7.7.2016 …
Hello dear rose friends! We hope you’re enjoying the excitement of roses arriving in a parcel at your door – lovely to see so many folks coming to the Rose Farm to collect their new roses for this winter too!
Let’s get down to the basics of caring for roses in your winter garden …
GRA’S GARBLE …
We are still receiving email photos of roses blooming in gardens around the country after very mild early-winter conditions – no, don’t prune the roses yet if they’re still blooming! If you’re fed up with looking at untidy bushes, get pruning – one thing none of us is in control of is the weather and despite frosty conditions, I’m randomly pruning roses in different areas of the gardens here – the south gardens cop severe frost while garden beds on the northern side are relatively protected from frost.
Pruning roses in our gardens here is more about when we have time or are in the mood to prune rather than worrying about weather conditions!
PLEASE NOTE … YOU CAN PLANT AND PRUNE ROSES ANY TIME OF THE YEAR – I say this with such conviction because of my 30 years of working amongst roses – every season is different, our climatic conditions are varied and really, truly, roses are the most forgiving plants. Don’t get stuck in the rut of thinking you HAVE TO PRUNE IN JULY or CAN ONLY PLANT ROSES IN WINTER!!!
YOU BE THE BOSS AND PRUNE AND PLANT WHEN IT SUITS YOU!
Q. Which dinosaur knew the most words? A. The Thesaurus (bet your kids didn’t have that dinosaur on their list!)
Should severe frost impact your garden after you’ve pruned and the bushes might have sprouted new growth, don’t panic – they’ll recover with light pruning before flowering.
One of the most important things you can do for newly planted / pruned roses is give them a soak over the entire bush with seaweed solution at least EVERY FORTNIGHT which will offer 3-5 degrees of frost tolerance, ensure great root development and make nutrients in the soil readily available to guarantee creation of healthy foliage … this will convert to masses of beautiful flowers!
IF YOU LOVE TO PICK FLOWERS FOR A VASE …
Here are a few of my absolutely TOP 5 ROSES which I pick constantly for pleasure and fragrance in vases in our home:
Was the most popular rose sold in our nursery again last year and if you haven’t already got this rose in your garden, you MUST have it for a robust bush which produces masses of long-stemmed, highly fragrant blooms continually throughout the season – highly recommended rose!
FORGET ME NOT
Has delighted all of our customers who took the recommendation to plant this most healthy, robust, free flowering and highly fragrant rose – awesome, unsurpassed beauty and delightful GIFT ROSE ..
RED INTUITION
Is one of the longest-lasting roses in a vase – yes, striped red with dark red slashes – if only it had a fragrance!
NAHEMA
Is a climber which produces lovely long, thornless stems of the most beautifully fragrant blooms continually – awesome rose!
FIRESTAR
Is such an amazingly brilliant rose of stunning health and vibrant colour continually – should be planted as a border of at least three plants – this CFA rose is such an enduring tribute to CFA volunteers that every rose garden should behold at least one FIRESTAR!
My list could go on and on because I love to pick roses and put them on the island bench in our kitchen … Diana complains that she hasn’t got room when it comes to cooking but she loves the flowers too – we’re looking forward to our island bench filled with lots of roses again soon.
Q. How do you know when an egg is getting on in the world? A. When it’s on a roll. I was on a roll at the Langshan Club of Victoria’s Show this past weekend at Melbourne Showgrounds where I took a few beautifully washed chooks – came away with the BEST BREEDING PAIR of white Langshans. Nice! Come and see my beauties here at Clonbinane soon … Gra
PRUNING DEMONSTRATIONS…
INTRODUCING TOVA…
People who are coming to the Rose Farm or calling on the phone will often meet TOVA who has been working with us regularly – here she is trimming roots on roses ready to be labelled …
She is an integral part of our team now and we wish her a very happy time when she leaves on Sunday to explore her heritage in Lithuania with her father and sister. Bon Voyage Tova – the roses will be waiting to be potted on your return!