ROSE RAMBLER 25.11.2016 …
Hello dear rose friends as we fast approach Christmas Eve with only four weeks to go … here’s a novel way to spend your Saturday 3rd December evening and do all your Christmas shopping at one place! If you can make it, I think this will be a lovely event nestled in the VALLEY OF A THOUSAND HILLS at Strath Creek.
This is such a beautiful part of Victoria and just up the road so we’ll be there with our roses all beautifully gift-wrapped …
We had a beaut weekend at the State Rose and Garden Show where the State Rose Gardens looked sensational! There is no doubt that climbing roses can be an integral part of rose garden design and they’re magnificent at Werribee State Rose Garden – entry to the park is free, there’s lots of car parking close to the gardens – take a picnic and have a lovely family day out surrounded by beautiful rose gardens!
GRA’S GARBLE …
Roses up the pole or pillar roses look spectacular growing up 2-3 metres high and around 500cms wide – they’re easy to care for and train. Here are a couple of my favourite varieties …
A strong, deep, vibrant red with single flowers about 8 petals on each flower and a boss of golden yellow stamens. The rose is seldom without flowers and stands out like a beacon in the garden. It’s a tough rose and could also make a lovely hedge 2-3 metres in height. The foliage is very clean, deep green and extremely healthy – a very highly recommended rose.
CREPUSCULE
A vigorous, lightly wooded plant that will easily cover 2.5-3 metres. Lightly scented clusters of copper yellow flowers and deep green, shiny, disease resistant foliage. Prune in a conventional way or hedge to form a blanket of growth and flowers over the entire growing surface. CREPUSCULE is so versatile and also makes an excellent weeping specimen. Trim constantly and you will have flowers continually throughout the season – a truly brilliant rose!
PIERRE DE RONSARD
Flowers are two-toned creamy white centres with pale pink brushed edges on 40 plus petals in each lovely flower! The leaves are large and glossy. This is a truly stunning rose and makes an impact in full bloom – one of our best-selling roses!
Q. What do you call a wood pecker without a beak? A. A head banger!
FEEDING ROSES
Whilst flowering or just after a good flush, refresh the plants with a boost of fertilizer, trim the rose stems back around 12cms and your roses will continue to retain healthy foliage which in turn means you’ll have lots of flowers continually too!
Use an organic fertilizer like cow manure, Sudden Impact for Roses or Better Grow organic rose food. If you come to visit us here at Clonbinane, take a 25kg bag of Complete Organic Fertilizer (COF) as it is great to use on ALL plants in your garden (except Natives of course).
Also apply seaweed solution over the leaves to maintain healthy foliage, boost flowering and make the plant a lot tougher – seaweed will give you 30% more flowers so use it at least once a month.
Q. What do you get when you walk under a cow? A. A pat on the head.
Enjoy the flowers – keep trimming and get the watering system organised … Gra
ORGANIC HERBICIDE SLASHER WEEDKILLER
After 10 years of development, SLASHER is now registered and will be more readily available – we know this product works and are so pleased that it is Registered Organic for use in organic farms and gardens!
Key points for SLASHER Weedkiller
- Kills weeds, moss and algae
- Can be used anywhere in the garden and around the house
- Active ingredient made from GM-free plant oils
- Rapid action, desiccating plants on contact
- Doesn’t require heat or sunlight to work
- Non-selective
- No lasting spray residues (100% biodegradable within a few days)
- Glyphosate free
Have a beaut week in your garden – keep emailing your queries about growing roses as we are compiling a FAQ’s folder which will be available soon at www.allaboutroses.com.au where past issues of this Rose Rambler are stored for you to access easily.
See you soon at Clonbinane … Diana, Graham, Tova & Mooi
Hi, I have a problem.with my roses. The first flowering was absolutely magnificient, flowers almost the size of dinner plates. I have deheaded and the weather has slighlty go warmer and now there are heaps of buds but they either flower and are brownish and small or they just die?? What can I do to solve this?
Hi Beth … perhaps you could send me some photos – I’m thinking that you have had an infestation of THRIP … tiny insects that bury deep in the petals of blooms but they’ve damaged the outer petals already and spoiled the bloom. Either enjoy the roses on the bush from a distance or go and trim the badly damaged flowers to speed up another round of flowering.
I look forward to seeing pictures of your roses – please forward to info@rosesalesonline.com.au – Diana