Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 19.10.2017

ROSE RAMBLER 19.10.2017 …

Hello, dear rose friends as the lawn just keeps on growing and needing mowing …I guess it’s the same at your place?!

Last week inspired lots of responses as you beautiful gardeners told us which roses were the first flowering in your gardens … how amazing that the same varieties came up ‘FIRST’ in so many gardens!

DOUBLE DELIGHT was a winner here too …

After enjoying so many magnificent roses flowering all over northern Victoria from Kerang, along with the Murray River through to Echuca we’ve arrived home to a nursery bursting forth with lots and lots of colourful rose like this fragrant VICTORIA GOLD….
Thanks to Ben and Tova for holding the fort while we were away for a few days!   

GRA’S GARBLE …

LIQUID FERTILIZER … I’ve had some enquiries about how to go about making your own liquid ‘weed-tea’ fertilizer from a range of non-seeding weeds along with a combination of various manures which you can acquire either in your own garden or from a local source.
Get a hessian bag – you might find one at your local feed store; perhaps a potato grower.  If you cannot find a hessian bag you could use an old pillowcase or maybe a sheet that you can lay weeds/manure in and securely tie to suspend in water.The container you use might be a wheelie-bin, an old garbage tin or a 44-gallon drum – whatever you can find that has a lid – yes, the brew will stink – locate it in the furthest corner of the yard!

Every couple of days, lift the lid and check the brew; plunge the suspended ‘sack’ of weeds and manure up and down to be sure nutrients from the contents are releasing into the water – add more water perhaps and seaweed powder or solution will be beneficial too!

Q.  Why didn’t the toilet paper cross the road?  A. Because it was stuck in the crack!

After around six weeks of brewing take 1-2 litres of fermented liquid, dilute it in a 9 litre watering can of water and pour over the soil in your rose garden!

This is excellent liquid fertilizer – especially if you added seaweed powder along with some kind of animal manure to the initial weed sack.  Use liberally every couple of weeks.

Because you’re never sure of the fertilizer analysis of this kind of feeding, I recommend you use a Complete Organic Fertilizer at least twice annually to be sure your plants are being fed a complete range of nutrients which ensures continually healthy foliage and masses of flowers throughout the flowering season.

Q. Why did the scarecrow win an award? A. For being outstanding in his field

Infomation Sharing …

“Dear Diana … I recently bought some potted roses from you.  We are rearranging our garden, so the roses cannot go into their permanent positions until next winter. We have made a temporary bed for the roses, but I am wondering if we would be better off just transferring them into bigger pots for this season. Would the roots be happier if they are contained rather than spreading out into their temp home and being moved next season? Kind regards, Rhona”

My response to Rhona:  Ok … you know what the major consideration is:  DO YOU HAVE TIME AND WATER TO WATER POTTED ROSES EVERY DAY???  Pots are a pain in the backside because of the commitment to watering and fertilizing!

After more than 25 years in our gardens at Kilmore, we bulldozed hundreds of roses and DID NOT LOSE ONE OF THEM in the transplant … that was in MAY, 2012 …

I think you know what I would recommend but you do what works for you! Cheers … Diana & Graham both agree!
Then Rhona responded:

“Wow!!  Nice image of you bulldozing 100s of roses then merrily replanting them. And in May too!!  Thanks so much for your reply and your cheerful, generous way of sharing your knowledge and experience.  Kind regards, Rhona”

Enjoy all the pleasures of your spring rose garden …

Cheers from the team here … Graham, Diana, Mooi, Tova, Ben, Leigh, the chooks and their new-born chicks, baby magpies and everything wonderful about being at CLONBINANE … see you soon …

 SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 12.10.2017

ROSE RAMBLER 12.10.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends as we enjoy the glory of spring – we’re already halfway through – rushing towards summer and we’re hedging bets between us about which rose will be the very first flowering this season:

I bet it’s POPE JOHN PAUL II

Tova is convinced it will be THE OPPORTUNITY ROSE

Ben says TEQUILA SUNRISE

Graham believes it will be TWILIGHT ZONE

So you can see, despite another minus 2 frost earlier this week, roses in 20cm pots which act like a humid-crib for their roots, on higher ground up in the Rose Nursery are ready to flower … amazing to all of us!

GRA’S GARBLE …

How exciting and how beautiful and how very lucky we are that we all love roses – I think we’re in for a stunning flowering season, the rosebuds are so pumped full of deep soaking rain … it’s raining as I write!  Sorry to our far north friends who are experiencing drought but have had some respite last week perhaps???!!!

 

Because of all the humidity, it is imperative that you continue the rose spray-maintenance program – people who are continuing with this program on a fortnightly basis are enjoying their roses … no black-spot, no aphids!
Please don’t wait until problems occur – to 10 litres of water mix all of the following:
  • ¼ cup Eco-Rose/Fungicide (powder should be dissolved in water first)
  • ¼ cup Eco-oil and ALWAYS ADD A SEAWEED PRODUCT – we use and recommend ECO-SEAWEED POWDER – extremely economical as you use your own water!
If the aphids have beat you to the punch and your roses are covered in them, you need to add 20ml of Eco-Neem to the above recipe for quicker, effective control.  Otherwise, all the little birds like wrens, pardalotes, finches, etc. will make a feast of aphids – of course, if you see ladybirds mating like this – leave them to do their job …
With all the massive – I MEAN MASSIVE growth on all plants, treat yourself this weekend and  go for a drive to enjoy the GREEN – it is the most relaxing colour of all of Mother Nature’s colours and although it’s a long way, you might just find yourself at CHARLTON where the Rotary Art Show is exhibited all weekend along with 6 delightful OPEN GARDENS – you’ll be hospitably welcomed in the way only Aussie Country Folk know how!Did you know that going for a drive in your car is the most popular of all recreational activities that Australians do?  Not the footy or sports viewing on TV or going to the theatre …

Q.  How many apples grow on trees?  A. All of them!  

Q.  How many peanuts grow on trees?  A.  Peanuts grow in the ground!

You’ll trick the kids with these two!  Enjoy the giggles!!!

When something dies …

This GOLDEN DIOSMA hedge was very visible in aerial photos we had taken of our property back in 2003 and after severe frost events this past winter, it died.

I called 3CR Garden Show on Sunday morning and the expert panel suggested that the hedge had done its time and demised due to age – I took their advice and removed it – but oh, gosh, what a hole it leaves in a very prominent part of our entrance driveway.

Solution … I will plant a hedge of THE GOLDEN CHILD roses so that when my Mother visits (regularly) I can remind her that I didn’t plant the hedge for my BROTHER but … yes, for her other GOLDEN CHILD, Diana!

What fun you can have with the names of roses … cherish all the wonderfulness of your garden in this magnificent spring!
Cheers from us all here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 5.10.2017

ROSE RAMBLER 05.10.2017 …

Hello, dear rose friends.  When the Rose Rambler was posted 10 years ago today, it went with a sticker celebrating the arrival of our grandson Logan who now regularly visits the Rose Farm and told us recently that he would like to come and work here on weekends!

Happy 10th Birthday Logan from Oma and Poppy!

The next generation steps up as the sun shines and even the morning temperature allows us to wander into the garden early to pull a weed or lift a nodding daffodil and enjoy its stunning petal formation … take a look at this beauty which you will find in catalogues as Narcissus  ‘MOONDRAGON’ …

GRA’S GARBLE …

Congratulations to the great team who won the Grand Final last weekend … what a game!
I put this poster in because it actually reminds me of the drive and determination it has taken us to pursue and in most cases, achieve our dreams in the horticultural industry – we’ve had some tough times in the past 30 years!However, all considered, it’s been a sensational journey and we still love doing what we do; grow beautiful roses for gardeners to enjoy in their gardens around Australia!  We are so, so lucky to be living our dream!

Q.  If teeth were shoes what would they be?  A. GUMBOOTS … how could you NOT get that?

IT’S TIME TO FERTILIZE YOUR SOIL …

yes, you’ll be fertilizing the soil which, in turn, will feed your roses.  Be sure and purchase the best quality fertilizer you can buy locally!!!

Here’s an email conversation …

“Hi Gra … All the 19 bareroots I bought off you are coming on nicely. They certainly enjoyed the winter rain at Daylesford.  Just a question, how soon after planting the bareroot roses can we use blood and bone meal? ”  Many thanks – Penny

MY RESPONSE … Hi Penny … Quite frankly, I wouldn’t use it at all – seriously, unless you add ALL THE OTHER NUTRIENTS, (POTASH, TRACE ELEMENTS, ETC. ETC. ETC.) using JUST blood and bone would be like feeding your roses McDonald’s – they’ll get a rush but not a lot of substance!

Fertilizer manufacturers have taken the science of feeding plants and put it in a bag for us – here at the Rose Farm, we have magnificent fertilizer – COMPLETE ORGANIC FERTILIZER manufactured at Invergordon about 1 hour up the road.

Yes, we’re lucky to have this available to us very close to home; it suits our sustainable policy!

Go to your local nursery or horticultural supplier and be advised which is the best and most economical fertilizer (preferably organic) available in your area.  Cheers … Graham

Q. What do you get when you cross a chicken with a cement mixer?  A. A bricklayer.

When fertilizing your soil, consider the following points:

  • Apply fertilizer when plants/foliage is dry to avoid fert sticking to foliage;
  • Never remove mulch; apply fertilizer over mulch then water in;
  • Clever fertilizer application – just prior to soaking rain!
  • Fertilize regularly; light applications / frequently is perfect for most plants;
  • Sprinkle pellet fertilizer over the soil – not in clumps at the base of plants;
  • If using a liquid fertilizer, ALWAYS add ECO-SEAWEED POWDER as a bonus!

If you regularly apply animal manure/compost around your roses, you should be able to alternate, using commercial fertilizer every 6 months or so just to be sure you have a good balance of minor nutrients and trace elements which are REALLY important to maintain healthy foliage, prolific flowering and generally happy roses!

Roses will let you know they need fertilizing when the foliage is continually plagued by black spot which is definitely a sign of stress!

Roses for when you need an angel in your life…

How truly lovely it is when such appropriately named roses suit a certain situation as these two truly beautiful varieties do …

“Hi, Thank you so much for your wonderful roses. I bought 7 roses a few months ago to create a memorial garden. I bought EARTH ANGEL and GUARDIAN ANGEL. You can see they are flourishing.”  Kind regards – Susan

GUARDIAN ANGEL

 

GUARDIAN ANGEL is a very special rose – ideal to gift for the family who lost their child during pregnancy or birthing or simply to have a wonderful creamy-white mass of blooms on an extraordinarily healthy shrub rose!  The flowers are enduring through all weather and vase well too!
  • Extremely healthy shrub rose
  • Creamy-white swirling mass of petals
  • Enduring blooms in all weather
  • Ideal gift for the loss of a pregnancy or baby!

EARTH ANGEL

 

EARTH ANGEL is a magnificent addition to the KORDES PARFUMA COLLECTION with extremely healthy, dark green foliage on a rather short bush to 75-90cms tall and nicely rounded.

The beautifully shaped old-world style blooms remind me of a peony with a thick, swirling mass of petals as the bloom slowly opens to present a fresh fruity fragrance which is particularly evident on a warm, still evening.  Hold a nearly open bloom in your palms – the warmth from your body will entice the sweet fragrance to emerge.

ROSE SHOW AT KYABRAM…

If you’re out and about in country Victoria during the coming weeks there is a Rose Show at the Kyabram Town Hall – no competition but every gardener in town will put their lovely roses on display – Graham will be there with potted roses and products.  He’d love to have a chat with you there!!!

On 15th October there will be six magnificent gardens open in CHARLTON where the Annual Rotary Art Show is exhibiting.  Gra and I will be wandering around there too as we make our way to KERANG for the NORTHERN ANNUAL GARDEN CLUBS CONFERENCE ON MONDAY 16th October – we are keynote speakers at this event.

See you there!!!

 

Cheers from us all here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
Posted on

28th SEPTEMBER, 2017…

ROSE RAMBLER 28.09.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends from sunny Clonbinane where the day still starts with minus 2 frost and our gardens are a blaze of glorious colour thanks to the daffodils and tulips … delightful!

Most Exciting News …

Diana’s beautiful book ALL ABOUT ROSES is now reprinted and once again available to purchase – go to your local bookstore or to our website to purchase a copy.

Last week I received a rose order along with this lovely message from Les …thanks for the newsletter, and look forward to my shipments.

“I just re-read some of your ALL ABOUT ROSES book.  LOVE IT!  There is even a mention of me in the book!  ” …. Want to grow roses but wouldn’t have a clue.” !!! That’s me!” – Cheers Les

ALL ABOUT ROSES is being reprinted by popular demand!

Reviews since it was first released in 2014 have declared it a book for ALL rose gardeners … very practical advice, magnificent photography and simply the book which EVERY rose lover should have sitting on the coffee table – perhaps in the garden shed because all our organic rose management recipes are right there!

Order a signed copy for yourself or get in early for a Christmas gift for the rose-lover in your life!

GRA’S GARBLE …

I passionately enjoy growing daffodils and this season is one out-of-the-box for magnificent flowers-

 


Our pretty Daffodils,

and splendid Tulips!

 

JOKE :  Harry went for a job interview and the first thing they told him was:  “We are looking for someone responsible” to which Harry replied:  “I’m your man because at my last job, every time something went wrong they told me I was responsible”.

Mulching Your Garden…

Is seriously one of the most important tasks you can undertake NOW while there is still good soil moisture deep down in the sub-soil/clay.  To conserve this moisture and have your roses send their roots way down and anchor themselves for years of robust, healthy growing and flowering, I recommend you place a good thick layer of mulch around the entire garden bed.

Notice when we mulch here, there is a ‘biscuit’ of pea straw along the border – this stops birds flicking loose straw out of the bed and we generally place a thick layer of damp newspaper under the ‘biscuit’ to inhibit weeds coming into the garden bed!

In the actual garden bed, the pea straw is pulled apart and fluffed-up – nice and thick – this allows fertilizer pellets to find their way down onto the soil.  NEVER REMOVE THIS LAYER OF MULCH because soil microbes are actively working to enhance your soil and you could destroy them very quickly by exposing them to sunlight!

Some roses in lower areas of our garden are seriously frost damaged but we are not going to prune ANYTHING MORE off them until the first flowering in November and I urge you to do the same where frost damage is evident.   From previous experience here at Clonbinane, I assure you that ALL YOUR ROSES WILL RECOVER and flower this spring.

New foliage is very soft and lush which makes it susceptible to insects who will take advantage of these conditions … see the aphid cycle on this magnificent photo Diana took and which Steve at www.ocp.com.au  (Organic Crop Protectants) has labelled so you now know more about aphids and their cycle …

  • White stuff – these are the shells of the aphids which they’ve shed when moulting
  • Winged insect – these are winged adult aphids and not lacewings.  When aphids enter their final moulting stage they can emerge as either winged or wingless adults.  They produce wings if the area they’re in is already heavily populated with aphids so it allow them to emerge with wings and fly off to find a new feeding ground which is less crowded.  Clever trick really
  • Brown blobs – these are aphids which have had a parasitoid wasp inject an egg into them.  When the juvenile wasp hatches it feeds on the insides of the aphid before pupating and then cutting a tiny hold in the shell of the aphid and emerging as an adult wasp.  During the whole process the aphid swells up, turns brown and dies.

If you have good numbers of birds in your garden, consider the aphids as their seasonal feast!  Don’t be too quick reaching for sprays to eliminate the aphids if you feel they’re under control … ECO OIL is very effective in controlling the immature/larval-stage aphids which of course, in time, interrupts the breeding cycle!  There is no hard and fast KILL with organic rose management so observation is critical – gentle, gentle works and remember, roses recover from all kinds of harsh elements without interference!Hope you’re enjoying all the glory which spring offers us gardeners – Graham

BARE-ROOTED ROSES STILL AVAILABLE ONLINE …

This weekend is the last opportunity you’ll have to order BARE-ROOTED ROSES because the roses are now beautifully foliaged, lots of roots in the coir-fibre potting mix and some are even budding!  Yes, we have flower buds despite minus 2 frosty mornings!

In between watching the footy this weekend, scroll through www.rosesalesonline.com.au and order a few roses to plant for flowering throughout this season and for years to come!  Every reason why so many people resort to purchasing GIFT ROSES as a way of expressing their heartfelt feelings!

Our GIFT ROSE continues to please – here’s an email from Toni who had tried to phone through an order on Tuesday (my day off), resorted to Facebook (which is managed by our IT team – not ME – they emailed me for response) then she finally emailed me and I called her –

“Diana – Haha … No worries I was just trying to cover all bases.  It’s because you do it so beautifully like no one else I found and I didn’t want anyone else’s rose to go to Leanne.  Thank you so much for your assistance 🙂 ” 

Yes, we will be here this FRIDAY which is a public holiday for THE DAY BEFORE THE FOOTBALL GRAND FINAL – gasping as I type that!!!  Yes, we will also be here during the whole weekend although it is a sport weekend … take this opportunity to get down and dirty in your garden …

Slashers Organic Weedkiller…

We’re extremely excited that Slasher Organic Weedkiller is in the running for “Organic Product of the Year” in the 2017 Organic Consumer Choice Awards.

Naturally we’d love Slasher to win and for this we need your help. Please click on the link to vote now. It only takes a minute and will help us spread the organic word!

Grab your bottle of Slasher Organic Weedkiller at www.rosesalesonline.com.au or find it at your local garden centre.

Cheers from us all here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 21.9.2017

ROSE RAMBLER 21.09.2017 …

Hello, dear rose friends – this is another one of those ‘special dates’ – I’m producing a Rambler on the date when, in 6 months, I’ll be turning 60 and I won’t talk about this going forward … let’s see who remembers next February?

Where is Clonbinane?  What is in Clonbinane?  The history of Clonbinane?    You’re right, there is no store, no Post Office, there isn’t even a Pub!  Just up the road (2 kms) from Silkies Rose Farm, there’s a community of houses in Waterford Park … no shop or PO there either but since the tragic Black Saturday fires of 2009, we have a magnificent CLONBINANE COMMUNITY HALL where we frequently get together with all the locals.

So really, CLONBINANE TODAY is ABOUT SILKIES ROSE FARM which is located within 500 meters of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE on the HUME FREEWAY (entry and exit north and south) where thousands of vehicles travel every day between Melbourne / Sydney / Brisbane and everywhere in between.

Do be sure to stop off and say hello on your way past

FUN EMAILS … Last week I posted a lovely rose to Helen and I couldn’t stop giggling when I read her response:

 “Thank you, Diana, I love this rose very much, it has a special place between my Reine Victoria and Mme Pierre Oger!  Lovely!  And this time I will really REALLY look after it properly.  Summer is no good for my brain or my roses.” Helen

Summer can cook your brain just don’t let it cook your roses!

POSTING PRODUCT… yes, of course, I can post ORGANIC ROSE MANGEMENT products to you but please read this email and consider my response …

“Thanks, Diana, yes postage was steep but that’s not your fault. Postage is really high now. I can’t seem to buy these products in Traralgon so I had to send to you.  LOVE the products you sent, my rosebuds in Queensland were so plump, I have never seen them like this.  Wasted a lot I think as I put some in a bucket and watered from below, then used as a spray.  I will have to order more!!  Thanks for the intro to Amino Gro.”  Jan

Yes, spraying is the best way!  Can I suggest that you go to your local garden center and ask if they would please stock the OCP range of garden maintenance products … people will definitely buy them if they are available!  Even Bunnings if you have to …?  Cheers, and thank you!

GRA’S GARBLE …

there are lots of NEW RELEASE ROSES in the nursery and as they’re now getting foliage, I’m more and more interested in them and have absconded pots which I will soon be planting in MY garden …

EARTH ANGEL … we displayed this in vases earlier this year at Tesselaar’s Garden Expo and it held up beautifully throughout the weekend – such a lovely specimen for garden display and definitely in a vase …

SUMMER ROMANCE … This very special beauty is what I consider PERFECT PINK … with swirling mass of petals and lovely spicy fragrance, the name says it all!  I’ll be planting it for sure because I know that it will present really well in a vase too.

JOKE:  “Charlie applies for a job in a factory.  The manager asks:  “Have you worked with chemicals before?”  “Yes!” Charlie replies.  “Great.  Can you tell me what nitrate is?” the manager asks.  Charlie answers:  “I’m hoping it’s going to be time and a half.”

The last word from me this week is to remember:

Keep frequent applications of eco-seaweed happening in your rose garden … I think we’re in for a really hot, hot summer and if we condition our roses NOW, we can pretty much guarantee they’ll be ok with whatever this summer has to offer them – it might be water restrictions, perhaps intensely hot sun but whatever they’re presented, offer them great conditioning with regular applications of eco-seaweed solution – you should buy a 600g pack added to every rose order!

I found this and would like to share:

Preoccupied with a single leaf, you won’t see the tree.
Preoccupied with a single tree, you’ll miss the entire forest.

Nurture and love what you have – dream of what is possible to have in your garden and work to achieve your dream … see you at the Yea Garden Expo this weekend – I will be presenting at 2.00 on Saturday … Graham

BARE-ROOTED ROSES STILL AVAILABLE ONLINE … go to www.rosesalesonline.com.au where you can still purchase bare-rooted roses for the next few weeks – it is imperative that you plant these magnificent specimens as soon as they arrive at your door – offer them eco-seaweed solution weekly for at least four weeks after planting to reduce transplanting shock and to get their roots settled – most roses will be flowering by November … not long to go now!

Cheers from us all here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 meters of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 14.9.2017

ROSE RAMBLER 14.09.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends from Clonbinane …   where morning temperatures still defy the fact that spring has sprung – every morning we are greeted by another frost.  However, all the roses are pruned now and will ‘tough it out’ if frost persists. Take a look at how severely Ben pruned KNOCKOUT hedge last Friday – I’ll let you see pics of this magnificent rose in a few weeks when it’s flowering again.


How severely Ben pruned the KNOCKOUT  hedge last week!

How it looked before the pruning!

 

GRA’S GARBLE …

Soon we’ll be inundated with garden events as roses start to flower and we expect to have one of the busiest seasons on record here – there are bus groups booked and we are attending a few events which might interest you if they’re in your zone:

YEA GARDEN EXPO
23 & 24 SEPTEMBER – 10- 4 each day

 

KYABRAM ROSE SHOW – FRIDAY, 13TH OCTOBER – details in following Rose Ramblers 

NORTHERN GARDEN CLUBS CONFERENCE – KERANG – MONDAY, 16TH OCTOBER

Diana and I are guest speakers at this event so if you would like to attend, please contact :  George at shruby.orchids@bigpond.com to reserve a seat at this very popular event.

We will keep you well informed of events where either of us attend – remember too that I am a regular presenter on the 3CR Garden Show – Community Radio, Melbourne, 855 on the AM BAND every Sunday 7.30-9.15am – I present with the panel EVERY SECOND SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH. 

DAFFODILS IN A ROSE GARDEN …

Every year I diligently save my cents until they become a couple of hundred dollars and I buy daffodils – it’s a thrill to peruse the catalogues, chat with the growers and the greatest delight is seeing them flowering at this time of year and the cold season has been perfect with masses of daffies flowering in absolute profusion – this has to be one of the best seasons I’ve experienced in many years!

Remember DO NOT CUT OFF THE FOLIAGE of your daffodils when they’ve finished flowering – this is VERY IMPORTANT!  When the flowers are spent, you must apply fertilizer so that as the foliage dies down, it takes all the energy into the bulb where it is stored for next season.

Feeding bulbs as they start to shut-down from this spring flowering will almost surely guarantee good multiplication of the bulbs to ensure even greater numbers of flowers next season – we use the same fertilizer for bulbs as we do the roses – Complete Organic Fertilizer – be guided by the assistant at your local garden centre for the best quality fertilizer for your bulbs and roses!

 

 

Q. What gets bigger the more your take away?  A. A hole of course! 

Hope you’ve dug a few holes recently to plant more roses; maybe some seedling annuals and veggies for delicious summer salads?  Get your garden looking gorgeous for this season – I’ve got 9 more roses to ‘sneak’ into my garden – testing varieties which will be released in 2018 so I’ll give them premium treatment to ensure they grow really well and I can hopefully highly recommend them for your garden next season too!

From a blissfully happy Graham enjoying my daffodils … cheers!

 

PATIENCE IS NECESSARY, AND ONE CANNOT REAP
IMMEDIATELY WHERE ONE HAS SOWN

ORGANIC SPRAY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM …

 

Yes, it works brilliantly, it’s very economical and extremely environmentally friendly.  You, the gardener MUST contribute positive energy and accept the follies of Mother Nature – expect there might be times when a particular plant isn’t PERFECT … ask yourself :  “am I perfect, always?” and when we speak at Garden Club presentations, we often ask the audience if they would like us to come and visit their home early in the morning … gushingly, the audience is horrified at this prospect because hey, how fabulous do you look when you first step out of bed?

Give your plants the same grace and help them to look beautiful as much and as frequently as they can … here’s my advice to Xiumei recently:

“Hi Diana, Following our previous email, I hesitate to continue to purchase any other roses because I found insects/pests, like aphids and dark spots on some other roses in my garden (I bought from Bunnings previously).  Would you please give some advice how frequency to spray Eco-oil/neem? once per day or per week? I saw the menu it is spray every 1-2 weeks. But for my case, it looks not enough only one spray every 1-2 weeks.  The bare-roots rose I bought from your nursery also looks be impacted. I found one leave with yellow-dark spot on it. 

Currently, I have to give a quick check the leaves and bottom of flowers in the morning, I usually could find some aphids at the back of leaves.  That’s really upset me.  Finger crossed, wish my lovley rose plants could survive in the new home. ” Best regards,  Xiumei
My urgent response to Xiumei:  Hello … it’s very, very important that you STOP WORRYING and being concerned about every little bit of spot or yellow leaf … do you know that you lose skin and hair every day?  Leaves are the same on roses – they run out of being necessary on the plant so they go yellow with black spots and drop!  New leaves ALWAYS FOLLOW … did you know too that aphids are food for birds and other insects/visitors in your garden?  When they become out of control it usually means there’s not adequate ventilation – aphids love to be out of the wind where they can breed prolifically!

You should NEVER EVER use our organic management program more than fortnightly!

Please stop worrying and see the beauty of the flowers rather than what little pests might be there … yellow leaves are normal on spent foliage. As long as your roses are well watered and fed, they will please you!  Best wishes … DIANA
“The response which I truly love:  Brilliant, Diana! Take it in my pocket now.”
Cheers, Xiumei

YELLOW PAGES ARE LOOKING FOR GARDEN PICTURES …

 

Ann alerted me to the fact that at www.yellowpage.com they’re asking for people to send pictures of their gardens which might be selected for the covers of local area phone books!  Be adventurous and send a picture of your garden.

I’ll send this one of our garden … PIERRE DE RONSARD (pink bloom on left) and SYMPATHIE (red blooms) with NAHEMA (pink buds on right).  All these magnificent climbers produce beautiful flowers suitable for a vase!

 

Cheers from us all here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 7.9.2017

ROSE RAMBLER 07.09.2017 …

Hello, dear rose friends as we sing …  SPRING IS IN THE AIR, EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK AROUND … It’s soooo green and what a lovely week we’ve had to welcome spring here in Victoria where the soil is sopping wet!  The moisture augers well for our gardens to flourish this season …

GRA’S GARBLE …

It’s a different story for our gardening friends in other regions of Australia, some are thirsty if not desperate for rain.  In NSW, things are shaping up for yet another ‘green drought’ in late winter/early spring.

We hope that most of you know that to apply heavy late-winter mulching of garden beds is imperative in anticipation of all-too-frequent dry spells.  Hot summers ensure that mulch rapidly disappears and usually needs topping up before the season ends.

This is a pic of recent pea-straw mulching here at the Rose Farm …

Sensible garden mulch applications enhanced by quality fertilizer and regular seaweed solution results in quite rapid carbonizing of the topsoil – you’ll see your soil turn quite dark brown, beautifully crumbly and growing magnificent roses!

There have been a few customers whose winter planting of bare-rooted roses hasn’t quite gone to plan – where is the fault???  If you have a newly planted rose (in any season) that doesn’t perform well, please don’t leave it in the soil to perish!

Lift it, place it in a pot or replant in a different location – there are lots of things happening in soil and most especially if there have been additives … compost and ‘new’ soil can be lethal because of decomposing which causes anaerobic conditions underground – your roses are dealing with it and you cannot see it!

Yes, we guarantee our plants 100% but we urge you to consider the situation you have planted your roses into and please, please, don’t let them die because of any of the above examples of where they might be planted!

Take action – trim them back to below where there might be visible dying stems and drench with eco-seaweed solution weekly until they recover …

Q. What do you call a fairy that doesn’t take a bath?  A.  Stinker Bell!

SUCCESSFUL WINTER PLANTING …

“Hello, Firstly I would like to congratulate you on such a wonderfully professional business. A short time ago I ordered an ORIGAMI rose which arrived in pristine condition, 

I was stunned that it was possible to order a plant online and receive it in better condition than I could purchase at my local nursing here in Qld. The plant is absolutely flourishing and beginning to produce its first buds.

The care and attention to packaging along with the rose itself and care instructions are simply impeccable. I also have enjoyed the Rose Rambler emails and look forward to receiving and reading them. Once again thank you and I look forward to ordering from you again in the future.” Sincerely, Mark.

GIFT ROSE CONTINUES TO BE A HIT …

With magnificent rose varieties named to suit all occasions which occur in our daily lives, our GIFT ROSE is an absolutely joyous way of acknowledging an occasion in your family … here is a testament to the beautiful 50TH ANNIVERSARY ROSE – GOLDEN CELEBRATION … 

“Hi Diana, Just wanted to say a huge thank you for the beautiful golden celebration gift box for my in-laws.  They just sent me the attached photo through of it growing already and tell me they are planting it this weekend.

It’s my parents 50th Anniversary next year, so you’ll hear from me again to arrange another one for them.”  Kind Regards  … Roschell

Q. What happens when a cat eats a lemon?  A. It becomes a sour puss …

Enjoy your garden in these early weeks of spring – if you haven’t pruned your roses from last season because you were worried about frost, get them done NOW … we’ve been pruning here at the Rose Farm too!

Cheers from us all here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 31ST AUGUST, 2017

ROSE RAMBLER 31.08.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends on this last day of winter – I love it when publishing the Rose Rambler coincides with an ‘event’ such as this! Tomorrow is spring and we’ll all excitedly anticipate lush, healthy foliage sprouting all over our roses, soon there will be magnificently fragrant blooms again – it all just happens!

Or does it?  Let Gra tell us what we should be doing NOW to ensure our roses are indeed spectacular this spring …

GRA’S GARBLE …

I’m a great believer in growing lots of diverse plant species in and around my rose garden – I grow lots of bulbs, mostly daffodils; silver-beet for my chooks (and my mother-in-law eats copious amounts of it which may well testify to her good health at 85 years young!), carrots, potatoes, beetroot; all sorts of seasonal veggies.  Annual and perennial herbs which we use in our cooking flourish, as do the borders of annuals like pansies, petunias and lobelia.

When planting around your roses, be adventurous and the only rule is to ensure good air-circulation is maintained so don’t let companion plants cover the base of your roses.

Companion planting is beneficial to your soil by increasing microbes in the vicinity of plant roots and microbes linked to plants via networks of beneficial fungi will increase the availability of minerals and trace elements which are required to maintain health and vitality to ALL the plants; soil structure and water-holding capacity will be increased and earthworms will abound!

Q. What does a baby bird become after it is three days old?  A. Four days old!

You can pretty much turn your back on the rose garden once you’re done – however, if you water over the entire garden with ECO-SEAWEED solution once a fortnight, you’ll set the roses up to be healthy and hardy during the forthcoming expected hot summer – they’ll enjoy heat tolerance of between 3-5 degrees – that’s significant when you consider how hot our summer sun can be!

Q. How do you catch a unique rabbit?  A.  Unique up on it!  (You sneak up on it) 

THE ROSES ARE ALL POTTED…

into magnificent coir fibre medium and bursting forth with a delightful display of all the various colours of their foliage.

Some glossy and light green, SOUL MATE

  

The stunning dark almost black red, THANK YOU

  

The dark greens, REMEMBER ME

 

Some serrated edged, some dull-matt grey/green … all really beautiful and fresh with the rose buds forming within this colourful display.

END OF WINTER / START OF SPRING CELEBRATION

ENJOY ONE, TWO OR ALL THREE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ROSES AT 20% OFF FROM
TODAY, 31ST AUGUST UNTIL NEXT ROSE RAMBLER, 7TH SEPTEMBER
AVAILABLE FOR THE GIFT ROSE AS WELL!

 

Use  PROMOTION WINTERSPRING2017 code.*

To ensure this bounty of foliage stays lush and healthy, if you haven’t already done so, now is the time to fertilize the rose bushes!  Timely also to start the organic spray maintenance program by mixing ALL these products to 10 litres of water:

 1 teaspoon Eco-seaweed powder (or whatever ratio of your preferred seaweed)
¼ cup Eco-oil (insecticide)
¼ cup Eco-rose (fungicide)
Eco – Neem (add only if you have a massive outbreak of aphids or other insects!)

All the products we use and recommend are entirely natural and organically-certified.  They are designed to assist Mother Nature when weather conditions or environmental variables occur that create an outbreak of pests/disease and can be used on your vegetables and fruit trees knowing that you can confidently harvest within hours of spraying!

NEVER SPRAY IF THE TEMPERATURE IS PREDICTED TO BE OVER 30 DEGREES!  Morning application of the spray maintenance program is preferred because the stomata (pores) of the plant are open and very receptive to nutrient uptake … if time does not permit morning application, do it after dinner … just DO IT at least once a month so that you can enjoy the glory of beautiful, healthy roses with an abundance of flowers.

Q. What goes under your feet and over your head?  A.  A skipping rope.

Enjoy all the glory of spring in your garden and step out there, revel in the sunshine – pull a few weeds while they’re small and most definitely, plant a rose NOW – you’ll enjoy beautiful flowers from late October onwards!

Cheers from us all here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
*Terms & Conditions apply. Promotion valid from 31st August, 2017 – 7th September 2017 11.30am. Not to be used in conjunction with other offers. Not applicable to standard roses.
Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 24.8.2017

ROSE RAMBLER 24.08.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends from still frosty mornings here in Clonbinane!  Sunny days have given us an opportunity to complete potting all of this seasons roses and we’re almost done with pruning the rose gardens – thanks to the lovely team who work alongside us:  TOVA, LEIGH and BEN.

In coming weeks, you’ll get lots of information about how best to manage watering your rose garden – we are already seeing issues with OVERWATERING ROSES – it’s definitely the quickest and easiest way to kill your roses!   Let the newly planted roses settle in before you start drenching them … you’ve just got to get it right and we’ll talk though this in coming Rose Rambler newsletters.

Please understand that we have vastly different weather conditions from South Australia to Victoria and all along the eastern seaboard through NSW and into QLD. Our advice to you when you email or phone us will be to INTUITIVELY manage each situation within YOUR rose garden … get switched on to what’s happening where you live!

GRA’S GARBLE …

Take a look at this information which comes from a company I visited at Young, NSW just last week because I am interested in their products for making our soil/potting mix more alive with humus and microbes.  I enjoy learning and sharing information from companies such as this one:

 


News From YLAD Living Soils
1300 811 681
www.yladlivingsoils.com.au

Anyone who follows our work here at GreenMedInfo.com knows how deeply we are invested in making the public aware of the underreported dangers of both Roundup herbicide, and genetically modified food, particularly the new RNA interference technologies.For instance, did you know that:

  • Roundup was foundtoxic in the parts-per-trillion range?
  • Roundup is contributing to thedeath of coral reefs?
  • Roundup may becausing global droughts?
  • Roundup maycause Birth Defects?
  • Roundup pollution is so prevalent that it is found in Rain Samples?
Sadly, this is only the tip of the iceberg

 

I encourage you to use an organic method of WEED CONTROL – please consider using SLASHER – NATURAL WEEDKILLER which is another fabulous product thanks to research and development by Organic Crop Protectants.  We have used SLASHER for years in the lead up to it being registered as a NATURAL WEEDICIDE and it works for us!

SLASHER is available on www.rosesalesonline.com.au now!

Now that your rose garden is pruned and mulched the most important thing you can do is FERTILIZE with a quality well-balanced organic fertiliser – we use and recommend COMPLETE ORGANIC FERTILIZER which you can collect here at the Rose Farm.  Visit your local nursery and be guided by their recommendations if you cannot visit us.

Q. What do you call a really, really strong vegetable?  A. Vegemite!

You can pretty much turn your back on the rose garden once you’re done – however, if you water over the entire garden with ECO-SEAWEED solution once a fortnight, you’ll set the roses up to be healthy and hardy during the forthcoming expected hot summer – they’ll enjoy heat tolerance of between 3-5 degrees – that’s significant when you consider how hot our summer sun can be!

Q. How do you catch a unique rabbit?  A.  Unique up on it!  (You sneak up on it)  

In closing I want to share a couple of varieties of roses which really stand out for me:

BEST FRIEND
Hot pink, seriously vibrant with a super strong, very sweet perfume on a bush which grows to at least 1.5 metres tall and produces lovely strong stems suitable for presentation in a vase – plant this rose in the hottest, airiest situation in your garden!

ELINA
A most amazingly robust rose which produces masses of perfectly formed blooms on long, strong stems constantly … suitable in all climates …

MOLINEUX
Is one of the most prolific and beautiful David Austin roses for mass planting where yellow/buff/apricot blooms are produced on a very tidy, rounded shrub of extreme health and vigour – such a delight for the variety of colour in the blooms

Stay happy and healthy in your garden – Gra

Although the roses are potted now, we are still posting them by lifting them from the humid-crib environment of their 20cm pots of coir-fibre – the roots are established so we gently wrap them in damp newspaper, seal them in a plastic bag and they’re travelling well as Meg and others testify:

Hi All… Just to let you know my roses arrived yesterday.  As I picked them up from the post office I could hear them saying “Are we there yet?”  They are now in their positions and hopefully I can do them, you and myself justice!!
They are already looking so much better for a bit of fresh air and sunshine so here’s hoping they will enjoy life here at Yallambee.  Kind Regards – MegMy response to Meg … Thanks so much Meg for letting me know … I feel for the roses being cramped in boxes and probably thrown hither-thither in AustPost vans once they’ve been positively dizzied by several rounds of the carousel in the mail centres they pass through!  I’m so glad I work with such tough plants which endure all we throw at them and I’m glad they’re going to be loved and nurtured in your garden!  Best wishes … Diana

Keep on ordering bare-rooted roses because they’re travelling well even though they now have good growing shoots on them.

Cheers from us all here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, Clonbinane
Within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE INTERCHANGE
on the Hume Freeway, 60 kms north of Melbourne
and open every FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY and MONDAY
9 – 4 PM – PH. 03 5787 1123 …
Posted on

ROSE RAMBLER 10.8.2017

ROSE RAMBLER 10.08.2017 …

Hello, dear rose friends as the weather warms which might postpone more frosts and ensure us that our winter pruning is now SAFE …??? It’s a risk whichever way you go when you live in a very frosty/cold climate such as we do here at Clonbinane –were not on our own as lots of our customers who live way out western NSW, southern highlands Victoria and even parts of Queensland experience these extremely cold conditions.

Whatever the weather, we’ve got a bit of time now to be pruning so that’s what we’ve been doing this past week … of course, we are definitely still posting roses even though they’re now beautifully potted in supreme quality coir fibre potting medium – their roots will flourish in this ‘humid-crib’ environment.
Every care will be taken when they’re removed for posting … the roots will be carefully bound in damp newspaper and sealed in plastic which means they’ll actually continue growing whilst in transit!  At your end, be sure to get these beautiful roses into your garden as soon as possible and soak them with an eco-seaweed solution at planting then weekly for at least 8 weeks after planting!

Do you know you can apply eco-seaweed solution lightly over all the plants in your garden at least weekly to maintain good root development, healthy foliage and general good soil nutrition … ask your kids to do it for you … they’ll really enjoy having a special role in garden management – it’s easy for them to do, they cannot make mistakes by either over-doing or under-doing measuring the powder into a watering can.  Let them take responsibility and they’ll enjoy seeing rewards of healthy, robust plants in THEIR / YOUR garden!

PRUNING ROSES … This is how well Rosie has pruned just one of her MR. LINCOLN roses –

            

She’s got 199 to go; then there’s a three-sided wall garden of at least 30 plants of THE WEDDING ROSE which is just as robust.  It doesn’t end there so I urge you to visit GARNER’S WINERY just off the Hume Freeway at Longwood East during flowering season – any other time to sample their magnificent Award-winning wines of course!

If you’re thinking of a real tree-change, contact Rosie Garner as she is now reluctantly selling the winery – here are a few pics of this glorious property …

“GIFT ROSE” IS WINNING HEARTS … sending a beautifully gift wrapped GIFT ROSE of your choice with a personal message inscribed on a rose card is so appreciated!  We are receiving accolades from customers all around the world who trust us to post a beautiful rose to their friends and family; we can post to all States except Tasmania and Western Australia.
Whatever the occasion, let us organise posting a magnificent rose as we did for Barbara’s family recently …

“Hi I just wanted to thank you for the celebration rose bush which my Australian relatives received today and are extremely delighted with; that in part was due to the beautiful attention to detail in the gift packaging.  Thank you once again for making my gift so special”… Mrs Barbara C

Another happy customer …“Hi Diana … Just wanted to say a big thank you!!!!  My parents received their Slim Dusty rose gift yesterday and were very happy.  Thank you for putting together a great gift option and an easy and efficient process with FANTASTIC customer services.  Greatly appreciated and may you and your business be abundantly blessed.”  Kind Regards – Tereza

Don’t forget to put your reviews of our business on WOMO – Word Of Mouth Online as it can be very helpful to new customers and people who are not sure about online ordering.  I think it’s an easy process and we appreciate you taking time to acknowledge our business!

GRA’S GARBLE … “Healthy soils have at least 5% organic matter – most Australian soils have less than 3% organic matter so your household waste can be recycled and used in your own suburban backyard by creating simple layered compost heaps using lawn clippings, all types of baled straw/lucerne, leaves, bagged animal manure and tree litter after you’ve put it through a mulcher.

In order to add household waste to such a layered compost heap, buy a BOKASHI BUCKET – or make your own (BOKASHI powder which is a compost activator is available at large nursery outlets). The BOKASHI preparation is unattractive to vermin; most birds or animals won’t eat it.

You don’t need to turn this layered compost heap but you MUST KEEP IT MOIST to ensure rapid and effective processing of the heap to humus which can then be applied around all the plants in your garden.”

Q.  How do athletes stay cool during a game?  A. They sit near the fans!

Since we’re still posting roses, here are a few of my favourite climbing roses …

BLOSSOM TIME flowers are mid-pink with darker outer petals of absolutely perfect form and suitable for use over arches, on fences or in a pillar frame like these which we sell at the nursery – pick up only!

  

MADAM ALFRED CARRIERE is always first to flower and will still have flowering buds after the most severe winter frosts – with a fragrance to absolutely die for, this near-thornless rose is a beauty to fill a corner of the garden – let her spill gracefully over fences, through trees – plant this beauty and forget all about management!  Glorious creamy-white flowers with a blush tint during cold weather …

DUBLIN BAY is really my most favourite red climbing rose because it’s just ALWAYS FLOWERING and doesn’t require any special pruning or management … at some times of the day, I detect an absolute fragrance, other times not a hint – always lovely to pop into a vase though!  I love it!

 

Q.  How do rabbits travel?  A.  By hare-plane … a bit of a sick joke to finish another fabulous week in the nursery

I’ve planted some winter veggies, my early daffodils are flowering; the rest are well-foliaged and we’ll see a spectacular display throughout September and October … ah, life’s grand in the garden!

Enjoy all the moments in your garden this week…
cheers from us here at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane