ROSE RAMBLER …
LAST ONE FOR 2015!

So we’ll leave you with some delightful testimonials along with beautiful rose pictures to relax and inspire you during this Festive Season; there’s also some great information about beetles/bugs and how to ensure your rose garden is well maintained this summer!

ROSESALESONLINE IS AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS  – If only we could employ our very own personal ‘carrier pigeon’ to deliver your parcels – there have been some unfortunate glitches with AustPost more recently but we press on, knowing you’re reassured by our 100% guarantee and the quality of our roses!

GRA’S GARBLE …

We’ve received ‘HELP PLEASE’ emails from customers who are dealing with a variety of ‘pests’ on the roses so we asked Steve from Organic Crop Protectants (who produce our organic rose management products) to shed some light on the situation – this is great reading, worth printing and keeping in your garden folder for future reference!

Before we get serious, here’s a joke:
Q.  Did you hear about the little pig with a rash?   A. He needed OINKMENT!

Please note:  During this dialogue, I have put some of my own comments in brackets.

(Gra:  we found earwigs had chewed holes in rose buds this week!  Maybe earwigs are classed as a beetle too?)

(Gra:  Here in Victoria we have ‘soldier beetles’ which are totally harmless to roses but can arrive in massive infestations which cause rose gardeners to panic!)

The great thing about eco-neem is there is no known cases of pest insect resistance, it’s safe for good insects (like bees and ladybeetles) plus it’s independently Certified Organic.

WATERING YOUR GARDEN THIS SUMMER …

To conserve water, the first and most important product in your garden is MULCH-MULCH-MULCH!!!  We use and highly recommend PEA STRAW as it provides insulation to the soil yet allows water, air and fertilizer to penetrate as it slowly decomposes to create humus which has wonderful water-retaining capacity.  You can use lots of other mediums:  redgum/eucy mulch, pebbles/stones or any other straw without seeds!

What water you apply to the garden MUST REACH THE ROOTS of the roses – deep soaking with no less than 20 litres per plant, delivered in the same application once a week will force root growth downwards, deep into clay sub-soil.

Remember this:  IF YOU CANNOT WATER YOUR ROSES, DO NOT FERTILIZE THEM!
And this:  Organic fertilizer is ONLY taken up by the rose WHEN IT NEEDS IT.  Chemical fertilizer is water soluble so is taken up whether a rose needs it or not!

Q.  What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?  A.  It’s Christmas, Eve

Please know that sharing our knowledge and love of roses every week through this Rose Rambler is enormously pleasurable – the statistics tell us that you enjoy reading our ramblings; Gra’s Garble and jokes make it extra special I know!!!

Hello dear rose friends … it’s overwhelming to see how magnificent the potted roses are looking and it is sheer joy to go there and water them every morning – we use it as a time for quiet meditation and love the peaceful moments surrounded by heavenly fragrant roses in every colour, shape and form!

GRA’S GARBLE …

There is no doubt about it, roses LOVE to be fertilized when they’re doing all this flowering and rather than wait until they’re ‘burnt out’ we highly recommend you fertilize WHILE THEY’RE FLOWERING as this will sustain healthy foliage.  When spent flowers are trimmed, the bush will respond with healthy new foliage and another round of flowers on the trimmed stem within 40-50 days!

Rules for managing your summer rose garden:

• Water regularly – maybe twice a week with at least 20 litres per rose bush
• Fertilize NOW – before it gets really hot!  If you don’t have irrigation, the plants shut down to survive
• Fortnightly applications of seaweed solution will offer 3-5 degrees of heat tolerance and maintain healthy foliage – water SEAWEED OVER THE ENTIRE PLANT
• Trim constantly – the sooner you trim spent flowers by removing 20-30cm long stems the more quickly healthy new growth will produce more flowers
• Surely your garden has a good thick covering of mulch!  So, so important to sustain worms, soil microbes and retain what moisture is available!

Q.  Why did the surfer cry?  A.  Because the sea-weed

MY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TOUGH ROSES …

Q. What is rude and only comes at Christmas?  A.  Rude-olf

Just realised that all the roses I’ve recommended this week are bred by Kordes, Germany – one of the great rose breeding houses in the world!  Enjoy them all … Gra

CHRISTMAS IS COMING VERY FAST

And because Australia Post are inundated and going slow, we’re closing www.rosesalesonline.com.au NEXT THURSDAY, 17^TH DECEMBER so get your orders in NOW.

All rose parcels are now being sent EXPRESS POST and this won’t necessarily GUARANTEE your parcel will arrive within 24 hours but it will have a way better chance of being delivered in optimum time than when it is delivered without EXPRESS POST labelling.

There is a slightly higher postage charge for ALL PARCELS DURING DECEMBER/JANUARY to save you and us the stress of delayed parcels and we will subsidise the shortfall of the higher postage rates – our CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU along with this little bonus to get you excited…

15% OFF ANY INSTORE PURCHASE
– use COUPON CODE:  HAPPYCUSTOMER15
to redeem your 15% DISCOUNT
until Christmas Eve at www.rosesalesonline.com.au

This great offer is AVAILABLE at the Rose Farm too but you MUST ask for it … our Rose Rambler subscribers are SPECIAL CUSTOMERS – remember the CODE: HAPPYCUSTOMER15 to be eligible for 15% off all purchases!

This lovely email came yesterday:

One more Rose Rambler to go … talk to you next week but meantime, if you live close, do pop into the Rose Farm, it’s absolutely beautiful here right now!

HAPPY 6^TH BIRTHDAY TODAY to our very cheery, ‘know all about gardening’ grandson, COOPER who is an excellent pruner already and is featured with his wheelbarrow in my book:  ALL ABOUT ROSES!

Hello dear rose friends … we celebrated Graham’s birthday on Monday down in the front garden pruning away the devastation of a severe frost which occurred here the previous Friday morning – yes, minus 3 degrees frost on 27^th November!

We participate monthly as presenters on 3CR Garden Show talk-back radio in Melbourne and it was ME calling in on Sunday morning for advice from Pam, Stephen and the panel on how to deal with recovering different varieties of plants which, by Sunday, we could see were not going to recover without intervention – what to do?

Our orientalal lilliums won’t flower this season, potatoes will recover, so will the dahlias; buddleia will flower later – all affected plants needed to be trimmed and it was recommended we fertilize and deep-water the garden beds – seaweed solution would be beneficial but we had already done that!

So, how did the roses fare?  We trimmed them on Monday too but today, nearly a week later, we have done a complete summer prune of all the roses in the front garden because the buds which were frozen indicated they were not going to flower and there were new shoots producing below the frost damage … so interesting!

My CLEMATIS were unaffected with only slight burning at the edge of flowers – they do make me smile at their toughness while so many gardeners are shy of them!  PENSTEMONS sagged a bit but have pressed on and recovered without trimming.  New shoots on several of the oak trees are burned; we won’t have flowers this season on any of the CREPE MYRTLE down in the front garden but the driveway plants were spared – thank goodness!

There you go, we’ve lived in this garden for 16 years and NEVER had such a late frost!  What it means is that our garden will be ‘different’ through summer and autumn because we’ve had to prune heavily ‘out of season’ but it will survive and the difference will be lovely to witness and record for experience!

GRA’S GARBLE …

With all the variable weather, we’ve been maintaining regular applications of our organic management spray program which will guarantee lush, healthy foliage on our potted roses – interestingly, none of them was affected by frost – fair to say the nursery is on ‘higher ground’ than the front, south-facing garden but the potted roses are getting fortnightly applications of seaweed solution so they’re more pampered!

Q.  What is the easiest way to double your money?  A.  Put it in front of a mirror!

This lovely email is so worth sharing –

Q.  Why did the picture go to jail?  A.  Because it was framed … love sharing a joke … Gra

SO CLOSE TO CHRISTMAS …

Please let us make your Christmas gifting an easy but more importantly, most rewarding experience this year.  Any rose of your choice can be selected and posted as a GIFT ROSE – if you’re not sure which rose to send, why not purchase a GIFT VOUCHER which can be sent directly to the recipient so they can select their own roses – online shopping made super easy at www.rosesalesonline.com.au – gift vouchers!

We cannot more highly recommend a LOWE SECATEUR for all rose gardeners – beaut, light-weight and so ‘fit in any hand’ pair of secateurs which will easily and ergonomically cut through thick branches – make pruning a memorable gift this Christmas:

Please be reminded that we will continue to post roses until 17^th December to ensure your gift rose arrives on time and then we will close the nursery from Monday, 21^st December and re-open on Friday, 8^th January – online orders will continue to be processed throughout the holiday period for books and products – roses will be posted AFTER 8^th January!

Yes, in just a month from today, Santa will have come and be on his merry way home – hope we can help make your Christmas gift a living, lasting and beautiful present for your loved one this year!

Since it’s so close to Christmas we’re taking orders NOW for GIFT ROSES to be posted – please note that NO ROSES WILL BE POSTED AFTER THURSDAY, 17^TH DECEMBER, 2015 *
(*only Melbourne Metro can be posted on Monday, 21^st December)

Here are some beaut gift ideas – EVERY gift will be beautifully GIFT-WRAPPED for FREE and price includes pack and post:

• ALL ABOUT ROSES – my book, personally signed with your message if you would like me to inscribe your own words – $44.95
• ORGANIC ROSE MANAGEMENT PACK – for a person where there’s no space for a new rose but is interested in caring for the roses they have!  Pack includes:  100g ECO SEAWEED, 500g ECO-ROSE and 500ml ECO-OIL and ‘how-to’ information – $76.50 and we’ll put ECO-AMINOGRO (foliage fertilizer) in FREE saving $18.50!
• There are a host of magnificent roses which would make an ideal gift – maybe these pics will inspire you … $69.90 as a completely beautiful GIFT ROSE …

GARDENERS ARE SUCH CREATIVE PEOPLE …

Maybe this would be a great idea if you have a difficult situation in your garden …

My response:  That’s such a super idea to hide the pots like that – gives the impression that the roses are in fact, in the ground!  Also, gets you out in the garden daily to water the pots!!!  Good stuff all ’round!  Thanks for sharing … enjoy the flowers!  Cheers, Diana

GRA’S GARBLE …

Helping roses get through summer … to a 10 litre bucket/watering can:

• Add ¼ cup of Eco-rose (Eco-fungicide) to protect foliage from black-spot/mildew by altering the pH of the foliage – clever science!
• In the same mix, add ¼ cup of Eco-oil (Eco-insecticide) which not only makes the products ‘stick’ to the foliage but also deals with pesky insects which can attack roses and other plants in your garden – use on veggies and safely harvest after spraying.
• Add seaweed solution – follow directions on pack of product you use – we use Eco-seaweed which is 1 teaspoon of powder to 10 litres – very economical!

We recommend you apply the above products IN THE MORNING and NEVER when the temperature is expected to reach 30 degrees!

Q.  What does Santa say in a race?  A.  Ready, set, HO! 

During summer, continue to fertilize the soil with quality organic fertilizer – we use and recommend C.O.F. – Complete Organic Fertilizer with high quantity of humates which enrich the soil and assist in moisture retention!

Q.  What do you get if you cross Santa Claus with a duck?  A.  A Christmas quacker! 

If you have any particular issues with your roses, don’t hesitate to send through photos so that in consultation with Diana, I can answer your queries.  We enjoy receiving pics of your rose gardens too!!

Hello dear rose friends.  Well, it’s sure been a very busy time and we welcome all the new subscribers to our newsletter!

It’s lovely that we have no more planned events away from the Rose Farm and can now revel in the glory of our own garden!  Do come and share it with us when you have a spare day in the busy lead-up to Christmas – rose plants are a very beautiful gift so make your present shopping easy and special by gifting a living, flowering rose this Christmas!

My book, ALL ABOUT ROSES would make a lovely gift for a novice rose gardener or offer insight to organic rose management for all rose gardeners!  If you would like to post it as a gift, let me offer to beautifully Christmas-wrap a signed copy for you!

GRA’S GARBLE …

The COMPOSTING SEMINAR was great – we’ll do another one in 2016 because I realise how much gardeners want to be involved in waste-management and doing ‘their bit for the environment’ in their own backyards!

Q.  What kind of undies do reporters wear?  A.  News briefs

SUMMER PRUNING …

When roses finish flowering on a stem, prune them back along the stem/branch by at least 20cms/8” and if you cut just above an outward facing bud, you’re sure to promote another strong, healthy growth which will produce many more blooms.

Now that it’s getting really warm/hot, you can guarantee that there will be flowers within 40-45 days from the time you pruned – some varieties might produce new flowering stems earlier but 40-45 days is the bench-mark if you’re planning an event or want flowers for a particular occasion.

It is imperative to retain as many leaves on the rose bushes throughout this hot summer so that the rose plant circulates moisture and nutrients to sustain continual flowering!  Leaves on roses keep the plant cool and maintain photosynthesis.

Continual applications of seaweed solution all over the leaves, adding products like Eco-aminogro (fertiliser) will toughen your plants up and assist the plants to produce more flowers despite the hot conditions.  Seaweed solution toughens the cell wall of foliage and thus offers plants between 3-5 degrees of greater heat tolerance – very important!!!

Q.  How do you make a tissue dance?  A.  Put a little boogie in it

There are so many glorious roses in the nursery now … this very old variety is so over-looked and yet so easy-care, amazingly free-flowering, healthy, suited to almost any location in the garden … one of our favourites that we are pleased to grow and highly recommend … APRICOT NECTAR …

Hello dear rose friends … We’re gearing up for the State Rose and Garden Show at Werribee this weekend – so hope you make it ‘high priority’ to come for a visit – the Victorian State Rose Gardens are a sight to behold; a hidden treasure so very close to home for lots of us and a MUST SEE!

QUESTION ABOUT CLIMBING ROSES …

My response which is relative to those who grow and love climbing roses:

Thank you Bernadette … you can trim finished flowers from ALL roses and they will re-grow and re-flower more quickly!

About JEANNE LA JOIE… is she growing lovely strong canes?  Sometimes, climbing roses will set all their energy into GROWTH in the first year of planting rather than flowering … if they flower along the way it can be at the expense of massive growth canes!  My JEANNE LA JOIE here produced lovely growth canes last season with very few flowers – this year she’s going to flower and flower – also, there are wonderful NEW water shoots happening too … that’s what climbing roses do!!!  Patience is a virtue with them but they ALL reward in the long term and then you be THE BOSS about how much growth you want where the rose is planted.

You’re doing absolutely NOTHING wrong!  Hope this is helpful … cheers – Diana

Whilst in Adelaide recently, we had the pleasure of visiting Melanie & Kelvin (President, World Federation of Rose Societies) Trimper’s garden – this is Melanie’s photo of 6 x JEANNE LA JOIE plants espaliered on 6 metres of wall  – breathtaking!!!

GRA’S GARBLE …

Q.  When is a car not a car?  A.  When it turns into a parking lot!

CLIMBING ROSES FOR IMPACT

You might only have a tidy garden space but still want to grow roses … grow CLIMBING ROSES on walls, in tubs and up posts!  These are two of my favourite climbing roses:

A SOLUTION TO THRIPS …

Diana’s response:  I’m an ‘old timer’ Mum … I used to LOVE hanging nappies out on the washing line and would get peeved when the northerly winds brought in thrips – took me a while to work out what went ‘wrong’ with my beautiful white wash!!!  Never thought to suggest to rose gardeners that they should span white cloth to attract thrips to the white cloth rather than the roses … thanks for sharing!  Cheers – Diana

Q.  What do you call an insect on the moon?  A.  A luna-tick

IS THIS HAPPENING ON ANY ROSE IN YOUR GARDEN?

Take a look at the plant label which reads:

oh, oh, it’s producing CRIMSON ROSES which are DR. HUEY UNDERSTOCK which may, if left to grow, take over the whole rose – NEVER prune this growth at ground level!!!  Here’s what you MUST DO if you see understock growing on any roses in your garden – quoted from my book, ALL ABOUT ROSES (always handy to have a copy of my book when things don’t quite go as you anticipate!) …

The story goes on in further detail but you MUST remove those suckers as soon as you see them or they will in fact grow very rapidly and potentially take-over and the budded rose variety will lose vigour and die!

Hello dear rose friends – hope you backed a winner in the Melbourne Cup and enjoyed the magnificent roses shown at every single angle the cameras were throughout the coverage!

We are both at OAKS DAY events today – Graham at Seymour entertaining the ladies who are raising funds for LIONS CLUB and CANCER COUNCIL so his roses will be wrapped in cream/pink (no, he won’t be dressed in a skirt with a fascinator – he has no hair to keep one in place!!!).  I’m over at Yea where table decorations are wrapped in red/blue as funds raised will go to support their local AMBULANCE.

GRA’S GARBLE …

Q.  Where do tadpoles change into frogs?  A.  In the croak-room! 

Here’s a pic of the frogs which LOVE my ‘weed tea’ … I would make the tea just to enjoy seeing frogs when I open the lid to use the tea … beautiful critters which we should all encourage in our gardens …

Every single person I meet is saying how sensational the roses are – BEST YEAR EVER they say but you know what?  They say it every single year because roses are SIMPLY SCENTSATIONAL at this time of year and we should all take time out, quiet, slowly, revel, enjoy and inhale their magnificent fragrance.

WHAT CRITTER MIGHT BE EATING YOUR ROSES? …

Here’s Sallie’s picture asking what?

Hi Sallie .. this is NOT a disease … this is SOMETHING eating the underside of the leaf … I think on one of the leaves I can see where the little caterpillar is tucked in … you go take a closer look – maybe with a torch tonight and you’ll find the little critter!  Suggest you might use ECO-OIL to hinder the breeding of whatever insect it is you have … might also be earwigs!  Beer in little shallow bowls will do the trick on them – do you get our Rose Rambler Newsletter?  Subscribe and lots of answers to queries are there or www.allaboutroses.com.au is a good source of information … cheers, Diana

After checking the roses, here’s Sallie’s response:

So glad I’m right … definitely not dead!  Aphids will never do this type of damage to leaves as they are on the flower buds … ladybirds and other insects will take care of aphids!

There have been a lot of phone calls and inquiries about what is damaging the outer petals – making them all brown, looking yukky and then the buds not opening … it’s THRIP and there is very little any of us can do to avoid their onslaught!  We suggest removing all affected buds as quickly as possible so that the rose can invest energy into new blooms for Christmas time!  Please don’t spray harsh chemicals around – it won’t help but will reduce predator insects who abound in an ecologically friendly garden.

Make your place a safe haven for all the beautiful insects/birds/frogs – as well as YOU / YOURS / OTHER HUMANS!!!

LOTS OF EVENTS …

This Saturday Graham is conducting COMPOSTING SEMINAR here at the Rose Farm and up at the Clonbinane Community Hall – it’s not too late to book for this FREE event organised in conjunction with Mitchell Shire Council – call 5787 1123 NOW!

On Sunday morning you should tune your radio to 3CR GARDEN SHOW where Graham will be on the talk-back panel – do give him a call – find 3CR at 855 on the am dial (close to 774 ABC) … the BEST GARDENING RADIO TALK-BACK!

There are the open gardens at Yea, the Victorian Rose Society Rose Show at Mount Waverley (see details in previous Rose Ramblers); all the while, I’ll be here at the Rose Farm to assist you when you drop in!

Hello dear rose friends as we are about to board our flight back to Melbourne after a most exciting visit to Adelaide!  We were invited guests to….

The National Rose Trial Garden Annual
Awards Presentation Dinner

We have experienced the most amazing few days – Graham was overwhelmed and near speechless (believe me, that’s a VERY rare experience!!!).  I feel so proud that his dedication, commitment and love of roses has produced such a stunning Award Winning Beauty and he has been recognised for his passion!

To witness his delight when receiving each Award was sensational  – we stand here with Kelvin Trimper, President, World Federation of Rose Societies for Graham’s award presentation:

We spent hours trawling through the International Rose Trial Garden of Australia in the Adelaide Botanical Gardens and are excited to report that there are some absolutely magnificent roses being trialed there; if they perform well in the very hot Adelaide conditions, without any pampering – no chemical spray (good!!!), just regular fertilizer regime, water and mulch as you would grow them in your own garden, they will be released in the next few years and we have lots of great roses to look forward to!

We met with our growers, peers in our industry and have had a most relaxing, totally enjoyable time in Adelaide.  Our own roses will be at their absolute BEST from this weekend onwards so you MUST put a visit to SILKIES ROSE FARM, CLONBINANE on your list of ‘things to do’ …

GRA’S GARBLE …

Q.  Why can’t a ladybird ever hide?  A.  Because it is always spotted! 

You’ll be thinking about which horse might be worth backing in the Melbourne Cup but I would highly recommend visiting FLEMINGTON RACECOURSE just to be up close and personal with the magnificent rose gardens there!  If you get a chance, treat yourself to a spectacular day at the races during these weeks of horse racing and I hope you back a winner!

Q.  Why couldn’t the pony talk?  A.  ‘cause he was a little horse.

Grasses are the essence of Nature! Researchers in Sydney found endorphins given off by lawn mowing keep us feeling good about ourselves!  Aaah, the smell of a freshly cut lawn – you know the smell and feeling – no research necessary because we already know how good it feels and looks!!!

There’s more to it though – grasses are essential because, when they break-down in pastures and gardens, their dry matter and minerals wash into waterways and then into the ocean which then turns into a food source for fish.  Our Oceans are the richest source of nutrients on our planet!  Hence, the seaweed solution we use on our plants, which comes from the Ocean, is vital for balanced plant nutrition and remember, regular applications of seaweed solution will afford your roses up to 5 degrees heat tolerance so liberally pour over the foliage of roses at least monthly to ensure bushes retain lots of healthy foliage!!!

ROSE FLOWERS IN THE HOUSE – there is no greater pleasure than cutting a bucket full of rose blooms to fill vases in your home!  Here are some rules which you MUST stick to which will ensure longevity of the roses you cut for a vase:

• Cut the roses early in the day (when possible) so they are well hydrated and cool;
• Take a bucket of cool, clean water to the garden with you;
• Trim the stems as long as possible and dunk them immediately into the bucket;
• Leave the bucket in the coolest room of your home for a few hours;
• Use only very clean vases to which you can add flower-preservative, if you prefer;
• Remove all the leaves which are below vase water level;
• Freshen water every couple of days – trim stems each time.

Diana devoted a chapter in her book ALL ABOUT ROSES to CUTTING ROSES FOR A VASE – there is an extensive lot of special hints and tips which are useful if you love to have vases of roses in your home during the flowering season … enjoy the beauty of your garden, inside too!

Here is a pic of GRA’S BLUE which was picked on Sunday, conditioned as per above instructions, wrapped in wet tissue and sealed in a plastic bag, placed in luggage for our Monday flight to Adelaide, put back in clean water on arrival at our motel in Adelaide, presented for display on Tuesday night for the Awards Ceremony.

Also don’t forget to tune in to
ABC RADIO 774 at 10.30am (AEST)
this coming Sunday 1st November

Diana will be in the studio on Sunday morning doing a radio segment so don’t miss out!

Hello dear rose friends as the first magnificent blooms emerge from our frosty, colder than normal winter season – the fragrance and beauty is a delightful reward for our efforts and patience, especially when we know how many of you have been enjoying beautiful roses for many weeks already!

There are a lot of open gardens and events which we have been invited to share with you:

SPRING ROSE SHOW 2015
The Rose Society of Victoria Inc.
SATURDAY November 7^th – 1 pm to 5:30 pm
SUNDAY   November 8^th – 10 am to 4:30 pm

Mount Waverley Community Centre
Cnr. Stephensons Rd & Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley
(opposite Mt Waverley Railway Station, off street parking available)

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT:
Website: www.rosesocietyvic.org.au

ALL ROSES HAVE A FRAGRANCE …

Or do they?  Here’s an email from Darren …

My response:  Hi Darren … maybe it’s YOU ????  Could it be the heat ????  Take a bloom, lay it in the palm of both hands – your body heat will warm it – then take a really clear, long sniff.  REINE DES VIOLETTES

is most definitely a fragrant rose!  There are times when I have detected absolutely NO FRAGRANCE in THE CHILDREN’S ROSE which would be considered one of the most highly fragrant roses in the nursery … it’s all about time of day and where your olfactory senses are at … please let me know how you experience this … cheers, Diana

After emailing that his neighbour come in to check for fragrance, no, she couldn’t smell anything either, the following day I received this email:

GRA’S GARBLE …

Let’s start with something funny because I’m about to get serious … Q.  What sort of hat does a spy wear?  A.  A peek cap! 

It is reported that Australian’s dump 40% of their food waste in garbage bins which then ends up in landfill sites.  If you want to take positive action to stop this happening at your home, here’s a really great idea which I have been trialling for several months since being shown how to by Helmut at Wandong –

Take 1 metre (approx.) off-cut lengths of 100-200mm (or greater if you can find it) stormwater pipe, either plastic/terracotta/concrete and push them very firmly into a garden bed – particularly important if you have a large-breed dog who could push the pipe out of the ground – compost is LETHAL for your pets!!!

The pipes should be located very close to the kitchen.  If you can find a ‘lid’ that would be good – just to keep vermin/birds/pets out.  Each time food scraps are added to the pipe, have a bale of straw/milled lucerne/shredded paper close to lightly cover them – this will add air which is a very important component in good compost-making!

You shouldn’t need to water into the pipes since most food scraps contain lots of moisture but occasionally, if you’re out with a watering-can of seaweed solution, slosh it into the pipe for added nutrient/break down capacity.

Worms will very quickly work out what you’re doing and take up residence in your ‘pipe-house’!  Keep a check on what’s going on by lifting the lid once the pipe is filled up.  Leave it for about 12 weeks then raise the pipe and harvest the humus/compost layer to place around newly planted seedlings, roses, planting holes for all plants.

ALWAYS cover the fresh compost with straw mulch – exposed to the sun, the precious microbes in the compost might die!

An average household will need to have four or five compost pipes to adequately accommodate kitchen scraps.  For a really funky look, get the kids to paint them in all different colours, let them test their graffiti skills at home and add a supremely environmentally-friendly composting system to your garden!

Helmut died at a grand age recently; as a tribute to his life of practicing and sharing, I feel compelled to share his infinite knowledge of ‘natural gardening’ and I hope that you will use this simple, easy, economical and sustainable way of caring for our environment by reducing land-fill waste and composting your food scraps – I am because it does work!

I am doing a COMPOSTING WORKSHOP for Mitchell Shire on SATURDAY, 7th NOVEMBER starting here at the Rose Farm at 10.00am to demonstrate all my composting methods – then we’ll go to the CLONBINANE COMMUNITY HALL (just up the road) to build compost heaps for the Community Garden there.

Bookings are essential – call us on 5787 1123 or contact Council’s Waste Education Officer, Anne McLean:  5734 6200 or email wastemanagement@mitchellshire.vic.gov.au

Just so I know you’ve read all my ‘garble’ and you’re waiting for the second joke, here it is:

Q.  What has four legs and doesn’t walk?  A.  A table – of course! 

Enjoy building your new ‘pipe-houses’ which are sure to be a success during the warm months ahead … Gra

ROSE RAMBLER … 15.10.2015 …

Hello dear rose friends –thank you so much to those who visited our site at the Garden Festival this past weekend – I was happy to ‘eye-ball’ some familiar faces in the audience at my presentations – sincere thanks for your support and welcome to all our new subscribers!  This was our site:

When you visit us at STATE ROSE AND GARDEN SHOW at WERRIBEE on Saturday, 14th and Sunday, 15th November – we have an outdoor display with lots of FLOWERING roses and you will enjoy the expert advice from TWO Consulting Rosarians – myself and our son Eric will be there all weekend so do put these dates in your diary – the State Rose Gardens will be in full bloom!

It’s a FREE event (please do give a gold coin donation at the gate because these gardens are managed by a host of volunteers!) and there are lots of displays from nurseries and garden suppliers, delicious food and coffee stalls.  More in later R/R editions …just keep the dates free … this is our PREMIER EVENT OF THE YEAR … to be right there in the most spectacular, world renowned State Rose Gardens – you MUST BE THERE TOO!

INFORMATION SHARING …

It’s from emails I receive and respond to that you will learn lots about those issues we ALL have with rose gardening so read on, weeds first:

ANYTHING has to be better than using lethal chemicals which contain glyphosate (Roundup) in a rose garden and our environment!

My response:  “Yes, we’ve got a plethora of aphids too but in the same breath, there are masses of ladybirds (every time I look they’re mating!!!)

and the little birds are keeping on top of eating them too!  You’re NOT diluting efficacy of eco-oil by adding seaweed!  It’s strengthening the cell wall of rose foliage!!!!

I ask the same question as you … why lots of aphids on some roses and not others???  Is it the location?  More confined, easier for aphids to access, less wind, some varieties have more lush foliage in the early spring flush???  All possibilities/probabilities and MOTHER NATURE takes over and does HER job which is one of the lovely challenges of gardening … keep looking out for ladybirds and as long as you’ve got lots of little wrens, sparrows and other birds in the garden, they’ll surely be feasting on the aphids – just like this ladybird – she’ll have them all cleaned up by the end of today!

Your horse poo … I will share it around that you have lots available for collection – lovely stuff and just down the road from Silkies Rose Farm so customers might bring their trailer and load up while they’re here!  Thank you … Diana

My response:  Hello David … do you think the rose you purchased was good quality?  Also, if the rose was only planted this winter, it’s not possible to have the ‘soil sickness’ that is often referred to when planting into the same location where a rose has been growing for many years – the dead rose would only have been there a short time I’m assuming???

I suggest you turn the soil well, add seaweed solution weekly until you purchase a new pl
ant for that location – buy a lovely healthy specimen and I think you’ll be fine!  I hope this is helpful.  Cheers – Diana

The story doesn’t end there … Andrea sent a follow up which reads:  “I have just re-done the beer for tonight!! Little alcoholics!  P.S. there is one unhappy camper in the story of the earwigs and that’s my husband!  He couldn’t understand why his beer supply was diminishing so quickly!  Yes the little earwigs had premium Boags! He was most upset to think I had given them the best!  Needless to say we are off to Aldi to get some less premium beer for the darling earwigs!  Andrea”

GRA’S GARBLE …

Just a joke this week since I’ve been busy holding the fort while Diana has been off gallivanting at the Garden Expo!

Knock, Knock.  Who’s there?  Mice.  Mice who?  Mice to meet you! 

Be very vigilant with filling mice bait stations OUTSIDE of your home and definitely OUTSIDE the chook enclosure!  Never put mice bait stations INSIDE your home because you will then have issues with rotting carcasses in walls/under the house/in the ceiling!!!  Please check that vermin haven’t dragged bait out of the bait station because mice bait is lethal stuff if your pets get to eat it!!!

Q.  Why do gorillas have big fingers?  A.  Because they have big nostrils!