Hello dear rose friends … only one week to go to the end of winter and you might ask, as we do, where on earth has time gone? Even our little grandchildren say how fast the time goes – when I was a kid, time during school holidays for example, seemed to drag on and on – not so anymore! Here is a lovely email I feel compelled to share:
“I just wanted to thank-you for the amazing guidance offered by your book during pruning season. By using your book, I was able to successfully prune over 50 roses with confidence It was a great feeling to be able to complete the task knowing not only that it was being done correctly but that it was being done in a way that would greatly enhance the health and productivity of the rose come Spring and Summer. I followed the pruning by feeding the roses with the special concoction suggested in the book and it gives me great pleasure to know that my roses are 100% organically managed. Every time I am home, I take a walk around the rose garden to enjoy the first signs of new growth – I just can’t wait until the first bloom! What I must also mention is that the vast majority of my roses are from Silkies Rose Farm and it would be an understatement to say that these roses are by far the best performers – they are strong, healthy plants with exceptional vigour. I feel so lucky to have your farm so close to home (well, yes, it’s a 45-minute drive, but its always worth it), to have been able to establish a lovely relationship with you, Graham and Mooi, and to be able to support a wonderful local business. A very, very big thank-you from a very happy young rosarian from Macedon.
After four years of building up the garden, I thought I’d send through the list of what I now have just for the sake of celebrating with you what a wonderful collection you’ve helped me to create with excellent advice and recommendations.
But, there’s always space for more and so I’m wondering if you have any of the following this season… If so, I’ll drop in this weekend! I’m so excited to plant more!!! As always, thank-you so much and I hope you’re well.”
– Nicky, Macedon VIC
We have received so many compliments about how my book, ALL ABOUT ROSES is such a helpful tool in all aspects of rose management – a customer called the other day asking for the organic rose management program – she had lent her book to a friend and wanted to spray but without ALL ABOUT ROSES, she needed to call me for the rose management spray program recipe: order your copy now at www.rosesalesonline.com.au it would be a wonderful FATHER’S DAY GIFT for the garden-happy Dad in your life – a personally signed copy can be posted direct to your Dad!
GRA’S GARBLE …
To make compost work and be effective, use regular applications of seaweed solution because it feeds the compost microbes and makes it active to feed plants. Now is the time to be very diligent with weekly/fortnightly applications of seaweed solution because the roses are producing their new growth and flower buds for this flowering season – the 70+ minerals will provide natural growth hormones, feed earthworms who will continually aerate the soil within your garden and give you up to 30% more beautiful, long-lasting flowers when the roses start flowering soon.
We continue to use and recommend NATRAKELP (organic seaweed solution) and OCP’s powdered ECO-SEAWEED – both extremely high quality seaweed products.
Q. What did Mr. Flea say to Mrs. Flea? A. I love you aw-flea!
Here is my highly recommended rose of the week:
FRANCE LIBRE
produces the most amazing profusion of perfectly formed, long-stemmed roses continually throughout the flowering season – there is a light, fruity fragrance but probably more importantly from such a vibrantly coloured rose, the bush is robust, upright and extremely healthy – such a reliable rose for stunning vases of flowers.
Have a great week in your garden as spring kicks in – just one more:
Q. Why is it better to be a grasshopper than a cricket? A. Because grasshoppers can play cricket but crickets can’t play grasshopper – next, we’ll be hearing of the Aussie Grasshoppers … Gra
REMEMBER to lock this weekend into your calendar – we’ll be there!
Cheers from Diana, Graham and Mooi at Clonbinane …
UPCOMING EVENTS…
Hello Diana
As a new immigrant to Oz i seek your proffessional guidance on a selection of excellent blooming climbing roses which i can grow against a wooden fence in the Hunter Valley. It can get pretty hot here in mid summer!
The yard is on east west line.
I would be so pleased to have your guidance.
Many thanks for your time
Kind regards
Steve
Hi Steve … being in the Hunter Valley, I believe you could grow almost all of the wonderful climbing roses we have available … you select the colour, give me an idea of your particular requirements like : fragrance, flower type, growth/cover requirements and I will happily be able to provide you with a list of climbers which would suit … dimensions are good too! I suppose, also, what time constraints do you have with management??? Talk soon … cheers and welcome to this magnificent country! Diana