ROSE RAMBLER 13.04.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends and thank you to all who came this past weekend – phew, wasn’t it a beaut event?  We certainly enjoyed the occasion and are so grateful to you all for coming … THANK YOU!  Also, a huge THANK YOU on behalf of the Rotary Club of Southern Mitchell and Kilmore Art Society for participating and contributing to this wonderful event!

Just a quick reminder, we are closed tomorrow on Good Friday, but we’ll be OPEN 9am – 4pm the rest of the weekend from Easter Saturday, Sunday through to Monday!

GRA’S GARBLE …

Q.  What do you get if you cross a centipede with a chicken?  A. Enough drumsticks for everyone!  

We’ve had some beautiful rain here at Clonbinane so we know that after a very long, dry spell, such a rain event will result in lots of black spot fungus and potentially, some infestation of insects such as aphids – before the cold nights and rain, we had an infestation of white-fly which proliferate in hot/dry conditions!  There’s always something!!!

If you’ve been regularly spraying with our recommended organic rose-management program, your roses should look ok just as ours do – there will be some stress indication as the roses adapt to this wet and cold weather – black spot may tend to defoliate some varieties earlier than others … they’ll recover with a good quality organic fertilizer and fortnightly application of seaweed solution.

VERY IMPORTANT TO FERTILIZE NOW – this is the last fertilizer application until after pruning in late July/August.

Stressed roses are always more susceptible to black spot and undernourishment, the roses growing in partial shade due to trees blocking out the sun or the lower roots suddenly unable to function due to sopping wet soil will all cause fungal infection and defoliation.

The one positive aspect of black spot infection and defoliation is that it starts on the mature leaves, lower down on the bush, as well as on those shaded, on the inside of the plant.

If the upper leaves are protected by spraying with a fungicide, the sap flow is ensured and even with reduced photosynthesis, food flows to the roots, encouraging them to start sprouting new shoots on the denuded stems.

If your rose has dropped its leaves due to black spot infection, trimming the plant appropriately will still stimulate new sprouting and encourage blooming right into the start of winter.

Q.  Where should a 500kg alien go?  A.  On a diet …
(oh, my goodness, are these jokes getting worse or is it just ME???  Editor: Diana)

TESSELAARS PLANT EXPO …

Hope you’ve got the date in your diary …
SATURDAY 22ND AND SUNDAY 23RD APRIL
9am – 4pm

The perfect weekend for green thumbs and budding gardeners where you can meet more than forty nurseries and plant growers with a vast range of bulbs, plants and perennials on offer in the one location.

Gather knowledge with free gardening talks and information all weekend or directly pick the brains of your favourite grower or specialist. Visit http://gardeningandplantsexpo.com.au for more information.

Come down and see us!

A LOOK IN OUR GARDEN …

Here are a few shots of a couple of great looking roses this past week …

THANK YOU
THE THANK YOU ROSE produces masses of very fragrant deep
mauve blooms in clusters all over a very healthy,
well rounded shrub continually throughout the season
a lovely rose to gift when you want to say a special
“Thank You” to somebody special!

REMEMBER ME
Hybrid Tea rose with a delightful confection of colours
including burnt orange, amber and beige with burnt red edges.

TROPICAL SUNSET
This is a very striking rose – one that stands out when in bloom.
The flowers are beautiful in form and the colour is amazing,
yellow with orange stripes fading to a soft pink.
Tropical sunset is a great performing rose with numerous
blooms throughout the season and healthy semi-glossy foliage to compliment.

Hope you have a lovely Easter time with family and friends – perhaps a grand opportunity to have some time in your garden … enjoy the moments!

ROSE RAMBLER 06.04.2017 …

By golly, time is moving fast and we wish you a pinch and a punch for the first day of this month of April!  Dear Rose Friends you can be pleased we didn’t have this edition of Rose Rambler land in your inbox on 1st April … Gra was in his absolutely finest form with shenanigans for April Fool’s Day – one day I will discover his source of fun!

Meantime, I need you to know that we offer a fabulous GIFT VOUCHER service which will prove useful when you need a ‘last minute’ gift like I have organised here …

SILKIES ROSE FARM continues to offer such a diverse service with gifts in $ value GIFT VOUCHERS or as beautifully gift-wrapped, potted GIFT ROSES with personal messages along with the best quality roses you could purchase online or by visiting our Rose Farm at Clonbinane – located just 500 metres from the Hume Freeway interchange.

GRA’S GARBLE …

Oh, aren’t the cooler nights glorious – the trees are starting to turn colour and I’m sleeping under a doona again!  Lovely!!!

Q. How do thunderstorms catch fish?  A.  With a lightning rod … !  

I went to see this magnificent hedgerow of KNOCKOUT – Sharyn and Ewen are thrilled with how quickly they were able to cover the unsightly wire fence at the front of their property, how low maintenance the hedge is and obviously, how their front boundary is a stand-out in their street!
Sharyn wrote:

Q. Why did the students study in the aeroplane?  A.  They wanted higher grades! 

Hope your kids are enjoying these Easter Holidays – get them out helping in the garden to plant winter veggies, fertilize the garden so you get the most amazing flowers right into winter and don’t be afraid to freshen up the mulch by adding another light layer because worms will start breeding soon and they’ll need protection!  Enjoy the moments with your kids and grandkids these holidays.

ART & ROSES – THIS WEEKEND …

It’s going to be superb autumn weather so jump in the car and come visit our region for a great day out.  Print this voucher so you pay only gold coin donation at each destination where you enjoy a cuppa.

Lunch at the Art Expo Café, Memorial Hall, Kilmore will be delectable home-cooked fare as usual – served by Rotarians and Artists – COME WITH AN EMPTY BELLY for the most enjoyable lunch you’ve had in a long time!

After this weekend, we’ll get stuck into some serious ‘rose information’ to ensure you get maximum flowering through autumn.  Meantime, when weather permits, don’t hesitate to apply the organic rose management program – we’re doing every 7-10 day applications here because of the very cold, damp nights which produced ‘instant’ spots on foliage.  Remember, lots of healthy foliage produces lots of flowers so to retain good cover of healthy foliage, apply fertilizer and eco-spray NOW!

We wish all our dear rose friends who are cleaning up from recent cyclone Debbie our very best wishes – we hope you are seeing light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Here at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane, both Graham and Diana will be conducting WALK & TALK IN THE GARDEN with Mooi as supervisor while our assistant, Tova will assist you in the Rose Nursery where you can…

BUY ANY ONE ROSE,

GET ONE FREE!
ALL WEEKEND FRIDAY – MONDAY
(*conditions apply)

 Our supervisor Mooi& the chooks – “I AM THE BOSS … REALLY???”

(*conditions:  PLEASE NOTE, OFFER EXCLUDES GIFT ROSES AND WEEPING ROSES IN TUNNEL AREA – OFFER INCLUDES STANDARD ROSES AND ALL OTHER ROSES IN THE NURSERY – LIMIT 5 FREE ROSES PER CUSTOMER. NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE.)

ROSE RAMBLER 23.03.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends as we start to get slightly cooler weather for this autumn which has broken records across Australia!  Lucky gardens who have had massive dumpings of rain – our gardens had some too!

ART & ROSES TOURS is fast approaching – there are buses coming from…

• BALLARAT
  Contact GOLD BUS on 1800 775 295 or BROOKE on 0499 002 941 or VIA THEIR WEBSITE at www.goldbus.com.au  The coach will depart Ballarat at 8am on SATURDAY, 8^TH APRIL.
• SUNBURY
  Contact: CHERYL SHEMBRI on 9744 1663 or email: cheryl.shembri@bigpond.com This coach seats 48 people and they are leaving Sunbury Community Centre, corner of Elizabeth Drive and Gap Road near the Fire Station at 9am on SUNDAY, 9^TH APRIL and the cost is $45 which includes lunch.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to join a tour group during the Art & Roses weekend – please don’t wait until the last minute to book as I know both coaches are filling fast – if you need any advice or assistance with booking, please don’t hesitate to contact me here at the Rose Farm on 5787 1123 or mobile:  0418 337765

GRA’S GARBLE …

• NEVER WATER AFTER 2PM – ESPECIALLY IF OVERHEAD WATERING
• DEEP SOAK ROSES – DELIVER AT LEAST 20 LITRES PER PLANT AT EACH WATERING
• WATER POTTED ROSES EVERY DAY BY FILLING THE POT TO OVERFLOWING

ASSISTANCE WITH ROSE GARDEN DESIGN …

ROSE RAMBLER 17.03.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends as we experience glorious autumn weather!  No sign of decent rain though so we’ve been deep-soaking all garden beds to be sure our gardens look fabulous when we expect lots of visitors during the rest of autumn.

In last week’s Rose Rambler there was a bit of a glitch – this story was placed AFTER closing greeting – some of you may have read it, definitely not all of you so I am repeating it this week …

AWESOME SERIES OF ROSES … I bang on about this series and I ask those of you who grow even one KNOCKOUT (doesn’t matter which variety) please do as Laurel from Sunshine Coast, QLD has done and tell us ALL how grand these roses are in your climate … 

“It takes a bit for folk to warm to KNOCKOUT but once they see it in full bloom and see its use in a vase, they are hooked.  In early spring there is very little more sensational than DOUBLE KNOCKOUT.

DOUBLE KNOCKOUT in Adelaide Park

I have been pruning rather severely between each flush and finding that the resultant flush is really a magnet.

People will wake up to realise what they could grow.  I guess I can say that, with a huge space to be filled!  KNOCKOUT cuts so easily too so I have plenty planted and the brides love them as they fill out an arrangement and last so well !

I am delighted to promote this useful garden rose in all its forms as I have never seen black spot on its shiny masses of foliage and its lovely hips are great at Christmas for ornaments and table arrangements.  What a treasure!”  Laurel

Please send me your opinion of any KNOCKOUT roses you’ve grown.  Because Debi read the article last week, she forwarded this appraisal …

“Hi Guys – Just finished reading your latest email regarding readers opinions on ‘Knockout’. Well I just can’t say enough.  I’m pretty new to roses – only started my ‘addiction’ about 2 1/2yrs ago & in that time I’ve planted 27 roses. I live in Coffs Harbour on the coastline of northern NSW & it gets very humid. 

Out of all the roses I have I can honestly say that ‘both the Double & Pink Knockouts are by far the healthiest, most disease free, bushiest & ALWAYS IN FLOWER roses that I have in my garden without a doubt!!’  Growing & maintaining them is hassle-free with no need for any fussing & spraying… I JUST LOVE THEM!!!

They may not have the prettiest of ‘rose type flower’ but if you want bright colour NEARLY ALL YEAR ROUND on disease free roses, I don’t know of a better rose, & if you do, can you PLEASE tell me…

Also I do get a chuckle every time I read the little jokes… It is appreciated … Regards, Debi”

So there you go!  I dream of seeing the highways and byways of Australia planted with KNOCKOUT roses – it will happen … one day!  If you have a large unsightly space in your garden plant KNOCKOUT roses and you’ll be amazed how beautiful they really are!  More testimonials about these fabulous roses will be posted as we receive them …

Knockout and clematis in our garden – MOOI loves it there too!

GRA’S GARBLE …

… I’m still summer pruning because I think we just might have an extended autumn so pruning now, we’ll have flowers well and truly into June and that will be fantastic because I’m not sure if you remember but we had a cold, late start to flowering so we might make up time by having a warm entry to winter and thus prolong the flowering season well into June.

THE MORE YOU DEAD-HEAD YOUR ROSES, THE MORE FLOWERS YOU CAN EXPECT!

Q. Why are sardines the silliest fish in the sea?   A. Because they climb into tins, close the lid and leave the key outside!

When MOOI our poodle was trimmed last week, the breeder, Emily, suggested that because MOOI’S coat was dry, we feed her one sardine a couple of times per week – you might find this useful information for dry-coat conditions in your dogs.

Remember that now is a fabulous time to be planting ANYTHING in your garden – here’s my special offer to encourage you to plant a few roses …

Finish with this quiz … What do you get when you cross a salmon, a birds leg and a hand?  Of course, you get BIRDSTHIGH FISH FINGERS.

ROSE RAMBLER 02.03.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends on this very special day … the second day of AUTUMN and the season to enjoy true splendour in a rose garden – we all know how tough roses are, how they endure extreme weather conditions and produce flowers throughout those harsh times …

Then, as sure as the sun sets every day, autumn arrives and they say “… aaaah, time to show our true magnificence and really, truly, put on a grand show of colour.”

Although we’ve been planting throughout summer in various parts of the garden, we’ll be planting a lot throughout this autumn – there’s a bed I’ve been preparing for some time now and since there are quite a few potted varieties which I’ve had my eye on to plant in this new bed, now is my perfect opportunity to proceed with mass planting!

RETRACTION FROM LAST WEEK’S ROSE RAMBLER … sometimes I get too enthusiastic in my ramblings and I thank my beautiful friend Shelley for calling me about last week’s newsletter referring to ART & ROSES …

This statement needs clarification:  “All visitors on this weekend will be welcomed here at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane too … importantly, once you arrive here, EVERYTHING except lunch is FREE”

Please understand what I mean by this:   As long as you are part of a booked group during Art & Roses weekend, once you have paid for your travel and around $12.00 for a magnificent lunch at the Art Expo Café, ADMISSION to every aspect of your visit will be FREE.

You will partake in FREE ENTRY along with a guided tour of the Kilmore Art Expo hosted by a member of the Kilmore Art Society – this includes a FREE CATALOGUE.

At 10 Curry Road, Kilmore, you will enjoy a tour hosted by both the previous and current owners of this awesome, most plant-diverse garden– this is A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY and is TOTALLY FREE for all BOOKED TRAVELLERS!  

ALL OTHER VISITORS WILL PAY $10.00 ADMISSION for this very special garden tour!

No, of course the roses you might purchase here at SILKIES ROSE FARM are NOT FREE … however, you will once again enjoy a cuppa and “Walk and Talk in the Rose Garden with Graham” absolutely FREE OF CHARGE!

GRA’S GARBLE …

… This is my kind of weather when I can get out in the garden and trim everything because it’s autumn … just love this time of year!

Q. What robs you while you’re in the bathtub?   A. A ROBBER DUCKY!

It’s time to fertilize the rose garden – a good handful per bush of COMPLETE ORGANIC FERTILIZER (COF) or top quality (preferably organic) fertilizer from your local supplier will guarantee another constant supply of beautiful flowers through autumn and into winter.

If the mulch is light-on, get a good thick layer on NOW so that when the soil starts to cool down, the mulch acts as a blanket and keeps the soil warmer for longer; this can extend the flowering season.

There’s no doubt that whatever goodness you offer your garden, you will be rewarded over and over with the joy of coming home to a lovely space with flowers and perhaps your own fresh veggies; a nice green lawn … aah, the joy of entering your driveway after a busy day!

Treat your garden during autumn to all the luxury you can afford and you’ll enjoy the rewards throughout all of this year!

perfect timing because I will now have lots of compost available when Diana is planting her new rose garden in coming weeks.  Notice how much material I have collected ready to re-use the straw bales for another compost heap …

I hope to be able to repeat this process at least once more since the straw bales cost $11 each and there are 22 used in construction of the heap.  When the bales no longer hold up to create a wall, they’ll be composted along with other material to ensure any weed seeds are well decomposed!

I think I’m very clever – although it was originally Diana’s ‘straw house’ constructed to compost all the weeds (and me) which flourished after I had spread oat straw as mulch!

Moving on … just one more instruction for NOW!  Use ECO-SEAWEED POWDER which contains a range of naturally occurring plant hormones, antioxidants and nutrients which stimulate beneficial responses within plants.  Research has shown that where eco-seaweed is used regularly, say, twice a month, it will

• enhance flowering
• improve root shoot and leaf growth
• reduce transplant shock
• increase ability to cope with drought/frost to 3-5 degrees tolerance
• boost resistance to disease and insect attack
• strengthen cell wall of foliage
• extend vase-life of flowers
• extend shelf-life of fruits and vegetables

WE GUARANTEE OUR PLANTS WHEN CUSTOMERS USE SEAWEED SOLUTION AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH ALL YEAR!

Add a 600g pack of ECO SEAWEED POWDER to you next online order – use your own water to make 600 x 9 litre watering cans of seaweed solution to protect and enhance performance of all plants in your ENTIRE garden … $32.50 per 600g

ROSE RAMBLER 23.02.2017 …

… HELLO DEAR ROSE FRIENDS after a few hot days to remind us that we are still in summertime!  However, autumn is just around the corner and this promises to be a most spectacular season as all States experienced above-average rainfall which means our autumn trees are well foliaged and will display magnificent autumn colours like we haven’t seen in some years!

PRUNING FOR AN EVENT … we’ve been madly pruning our roses so they’ll be in full-bloom during the Art & Roses weekend just 6 weeks away …

Be sure and book your bus group NOW … there has been extreme interest in coming to Kilmore for the Art Show but also to visit Kilmore’s most magnificent, plant diverse garden at 10 Curry Road, Kilmore and enjoy meeting Kevin & Rhonda Butler at the BLAZEAID Shearing Shed!

All visitors on this weekend will be welcomed here at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane too … importantly, once you arrive here, EVERYTHING except lunch is FREE.

At the Art Expo Café you’ll enjoy a magnificent home-cooked country lunch for around $12 per head and if you want, you will pop a gold coin in the Rotary donation boxes at each destination where there is a cuppa/Devonshire tea.

GRA’S GARBLE …

… with frosty mornings occurring, we are seeing spectacular colour in the roses already – this is real ‘gardener’s weather’ so we’ve been doing some ‘out-of-season’ pruning and mulching.

Q. What do you get if you cross a centipede with a chicken?  A. Enough drumsticks for everyone! 

It gets really, really cold here at Clonbinane so rather than do heavy winter pruning, we like to trim the roses well NOW and throughout autumn.  Here, winter pruning could only really be done late August/early September and even so, in most years we still experience extreme frost then too – especially in the lower parts of the garden.  Thankfully, the potted roses are at the higher, northern end of the property where it’s warmer!

Which leads me to tell you that we are pouring ECO-SEAWEED solution over EVERYTHING in order to protect our plants of frost protection between 3-5 degrees … it really does work!  If your garden has recently been subjected to intense heat, please, please recover trees and plants with liberal applications of ECO-SEAWEED – soon those same plants will be subjected to extreme cold/frost conditions – give them some relief!

ECO-SEAWEED powder contains a range of naturally occurring plant hormones, anti-oxidants and nutrients which stimulate beneficial responses within plants.  Our 30 years of successful rose growing shows that where SEAWEED SOLUTION is used regularly, say, twice a month (weekly if you feel like it) your plants will enjoy …

• Enhanced flowering numbers and quality of flowers
• Improved root, shoot and leaf growth – remember, more leaves, more flowers!!!
• Reduced transplant shock – plant ANYTIME OF THE YEAR but do it with ECO SEAWEED!
• Increased ability of plants to cope with drought and frost conditions – 3-5 degrees greater tolerance on plants lucky enough to be treated with ECO SEAWEED!
• Boosted resistance of all plants to pest and disease
• Extended vase-life of roses as cut flowers and fruit and veggies from your kitchen garden will last days longer in the fridge!

Here at SILKIES ROSE FARM, we guarantee our rose plants will flourish in your garden if customers use ECO SEAWEED SOLUTION at least once a month!

Every rose posted from Silkies Rose Farm has a sample of ECO-SEAWEED to ensure when you plant your new rose/s, protection against transplant shock is right there!

LOCK IN A DATE … we will again be on display with vases of roses at TESSELAAR’S GARDENING AND PLANT EXPO on the weekend of APRIL 22-23, 2017 so when you come to the nursery in coming weeks, remember to collect a FREE DOUBLE PASS valued at $36.00

This is a PREMIER EVENT that SILKIES ROSE FARM supports – lots of interstate gardeners make Melbourne their destination for this particular weekend in the Dandenong Ranges where we will have more than 50 vases of roses on display for you to sniff and sort your way through which roses to plant in your garden this season … an event not to be missed!

ROSE RAMBLER 17.02.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends … hope you enjoyed Valentine’s Day and were gifted a rose from the love in your life!  We were busier in the nursery than in past years – lots of flowering, potted roses were delivered as GIFT ROSES and rightly so!

GRA’S GARBLE …

First a joke:  Q. How do chickens get strong?  A. Egg-cersize  and a picture of my chickens who are growing madly while they rip and tear around the pen –

They’re incredible time-wasters because they are such entertaining viewing!  Do make time to visit with them when you visit in coming weeks.

Since we only have less than two weeks of summer, start gearing up to complete the following tasks to ensure prolific flowering roses throughout autumn and well into winter.

1. Fertilize all rose bushes – we prefer you use organic fertilizer like our pelletised Complete Organic Fertilizer with balanced N:P:K and trace elements – it doesn’t smell since it’s well processed and loaded with humates; if you cannot purchase our fertilizer, go to your local garden centre and ask for their highly recommended organic product and follow the application rates – usually one handful per square metre!
2. If you haven’t been pruning throughout summer flowering, now would be ideal timing to remove approximately one-third of growth whilst retaining good foliage cover just in case we get more hot weather!  Continue dead-heading through autumn for continual bloom right up into winter.
3. Treat the roses to an application of the organic rose management spray:
   To 10 litres of water add:
   • ¼ cup ECO ROSE FUNGICIDE
   • ¼ cup ECO OIL INSECTICIDE/STICKER
   • 1 TEASPOON ECO SEAWEED POWDER (or use your choice of seaweed product – powder seaweed is extremely economical because you’re not buying water!
     
     (Just $32.50 for 600g which makes 6,000 litres of solution – all products available in our online store:  www.rosesalesonline.com.au).
   • MIX ALL THE PRODUCTS TOGETHER in a bucket and spray over roses until run-off to retain healthy foliage.
4. Mulch again if needed – keeping a good thick layer of mulch over the garden will retain warm soil temperature throughout autumn and into winter so rose foliage will be maintained … remember:  MORE HEALTHY FOLIAGE, MORE FLOWERS!
5. When you can’t figure out what else to do, it’s time for a nap!  Sssshhhhhh!

FIRE STAR
No matter where this rose grows, it is a grand flowerer on a sturdy, extremely healthy foliaged bush – when you drive past a country-town CFA and see a brilliant orange flowering rose you can bet it’s this beauty!  Very highly recommended rose …
GRA’S BLUE
It might seem I’m bragging but so many customers who grow my lovely, award-winning beauty extol it’s virtues of extreme fragrance on a healthy, very free-flowering low maintenance shrub which is perfect as a border and in a large tub …

SHIRLEY’S ROSE
This rose is WOW … perfectly shaped HT blooms on long stems, extremely healthy busy to 1.5 metres tall, awesome fragrance – a truly magnificent Gold Medal Winner in the National Rose Trial Grounds … every Aussie should grow one and we’ll have plenty available this winter …

ONLINE ORDERING FOR WINTER / BARE-ROOTED ROSES …

ROSE RAMBLER 09.02.2017 …

Hello dear rose friends and Happy Birthday to our son Benjamin!  As I flipped over the calendar, this saying appeared …

Relocating our Rose Nursery to Clonbinane has been very successful – it works for us and we hope it works for you too!  We are open for business …

Q. Why did the fly never land on the computer?  A. He was afraid of the world wide web.

EMAIL MESSAGES WILL ALWAYS RECEIVE A RESPONSE

We are renowned for our prompt email response!  We find portable phones most frustrating as we have frequent ‘power-out’ here at Clonbinane and we can only answer one incoming call at a time!!!  I do NOT always have a mobile phone in my pocket – as it is, I carry two pouches – one with portable phone, one with secateurs and they drag my trousers down!  Add a mobile phone to my baggage and you’ll see me walking around with no trousers …!  No, it won’t happen!!!

Added to the above, I put a battery on my back and shears in my hand … this is how I work on pruning now so that we have a most spectacular display of roses down in the ‘tram-stop’ garden for this autumn … ‘KNOCKOUT’ being pruned …

EVERY SINGLE CUSTOMER who grows this rose (and others like it) absolutely rave about the spectacular flowering and easy management of these varieties of roses … you ALL MUST GROW at least one KNOCKOUT ROSE or one of the following varieties to recognise their magnificent beauty…

BERRY DELIGHTFUL

 

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
(What a beauty for Valentine’s Day!!!)

EYE OF THE TIGER
(Available in Winter 2017)

GRA’S GARBLE …

Q.  What do you call 100 spiders on a tyre?  A. A spinning wheel! 

We have noticed an extreme number of spider webs in our garden and even along freeways in the barriers – fascinating!  There are three big fat garden orbs who have taken up residence on our front verandah – very entertaining when they appear in the evening ready to capture their prey.

Make your garden a space where you maintain an ecological balance by minimizing use of harsh chemical pesticide sprays; all the spiders and insects together with birds and other animals who rely on this balance for their survival, will flourish and allow you and your children the privilege of viewing nature “LIVE” … not through a TV screen but right there in your own yard!

Please encourage the little people around you to be enthralled by rather than fear spiders and insects, birds and other animals!

TWO FAVOURITE WHITE ROSES …

I picked these blooms for a vase on the island bench in our kitchen to prove that there is a distinct difference between my two most favourite white roses … oh, if only I could send the fragrance in this email … both magnificent roses in their own right – POPE JOHN PAUL II has the stronger fragrance, MEMOIRE is the most weather-tolerant of all the white roses we stock … BOTH AVAILABLE AS BUSH AND STANDARD IN WINTER 2017 …

VALENTINE’S DAY …

If you want roses posted, best you call us NOW and we’ll EXPRESS POST a rose plant so it arrives on time …
03 5787 1123 … enjoy the romance!