ROSE RAMBLER 29.06.2017 …
Now on the ‘upside’ of longer days already – it seems unbelievable that we have passed the winter solstice and our days from here onwards will lengthen and hasten the herald of spring flowering for our roses. Phew, have we been busy while all this celestial ‘stuff’ has been happening …
PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME AT THE NURSERY ABOUT YOUR ROSE ORDER … we now have almost every rose available for posting – the last consignment only came into the nursery yesterday and now needs to be graded (obviously the BEST for pre-orders!) then sorted, tagged and pitted into heel-in beds then packed and posted.
We can only post around 50 cartons each day because we have a small Country Post Office managing our parcels so you can expect your roses to be delivered very soon – if you have a mobile phone contact on your order, we will send you AustPost tracking number so you know when to expect your roses.
If you are going away and wish to delay posting, please contact us IMMEDIATELY to ensure your roses are not wandering around the postal system waiting for you to come home!
GRA’S GARBLE …
Come on up to Silkies Rose Farm at Clonbinane if you’re unsure of how to prune your roses this winter – there will be formal pruning demonstrations on:
– both days commencing at 1.30pm
When we’re out in the garden together, I don’t just talk and demonstrate rose pruning, we’ll check out the compost heaps, prune some fruit trees and discuss all manner of gardening issues including how to avoid and correct this …
Soil compaction: the silent and sinister destroyer of healthy soil and plants
Imagine wearing tight clothing and not being able to breathe properly to perform regular tasks in your life. Imagine if you were drawing breath with no one taking notice that you were slowly suffocating. This is the condition of many agricultural and anthropogenic soils in which plants try to grow. The lack of air space and waterholding capacity is the primary reason for substandard plant performance and eventual crop failure.
If you have time, we can chat over a cuppa before/after the demonstration … see you this weekend!
Q. What trees like a warm beverage? A. Tea-trees
FEATURE ROSE …
In the rose fields at Coldstream, Victoria, along a row of THE CHILDREN’S ROSE, there appeared a stem of creamy white flowers with all the characteristics and traits of the pale pink roses in the row … Mother Nature doing ‘her thing’ had produced a ‘sport’.
This ‘freak of Nature’ is a glorious rose which now bears the name: THE WEDDING ROSE and is now available for rose lovers to enjoy. So appropriately named because of the bridal-cream colour and magnificent fragrance, this robust beauty will be a treasure in every bride’s garden!
Here’s a little ‘twist’ of romance which now makes this beautiful rose extra special … I received a phone call enquiry about THE WEDDING ROSE … in my usual form, I postulated about how lovely the rose is, how appropriate it would be for a wedding gift and Vicki then placed an online order for the rose to be sent as a GIFT ROSE with this message:
I responded to Vicki that I would post the rose according to her instructions but was curious about the message and I’m not afraid to ask a question when something sparks my curiosity so Vicki responded …
Here is a follow-up email…
Now we have to wait until they have their first child and they order THE CHILDREN’S ROSE!
Our GIFT ROSE is an ideal way of commemorating special events in your life and I make EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM extra special so that YOUR GIFT is eternally memorable!
Q. Why do birds fly south for the winter? A. ‘Cause it’s too far to walk …
A HEDGEROW OF ROSES …
Here’s a tip for those of you who dream of having a magnificent hedge of roses … Neil ordered 11 x MRS. B.R. CANT (tea rose ideal for mass planting) and when I acknowledged his order, I mentioned how glorious it would be. He responded:
Hi Neil … yes, the plants will eventually meet at this spacing – have you got lots of time on your side??? Giggling and trying to be delicate and not ask your age!!!I would prefer to recommend that you do 1.2-1.5 metre spacing. However, if you do 2 mt spacing, as the plants flower, take cuttings from stems where flowers have been and poke them into the soil to create new plants to thicken the border. Another way is to take a flexible cane and layer it – literally bend it over, secure with an old horse-shoe or piece of wire and cover with soil to create a new plant.
I have two magnificent plants which are the first roses I planted here in 2000 and are the only two old-fashioned roses which survived Black Saturday, 2009 just because they were tucked in on the house side of a magnificent spruce which my lads watered and saved! Each plant is easily 3.5 x 3.5 after 17 years of trimming, never, ever pruning!!! Diana
Hope to see you here at the Rose Farm soon … whether it’s for a demo or to collect your roses this winter … do come along and meet with us here during our open hours:
ANY OTHER DAY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
Stay warm and comfortable when indoors but do get out into the fresh, cool winter weather to prune your roses – the winter garden has its own special beauty for you to enjoy …