Hello dear rose friends …

Yes, the rain has spoiled a lot of the rose blooms – spare yourself the despair and just get the secateurs, cut off those mouldy puff balls and wait for the next round of flowers.  Where there is a negative, there is usually a positive and the positive side of this weather event is that you will have beautiful rose blooms at Christmas time!

“SUCKERS” FROM THE BASE OF ROSES … 

This is a regular enquiry – happened very frequently during the long drought and is usually apparent where the roses are stressed;  too much water, not enough water, not firmly planted so they start to rock back and forth and yes, sometimes it’s grower error which means that the understock was not ‘eyed’ properly and this was not detected at harvest – rose nursery retailer usually sees the problem at potting and either removes the ‘eye’ or like we do here at Silkies, discards the plant!

QUESTION:  My well established (9years) Gold Bunny climbing roses on post and chains is throwing red roses and the yellow blooms have a red rim around the petals
Can you tell me what’s happening and how to fix it? There are about 8 down each side.

ANSWER:  Hey Linda … is this the first time you’ve noticed the ‘red rose’?  What you have is the understock ‘Dr. Huey’ growing as a sucker and you need to take immediate action to remove this understock!!!  If you just trim it at ground level, I assure you, within a few years, you will only have red flowers in the Spring and the ‘Clb. Gold Bunny’ will be gone – I urge you not to let that happen!

To remove the suckers, get down on your hands and knees at the base of the plant, scrape back some soil near the sucker and see where its source is – it will be attached to the understock – might be way deep, could be quite obvious not too far down!

Put your garden gloves on!!!  Once you’ve revealed the source of the understock branch, grab hold of it and yank it really hard and fast – I liken it to when the kids had a loose tooth and I would ask them if I could take a look and wobble it maybe … quick yank, tooth gone and kid wondering what the heck happened and excited about the tooth fairy coming that night!

Side-tracked … back on topic – ok, so you yanked the sucker away from the understock. Very importantly, is there a nice rounded end on what you pulled away?

If not, get a sharp Stanley knife and remove the ‘eye’ by cutting inwards and upwards under the eye and inwards and downwards from above the eye.

Push the soil back over the wound and give the plant a good dose of liquid seaweed!

If the understock continues to grow, you may have to remove the entire plant and put new roses in this location … have a go at removal first!

Good luck … Diana

GRA’S RAMBLE …

Let’s get warmed up with some corny stuff …

Q.  What did the baby corn say to the mother corn?  A.  Where’s pop corn?  

Did you know that Mexican farmers store their harvested corn in trees (stalks and all) to keep them safe from vermin?

Feeding your roses at this time of year is very important because there is enormous sap flow happening in Spring – that’s how we get so many magnificent rose blooms!  An organic based fertilizer can boost the minerals to plants and organic matter feeds the worms and soil microbes to make the food available to the roses.

Yes, liquid seaweed applied over the leaves every 10 days as a tonic will:

• Give you up to 30% more flowers than normal
• Offer 5 degrees heat/cold tolerance during weather extremes
• Stimulate more vigorous root development
• Makes the plant immune system stronger … greater disease resistance!
• Gives higher quality vegetables, fruits and flowers
• Assists viable seed germination

Use liquid seaweed in all garden tasks so that you will be successful – “nothing beats success like success” especially in the garden!!

If you have issues with POSSUMS, here’s a trick/tip from Margaret that seems to work:
“I made little “parcels” of blood and bone using the toe ends of old tights and tied them on to the branches – two or three to each main branch. It seems to have worked even though it did look a little odd until the new  leaves started to appear. Apparently the little wretches don’t like the smell as they think it is from dead possums!”

Those little bags of ‘stuff’ are hanging in this glorious climbing rose ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ close to the portico of this magnificent home!  The smell can’t be too bad!!!

IDENTIFYING YOUR ROSES … If you see a particular rose which you would love to have identified, please email or post us a very clear set of photographs of the flower, the stems and the foliage – we don’t always get it right but we enjoy the challenge!

DON’T FORGET …

1^ST DECEMBER AT WERRIBEE – THE STATE ROSE GARDEN …  

Set this day aside for the Rose Spectacular when there will be all sorts of activities in the beautiful State Rose Garden at Werribee … we’ll be there with bells on – you should be there too!

IN CLOSING … 

Have a delightful week in your rose garden and remember this …

“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, safisfied, or even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other factor!”
          ~ Author:  Paul Hawken

Hello dear rose friends …

Yes, the rain has spoiled a lot of the rose blooms – spare yourself the despair and just get the secateurs, cut off those mouldy puff balls and wait for the next round of flowers.  Where there is a negative, there is usually a positive and the positive side of this weather event is that you will have beautiful rose blooms at Christmas time!

“SUCKERS” FROM THE BASE OF ROSES … This is a regular enquiry – happened very frequently during the long drought and is usually apparent where the roses are stressed;  too much water, not enough water, not firmly planted so they start to rock back and forth and yes, sometimes it’s grower error which means that the understock was not ‘eyed’ properly and this was not detected at harvest – rose nursery retailer usually sees the problem at potting and either removes the ‘eye’ or like we do here at Silkies, discards the plant!

QUESTION:  My well established (9years) Gold Bunny climbing roses on post and chains is throwing red roses and the yellow blooms have a red rim around the petals
Can you tell me what’s happening and how to fix it? There are about 8 down each side.

ANSWER:  Hey Linda … is this the first time you’ve noticed the ‘red rose’?  What you have is the understock ‘Dr. Huey’ growing as a sucker and you need to take immediate action to remove this understock!!!  If you just trim it at ground level, I assure you, within a few years, you will only have red flowers in the Spring and the ‘Clb. Gold Bunny’ will be gone – I urge you not to let that happen!

To remove the suckers, get down on your hands and knees at the base of the plant, scrape back some soil near the sucker and see where its source is – it will be attached to the understock – might be way deep, could be quite obvious not too far down!

Put your garden gloves on!!!  Once you’ve revealed the source of the understock branch, grab hold of it and yank it really hard and fast – I liken it to when the kids had a loose tooth and I would ask them if I could take a look and wobble it maybe … quick yank, tooth gone and kid wondering what the heck happened and excited about the tooth fairy coming that night!

Side-tracked … back on topic – ok, so you yanked the sucker away from the understock. Very importantly, is there a nice rounded end on what you pulled away?

If not, get a sharp Stanley knife and remove the ‘eye’ by cutting inwards and upwards under the eye and inwards and downwards from above the eye.

Push the soil back over the wound and give the plant a good dose of liquid seaweed!

If the understock continues to grow, you may have to remove the entire plant and put new roses in this location … have a go at removal first!
Good luck … Diana

 GRA’S RAMBLE …

Let’s get warmed up with some corny stuff …

Q.  What did the baby corn say to the mother corn?  A.  Where’s pop corn?  

Did you know that Mexican farmers store their harvested corn in trees (stalks and all) to keep them safe from vermin?

Feeding your roses at this time of year is very important because there is enormous sap flow happening in Spring – that’s how we get so many magnificent rose blooms!  An organic based fertilizer can boost the minerals to plants and organic matter feeds the worms and soil microbes to make the food available to the roses.

Yes, liquid seaweed applied over the leaves every 10 days as a tonic will:

• Give you up to 30% more flowers than normal
• Offer 5 degrees heat/cold tolerance during weather extremes
• Stimulate more vigorous root development
• Makes the plant immune system stronger … greater disease resistance!
• Gives higher quality vegetables, fruits and flowers
• Assists viable seed germination

Use liquid seaweed in all garden tasks so that you will be successful – “nothing beats success like success” especially in the garden!!

If you have issues with POSSUMS, here’s a trick/tip from Margaret that seems to work:

IDENTIFYING YOUR ROSES … 

If you see a particular rose which you would love to have identified, please email or post us a very clear set of photographs of the flower, the stems and the foliage – we don’t always get it right but we enjoy the challenge!

DON’T FORGET …

1^ST DECEMBER AT WERRIBEE – THE STATE ROSE GARDEN … 
Set this day aside for the Rose Spectacular when there will be all sorts of activities in the beautiful State Rose Garden at Werribee … we’ll be there with bells on – you should be there too!

IN CLOSING … 

Have a delightful week in your rose garden and remember this …

“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, safisfied, or even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other factor!”
          ~ Author:  Paul Hawken

Hello dear rose friends … Already passed the middle days of Spring and things starting to ‘hot up’ … a taste of the fast advancing Summer and oh, the joy of the roses blooming and the magnificent fragrance makes all the dipping and dunging so worthwhile!  No time to rest on your laurels though … plenty to do in the rose garden now.

RAMBLE ON WITH GRA … Ever noticed all the perfumes we could buy – there are dozens.  The perfume in roses is natural and the best time to smell a rose is when the sun is shining on the open flower.  What ENERGY attracting the bees to create the beginning of another rose – the seeds!  The rose fragrance also gives us lucky humans a lift.  Try smelling some coffee first, then smell the rose;  what a delight for our spirit … it takes us to a higher place.

By the way, what did Cinderella say when her photos didn’t show up?  “Some day my ‘prints’ will come.

• POTTING ROSES: Potted roses can still be planted or re-potted from now on and throughout the flowering season.  If potting, always use a good quality, certified potting mix with added nutrients and water saving granules.  Mulch the top of the pots with compost about 50mm thick and then place milled lucerne or some straw over the compost.  Place the pot on a tray filled with stones and water daily, use Natrakelp or Eco-cweed at least fortnightly.
• ROSE GARDENERS GLOVES:  How good are your garden gloves?  It is so important to use good quality, washable gloves that have material on the back that breathes but also protects your knuckles while moving around the thorny roses as you prune!  Buy two pair so that you can change and wash them regularly – great Christmas present for the avid rose gardener and the one’s we stock here at the Rose Farm come in four different sizes – we’ve used them for years and highly recommend them!!
• MULCH IS CRITICAL:  It is important to mulch the rose garden NOW to save moisture from Winter/Spring rains – plants are 96% water!  Use Lucerne, straw, leaves and soaked newspaper at the edges of the garden beds will keep weeds away and be home to good soil critters and worms.  Place the mulch on damp soil or water before and after mulching.

HELP THE ENVIRONMENT … MULCH THE SOIL!  I’m told that 40% of grass is carbon so lawn clippings in light layers must be useful as a mulch too!

Enjoy the beautiful perfume of the roses while you wonder about the answer to this … what has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive … I’ll tell you next week …. Graham.

EARLY NOVEMBER MOON PLANTING/GARDENING GUIDE … Best sowing/planting days: 4^th from 10.50am; 7^th from 7.45am, all day on 8^th to 9.30am on 9^th.  No sowing on 10^th!

Best sowing/pruning days: from 12.35pm on 11^th, all day on 12^th, to 5.40pm on 13^th;  all day on 16^th, to 1.15pm on 17^th.

MELBOURNE CUP HOLIDAY WEEKEND …  Yes, of course, we’ll be here all weekend as usual and besides, the roses are flowering beautifully so treat yourself to a day out with the roses at Clonbinane!  You’re always welcome to bring a picnic and sit on the lawns or under the shade of the gum trees – we have boiling water for tea and coffee!

TWO NEW ROSES …  It can take a few years for a new rose to make a statement and these are creating an impact now:

MY HERO – Highly fragrant, clear-mid-pink blooms with masses of thick petals on the most disease-resistant shrub to 1.2 metres high and wide

SHOOTING STAR – Fragrant blooms with a swirling mass of buttery-golden yellow petals in dense formation on a sturdy, very healthy foliaged bush to 1.2 metres.

IN CLOSING …  Last week I was kneeling down while mulching the garden and got bitten – probably one of those big ants, maybe a spider …?  Gentle reminder to me and I wish to pass on to you all that the burning welt on my leg lasted for over a week and I will now use one of the kneeling frames.

No I won’t, I’m not old enough to justify using a kneeling frame for it’s intended purpose ie. assist me in getting up from a kneeling position .. giggle .. so I’ll just use a piece of cardboard or layer of newspaper.  I WILL NOT kneel and crawl around the garden unprotected and I urge you all to take care of the same insects lurking in your rose garden!

Enjoy the Melbourne Cup – a real celebration of roses – Diana & Graham at Clonbinane

Hello dear rose friends … A week of extreme weather variables – minus 2 frosts which burned the new tips on the oak trees and totally scalded the ‘Crepe Myrtles’, then 32 degrees on Sunday while I was planting a new section for roses wearing a singlet and getting sunburned;  now it’s raining and cold …..

Whether the weather be fine, Or whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold, Or whether the weather be hot, We’ll weather the weather Whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not!

 Author: unknown

GRA’S STUFF …  Different week, different heading … you’re in for a treat either way!

Q. What has to be broken before you can use it?  A. An egg!

Speaking of which, what a great healthy food package.  If you have owned fowls, you’ll understand the joy they are to sit and watch for half an hour .. see their pecking order, their habits – some extrovert, some introvert and some always hungry … like ME !!! and the one who is always last in the pen.

Here are our new LANGSHAN BANTAMS looking in the mirrors along the shed wall

Look after your chooks well.  They need, in this order

• ·        FRESH, CLEAN WATER AT ALL TIMES!
• ·        Protein from bugs and insects
• ·        Green feed EVERY DAY – silver beet, lettuce, grass, weeds
• ·        Organic grain and pellets
• ·        Shell grit or stone dust – leave in trays and watch how they use these!

True free-range eggs are sooooo delicious and so very good for you!

Along with eggs, to grow your own veggies and salads is the best guarantee of good healthy food – fresh is magic for your body and soul – the gardening side of all this manifests a healthy mind and earth! 

Companion planting is so good for the environment – grow carrots, small bush tomatoes, silver beet, lettuce and lots of different herbs among the rose bushes.  Place a bowl of water with corks floating in it so the bees can have a drink!

Grow the heavy feeders together – cabbage, cucumbers/pumpkins/melons, sweet corn and tall tomatoes – when they’re done, follow up with potatoes and legumes to give natural nitrogen back to the soil or compost that section of garden with layers of straw, leaves, fowl manure in thin layers together with layers of herbs like tansy, yarrow and nettles to get the microbes working … yes, my word, they really dooooo!

NEW ROSE CATALOGUE … I am in the throes (and woes!) of putting together a rose catalogue with photos of roses and invite you to send me your favourite NAMED rose photo to make a really sensational contribution to the back page feature – all different roses! 

Trying to sort just 50 roses to be featured in this Catalogue is wrenching – so many glorious roses with wonderful attributes that I would love to share but they’ll have to wait until I write the book of my dreams! 

I took these photos today of a few roses here at Clonbinane which, despite this variable weather, are looking sensational … another few days of warm sunshine and we’ll be fully flowering … see you really soon and enjoy your roses this week …

                             Cheers from Diana & Graham Sargeant at Clonbinane

Hello dear rose friends … there were a lot of enquiries about the ‘blind shoots’ which I mentioned in last week’s Rose Rambler.  Because it was raining here, I couldn’t go and take a photo so I did a google search … fabulous photos immediately!  Do take a look because it’s another interesting learning experience for rose gardeners and the sooner you take the ‘blind shoots’ off the rose, the quicker it springs into rose bud development!

ROSE SOCIETY OF VICTORIA, INC. … have asked us to let you all know about their Show:

SPRING ROSE SHOW 2013

Mount Waverley Community Centre

Cnr Stephensons Rd & Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley

(opposite Mt Waverley Railway Station, off street parking available)

SATURDAY November 9^th – 1pm to 4:30pm

SUNDAY   November 10^th – 10am to 4pm

For all enquiries phone Beth Williams 0418 359 996 Website:  www.rosesocietyvic.org.au

Graham used to love exhibiting roses and would encourage you all to have a go at it – they have a special section for Amateur Rose Growers – good fun and seriously, even better when your rose is awarded a prize!  Have a go at it!!!

IT ONLY TAKES ONE … That’s one hot northerly wind to radically change the beautiful rose blooms into a pretty ordinary mess because those winds bring with them the ‘THRIP’ … take a close look at these pics and you’ll never, ever, call an aphid a THRIP again!

Aphids cause their own sort of havoc and they are destructive on newly forming rose buds but the THRIP do a lot of damage too and there’s very little we rose enthusiasts can do but remove the spent/damaged blooms and wait for the next roses.

HERE’S “GRA’S RAMBLE” … (same name as last week I think …?  Starts with the joke!).

Q.  What do you call a horse that lives next door?  A. A neigh….bour!

Eco-Oil (what a great Aussie invention) made from the Melaleuca, Eucalyptus and Canola Oils right here in Australia and now they’ve added HIPPO’s that attract good insects!  CLEVER!  This product will control scale, 2 potted mite (look real close in hot weather), aphids, white-fly and citrus leaf miner and spreads liquid seaweed beautifully over the plant leaf and stems.  There is NO spray resistance,  NOOOOO withholding period and it’s safe for EVERY plant!  It is registered ORGANIC (Cert No. A1222).

WARNING:  DO NOT USE IF TEMPERATURE IS GOING TO BE OVER 28 DEGREES!

Remember to mulch (lucerne is the best!) because:

• It feeds plants and worms
• Saves water
• Feeds soil microbes/mycorrhiza/rhizomes
• Reduces weeding
• Saves digging which saves your back!

Q.  What’s a horses favourite sport?  A. sTABLE TENNIS !!!!

Did you know that research has shown that gardening for 30 to 45 minutes per day is the equivalent exercise to walking 3kms for 40 minutes or cycling 8kms in 30 minutes ..?  That’s not just out walking smelling the roses ….!!!  However, just out walking and smelling the roses will add years and years of goodness to your life and change your day .. every day!

MOON PLANTING GUIDE FOR THIS WEEK … Don’t plant anything on the 19^th October.  The best sowing and pruning days are all day 20^th and 21^st;  from 1.40pm on the 24^th and all day on the 25^th and 26^th.  Best harvest days to 5.30pm on 19^th;  all day on 22^nd and 23^rd to 1.35pm on the 24^th … NO SOWING between 27^th October and 2^nd November and the very best weeding days this month are all day on 27^th, 28^th, 29^th, 30^th and 31^st !

There will be no excuse for weeds in your garden during Cup Day Holiday in early November and I promise you, they will stay away for longer if you eradicate them on the nominated days!  Do it and hold this calendar through to the end of this month – no guide next week!

IN CLOSING … Have lots of happy moments in your rose garden this week … remember to be quick to forgive and love unconditionally … just like dogs do!

Diana & Graham Sargeant at Clonbinane

Hello dear rose friends … well, the race is on – which roses are going to be the first to flower in your garden?  Here at cold Clonbinane where we have had two frosts this past week, the old-fashioned roses are winning … Rugosa Scabrosa, Stanwell Perpetual, Mrs. Fred Danks and Nancy Hayward with the modern rose winner, Gold Bunny doing as expected … the first to flower in most years!

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 rose buds are so pumped full of deep soaking rain … sorry to our far north friends who are experiencing drought!!!

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 add:

¼ cup Eco-Rose/Fungicide (powder should be dissolved in water first)

¼ cup liquid seaweed

¼ cup Eco-oil

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.

GRAHAM’S INPUT …  What about Spring?  It is a time for massive growth on all plants .. I MEAN MASSIVE!  Go for a drive and see the GREEN – it is the most relaxing colour of all of Mother Nature’s colours.

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 …

FEED THE SOIL … especially at this time because of the massive growth surge – we use and recommend Complete Organic Fertilizer – clean to distribute, no smell and loaded with a balance of nutrients suitable for all plants except Natives!  Liquid seaweed is a tonic which contains over 70 minerals …

• Great for seedlings and newly planted roses
• Used fortnightly on your roses there will be 30% more flowers than normal!
• Nourishes the worms and soil microbes

Just mix ¼ cup liquid seaweed to a watering can and pour over all the plants … as Diana says:  JUST DO IT!

Lastly, question:  What do you call a fairy that hasn’t taken a bath?  Answer:  Stinker Bell

Love your garden … Gra

MOON PLANTING AND BEST GARDENING DAYS … If you’ve spent the last couple of days weeding, you’re totally in sync with the moon and the weeds will have pulled up very easily.  Continue weeding and get your hair cut until 1.00pm on the 4^th October.

Don’t bother sowing anything on 5^th October.

Best sowing/planting days:  all day on 6^th, 7^th and 8^th;  all day on 11^th.

No sowing on 12^th October

For the sceptics, plant some seeds on 5^th and 12^th October but please, also plant some seeds on the recommended days and you be the judge of which plants perform and produce the best and which plants require less management for pests and disease.  Please have a go at this and if there is enough interest in this gardening method, I will guide you through October in next week’s issue of the Rose Rambler.

Keep us posted through www.allaboutroses.com.au or simply email your thoughts to info@rosesalesonline.com.au – we enjoy your feedback.

IN CLOSING …  “Until you try, you don’t know what you can’t do.”   Have a go at something new and adventurous in your garden this week – I bought some packs of flower seeds the other day and randomly threw them in around the rocks near the back door … the excitement and anticipation is a wonderful experience – must go now and put the snail bait out too!  Have a really lovely week …

Diana & Graham Sargeant at Clonbinane