOSING … One touch of nature makes the whole world kin” … William Shakespeare

This is the Season when everything changes so radically, so perfectly, so beautifully … the birds are singing and the mowers mowing … enjoy the moments!

Diana & Graham Sargeant, Silkies Rose Farm, CLONBINANE

ROSE RAMBLER 15.8.2013

ROSE RAMBLER 15.8.2013

Hello dear rose friends …Rain, rain, go away .. come again another day … I’m trying to heed Graham’s gardening tip from last week to go and prune the roses NOW and I seriously hate working in the rain even though I know I can go and take a hot shower afterwards … it would be my luck that I would get soaking wet, go take a shower and somebody would rock up here at the Rose Farm looking for a rose …NICE ???  NOT!!!

Let’s move right into … GRAHAM’S GARDENING TIPS …

  • Compost is great to use on the garden – start right now to add your own compost around the rose bushes because it is a ’gentle’ feed and the cold soil microbes and worms LOVE compost for feed and warmth.
  • If you cannot produce your own compost, there are many brands of quality compost available in 30 litre bags – clean and easy to distribute around the roses;  they will reward you with bountiful healthy rose bushes and lots of flowers.
  • When you place the compost around the plants, cover with a light layer of mulch which will protect the microbes when the sun starts to get hot!

Gra’s humorous episode happened recently:  I drove into a car park and he said:  “Did you know they now have senior’s car parks at Coles?”  “No, I hardly ever go there but how would they know you’re a senior anyway?”  His reply (quick as a flash):  “Because somebody would have seen ya!”  Needless to say, we rolled, laughing into the restaurant.

WARNING ABOUT WET FEET … ROSES HATE WET FEET …  If you are at all concerned that your new roses are not performing as you would expect, or if they are starting to go ‘brown’ around the bud-union or on the green stems, get them up out of the sopping wet ground and let them grow in pots for a while!  Take care of the drainage to the garden bed and re-plant the roses later when the soil has had a chance to stabilise after all this rain!

Please never leave the new bare-rooted roses in soggy soil because they will definitely perish in a boggy soil!

The newly planted rose bushes should now be producing lots of plump buds and new shoots.  Some develop quicker than others, depending on variety.  Provided you have all the right requirements in place, your Winter roses will be producing lots of roots and this is indicated by swollen buds and shoots.  If you didn’t prune the new roses when/before they went into the ground, go around now and give them a light prune to an outward facing bud – while you’re out in the garden, get the watering can and your liquid seaweed… treat all the roses to a wash-down tonic which will encourage more roots … more roots, more shoots, more shoots, more flowers!  DO IT NOW!!!

SHIFTING AN OLD ROSE …  This afternoon I had a call from an inner-city gardener who (with approval from the property owners) saved four very old roses from a demolition site.  He dug the roses whereas I would have asked the machine operator to dig them!  Anyway, he’s got the roses in his yard but no ground to put them in …?  That’s a real boy thing to do!

Moving on to the important part of our conversation … my suggestions were as follows:

  • Cut every single branch to around 30cms in length
  • Remove all the old/deadwood at the crown
  • Cut out the oldest branches until 3-7 branches remain
  • Soak the plants overnight in a trough with weak solution of liquid seaweed
  • Plant tomorrow into the garden or;
  • Pot into quality potting mix and locate in a sunny position
  • Water lightly weekly with liquid seaweed solution

If you have an opportunity to save old roses from the demolition derby which is happening all around us, please do so with confidence …  the pleasure will be immense and the satisfaction in knowing that the person who planted that rose, however many years ago, will be there in spirit, looking over your shoulder and providing all the energy to make the rose survive … believe it and it will happen!

Transplanting an old rose can and should happen whenever the situation occurs … we transplanted the entire rose garden from the Kilmore rose nursery location in February/March and not one single rose died in the process!  Virginia has a beautiful rose garden as a testament of the hardiness and resilience of roses!!!

IN CLOSING …  Enjoy the last weeks of Winter by rugging up and getting down and dirty in the rose garden … the weeds are coming up easily so get ahead of them NOW … when your day is done and you look out at the beautifully pruned rose garden … oh, the pleasure …!

Cheers from Diana & Graham

ROSE RAMBLER 22.8.2013

Hello dear rose friends … have you ever spent time watching a Magpie have dinner?  Quietly, cautiously step across the lawn, head leaning to one side … listening to hear the worms crawling through the earth … is it possible that a worm actually makes a noise while it slithers through the soil?  The magpie hears something …?

The fascination of nature in a quiet moment sitting up on my veranda last evening!  That beautiful female Magpie ate no less than 50 worms and grubs as she readies herself for mating, laying her eggs and the consequent routine of sitting till the chicks arrive.

How her life will change when the eggs hatch and she and her partner will share the feeding of the chicks – I will keep you informed as to how many she has this year … beautiful!

While the Magpies are a happy and non-invasive garden resident, the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos look at me, pick a daffodil and destructively leave it on the ground … I’ll share all the food and resources of the garden, but please don’t just peck something off and then leave it as litter … so angry, I screamed at them, opened the wire-screen door and  slammed it shut hoping to scare them …. ?  They looked at me up on the veranda, railing at them and laughed at me … oh, I got so mad I was racing through the yard with my hands waving!

Surprised not to see an ambulance driving around the corner – here to come and pick me up and take me to the nearest available mental facility … newspaper headlines:  “Local, highly respected rose nursery proprietor removed in great distress ..”   giggle … should make it happen and have the press here ready to report something seriously funny for the evening news … would have to be better than all the negative stuff on the news!

Over the years, how I have despaired for all you beautiful rose gardeners that walk out in the morning to find the possums have feasted on your roses while you’ve been sleeping – there has to be a way of stopping this blatant garden destruction ..?

If you have a good idea or solution, please tell me so that I can share it with other very frustrated rose gardeners … thanks!

SAVE THE ROSES … THERE FOR THE TAKING …  If you live in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne or are seriously keen to get some very old roses which have been raised by staunch rosarians, Mandy and Allen Brundrett – members of the BRUNDRETT ROSES family, please contact … Margaret Lawson on 0407 896 309 and she will give you directions and information about when you can access the property at 29 Kingswood Crescent, Noble Park North where more than 100 roses between 30-50 years old can be dug and rescued.

A HOST OF GOLDEN DAFFODILS … Such a wonderful sight

Yes, we are rosarians and for just as many years, we have been very keen daffodil growers with many of our collection of bulbs in the gardens here at Clonbinane.

If you take a close look at the photo, you will note that the bulbs closest to the Oak tree are smaller than the others … reason for this … I mowed them before they were ready to be mowed!

Never, ever, cut the foliage from your bulbs before that foliage is well and truly browned-off because all the energy from this year’s foliage goes down into the bulb as a food-store for the next year.  Sometimes I have been impatient and not wanted to look at all the dead foliage, run the mower over it and yes, the following year, the flowering stems are shorter with fewer flowers!

Beautiful customers, Linda and Ray were in the other day and Linda was saying that Ray lifts the daffodils and separates them … Is that why they never get a true ‘drift of golden daffodils’ as they see in other people’s gardens ..?

Definitely do not lift and separate your daffodils and let the foliage completely disintegrate so that you can experience the true ‘host of golden daffodils’ … warming pleasure in the Winter/Spring garden!

IN CLOSING …  Graham asks you to allow yourself to feel nature and enjoy the pleasure of growing some seeds, see them come to life with small green shoots which have amazing energy … music to the heart!

Birds singing in the gardens are starting to herald the closeness of Spring … those birds singing are stimulating the stomata of each plant leaf to open and drink the dew to nurture joyous growth.  Liquid seaweed your plants regularly to increase their vigour and strengthen them in readiness for the bounty of the Spring.

Enjoy this last week of Winter … Diana & Graham at Clonbinane

ROSE RAMBLER 8.8.2013

ROSE RAMBLER 8.8.2013

Hello dear rose friends … happened to see a young guy mowing his lawn this afternoon … there were a few things I noticed ..

  1. He was wearing a tee-shirt and it was seriously cold;
  2. There was 15mm of rain the evening before and the grass must have been wet;
  3. He put the grass clippings from the catcher into a garbage bag!

The last point brings me to giving some recommendations regarding the disposal of your lawn clippings – we’ll all be mowing lawns during the coming weeks and there are some serious considerations of how you deal with the refuse of your lawn mowing.

Several years ago, a long-time customer of the Rose Nursery in Kilmore became seriously ill as a result of putting her lawn clippings into green garbage bags, allowing them to rot down after placing them in a sunny location and then distributing them over her garden as mulch!

Lyn has never recovered from the debilitating lung condition she acquired as a result of inhaling the ‘mould’ from what she distributed about the garden from those garbage bags!

When you mow your lawns in the future, consider the following:

  1. Mow without the catcher on so that the clippings ‘self-mulch’ your lawn;
  2. Find a corner of your yard where you can compost the clippings in thin layers, adding other garden and kitchen refuse to create humus to redistribute on the garden;
  3. No room at your place?  Find a neighbour or other place where you might be able to place your clippings for use as compost – neighbourhood community garden maybe?
  4. Place the lawn clippings in bags and bring them a.s.a.p. to Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane;  we will add them to compost areas here.

Provided you only use very light layers, the lawn clippings can be distributed over existing garden beds.  If you have ‘feral’ weeds in the lawn, those weeds will have the opportunity of spreading throughout the garden!  If you’re not sure, don’t put the catcher on the mower, mow more frequently and let the clippings mulch the lawn!

Please take serious heed of this warning when mowing your lawn in the coming months!!!

WINTER ROSE SEASON WIND-UP …  The roses for this season are now potted into high-quality potting medium … they’ve been cut back to within inches of their lives and by doing this severe prune, we know that they will produce the most astounding potted specimen roses which will be flowering in November!

www.rosesalesonline.com.au offers you the opportunity to order roses at any time of the year – these beautifully potted roses will be packaged and posted direct to your door for any occasion!  On a whim, if you want to treat yourself to a new rose for a special location in your garden, just log-in or call me at the Rose Farm and I will happily pack a rose for you or somebody you love that needs a rose to cheer them up!

For that really special occasion, ask me for a gift-wrap …. the rose looks so special in the beautifully coloured wrap – even though there might not be any flowers

GIFT WRAPPED ROSE

I usually select a paper and ribbon colour which matches the rose of your choice and this service costs only $4.50 –  it’s a very thoughtful and  precious, living gift!

GRAHAM’S GARDENING TIPS….

  • If you haven’t pruned your roses yet, DO IT NOW!  All old foliage should be stripped because it is still photosynthesising and making sugar and carbohydrates which results in a concentration of these nice food sources which can attract aphids and spider mites.  The insects go into multiplication mode and it won’t take them long to invade!
  • Once pruned, wash-down or spray to run-off with the rose management program as follows:  To 10 litres of water add:  ¼ cup Eco-rose, ¼ cup Eco-oil and add liquid seaweed to the mix to increase strength in the cell walls of the foliage.

A recent ‘green space’ report has shown that 91% of people believe that parks and gardens have a positive effect on our quality of life, contributing more to our wellbeing than our jobs, our sex-life, money or religion!  Is it natural to want to be with Mother Nature?  The plants and flowers, of course, are essential to meet the needs of all our senses and roses are great because they flower for up to eight months of the year!!!

Did you hear about the race between the lettuce and the tomato?  The lettuce was a ‘head’ and the tomato was trying to ketchup …. Enjoy the rain on your garden … Graham

IN CLOSING … Every time I try to follow Gra’s tip to go and prune the roses NOW, I kit up, get a few bushes done and it starts to rain … or the phone rings and I have to go and pack up another lot of roses for the post.  The ground is all ‘mooshy’ so I try and lay pads of mulch rather than compact the soil around the roses … buds are bursting and Spring is in the air …

Cheers from Diana & Graham Sargeant

ROSE RAMBLER 1.8.2013

ROSE RAMBLER 1.8.2013

Hello dear rose friends … Another month of Winter gone – some would say, finally!  I rather love the glory of the Winter garden and all the changes that occur during this beautiful season – a time of ‘tidy up’ … prune, fertilize, mulch and within a turn of your back, everything starts to come alive with enormous bounty … joyful!

SERVICE AND SMILE …  By now, a whole lot of the Winter orders have finally been processed and due to the late and very warm Autumn, the roses were dug later than usual and this caused distress to some of our customers for which I am eternally sorry!

Apart from the lateness of the season, there were problems with the interstate orders which required the roses be sprayed to comply with quarantine regulations – more delay!  Then a whole bunch of the parcels we packed were rejected by Australia Post and had to be processed by a courier – more delay!

Let me assure you that Silkies Roses are the most lovely quality roses you can buy and our service and smiles together with our vast knowledge about roses and their culture guarantee your rose purchase will be most rewarding – there were however, obstacles which prevailed this season completely beyond our control … in the history of the business I cannot remember a time when I apologised so frequently and sincerely;   for the (hopefully!) last time, I am truly sorry if you were caused any inconvenience by our service this season.

When the roses bloom, I am sure you will forget any misery associated with their delivery!

This is an email I received from one of my understandably disgruntled customers:

Hi Diana … The roses you sent me (Tassie) arrived this morning. They were in very good condition and the quality as you said is outstanding. Thanks again for the great effort you put in to get the roses to me. Sorry for the inconvenience I put you through but I can tell you that I am a very happy customer.

Kind Regards  ….  Arnie

 

GRAHAM’S ROSE TIPS …  

  • Ladybirds are our very best friends in the rose garden!  They help control aphids and they actually eat some fungus … yes, amazing!  Once you have pruned the roses this Winter (it’s NEVER TOO LATE!) start your spray management program using ¼ cup of each:  Liquid Seaweed, Eco-Rose (fungicide) and Eco-oil (insecticide) to 10 litres of water and spray or pour over the plants – you are giving the ladybirds and other insects and birds a hand with insect control.  You can apply this environmentally safe management program in the morning and pick and eat your veggies for the evening meal on the same day!!  Brilliant Australian researched and made products … go Aussies go!
  • While you’re out pruning standard roses, check the ties and secure with double-sided Velcro – the UV stabilized shiny side facing outwards.  We can post this to you 3 metres:  $18.50  5 metres:  $24.50 plus pack and post.  See this pic …

1375270061

  • Time to fertilize the garden with COF –Complete Organic Fertilizer – great thing about applying organic fertiliser – the plant only takes up the feed when it needs it!

Have a laugh and enjoy your garden this week … why did the banana go to the Doctor …?  Because it wasn’t peeling well …

(Note from Diana, Editor:  You keep talking about these crazy jokes which only encourages him … when you stop laughing, let me know and I’ll delicately tell Graham to take them back to the grandchildren!)

PRUNED ROSES … Nearly all of the potted roses have been pruned to less than 15cms of growth and this will encourage massive water-shoot development and lovely rounded bushes with lots of blooms come Spring.

If you are thinking of ordering more roses in the coming weeks, keep in mind that we’ve done all the hard work for you – the packs will be smaller because the roses have been heavily cut back and ready to plant without any work on your part!

IN CLOSING ….  Stay warm and cosy while you enjoy this last month of this crazy Winter – if you want some advice about pruning your roses and/or fruit trees,  pop up to the Rose Farm and Graham will happily allay all your fears … love the snip, snip, snipping

Regards from Diana & Graham Sargeant at CLONBINANE

ROSE RAMBLER 25.7.2013

ROSE RAMBLER 25.7.2013

Hello dear rose friends … since he’s become an overnight rage about all things roses, let’s move right into

GRAHAM’S GARDENING TIPS …

  • it’s finally been raining and raining so mulch on your garden is essential to hold the topsoil in place … US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt said “A Nation that destroys it’s soil, destroys itself” and since Australia has one of the oldest soils in the world, we, as guardians of the earth must care for the soil as our top priority!  The mulch should be at least 75mm thick all year.
  • As soon as the sun shines again, we’ll all be mowing lawns  – research has shown that odours produced from freshly mown lawn help your mental processes have a natural, happy ‘high’ .. no Government tax on this one!
  • My pick of all the roses coming into the Rose Farm for the best all-round performance would be ‘Violina’ for it’s beautiful long-stemmed, highly fragrant, tight bud of mid-pink which opens to a huge bloom suitable to vase!  The healthy, well-foliaged bush grows to at least 1.2 metres tall and makes an ideal fragrant rose hedge…. One of the BEST roses!VIOLINA BUD (2)
  • “You have to stay in shape.  My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60.  She’s 97 today and we don’t know where the hell she is.”  Ellen DeGeneres

Keep smiling and happy gardening, GRAHAM

STANDARD ROSES … While I was sitting at the Motel in Mount Gambier last week, it occurred to me how, sadly, people plant standard roses in the ‘wrong’ location … these standard roses were planted under the eaves within 30cms of the building, in front of windows which (obviously) had window screens and I can imagine how this rose planting might cause grief when the roses are in full bloom … branches scraping on and marking the windows, possibly slashing the screens …?

The roses would not be happy because the area under the eaves is generally a very dry zone and the grass growing right up around the stems of the standard roses will deplete even more moisture and energy from the roses!

2013-07-17 16.28.50

Notice also that the ties are ‘wrong’ because if you tie a standard rose to a star post, the rose cannot fit snuggly against the stake!  Although we use and recommend steel stakes, they must be either round or square tube which extends about 20 cms above the crown of the standard rose!  Wooden tomato stakes will rot within two years and leave the standard rose very vulnerable in windy weather.

This photo shows you a well-supported standard rose with double-sided Velcro as the preferred tie material …

STANDARD ROSE STAKED AS IT SHOULD BE!
STANDARD ROSE STAKED AS IT SHOULD BE!

When you are planting anything in your garden, take a look ALL AROUND YOU – including upwards!  Observe where the sun happens in the garden and how this changes with the seasons and most of all, take into account that the plants will grow bigger if you allow them the space to reach their mature potential.

WET WEATHER WARNING …  Remember that roses are very water-wise plants and will not tolerate excessive water around the root-zone!  Because it has been very wet in many parts of Australia, ensure that your roses are not drowning – especially newly planted roses will have difficulty if the soil is boggy – lift the roses into pots, correct the soil drainage and replant when the soil has settled.  If you’re not sure about your soil type, bring a sample up to the Rose Farm and have a discussion with Graham.

IN CLOSING … Doris Day said:  “I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source” and I thank Caro for sharing this quote with us – prompted us to get on with sourcing another dog … sooner rather than later!

Thank you all for such caring and love … Diana & Graham

DILEMMA OF PRUNING ROSES …?

QUESTION: Dear Diana and Graham,
Yesterday whilst pruning standard Iceberg roses I noticed that they were weeping rather profusely just after I had started.
They had not been pruned very well for 6 years and were in a bit of a tangle and mess just above the graft sight.
These roses had not defoliated and were in an open west facing bed with river rocks as mulch. We have had several frosts in Wangaratta so I thought end of July would be ok to prune them. I work as a garden contractor and have my own business. I have been pruning roses for many years with no problems.
However I was surprised by this weeping response and virtually a complete set of foliage.
Is this ok/ normal?
I would appreciate your thoughts.
Cheers Kirsty, Wangaratta

ANSWER: Hi Kristy … I don’t know whether you get my weekly rose rambler but I have been talking for weeks now about how ‘late’ the season is and less than 6 weeks ago, we visited our grower at Kalangadoo (SA border near Penola) and our standard roses were still flowering and fully in foliage!  There was no way we could take those roses out of the ground so our customers had to wait … it has caused grief for some – most especially those who purchase and pay on the internet store – they pay, they want NOW!

Feel it this morning … it’s like a Spring/Summer morning …???
Now, about your issue with the Iceberg you pruned yesterday … I did a massive prune on my Iceberg hedge about four weeks ago and yes, there was that weeping too …. I pruned 3/4 of the hedge because yes, I wanted to see what may occur with frosts still very possible – checked those bushes on Wed/Thur and they’re all fine – no indication of frost burn and we’ve had minus 4 since the pruning!  The buds which I pruned to are still viable and swelling as normal too.

The weeping that you have experienced during this pruning I consider quite normal considering that there was a lot of foliage on the plants – an indication of sap still flowing and not to worry about!  You will notice same when you do a rather severe summer prune when say, you might want to re-locate a rose and to do so, you need to reduce the size of the plant to make it possible to lift it from the ground.
Press on with the pruning!  Enjoy! Diana

QUESTION: Dear Diana and Graham

Thanks Diana, I certainly do get the Rose Rambler emailed and read it with gusto.

There’s not much I can do about the Icebergs as the Client is always right. Going to Norway in 3 weeks time so must get them all pruned before I leave, just Mother Nature challenging us. It will be interesting to see plants north of the Arctic circle. Can’t wait.
Thanks for your support.
Kirsty

ANSWER: Thanks Kirsty … you’ll see heaps of Rugosa roses … right down to the beaches and in roadside plantings everywhere … spectacular greenery with flowers!!!  Shame we don’t do it here instead of all the grassy/weedy plants we use!!!!????  Enjoy your adventure!  Cheers … Diana

ROSE RAMBLER 18.7.2013

ROSE RAMBLER 18.7.2013

Hello dear rose friends … thank you so much for all the caring and sharing!  We gardeners seem to have a lot in common … roses and pets go into the same portfolio – how lucky we are to have such a special bond!

This past week I’ve thought how freeing it would be to be a child … I could kick, rant and rave and cry with my mouth wide open – not caring who was watching just letting all the pain be released – just like the kid we’ve all seen in the supermarket!  Next time I see one of those despairing children, I will look at them with different eyes and say “good on you, let us all know how unhappy you are!”

THE GARDEN FORK …  Yes, my secateurs are the most used garden implement I own and love but after that, I could not work in my garden without my four-flat-pronged garden fork – it does the lot!  One of the most beautiful elements of my garden fork is that when I am digging over the garden to plant something new, I notice that I have a far greater chance of not slicing a worm when I use the fork!  The shovel is different because it cuts down and through the soil and consequently, the worms.

Being the sook that I am, it’s important to me that every living thing in our garden has a purpose and we should do everything we can to preserve and encourage all living things with respect so I urge you all to use the garden fork rather than a shovel so that you too will give the worms a greater chance of survival when you are digging in your garden!

GRA’S GROWING TIPS … It’s not just me here at the Silkies Rose Farm so for the next few weeks, Graham will be contributing to the Rose Rambler with some great gardening ideas …

  • Put a handful of dolomite lime around each rose bush after pruning as it assists in the resistance to fungal problems and balances the pH of the soil enabling the plants to more readily take up and use the nutrition you provide when adding complete organic fertilizer;
  • Yes, mulch the garden beds NOW with lucerne, pea straw or any other straw materials because a light mulch through the Winter months encourages worms into your garden by keeping them warm during their breeding cycle, stops weed germination and prevents top soil erosion as well as … definitely mulch around the roses!
  • Rather than have one large compost heap a long way from your garden beds, create small areas around the garden where you place 100mm layers of leaves, lawn clippings, animal manures (yes, dog, cat, possum, chook, kangaroo and any other poo you can find!) onto these smaller heaps – as they break down, spread them out – natural mulch extraordinaire!
  • Avoid digging in the garden …. save your back … happy gardening!   GRAHAM

From the moment Graham’s feet hit the floor out of bed in the morning, he speaks … and then all day, talks and talks and talks!  Getting him to write all those wonderful ‘talks’ down is difficult but I promise to tie him down and you will be amazed by his garden wisdom and forthcoming contributions to this Rose Rambler .. stay posted!

“the best way to get most husbands to do something Is to suggest that

perhaps they’re too old to do it ….?”

That’s a very wise quote from Shirley MacLaine which you other ‘girl’ readers may find useful when you want something done around the place … !  Sharing and caring!

IN CLOSING … I had a beaut conversation with a rose grower the other day – we both raved about the sensational performance of the original ‘FireStar’ rose which was released as a memorial to the Black Saturday fires which ravaged Victoria in 2009 … we highly recommend this glorious rose which is still flowering in many gardens even now …

FIRESTAR (2)

Enjoy your Winter rose garden … Diana & Graham