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

ALL ROSES HAVE A FRAGRANCE …

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

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

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

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

GRA’S GARBLE …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

ROSE RAMBLER … 15.10.2015 …

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

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

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

INFORMATION SHARING …

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

GRA’S GARBLE …

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

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

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

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

ROSE RAMBLER 8.10.2015 …

Hello dear rose friends as the frenzy builds for a spectacular Horticultural & Gardening Festival event at the Melbourne Showgrounds starting tomorrow, Friday 9^th until Sunday 11th … we’re ‘bumped in’ with our safety vests on, set up our presentation and would love to see you visit our display and hear Diana speak on MAIN STAGE – Friday from 1.30pm – 2.10pm and again in the DEMONSTRATION AREA with friends from OCP on Sunday 1.30pm – 2.10pm where we’ll show you how easy it is to prepare and spray the organic rose management program to ensure you grow the most beautifully healthy, abundantly free-flowering roses in your garden!

Also come visit Diana at Stand D30 at the festival this Friday, Saturday & Sunday, where she will happily sign a copy of her book ALL ABOUT ROSES and show you how giftroses.com.au really works. See you there!

GREETING AND MEETING CUSTOMERS …

There is no greater delight than personally meeting our ‘online’ customers – very recently we have had customers from NSW and QLD visiting Victoria and SILKIES ROSE FARM was on their agenda whilst driving down the HUME FREEWAY.  Since we are within 500 metres of the CLONBINANE interchange we would love to see YOU when you’re down our way!

 

WHEN ROSES JUST DON’T SEEM TO HAVE THE ‘RIGHT’ GROWTH …

Pic of Dublin bay with affected foliage:

MY RESPONSE … Ok, there are a few roses in the nursery pots doing the same thing???  Has happened before and our agronomist recommended using YATES TRACE ELEMENTS … fixed the problem in no time – if you can get hold of a pack of ROCK DUST that would be good for them too … fortnightly applications of seaweed solution will help the TRACE ELEMENTS do the job.  You might check with the source of compost what EXACTLY they have in the product????  A bit spooky that roses you DIDN’T put the compost on are doing fine!  You must be asking the question yourself???

They’ll come right in no time, I’m sure – please keep us posted.  Hope this is helpful … cheers, Diana

WEEDS … PESKY THEY MIGHT BE but NEVER use GLYPHOSATE (ROUNDUP/ZERO) ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR ROSE GARDEN!!!  

   

GRA’S GARBLE …

ROSE RAMBLER 1.10.2015

Hello dear rose friends – a pinch and punch for another whole new month – Happy Birthday to my beautiful little sister Sandy today – since she’s not settled in her new home yet, I may not send her a GIFT ROSE  but if I did, I would have sent MANY HAPPY RETURNS

but I might send her either one because most roses can be grown in a large tub and she can take the rose with her when she creates a garden at her new home!  If you have an event which offers you an opportunity to send a gorgeous, long-lasting rose bush, take a look at giftroses.com.au for a lovely selection of rose varieties to inspire you.

All roses will grow to their maximum size when planted in the soil but when grown in planters, their size will be naturally limited by the size of the pot but they are ‘transportable’ and very versatile as they can be moved around the deck, even inside to shaded areas for an event and when they’ve done their job in a pot, plant them into their final resting place in your garden.

If you have no option but to plant roses into tubs, consider removing the base of the tub (or poking very large holes into it) so that the roots can move right down into the soil below a paved area or whatever surface they’re placed on – up in the nursery we have arches with climbers and clematis so we’ve removed the base of the tub to allow the roots access to soil and moisture – the growth has been amazing since we did this!

GRA’S GARBLE …

It’s time to get your irrigation system in order – check all drippers/sprays and clear them of insects, etc. because it’s time to start watering your garden – we use ‘shrubblers’ where the water output can be regulated according to different plants requirements

Q. What has a sweet taste and flies?   A.  A lollipop left out in the garden. 

Water availability at root level, especially now, determines the stem length and number of flowers throughout the coming months.  On rose bushes, the miracle of plant growth is amazing at this time of year and one weekly soaking of 20 litres per plant during October will ensure solid root development resulting in prolific flowering and strong healthy bushes which will withstand the pressures of whatever weather conditions prevail.

NEVER WATER ROSES OVER THEIR FOLIAGE LATER THAN 2.00PM … ROSES MUST HAVE DRY FOLIAGE GOING INTO THE EVENING OR YOU WILL DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE SPORES OF MILDEW TO OCCUR!

These curly leaves are an indication of mildew – you MUST take action immediately by spraying with eco-rose/eco-fungicide (same product) when you see this happening on your roses …

Keep your monthly organic rose management program happening – it’s easy, effective, really economical and guarantees healthy, robust, free-flowering HAPPY roses throughout the season!

Q.  What’s brown and sits on a piano stool?  A.  Beethoven’s LAST MOVEMENT! 

Because of the amazing growth occurring with flower buds developing, fertilize NOW (if you haven’t already) and apply seaweed solution regularly to increase thickness of the cell wall of your plants to withstand all weather variables – apply every fortnight all over the leaves to ensure your roses enjoy up to 5 degrees frost and heat tolerance!

Hope your garden is well mulched as we head into the warmer weather – planting seedlings of NASTURTIUM which add a lovely colourful ground-covering mass will act as a ‘double-whammy’ because the plant secretes a mustard oil which many insects find attractive and will seek out – particularly cabbage moth.  Alternatively, the flowers repel aphids and cucumber beetle; planted around apple trees is advantageous to repel codling moth… plant Nasturtium after frosts just as you would tomato seedlings.  It’s all happening now … Gra

Be sure to attend this spectacular gardening event at the Melbourne Showgrounds which is sure to be a most entertaining event for the whole family!  Come visit with Diana at Stand D30 where she will happily sign a copy of her book ALL ABOUT ROSES and show you how giftroses.com.au really works.  See you there!

A TESTIMONIAL FOR SHARING …

If you still have spaces in your garden where you wish to plant roses, go to rosesalesonline.com.au and ORDER NOW … all prices will increase next week when we cease sending bare-rooted roses!

Q.  Why did the runner wear ripple-soled shoes?  A.  To give the ants a 50:50 chance.

Exactly why we prefer to use a fork rather than a shovel when digging holes in the garden because you slice through worms with a shovel while a garden fork gives worms a really good chance of survival!!!

GRA’S GARBLE …

WORMS ARE THE STOMACH OF THE EARTH –

Worms play a critical role in improving and enriching soil.  In the soil their tunnel networks create air channels, optimizing aeration and provide conduits for watering the soil.  You may say:  “I don’t see many worms in my garden!”  Well, worms need moisture to be able to track through soil so, in our hot climate, worms will go deeper into soil where it’s cool and moist – then you may not see them in the upper soil level, hence, the importance of mulch!!!

Earthworms live an inter-linked life with fungi, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes and soil micro-organisms (all good critters!) and scientists say there are still over 60,000 soil microbes to be discovered – WOW!  How many worms and microbes are in this handful of compost?

Worms function as premium plant-residue shredders – they turn and churn and their castings (poo and wee) is a great source of plant nutrient.  An abundant worm population will produce a ton of castings per acre per year in optimum conditions.

How do you, a ‘back-yard gardener’ encourage earthworms in your garden?

• Continually mulch the soil
• Limit using toxic pesticides and herbicides – any chemicals!
• Only dig soil where planting – don’t dig entire garden beds
• Use only organic fertilizer – compost, animal manures will be a feast for worms
• Walk on pads of mulch to reduce soil compaction
• Be thankful for the natural work worms do in our environment and keeping our plants happy!

Q.  What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish?  A.  Every morning you will rise and shine!

Here’s a tip:  Worms LOVE boiled pumpkin so grow plenty of pumpkins this season and when harvested, boil them up and spread the mash pulp over the soil, cover with mulch to keep it damp.  Don’t forget, if mildew is present on the leaves of your pumpkins, spray with Eco-fungicide/Eco-rose (same product, different label) so that you are sure to harvest organically approved pumpkin to feed the worms who will flourish in your garden!

Q.  What kind of a person is fed up with people?  A.  A cannibal. 

Here’s one of my choice roses to consider if you want some amazing colour in your garden this season … ASHRAM is a stunning bright orange, perfect blooms for a vase, light fragrance and can be grown in a pot too …

WATERING POTTED ROSES …

Many potted plants succumb due to lack of adequate watering and since many more gardeners are growing roses in large tubs due to smaller garden spaces, it is imperative to know HOW to water potted plants …

It is so, so important to water potted plants adequately and you do it by watering over the WHOLE upper surface of the pot and not just at the neck of a plant since roots are spread over the entire space within the pot!

Always leave a good 3-5 cms of space below the rim when planting into large tubs allowing space for a light layer of milled lucerne mulch and then water over the ENTIRE mulch surface, filling the pot to the rim at EVERY watering to be sure water travels throughout the potting mix and reaching all the roots which will store water.

Watering pots might seem a ‘chore’ – see it as time to be at one with nature, quiet, peaceful time but please don’t water your rose pots after work in the evening with a glass of your favourite beverage in one hand, hose in the other – get up a little earlier and be sure to conduct your watering program to the morning with your cuppa in hand!   Wet foliage overnight will definitely encourage disease issues on roses!!!

Have a beaut week in your garden with kids in tow … we’re getting organised for the Festival at Melbourne Showgrounds 9-11 October – be sure and put the dates in your calendar because Diana is on the speaking program – don’t miss her presentations at what we believe will be a spectacular spring event …

Lots of folks out on their lawn mowers as the grass grows while you’re mowing!  Green and glorious colour in every glance, oh, the joy of spring – daffodils, tulips, lush foliage and because of recent rains, weeds pull out easily – such a joyous, happy time in gardens everywhere!

SPRING IS ‘FALLING IN LOVE’ SEASON …

An email from a customer who ordered ‘FALLING IN LOVE’ rose … Thank you so much Diana, l really appreciate that!  The gorgeous roses arrived earlier today and l am so thrilled.  Absolutely Beautiful!  You made me laugh re: comment about the thorns on the ‘Falling In Love’ Rose … lol.  Thank you again for your exceptional & quality service. It’s a credit to you & your business.  Wishing you every continued success … and l will most certainly be buying from you again in the future. Take care & kindest regards, Nada …  This is FALLING IN LOVE … thorns and all …

What was the breeder thinking when he named this rose???  Must have been at odds with the love of his life because seriously, the thorns are SCARY but yes, the flower is gorgeous and long lasting in a vase but very little fragrance!  I would rather you purchase THE CHILDREN’S ROSE – way less thorns, magnificent fragrance, perfect blooms, strong bush and beautiful name when you need to have  GIFT ROSE … see giftroses.com.au

ROSES IN THE POST – IT WORKS LIKE THIS …

Because I put a good amount of wet coir potting mix at the roots, wrap the whole lot in damp newspaper and seal off in a plastic bag, the roses are travelling well and keep on growing in the box … they’ve got no light so cannot photosynthesise until you take them from the box and plant them …

Hi Di …
Here they are YAY !!!!!!!!!!  As always thank you so very much…no time to chat…I’m off to plant them.

Cheers, Jen

Good Morning Di –
It generally only takes a short time for the leaves to ‘green up’, today’s photo is of the Apricot Nectar which was in the forefront of the photo I sent when they arrived on Monday.  As you can see the colour has changed quite a lot already and they’ve only been here one and a half days.  Until next time (which probably won’t be long hahaha) thank you and all the best to you and yours. 

Cheers, Jen

GRA’S GARBLE …

It is imperative to beautiful settlement of your roses that you soak them to a slurry when planting and then soak over the whole plant with seaweed solution immediately after and then at least every fortnight until they are settled and showing signs of growth!  DO NOT OVERWATER ROSES … weekly watering with 20 litres of water, delivered at the same time so the water soaks to the root-zone is HEAPS … please don’t be a wally with water!!!

eco-seaweed has just been SUPER SIZED!  We’re excited to announce the release of eco-seaweed in a whopping 600g pack which represents amazing value for money for our customers.  It’s a 50% increase from the 400g jar without any price increase!  Reasons we highly recommend eco-seaweed 600g powder

• 100% seaweed extract containing 16%potassium
• Powder seaweed – easily dissolves – no heavy lifting!
• $32.50 per 600g – extraordinary value! Treats up to 6,000 square metres
• Screw top lid is easier to open and close
• Includes a measuring spoon – one teaspoon per 9 litre watering can
• Sealed in a bag inside the jar for better protection again moisture – leave near the tap!
• Certified Organic
• We can post it to you and suggest you demand your local nursery stock it!

Remember that every bit of effort you put into your garden NOW will be rewarded a thousand-fold and more when the roses start blooming and flower for the next at least eight months onwards!

Hello dear rose friends … you’ve got the rest of today and all of tomorrow for productive weeding according to the moon planting guide – the next two weeks are ideal for planting ABOVE GROUND crops so take a visit to your local garden centre, pick punnets of happy flowers and veggie seedlings to plant around the borders of your rose garden – this is an ideal way of hindering the lawn from spreading into the garden and you have the advantage of a colourful / productive display – JUST DO IT!

THINGS I MUST DO this week in my rose garden:

• Re-trim after winter pruning – there might be some frost damage, maybe a bud isn’t producing strong, healthy growth so trim down to a sturdy outward facing bud;
• Check all the ties on standard roses – undo, retie securely – we use and recommend Velcro ONE-WRAP – double-sided Velcro which takes years to perish;  NOTE:  metal stake extends 20-30cms above the crown for added support!

  

• Tie down the canes of climbing roses – check that new growth is occurring in a direction you want the growth to be supported and flowering;
• Heavily mulch with compost and pea-straw around all CLEMATIS – they will grow at a rate of knots now and setting flower buds – keep their roots cool with thick mulch!
• Spray the organic rose management program – noticed aphids on kale in the veggie garden – they’re sure to find the roses so spraying BEFORE they get to the roses will  ensure we’re keeping them at bay by destroying them at the larval stage.

That’s enough work for this week!

GRA’S GARBLE …

I hope you have seen and heard frogs in your garden?  I highly recommend you limit using weedicides and other chemicals as they will have a seriously detrimental impact on the environmentally healthy status of your garden – frogs easily absorb chemicals through their permeable skins, which they can breathe through when underwater and research suggests chemicals are playing a significant and previously unknown role in the global decline of amphibians!

In recent experiments, “the most striking result was that a chemical designed to kill plants killed 98 percent of all tadpoles within three weeks and 79 percent of all frogs within one day”. (University of Pittsburgh researcher, Rick Relyea)

When you see aphids on your roses, please don’t race down to the supermarket and pick up a ‘quick-fix’ chemical spray – implement the organic spray program with Eco-Oil and maybe add Eco-Neem (if the infestation is severe) but otherwise, be patient and let Mother Nature take control – soon enough, ladybirds, lacewings, wrens and other small birds along with all other predators of aphids will abound because you’ve allowed a ready food-source for them to be part of your natural haven!

Q.  What did one frog say to another when he jumped into the river?  A.  Knee-deep, knee-deep, knee-deep!

Consider these little ditties to keep you smiling while you age gracefully, like I am …

• When I was a child I thought nap time was punishment. Now it’s like a mini holiday.
• If God wanted me to touch my toes, He would’ve put them on my knees.
• When the kids text me “plz” which is shorter than “please”, I text back “no” which is shorter than “yes”.
• The biggest lie I tell myself is “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it.”  

FERTILISER FOR ROSES …

ALWAYS use an organic fertiliser for all plants in your garden.  Why?  Because organics are taken in by plants when they need it – chemical fertilisers are water soluble and thus force the plant to take food whether it needs it or not!

Chemical fertilising may produce soft, lush growth which is very appealing to insects and black spot/mildew is way more prevalent on ‘forced’ foliage.

We use and recommend COMPLETE ORGANIC FERTILISER (COF) which is rich in humates for soil-conditioning and gently feeds the soil with a complete range of major nutrients – N:P:K (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) as well as a good blend of minerals and micro nutrients.  We understand that not all of you live close enough to our Rose Farm to be able to collect this product so we urge you to consult with a professional at your local plant nursery/agricultural supplier to source the very best (preferably organic) fertiliser for your rose garden!

Keep smiling while out in the sunshine enjoying the burst of spring growth … Gra

SHARING THE JOY OF MORE HAPPY CUSTOMERS …

A GARDEN FESTIVAL FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY …

Come and be part of THE big spring event in Melbourne. Meet gardening legend, ABC Organic Gardener Peter Cundall who’ll open the festival, give a gardening demo and meet ‘n greet…

If you’re a foodie, you’ll love watching MasterChef winner, Emma Dean, on stage cooking and talking about plant and food foraging. Learn too from Outback Chef, Mark Olive (SBS) about bush tucker foods, and ‘From Paddock to Plate’ local food producers.

For kids, what could be better than getting your hands dirty with DirtGirl! At the dirtgirlworld Activity Centre, why not learn how pot a plant – and get to take it home.

Other gardening celebrities such as Angus Stewart and Costa will be around to answer gardening questions. There’s an array of stage talks and presentations from leading horticulturalists and those who just know their stuff.

GRA’S GARBLE …

I like this:

THE SIX BEST DOCTORS IN THE WORLD

SUNLIGHT    REST       EXERCISE     DIET        SELF-CONFIDENCE       FRIENDS

Maintain them in all stages of life and enjoy healthy life.

“Soil is the engine of human existence” was conclusively decided at a recent conference at Texas A&M University – since soil provides most of what is needed to keep the human body healthy!  Humanity relies on the ongoing provision of eco-system’s goods and services and this can only be achieved with a soil resource that is utilised according to its capability and managed properly to maintain its condition!

Do we ever, as home gardeners, consider our soil in such a special way?  How can this be regarded in a practical sense when we are working in our gardens?  What can we do?  Here are my suggestions:

• Make compost
• Always keep mulch on open soil
• When feeding plants use only organic materials/fertilizers
• Respect earthworms – only walk on layers of mulch in garden beds – dig with a fork
• Grow some of your own vegetables and fruit
• Grow lots of flowers to make your soul sing
• Use liquid teas / seaweed on compost to encourage micro-life
• Apply stone-dust to put essential minerals back into the soil

And of course, as a rose grower, I would say you will grow the most magnificent roses if you apply all of the above methods in your rose garden!  A simple thought:  because roses are SO productive, they love to be cared for and then they’ll flower for 8-10 months each year!

Q.  What type of suit does a duck wear?  A.  A duxedo – of course!  And then one for every gals ‘blond moment’ … Q.  Why did the lady put lipstick on her head?  A.  Because she wanted to make up her mind.  Have a great week in your garden … Gra

YES, WE ARE STILL POSTING ROSES … Although cut back and potted, I gently lift the roses from the pot, put some of the coir-fibre potting mix around the roots which are then wrapped in damp newspaper and tightly sealed in a plastic bag.  The roses transit extremely well and we recommend you get them into the soil as soon as they arrive and this email might be helpful when your roses arrive as they do now:

Good morning Diana,  CREPUSCULE arrived safely yesterday and we put her in the garden.  I have a question.  She had many small laterals all over and these had clumps of very small shoots already in leaf — also very small leaves.  Should I trim those back and if so, by how much?  Thanks again, Gabrielle

My response:  No, no … please don’t remove them … we have sold soooo many CREPUSCULE that we are now down to the very cut back specimens … they’re ideally cut back for potting like that because as you now see, they’re producing masses of WATERSHOOTS – these are the new branches which will carry heaps of flowers and you’ll have a very sturdy plant because of all those new branches!!!  Seaweed solution over the entire plant and foliage once a week for the first 6 weeks and then fertilize … you watch how beautifully it grows!!!  Cheers

WHEN THE WRONG ROSE HAPPENS …

I posted a rose last week and after it was beyond retrieval with Australia Post and I realised I had sent the wrong rose, this tete-a-tete of emails followed:

Hi Diana
I haven’t received any call from you but I wanted to let you know that I have received the rose – thank you. Unfortunately, as you say, it is “Blue for You”. I would definitely prefer the Beyond Blue rose since I believed that the sale of it would contribute to the organisation to support depression in memory of our friend’s son?

Do you want me to return the “Blue for You” rose? To your farm? Should I water it again before sending it? Regards Judith

 

Enjoy the moments of early spring in your garden – weed today and part of Friday – don’t do any planting or gardening this Saturday but then remove weeds until next Thursday, 10^th September – remember to mulch the garden immediately after weeding!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all the Dad gardeners!  Have a beaut day of breakfast in bed then go weeding the garden with the kids … enjoy all the moments of being DAD!

We have received so many compliments about how my book, ALL ABOUT ROSES is such a helpful tool in all aspects of rose management – a customer called the other day asking for the organic rose management program – she had lent her book to a friend and wanted to spray but without ALL ABOUT ROSES, she needed to call me for the rose management spray program recipe:  order your copy now at www.rosesalesonline.com.au it would be a wonderful FATHER’S DAY GIFT for the garden-happy Dad in your life – a personally signed copy can be posted direct to your Dad!

GRA’S GARBLE …

To make compost work and be effective, use regular applications of seaweed solution because it feeds the compost microbes and makes it active to feed plants.  Now is the time to be very diligent with weekly/fortnightly applications of seaweed solution because the roses are producing their new growth and flower buds for this flowering season – the 70+ minerals will provide natural growth hormones, feed earthworms who will continually aerate the soil within your garden and give you up to 30% more beautiful, long-lasting flowers when the roses start flowering soon.

We continue to use and recommend NATRAKELP (organic seaweed solution) and OCP’s powdered ECO-SEAWEED – both extremely high quality seaweed products.

Q.  What did Mr. Flea say to Mrs. Flea?  A.  I love you aw-flea!

  

Have a great week in your garden as spring kicks in – just one more:

Q. Why is it better to be a grasshopper than a cricket?  A.  Because grasshoppers can play cricket but crickets can’t play grasshopper – next, we’ll be hearing of the Aussie Grasshoppers … Gra

UPCOMING EVENTS…

Some of you might not even have ventured to prune the roses yet … that’s ok, when you leave pruning till late in the season, the roses will indicate exactly where they would like to be pruned – find the plumpest, outward facing bud – snip – job done … remember to snip a trouble away each time you cut!

Here’s an email conversation which might be useful to you all –

Hi Diana and Graham, In your last newsletter you talked about putting compost around the base of the rose, but not to till the soil.  I usually remove the old leaf litter and sugar cane mulch and replace with fresh. Should I in fact not be removing old mulch?  Should I put new compost over the existing mulch and then top up with new mulch?
And should we be feeding the roses yet?  If you would clarify, that would be great.  Thanks, Jo

Our response:  We NEVER recommend removing mulch because there is always a plethora of microbial/insect/just plain natural ‘stuff’ going on in the soil under mulch – spray the organic rose management program over the plants/soil, distribute fertilizer over entire garden area, put compost around the plants (if you have it) then mulch over the whole lot.

As we prune roses we naturally remove ‘litter’ closest to the bud union … this makes it easy to get in with the secateurs to remove oldest branches right down to the crown but we would NEVER fork/till soil around the roses unless we felt there was soil compaction – exactly why we suggest you use a layer of cardboard/biscuit of straw around the rose garden to step on while you’re pruning!  Really important function whilst pruning a winter garden – most especially if the soil is damp!!!

Hope this answers all your questions – importantly, listen to what your INTUITION tells you to do in your garden … enjoy the moments … cheers Diana and Graham

GRA’S GARBLE …

All the bare-rooted roses are potted now so I did our organic rose management spray program this week:  to 10 litres of water add:

¼ cup eco-rose fungicide
¼ cup eco-oil insecticide
Seaweed solution (as per pack instructions of the product used)

I added ECO-AMINOGRO which is a fish/amino acid-based foliage fertilizer which will stimulate strong, healthy foliage and transfer into good root development on the newly potted roses!

Q.  What monkey looks like a flower?  A.  A chimp-pansy … hope you’ve planted lots of annuals for delightful early spring flowering in your rose garden!

We always get lots of request for ‘problem solvers’ when it comes to rabbits, possums, wallabies and native birds in the rose garden – unfortunately, there is NO ABSOLUTE SOLUTION to any of the predators.

However, we do recommend constant vigilance, creative barriers and understanding of the creatures we live with who share our garden space!

Q.  What do you get if you cross a rabbit with a flea?  A.  Bugs Bunny … that’s me and my jokes for this week … Gra

POSTING ROSES NOW …

Yes, of course we can still post you roses – they’re (mostly) trimmed back to within an inch of their lives and shooting madly but because we are careful in the bundling, add some coir-fibre potting mix within the damp newspaper and then wrap firmly in plastic, the roses are travelling really well – here’s a testimony:

Thank you so much for your wonderful nursery, rose delivery service, and your wonderful book which I am reading at the moment… but most especially for your wonderful self!!!  And Graham is pretty wonderful too… V

And another one:  Dear Diana, Just a note to thank you. The roses arrived quickly after order last week. They looked in beautiful condition and are happily planted. Will see how they go and hopefully we can order more of the same after Sydney summer. Sincerely, Anne

We will continue to post bare-rooted roses through September so if you’re still preparing garden beds but not quite sorted, don’t panic and yes, the rose bushes will bloom abundantly from November onwards as long as you diligently apply seaweed solution at planting and then at least monthly thereafter!

IN CLOSING … when you need to send a memorial gift, REMEMBER ME is such a beautiful, healthy, reliable rose to send to the most ‘non-gardening’ person and way, way better than a bunch of flowers because they will plant this gorgeous rose and have memories of perfectly shaped blooms, continually throughout the flowering season … this is such a grand rose which makes a statement:

REMEMBER ME
beautifully gift wrapped, ready to post now from www.giftroses.com.au

REMEMBER ME produces flowers like this continually … can be ordered as a bush rose for your garden at www.rosesalesonline.com.au just because you want a lovely bright orange/copper rose in your garden …