ROSE RAMBLER 18.01.2018 …

Hello dear rose friends – we’ll all cook today as local temperatures climb to 40 degrees so I hope you had an opportunity to deep soak your rose gardens during this past week?  I guess the roses will scorch but the great thing about them is that you can trim them this weekend and they’ll be glorious again within 45 – 60 days.

GRA’S GARBLE …

There are advantages to this hot dry weather – it ‘burns-off’ black-spot and mildew fungus spores which attack our roses during humid weather conditions and when foliage stays damp overnight – as it has most definitely been here during past weeks.

Q.  What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?  A.  A nervous wreck.

Marianne emailed … “Hi and happy new year to your team ..  This summer with waves of high heat and then evening mists here in Braidwood, NSW, my roses have the worst black spot attack in years – l-ast week they had their monthly rose maintenance program as per your recipe but as the infection is so bad i think they would benefit from more frequent anti-fungal treatment.  In writing about black spot in your book you suggest that in humid conditions weekly application may be necessary – do you mean application of the full rose maintenance mixture or just the anti-fungal – I’m using eco-rose – and the eco-oil components mixed into 10 litres? I don’t want to make matters worse by over feeding them!!

My response:  “Yes, I was watering pots in the nursery this morning – we’re all in the same boat and I’m hoping tomorrow’s heat will burn-off the fungal attack … it’s such a difficult time when it’s ever so hot that you cannot apply the spray, then it’s damp/wet and you can’t apply the spray … I got lucky on Monday and sprayed but possibly too late because a lot of varieties have spotted foliage!

I will re-do the spray on Monday coming … perhaps you might use just the Eco-rose but always put in the Eco-oil (you can reduce the quantity of oil but you need it as a sticker/spreader/dispersant).

When I run a spray program I ALWAYS use the eco-seaweed – applied to the foliage it definitely aids in strengthening the foliage against disease … for the small amount you use, it’s worth adding I think!!!

Hope this is helpful.  Oh, and don’t be afraid to give them all a decent trim that retain as much foliage as possible … 1/3 off would be ok!  Cheers … GRAHAM

IN THE ONLINE STORE …

We have decided to hold off allowing bare-rooted roses to be purchased NOW but will reactivate the WISH LIST function to enable you to save the varieties you see when browsing.  Our reason for this delay is that it seems extreme to have you pay for roses which you won’t receive for at least 6 months!

In coming weeks we will show you pics of the 2018 New Release Roses which we have decided to offer this year – there are more than 60 available!  Since we have seen most of them in the field we promise to offer only varieties which we consider worthy of growing in your garden!

Posting roses has not slowed with lots of GIFT ROSES being sent when there is a family event to acknowledge – birth, death, marriage, anniversary or just to say:  “I care”.  Lots of customers are still buying roses for planting in their own garden – Jo was thrilled with the rose I posted recently:
“Hi Diana, The JUST JOEY rose arrived this morning and I have to say WOW! Thank you so much for such an awesome plant! It even had two flowers on it and the plant was much bigger than I had envisioned. Thank you so much for your prompt attention and the fantastic packaging!”

MY RESPONSE:  WOW back!   I love it when I get such great feedback from our customers and it all works so much better NOW than when Auspost were flooded in the Christmas lead-up and things went a bit pear-shaped and some customers get nasty … ooooh, I so hate that!  This is beautiful – just as it should be!  Thank you!  DIANA

WHERE ARE THE WORMS NOW??

Whenever I plant into the garden, there are usually worms.  This past weekend I was planting a border of plants (getting ready for the Art & Roses Tour and lots of visitors to the Rose Farm in April).  Surprisingly, I didn’t see a worm but in reflection, that makes sense because even though our garden beds are well mulched, those worms are not silly.

The worms are way, way down in the soil – probably starting to sort out which mate they’ll entertain in their upcoming mating season.  Know they’re there if your soil is moist way down and the nutrients and mulch are ready in the upper layers.  Worms are such a vital ingredient of humus-rich soil and they will dig and aerate your garden for you if you provide the perfect environment for them!

Q.  Did I tell you the joke about the ceiling?  Oh, forget it … its way over your head!

Here’s a few pics of the loveliest roses flowering in our gardens today –

WALK AND TALK – SUMMER PRUNING

Don’t miss out! We’ll be hosting another Walk & Talk about the Rose Farm and tips and demonstrations about summer pruning over the next two weekends.

Come down and say hi!

Saturday 20th of January, at 2.00pm
Sunday 28th of January, at 11.00am

Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
Open every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday – 9am – 4pm
Phone 03 5787 1123

ROSE RAMBLER 21.12.2017 …

Hello, dear rose friends for the last Rose Rambler this year.  We enjoy compiling this newsletter and welcome your comments and information-sharing, ideas, your photos and emails – thank you so much for contributing – it makes the Rose Rambler a valued email when more than 3,500 interested rose gardeners receive it every Thursday morning around this time!

Being seasonally appropriate here’s GRA’S GARBLE starting with a joke:

 Q.  How do sheep greet each other at Christmas?  A.  A Merry Christmas to ewe!  (my question to this joke was:  so what do ‘boy’ sheep say? … “HO HO HO” – such a ‘boy’ response!)

Sally Holmes 

Rhapsody In Blue

Gold Bunny

During our break, I’ll take a video of Diana doing summer pruning as she’s sure to have a different method to show you! We’ll keep everyone posted once this goes up!
There are some amazing roses in the nursery in case you’re thinking of dropping past for that last-minute Christmas present:–

Here’s my final funny one for this year …“Three men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates.

‘In honour of this holy season,’ Saint Peter said, ‘To get into heaven you must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas.’

The man from England fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter; he flicked it on. ‘It represents a candle’, he said.

‘You may pass through the pearly gates’ Saint Peter said.

The man from New Zealand reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, ‘They’re bells.’

Saint Peter said ‘You may pass through the pearly gates’.
The Australian started searching desperately through his pockets and finally pulled out a pair of women’s panties.

St. Peter looked at the man with a raised eyebrow and asked, ‘And just what do those symbolize?’

The Aussie replied, ‘These are Carols.’ “Keep smiling and enjoy your garden these holidays – Gra

It was such a pleasure to receive this email earlier in the week:

“Hi Diana, Ross picked up the rose and was overwhelmed with tears by the sentiment. He loved that it was called “FATHER’S LOVE” – so appropriate to remember the passing of his youngest son.
Its gifts like these that really do lighten the burden for those suffering the loss of a loved one. Thankyou rosesalesonline, for offering a truly wonderful service.”

We’ll start posting roses again on FRIDAY, 5TH JANUARY, 2018 when we can rely on Auspost to once again deliver our magnificent roses in a timely fashion.
Obviously, the website is open and you can continue placing orders throughout our holiday time. Meantime, from our family to you and yours, we wish you MERRY CHRISTMAS along with good health and happiness throughout 2018 …

Gil Teague at Florilegium says:  “I’m very enthusiastic about this year’s crop. There are some major Australian contributions to the literature” so I suggest you take a look and purchase a book for Christmas this year … sales@florilegium.com.au   or   02 9571 8222 www.florilegium.com.au

My book, ALL ABOUT ROSES has been reprinted – go to www.rosesalesonline.com.au as a signed copy will be a PERFECT gift for the rose gardeners in your life this Christmas!

GRA’S GARBLE …NO, WE DON’T ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT … HOW LOVELY IS THIS?

Hi Diana,  You would have identified this in an instant as Delbard’s RED INTUITION,  rather than SOUL SISTER …

Q. Where do spirits go to send their mail?  A. The ghost office!

Over the years, I have heard customers say:  MY GARDEN IS MY DOCTOR.  If you experience moments of sadness and a sense of “I’m not important …” go visit with your roses and they’ll let you know that you are ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL – they want you to trim, fertilize, mulch, perhaps spray the organic roses management program – they’ll be asking for you to turn the hose on and soak them now that the weather has turned into hot and sunny!

You are most definitely EXTREMELY IMPORTANT in your garden – get out there and enjoy the sunshine, hold the hose to water your roses – it’s like a meditation in the morning but YOU have to do it!

Plan what you’ll plant where on another adventure in your garden – it might be potting some herbs, perhaps tomatoes for harvesting this summer … the value of planning SOMETHING is enough to get you out into the sunshine and motivated about your future!

In closing, just for a giggle, here’s another joke:

 Q.  What has teeth but does not bite?  A. A zipper …

Enjoy the glory of your rose garden this spectacular spring …

Q. What do skeletons order at restaurants?  A. Spare ribs … yuk!

GRA’S GARBLE …

I think it’s important to repeat how you can prevent the risk of your roses incurring the most common fungal disease infection:

• PLANT ROSES IN FULL SUN – no less than 6 hours of direct sunlight per day
• PLANT ROSES IN WELL VENTILATED SPACE – wind will dry wet foliage
• WATER APPROPRIATELY – never water over foliage from 3 pm onwards
• CHECK SOIL MOISTURE – roses hate wet feet constantly but love deep-soaking
• SELECT DISEASE-RESISTANT VARIETIES – yes, some roses are definitely healthier!

Now is a great time to research varieties of roses you want to plant in your garden – don’t just look at pretty flowers, look at the WHOLE BUSH.  Visit the State Rose Garden in your state, take pictures and notes.
When you photograph a rose, photograph the plant label so you remember the name of each rose!

Hi, Diana and Graham, Just to say thank you and how much we enjoyed our morning tour of your wonderful rose farm and rose nursery.  Everything was so healthy and glossy leaved and so much to learn as we walked with you.  Again many thanks, Whittlesea Garden Club.

GRA’S GARBLE …

Let me start with a joke … Q. Which of the witch’s friends was good at baseball?  A. The bat! 
Your roses are growing rampantly now – most will be flowering so it’s important to fertilize with the best quality fertilizer you can buy – go to your local supplier and be advised by what is locally available.  If you’re driving by Clonbinane, call in and collect our COF (complete organic fertilizer) which you can liberally apply to ALL THE PLANTS IN YOUR GARDEN – except Australian Natives!
Healthy, well-fed plants usually indicate healthy foliage – sometimes things go wrong and here is what the LEAVES ON ROSES are indicating …

MOSAIC VIRUS

Really nothing you need to worry about since it is evident when roses are growing voraciously and then it seems to be less indicated … we don’t recommend propagating roses with MOSAIC VIRUS and there is no spray or cure to eradicate it!

BLACK SPOT

A sign of old foliage on lower leaves/stress from lack of fertilizer on newer foliage / moist foliage overnight – generally can be corrected by trimming, fertilizing, deep-soaking watering to promote new foliage and flowering!  Remember that you lose hair and skin EVERY DAY … BLACK SPOT is the mechanism for a rose to lose old foliage – it is up to you to prune!

RUST

Is usually evident on the underside of rose foliage where there is almost no ventilation and very damp conditions prevail.  Rose plants are very debilitated by this fungus and it can spread rampantly.

POWDERY MILDEW

Will occur where there is little or no sunshine, very little air-flow or foliage is constantly wet.  Disease can be eliminated by increasing ventilation – removing ground-covering perennials/annuals/other plants clear to 20cms from the base of roses, shifting shaded roses into a sunny location and NEVER WATERING after 3 pm so that foliage is not wet during the night!

CHICKEN, DUCKLINGS and FLEDGLINGS …

Yes, I’ve got LANGSHAN chickens with their clucky hen mothers, lots of ducklings are venturing from our swale to the neighbour’s dam and although the Magpie bub is well and truly faring for itself, we’ve got pardalotes, wrens and finches all showing off with their fledgelings.
This is a spring of unprecedented joy with an abundance of production – last Tuesday was our last minus 1 frost and we hope it’s the last for this year as we want to plant veggies where the roses were heeled-in this past winter … such an ideal location because excess water from the nursery runs directly to this area.  Hope you’re planting veggies too!
Here are a few pics of spectacular roses in the nursery NOW …

GRA’S GARBLE …

I’m not a gambler but I would bet this season promises to be one of the BEST SEASONS in many years of rose growing … the flowers are HUGE and if it isn’t windy, the fragrance is HUGE too!

Q. Why do witches ride on brooms?  A. Because vacuum cleaners are too expensive!

I’m ever so glad I elected to find an organic alternative to rose management when we first started growing roses – here’s an email exchange you might enjoy after Fiona ordered the organic rose management pack at www.rosesalesonline.com.au and we confirmed her order and offered advice should she need it …

“Thanks, Diana and Graham – I have over 50 roses and 2 small children, so am really hoping an organic program will work to keep the aphids at bay without being too toxic for the family.  We are on a farm with Lucerne near the house and I think between the Lucerne and the roses, the aphids think they have found heaven!  It will just be a matter of making the time to do the regular spraying”  – Peter and Fiona”

My response:

You know what Fiona … I’m in exactly the same kind of location as you with paddocks and grasses all around the rose gardens!  I was out mowing lawns tonight … I don’t think I needed to eat when I came in for dinner as I reckon I ingested so many bugs – I’m told they’re jassids/leafhoppers rather than ‘whitefly’ (which would potentially cause massive issues on rose plants in the nursery!!!).     Out in the gardens, we have a mega army of workers eating everything … our birds are amazing and I feel I would deprive them of delicious dining if I was to spray the gardens … obviously, we have to keep the potted roses ‘clean’ so we spray regularly in the nursery!

There is absolutely NOTHING TOXIC in the OCP products which we promote and have used in our rose growing for more than 28 years!  We’ve only been growing roses for 31 years and decided that if we had to use all the lethal cocktails of chemicals to grow roses then we wouldn’t grow them … that sent us on a journey of exploring the possibilities and introduced us to many wonderful people who shared our passion to work WITH MOTHER NATURE.

It’s been a joy to share our experience with many, many rose gardeners who happily grow beautiful roses who accept the fact that sometimes after a magnificent flowering, rose foliage gets black-spot and defoliation might follow.  With a quick prune, quality fertilizer and deep-soaking watering the rose will continue flowering!   I’m so glad you’re purchasing the organic rose management products we use and highly recommend – you’ll show your kids the beauty of ladybirds mating and feasting on aphids in your healthy garden!

Q. Which room do ghost houses never have?  A. THE LIVING ROOM!  

Enjoy all the glory of your roses flowering now … if you need advice please email your questions to: info@rosesalesonline.com.au and we promise a response within 24 hours.

Come for a drive to Clonbinane soon … cheers from MOOI who knows the value of a mulched garden!