Hello dear rose friends … another week of glorious Autumn weather so I decided to have a Spring-clean in my house and shifted all the furniture around … usually, Graham has a conniption when I do it but he walked in and to my absolute surprise and delight, he loved what I’d done and didn’t (yet!!!) complain that his ‘stuff’ was not where it used to be, etc. Well done, Diana, mission accomplished without any hassles until it was time to go to bed and you wouldn’t believe it, Bonnie, our dingo, is stubbornly laying at the end of our bed glaring at me as if to say, “If you don’t put that couch back where it has been for the past four years, I’m not going to bed” … we had a giggle and she was sleeping on the relocated couch next morning!
IN THE ROSE GARDEN … Because the roses are still flowering so beautifully, it is imperative that you continue to water to the garden – minimum 20 litres per rose delivered at the same time so that the water soaks right down to the root-zone!
The frost has damaged our garden rose blooms for this season so I will go around and remove the spent flowers just to make the bushes look tidy – we will not be pruning here until late July-early August. However, if your rose garden is in the more temperate zones and the roses have completed their flowering for this season, you will start pruning from June onwards so …
PRUNING DEMONSTRATIONS
SATURDAY, 1ST JUNE 2.00pm
SUNDAY, 2ND JUNE, 10.00am
COST: $25.00 per adult
BOOKING ESSENTIAL
Each Pruning Demonstration will include a morning/afternoon tea and will only be cancelled if it is ‘seriously’ raining! Your children are most welcome!!
This first weekend in June is the start of a series of pruning demonstrations which I will give notice of in future Rose Rambler editions. There will be at least one demonstration on each weekend throughout June/July so if you have a group of people, please contact me so that we can organise a time which suits.
ROSE BREEDING … While you are out trimming the roses in the coming weeks and you see a lovely plump rose hip, don’t throw it out! Harvest the seeds and plant them because you, like Graham, might be the owner of a very new rose to call your own! His rose “GRA’S BLUE” is currently in the Rose Trial Gardens in Toowoomba – our own trials of this beautiful rose have proved the following:
• A gorgeous shade of light mauve, paler on the outer petals
• Delightful fragrance from medium sized blooms with masses of petals
• One of the first roses to flower and very free-flowering all season
• Ideal on a rose garden border or in pots because it grows to around 80cms
• Extremely healthy, glossy green lush foliage
One of the parents of “Gra’s Blue” was the first rose to receive a Gold Medal at the Australian Rose Trial Gardens in Adelaide – “Perfumed Perfection”. Graham sent budwood to our grower at Kalangadoo a few years ago and Brian was excited that “Gra’s Blue” performed so well and was noticed on more than one occasion by prominent rosarians who were very interested in it! Exciting!!! And, yes, you can order “Gra’s Blue” for this Winter!
Here is a photo of a bunch of “Gra’s Blue” …
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY … to all the Mothers/Grandmothers on this very special coming Sunday … may you enjoy lots of plants and flowers and breadcrumbs in the bed – remember, if you don’t wriggle, they won’t scratch!If there’s a quiet moment in your morning this Sunday, tune in to 3CR at 855 on the AM band for the 3CR Garden Show which starts at 7.30am – 9.15am because I will be on the panel with Stephen Ryan. You can call us on 03 9419 8377 or 03 9419 0155 with your rose queries or general gardening advice … give us a call just to say “Hello”.In closing … enjoy your garden in this glorious weather … cheers from Diana, Graham and a still not totally happy dingo, Bonnie at Clonbinane