Posted on by Diana Sargeant

ROSE RAMBLER 23.10.2014

ROSE RAMBLER 23.10.2014

Hello dear rose friends … more sharing as a result of last week’s Rambler.  It’s amazing how ‘toilet stories’ attract this kind of sharing … giggling still … but sad that nobody offered to take Graham on his long-worked-for holiday???

Hi Di – those eco products I got from you via phone call last week arrived next day by post (fantastic), and it saved me going to Bunnings etc, plus I was able to talk to you to learn a lot more about the product (not an option at the big chains).

Plus the products did a very good job, and not just on the roses  – Paul

Yes, for a minimal postage fee, I can post our organic rose management products direct to your door – call me on 03 5787 1123 if this works for you!

VERY EXCITING NEW RELEASE ROSE NOW AVAILABLE…

We had to wait for this rose to be ‘baptised’ so that we could attach labels – we now have the labels and some stunning plants ready to be sold.

Every family has one, every child thinks they are the one, every parent knows that each child is one … so which rose am I referring to?  Of course, THE GOLDEN CHILD.

An amazingly sturdy, bright yellow floribunda rose, THE GOLDEN CHILD was awarded ROSE OF THE YEAR in 2013 for extremely healthy, glossy dark foliage which is a brilliant foil for the stunning mass of fragrant, non-fading, waved-petal,  yellow blooms produced continually from season start to end.

This highly recommended rose is ONLY available on our website as a GIFT ROSE bush which means it will be gift-wrapped and a card with your personal message attached then posted to THE GOLDEN CHILD in your life.  Please send one to each of your children to alleviate sibling rivalry – I know which of her children my Mum would send the rose to; she has one son and three daughters … giggle!!!

Standard specimens of the rose are available FOR PICK-UP ONLY at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane – limited numbers available this season.

GRA’S GARBLE …

To stop pots from drying out use glazed or plastic pots that lose less moisture from evaporation.  Paint the inside of terracotta pots with a sealer or plant the rose into a plastic pot, place it in the larger decorator pot and disguise the edges with mulch or a trailing ground-covering plant like ALYSSUM or other seedlings.

ALWAYS use top quality potting mix which you can be sure has a blend of quality ingredients including water-saving crystals and nutrients.

EVERY rose can be grown in a pot and since there is a good range of sizes available in the self-watering decorator pots, we recommend you purchase one of those so that you can guarantee your rose will always have water and nutrients available – pour seaweed solution into the water well.

The size of pot you select will determine the eventual size of the rose; climbing roses and large-growing hybrid tea roses, old-fashioned and modern-shrub roses perform beautifully in large tubs.  Use smaller pots for miniatures and some of the smaller growing floribundas. Group your pots together so that you’re not walking all over the yard with the hose running – it’s easy to forget ‘that one over there’!!!

EARWIGS IN THE ROSES …

Since they don’t fly, there’s only one way they can get to the flowers … crawl … soooo, if you have creepy-crawlies in your roses, try smearing petroleum jelly around the base stems.  Yes, it’s tedious but we know they won’t walk over it and if you end up with glorious roses to bring into the house that aren’t spilling earwigs over the kitchen bench, it’s worth it!

Q. What happens if you pour a bucket of hot water down a rabbit hole? 
A. You get hot cross bunnies!

Let us know what results you have with this method of deterring crawling insects in your flowering roses.  Clean up around the garden where the earwigs are camping … have a beaut week in your garden …. Graham

DATES TO LOCK-IN …

8TH/9TH NOVEMBER
ROSE SOCIETY ROSE SHOW
MT. WAVERLEY, VIC

SUNDAY, 16TH NOVEMBER
STATE ROSE GARDEN SHOW
AT WERRIBEE, STATE ROSE GARDENS

We will be there with a display site – definitely make this a ‘must do’ on your calendar – bring the whole family for a great day out!!!

The roses are almost flowering here at Clonbinane so do call in soon – when you come, please feel free to wander through the gardens …

~ Cheers from Diana, Graham & Mooi

ROSE RAMBLER 16.10.2014

 

Hello dear rose friends … this interesting email discussion is very worth sharing:

Hello Diana … Thank you so much for your weekly news sheets – they are most helpful. On the 12th September you referred to the organic spray to prevent black spot, etc.  After looking up recipes on the web, I found a carb soda and soap recipe which I used before the foliage had started showing.  The roses are looking really lush now.  But I cannot find whether this should be continued once the foliage is out, or is it ineffective now?It is the first time I have used it and I have to say that I was terrified of what may happen.  I decided that if I killed every rose, I would make a trip to Silkie Rose Garden and replace them all!  Fortunately, I didn’t kill any

I would so appreciate your advice.

Best regards Thea

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

My response: Hi Thea …

In the ‘old’ days when we first started our journey into sustainable/organic management practice, we also used all these recipes and it was a lot of mucking around – treat yourself to the AUSTRALIAN well-researched, economical and very effective OCP products – eco-oil and eco fungicide/eco rose (same product!!!) and you won’t have that immense worry about whether you’ll harm your roses or not!!!  It’s like fertilizer – yes, you can buy a bit of this and a bit of that and maybe somewhere in there, get it right – why not just buy quality fertilizer which has all the nutrients … easy and the science is done by professionals!  We are very lucky now that we have access to such brilliant Australian products and I recommend you use them!  Hope this is helpful …

Cheers

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Thea’s response:

Thank you so much Diana.  I hadn’t realised that ‘eco …’ is a brand name.  Have checked out Bunnings and Masters websites and found it.  So am all set!  Shame I don’t cook – I think that’s what carb soda is used for mostly.  But I am certainly not going to start.

Best wishes, Thea

GRA’S GARBLE …

Please, please support your local PLANT NURSERY!!!  Yes, the ‘big guys’ have it all but if you take a moment to wander through your local nursery, have a chat with the (usually) qualified person who gets up each and every morning (usually) at least 6 days a week, they will be the people who will offer you back-up support, great information, quality plants with (usually) a guarantee!

Think about what your kids/grandkids might be doing in years to come – hopefully working in a profession that makes them extremely happy and this great country of ours is the best place to be!  Yes, we sell our Australian products on the internet to Australian gardeners – consider where you buy and what you buy in the interest of the future for ALL of us!

Q.  What did the alien say to the garden?  A.  Take me to your weeder. 

Then he follows up with this one:
Q. What did the alien say to the cat?  A.  Take me to your litter. 

(Editor, Diana:  Gawd, I’ll let you figure all that out ‘cause I haven’t got a clue where he’s going with any of this.  He needs a holiday so I’m thinking of sending him to the moon – any takers for a co-driver?) 

HELP US PLEASE …

You’ve heard me talk about constructing a toilet facility for you when you come to visit.  Is there anybody out there who knows something about composting toilets, camping toilets – anything simple that is legal?

No, we don’t want to give you a shovel, no the ‘long-drop’ won’t work because we live on the Sunday Creek – boys can pee behind a tree but we would like to offer our lady visitors the comforts they expect without them coming into our home.

If you have experience with a toilet which might be used say, high out, 10 times a week, can you please send us an email with your ideas … thanks.

ROSE OF THE WEEK …

this magnificent Hybrid Tea rose has won awards for the most exquisite fragrance and beautiful, perfectly formed blooms on long, strong stems.  JARDINS DE BAGATELLE is a significantly important rose for me – when we demolished the gardens at Kilmore, Graham took particular time to carefully remove three bushes and replant them here at Clonbinane just below the veranda where I sit with my morning coffee – it’s one of my most favourite Hybrid Tea roses.

When customers purchase this rose, I know they’re in for a treat and Yoda sent this glorious photo of one of the first roses to flower in his garden this season:

WARNING …

Please do check the ties and structures where your roses are planted.  Last week I was raving about how magnificent MRS. B.R. CANT was flowering over the (33 year old) swing frame.  In the horrific winds of this past few days, the frame lifted out of the ground and massive canes shattered – Gra and I spent 3 hours pruning the rose today – hopefully she will be flowering again at Christmas unlike a few customers who have called to say their weeping/standard roses were ripped from their canes and there is no other option than replacement!  Not good!!!

Here’s another date to log into your diary –

ROSE SOCIETY OF VICTORIA Spring Rose Show
on the 8th – 9th November
at Mount WaverleyDetails from the Society’s website on www.rosesocietyvic.org.au

Have a beaut week in your rose garden contemplating these words …

ALL THAT WE ARE IS THE RESULT OF WHAT WE HAVE THOUGHT. 
THE MIND IS EVERYTHING.
– BUDDA

~ Diana, Graham & Mooi

 

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