NO, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE … to order roses for planting in your garden and I stress that the most important thing is to ensure garden beds are well prepared prior to planting!  If you have to purchase roses which have been potted and so pay a little bit more, consider that rather than planting into unprepared garden beds!

Last summer, I sent beautiful standards up to Mike in Queensland – in some ways we were both racing – he desperate to have his garden looking lovely for the local Autumn open garden competition, me, very eager to sell roses to a young, enthusiastic guy to be sure he won a prize for his new garden … it was a dismal failure which we both learned from!

Mike had dug holes out on his nature strip, the roses were held up in transit due to Christmas tardiness with Australia Post and although some of the roses survived the torture, Mike didn’t win a prize in the garden competition!  Thankfully, taking my advice, he prepared a garden bed these past months and planted a row of quality bare-rooted standard roses in late July.

Today Mike called me – over the moon, excited and totally enthusiastic about the performance of the standard roses I posted to him this winter … they’re leafing up beautifully and will be flowering within six weeks – total turn-around because he followed our advice and prepared a whole bed rather than just a hole in the grass verge!

Remember, www.rosesalesonline.com.au is open for posting roses ALL YEAR and there is no need to rush planting roses in winter!  Prepare the rose beds with lots of compost and manure, seaweed solution every couple of weeks – feed the worms so they aerate the soil and leave their castings – the reward will be strong, sturdy, free-flowering roses for many years of pleasure!

GRA’S GARBLE …

Q.  How do baby hens dance?  A.  Chick to chick! 

I would like to repeat the 5 most essential requirements for growing beautiful roses:

1. Roses must have at least five hours of direct sun daily;
2. Avoid planting too close to established trees – trees will take all the water;
3. Plant with copious amounts of compost – never raw manure or fertilizer;
4. Never let rose roots dry out – soak with seaweed solution before planting, at planting and fortnightly after planting;
5. Roses are very adaptable to many soil situations – clay sub-soil is great for roses as it hold nutrients and moisture.

It’s almost FATHER’S DAY so consider sending your Dad this special rose:

FATHER’S LOVE is a most special rose because it’s red, it’s fragrant, it’s lovely in a vase and it’s a very healthy bush – what more could your Dad wish for?  Order online at www.giftroses.com.au or gift your Dad a gift voucher from www.rosesalesonline.com.au and let him procrastinate for the next six months while he considers which roses he would love to grow in his garden – it’s what men do!
IN CLOSING … Q.  What do you give a bird that is sick?  A. Tweetment.

Enjoy all the moments in your garden this week and hope to see you in Clonbinane soon …

Hello dear rose friends; how delightful is it to watch the roses pushing all their new growth and gearing up for spring which is just around the corner – it all happens sooooooo fast! 

Gearing up for spring can we suggest that because of very favourable moon cycles, from this Saturday through to next week is an ideal time for weeding the garden.  To test this theory, go out NOW and pull a weed – there will be resistance despite damp conditions, however, pull weeds in the same location on Saturday and you will find they literally fall out of the ground.

This is not madness – for generations farmers have cultivated and nurtured the land using these theories and if we were all really environmentally aware gardeners, so should we!

GRA’S GARBLE …

This cold weather inspires me to sit by the fire, read and do lots of research for sharing information with you, our Rose Rambler subscribers – there’s a lot of talk about impending drought – because roses are such DROUGHT TOUGH PLANTS, they are a great investment in your garden as they will live for years and years in the most extreme weather conditions!

Q.  What did one flea say to the other?  A. Should we walk or take the dog?

To grow strong, tough rose bushes, place compost around the base of the plants – don’t till the soil or disturb the roots then water over with seaweed solution to encourage soil microbes and worms to breed; mulch the compost with lucerne/pea straw – you’ll grow the strongest, most free-flowering roses which will endure whatever weather Mother Nature intends for this flowering season!

A friend suggested this handy tip the other day but since I don’t take any medications, I didn’t get it – maybe you do:  “Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night!”

Here’s a copy of an interview which was conducted for our local newspaper:

A PRICKLY SUBJECT … An interview with Diana Sargeant @ Silkies Rose Farm, Cnr. Spur and McDonalds Rd, Clonbinane – (by Cathy Soulsby and produced in ‘CLONBINANE COUNTRY’)

Q. At what age did you discover your passion for roses?
A. I met Graham Sargeant, an avid gardener, when I was 25.  Graham began his rose ‘journey’ growing miniature roses, and won the Miniature Rose Championship at the World Rose Convention, Sydney in 1996. From then on I was ‘hooked ‘, so to speak!

Q. How long have you lived in Mitchell Shire?
A. Since I was 9 years old.

Q. What is unique about your ‘ Rose ary’ ?
A. It is a truly sustainable business. No chemicals have been used here for 25 years.  All products sold on the premises are earth friendly, including the Tri Nature range of household/personal care products which we have sold for the last 10 years.  These are bio- degradable and grey water safe.
We offer a design consultancy service, are available to speak to groups, and do pruning and rose care demonstrations at the property.  The Rose Rambler newsletter goes out weekly to 3,000 email addresses.  We think Graham’s jokes are the drawcard, but their source is a closely guarded secret!
I have a radio spot in Melbourne on the 2nd Sunday of every month, on 3CR, 855 AM band, from 7.30 – 9.15 am.

Q. You published your book on organic rose management, ‘All About Roses’ last year. How is it selling?
A. Really well, it has received great reviews, and I have sold into the thousands.

Q. How many helpers do you employ?
A. Besides Graham and myself, we employ 2 casuals.

Q. Can it be a’ thorn in your side’ working with your partner?
A. No, not at all, we both have our jobs to do and work really well together. Over the years, all our children have worked in the business, as well as extended family members.

Q. What are the joys/pitfalls of a home based business?
A. No pitfalls, by reducing our opening hours, we now have a manageable lifestyle business, and literally have time to ‘smell the roses’!

Q. How does the year unfold?
A. Busy, busy, busy!  Winter sees dormant roses being posted all around Australia, but they are also posted year-round for the rest of the season.  From November onwards is flowering time, and we have bus groups visiting. We also attend 3 of the main flower shows in Melbourne and surrounds – October, at Melbourne Showgrounds, November at Werribee, State Rose Garden and April, Tesselaars at Silvan.

Q. Where does the name ‘Silkies Rose Farm” originate?
A. From our love of raising Silkie fowls – now Graham breeds Langshan fowls but we would not consider changing the name of the rose nursery .. giggle! (here is a pic of Graham’s prized cock birds looking at themselves in a mirror on the shed wall – handsome fellows indeed!)

Q. And lastly, do you always view the world through ‘rose coloured glasses’?
A. Absolutely!  We live in the best country in the world, and Clonbinane is our slice of heaven!!   Cheers!

ROSE IDENTIFICATION … we can easily identify a rose when you send photos similar to what Dan sent through this week … he had no idea of the name of the rose from which he had taken a cutting but said that it was a small pink flower with a fragrance, added these photos – without a single photo of the flower, it was very easy to identify the name of this most glorious rose – CECILE BRUNNER which is now out of stock until next season!

ROSE RAMBLER … 30.7.2015 …

Hello dear rose friends … end of another month and well into winter now – welcome to all the recent subscribers! Some of you have been phoning and telling us about the beautiful roses you’re picking … gawd, it’s been weeks since we’ve seen a rose blooming here at Clonbinane so we envy you the climate which affords such a long rose-flowering season and love it that our roses give you such enormous pleasure!!!   

Standard roses finally arrived here last week and we were able to process most of the orders – sincere apologies for the delay in your standard rose orders.  Mother Nature determined late digging due to the very mild summer – roses grow beautifully in hot weather which is why roses are so ‘drought tolerant’ … DO NOT OVERWATER ROSES!!!

It’s been months since we’ve irrigated garden beds here because regular ‘God’s wee’ (rain) of anywhere between 5-8 mm of rain weekly means the gardens are beautifully moist.  Don’t be complacent though, if you don’t get any rain but warm, sunny days, consider giving the newly planted roses at least 10 litres of water per plant per week as they are now establishing new roots and growth – careful consideration of their watering needs at this time will ensure your roses will settle well and flourish into prolific spring growth after winter pruning!

GRA’S GARBLE …

THE IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM FOR ROSES … Calcium is a macro nutrient that performs many critical functions including cell-wall production, nutrient transportation, flower and seed production and overall plant strength.
Calcium deficiency is common in sandy soils, areas of high rainfall and gardens that get watered regularly – mulch can also cause calcium deficiency.

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: “Does this taste funny to you?”

Roses perform best in soil with a pH range of 5 – 6.5 however, regular use of artificial fertilizers can increase acidification which negatively impacts plant growth.  A soil test kit is handy to have – or you might pop down to your local garden centre and request they perform a pH test of your soil sample.

LIQUID SOIL IMPROVERS … Traditionally, calcium has been applied in a powder form as dolomite lime.  Powders are very slow to activate in the soil, are bulky and messy.

OCP … Organic Crop Protectants have produced a highly effective, economical eco-flo dolomite in a 2litre hose-on pack which covers 800 sq. metres and any time NOW is perfect for application – the start of the growing season!  Eco-flo dolomite has seaweed added which is an obvious advantage to soil microbes and general soil/plant health.

The OCP range of products should be available at your local garden centre!

Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, “I was artificially inseminated this morning? “I don’t believe you,” says Dolly. “It’s true, no bull!” exclaims Daisy. 

SPECIAL OFFER FOR PRUNING ROSES … Without doubt, high-quality, sharp secateurs make the job easier on your hands and body but they’ll also guarantee a clean cut which will significantly reduce the incidence of die-back on rose stems.

Since we’re right in the middle of pruning season, we’d like to offer FREE-POST from now till the end of August on our quality LOWE secateurs ($59.50) and handy sharpener ($12.50) which we guarantee will make light work and your rose pruning will be a pleasurable experience for years to come!

If ordering online at www.rosesalesonline.com.au just select PICK UP FROM SILKIES ROSE FARM as the postage option and I will know to post your secateurs and sharpener for free!  You can also call me FRIDAY – MONDAY on 03 5787 1123 and I will process your order!

Hello dear rose friends … Graham found this lovely quote to share:

Which leads me to share this beautiful email after I sent a GIFT ROSE last week …

“Hi Diana – GOLDEN CELEBRATION rose arrived on time and our friend loved it. She was so excited when a large box was delivered, then opening it to find your beautifully wrapped rose, was even more thrilling. Her husband of 50 years has promised to dig a new rose garden as a home for GOLDEN.
All in all it was a great choice on our part to choose a rose as a gift and to choose your company to purchase it from and you, especially, as you have been so helpful and artistic.  Thanks Eileen”

Here is a pic of GOLDEN CELEBRATION where it flowers blissfully all season climbing at the side of our little ‘summer house’ … such a joyful rose with glorious fragrance, huge blooms with masses of golden petals throughout the flowering season …

“Hi Diana. Erin was thrilled with the SOUL SISTER Rose. Carla and I haven’t been able to catch up with her yet. We realise it probably looks like a collection of sticks but she has repeatedly messaged us saying how lovely it is. Thank you for however you presented it – Erin was blown away. We will recommend you where we can. Sincerely … Judith.”

SOUL SISTER
Such a wonderful, uniquely coloured rose of perfect form with a hint of sweet citrus fragrance … the bush is medium height, very healthy and can be relied upon for a long-lasting bunch of flowers perfect for a vase – lovely rose with a beautiful name!

Remember to go to www.giftroses.com.au when you need inspiration to find a perfectly named rose as a way of expressing your thoughts by gifting a beautiful rose plant which will offer the recipient a lasting memory of your love and care in their time of need!

Any rose bush listed at www.rosesalesonline.com.au can also be ordered as a GIFT ROSE when you follow the instructions.

GRA’s GARBLE …

(He places his ‘garble’ on a coloured sheet of paper beside my desk weekly and this one has a note at the side which says:  from YOUNG GRA … what is he thinking?  Possibly trying to convince himself that age 72 affords him holidays in the sun … my thought:  Not yet, sunshine, but definitely when this busy rose season is over and meantime, we’ll both keep on dreaming!)

Q.  Why are sausages so bad mannered?  A. They spit in the frypan

Never throw away your old shoes/boots – drill holes in the sole, fill them with potting mix and grow some lovely seedlings like alyssum, calendula, pansies or parsley – all these plants attract beneficial insects which will draw them away from the roses at flowering time.

For the fun of it, paint the shoes/boots and get your kids/grandkids involved in this wonderful outdoor project – beaut fun!

Q.  What did the green grape say to the purple grape?  A.  “breeeeeathe you idiot”

IN CLOSING … enjoy all the moments of your winter garden … it’s a time for pruning and shaping your garden for the glory of another rose flowering season – get down and dirty in your garden while the weather is cool …

ROSE RAMBLER … 16.7.2015 …

Hello dear rose friends … hardly a day this winter without sun shining through the clouds for at least part of the day has been ideal weather for potting the beautiful quality roses which we have in our nursery this season … until, of course, this past weekend!  BRRRR … lovely rain, sleet, hail – bring on the rain!

As the roses are potted, we always trim the roots so they’re not curled around but sit nicely on a mound of mix at the base and to the side of the pot then top up with our superb coir-fibre potting mix to which slow-release fertilizer is added to sustain the rapid growth of roots and leaves in their first months in a pot.  The newly potted roses are deep-soaked immediately after potting and require maybe weekly/fortnightly watering at the most!!!

DO NOT OVERWATER NEWLY PLANTED ROSE BUSHES!  This is so very, very important as roses are far more able to sustain quality flowering with MINIMAL water – they are very tough, resilient to periods of drought and very WATER-WISE plants so the worst thing you can do to any rose, whether newly planted or well-established, is over-watering!

GRA’S GARBLE …

This past week I’ve been busy keeping up with Diana’s rose potting by ensuring mineral rock-dust is lightly tossed over the potted roses then regular applications of seaweed solution is poured over them to offer the new growth between 3-5 degrees of protection from frosty conditions!

When all the roses are potted we commence our monthly organic rose management spray program in order to maintain healthy, robust foliage.

The program is:  to 10 litres of water add:

• ¼ cup Eco-rose (fungicide)
• ¼ cup Eco-oil (insecticide and ‘sticker/spreader’
• seaweed solution (follow pack directions of the product you use)

This spray program will ensure that aphids will be controlled at the larval stage and thus interrupt their ferocious breeding habits while the ladybirds are still slumbering and waiting for warm spring days.

Your garden is ALIVE when there are all types of insects and birds flitting around – it is IMPERATIVE that every rose garden should have some aphids and other insects.

The Eco-rose – yes, sprayed on bare sticks – will fall onto the soil surface where it will have impact on fungus spores – don’t bother with smelly Lime Sulphur – spray with Eco-rose/fungicide to protect your roses against black spot and powdery mildew!

Q.  What is the definition of a caterpillar?  A. A worm in a fur coat … I would rather have a worm than a caterpillar in my garden and in this weather, I would rather a fur coat than no coat – hope you’re rugged up in this cool blustery gust of winter!  Gra

ALL ABOUT ROSES …

Lots of emails from customers who have received their roses in the post – I have to say, I admire you all for venturing to purchase roses ‘on-line’ and I so hope that you are pleased with the quality I select – always THE BEST for you because I understand the risk you take!  Please take this advice as I’ve sent to Claire:

“I encourage you to remove at least half of the stems … yes, half!!!  I’m not kidding – if I could send them that way and not have people shocked by the short stems, I would have done it before they left here … we want our customers to think they’ve got value for money by sending the long-stemmed roses to them … please, please – go out tomorrow and cut them down to at least half and if you trust me, take away two thirds … put those sticks in the ground and you may grow some ‘cutting grown’ roses …fun!
Thanks Claire and please keep me posted if you need more advice … cheers … Diana”

from Claire:

I won’t be able to garden tomorrow (work) but I’ll try and mentally get to grips with cutting away those little buds of new growth along with the stems in the meantime. It seems so wrong!  Very best wishes, maybe one day I’ll be sending you photos of lovely blooms. Claire

My response: “I’m giggling… this really is funny … when people come to the nursery, I wait for them to pay for their roses then ask if they would like me to winter prune them … they gasp and some even get cheeky and ask for half their money back because now they’ve only got half what they paid for!  If I was courageous, I would cut all the roses before I send them but I would be inundated with complaints … can’t have that!!! 

What happens when you prune those long canes back about half?  Beautiful water shoots develop from the crown and you end up with a very sturdy bush with masses of flowers … get your head around it today while you work and do it when you next visit the roses!  Enjoy the experience and most especially, enjoy the results!  Cheers … Diana Sargeant

In the coming weeks as more of you order roses, the roses will come to you as cut-back, winter roses – take it as a compliment!  Your new roses have been root pruned and professionally winter pruned so they’re 100% guaranteed to grow exceptionally well in your garden.

Get into pruning your roses NOW… all the bushes and standards will appreciate being pruned with only 30cms of stem remaining – climbers love to be tied back to a frame and pruned according to what size you wish – old-fashioned roses just like to be trimmed by about one-third to one-half of the bush.

Remember that no matter what you do to the roses, apart from over-watering, they will forgive you and bloom again this spring!

Plant some sunshine yellow in your garden – here are a few of our highly recommended varieties … not necessarily in order of preference but all ‘must have’ roses!

FRIESIA
A very popular lime-yellow floribunda rose which produces clusters of gloriously fragrant blooms continually.  Glossy, dark green foliage compliments this robust bush which grows to around 1.2 metres tall – stunning rose which has been around forever!

CANDLELIGHT
Modern shrub rose of immensely high-health and free-flowering habit.  A medium height shrub 1.2 x 1.2, delightful planted as a group and the flowers are beautiful in the vase – stunning rose!

SHOOTING STAR
Indeed a beauty of creamy golden yellow glory with magnificently healthy foliage, abundance of flowers and lovely healthy shrub

MOLINEUX
Is a beautiful David Austin rose which lends itself to planting as a hedge-row or border for a massive display of continual bloom on a shrub 1.2 x 1.2 – delightful rose which changes colour throughout the season … lovely!

GOLD BUNNY
An old, old-time favourite which continues to delight with an amazingly free-flowering profusion – one of the first and most definitely the last rose to flower in gardens everywhere …!

ST. PATRICK
is one of the most endurable cut flower roses which enjoys a very hot, sunny position in your garden – perfect form, long stems of green buds which open to clotted creamy yellow – supreme rose in a warm climate ..

Enjoy contemplating which of these wonderfully sunny roses you would wish to order for planting in your garden this week … all orders through rosesalesonline.com.au which include one of the above highly recommended roses will receive a ‘FREE’ GOLDEN YELLOW ROSE with our compliments until next Rose Rambler on 23.7.2015.

You can suggest which FREE rose you would like in the COMMENTS section but otherwise, leave it to me and I will send you one of our BEST …

Cheers from Diana, Graham & Mooi at Clonbinane

ROSE RAMBLER … 9.7.2015 …

Hello dear rose friends … while many of you might be enjoying the winter school holidays, venturing further afield to warmer climates in the Northern Hemisphere or rugged up on the couch, be sure that we rose growers are head-down-bum-up and busy!

Standard roses and later budded yearlings will be dug and sorted, labelled and processed during the next two weeks.  It’s still winter so there is no need to be concerned about planting bare-rooted roses and if your garden bed hasn’t been prepared for planting, you have at least another 8 weeks to get sorted!

———————————————————————-

GRA’S GARBLE …

I have been planting some of the new release roses and I’m excited by how many worms are actively breeding in the upper layers of soil under the mulch and around the weeds which I’m pulling and feeding to my Langshan chooks who seriously think it is Christmas in July – they’re loving the weeds … leads me to this joke:

Q.  How can you tell which end of a worm is which?  A.  Tickle it in the middle and see which end laughs!

I recommend you use a garden fork when digging in the garden – much less risk of slicing through the worms – also gives you the opportunity of forking drainage holes into the side walls and base of a planting hole which will ensure the ability of roots to penetrate deep into nutrient rich sub-soil.

Just last weekend I pruned these magnificent roses:

TROPICAL SUNSET
A vigorous, healthy bush which produces glorious long-stemmed blooms suitable for a vase

HOMMAGE A BARBARA
One of the most durable rose blooms on the bush – we grow it as a hedge-rose along the entrance drive into the Rose Farm and it is stunning with a massive proliferation of the darkest red clusters of blooms continually

RED INTUITION
The longest stemmed rose of most perfect form – I grow it on a standard and can always pick a bunch for a vase inside

Call in during our open times and I’ll happily take you for a personal walk in the garden and pruning demonstration – bring your secateurs with you so that I can show you how to sharpen and clean your pruning equipment … remember, pruning is FUN … Gra

STANDARD ROSES – When you’re out pruning the standard roses, be sure to check the stakes and ties – this a most important task and should be maintained frequently in order to grow beautifully straight stems.

We use and recommend 20mm RIO ROD as the standard stake with VELCRO ONE-WRAP as the tie material – don’t even bother planting standard roses unless you budget for sturdy steel stakes and endurable ties!

ROSE RAMBLER … 2.7.2015 …

Hello dear rose friends … not just a new month but already the second half of the year and the winter solstice behind us so we move onto longer days – how time zooms on by!

—————————————————————

GRA’S GARBLE …

Some roses offer the amazing quality of flowering right into winter and here are a few I have noticed in the gardens here – they flowered despite frosty mornings and their fragrance was intense too –

CHARLES DE GAULLE
Possibly one of my favourite lilac-blue roses for perfect Hybrid Tea form, lovely open-shaped healthy foliaged bush which produces bunches of highly fragrant flowers which are long-lasting in a vase …

FIREFIGHTER
dark, rich red, intensely fragrant, perfectly formed blooms on very long, thornless stems (one for the blokes who detest thorns!).  The very tall bush is healthy but will love being positioned in the hottest part of your garden …

NAHEMA
I just LOVE this climbing rose because it continues to produce masses of highly fragrant soft-pink blooms on long thornless stems relentlessly!  It has unique curled foliage which is nothing to worry about and deserves planting as a free-standing shrub or climber shown here with KARDINAL (a perfect red rose with awesome qualities) and our rock cyclamen – what a glorious photo to share …

WINTER SUN
a healthy beast in the extreme – awesomely free-flowering bush which produces masses of creamy-yellow, perfectly formed blooms and is reliable for a bunch of lightly fragrant blooms for the vase throughout the season – Highly recommended rose!

DATES WHERE YOU CAN MEET US IN JULY …
BENALLA GARDEN CLUB – TUESDAY, JULY 7^TH – 7.00PM – CONTACT: valbobknaggs@westnet.com.au for more information
3CR RADIO – Graham will be on the panel this month – 7.30 – 9.15am SUNDAY, 12^TH JULY on 855 AM BAND radio – always interesting SUNDAY MORNING gardening talk-back radio
ROSE SOCIETY OF VICTORIA – Monthly meeting at St. James Anglican Church, Cnr. Burke Road and High Street, Glen Iris – 8.00 PM – CONTACT:  jacinta02@optusnet.com.au

There are more presentations later in July and I will advise those dates next week. Meantime, hope you’re enjoying getting out in the garden while the weather is so inviting to share time with the kids through these school holidays …

Cheers from Graham, Diana and Mooi at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane

Meantime, keep digging and dunging your new rose beds – roses love to go into prepared soil and you will be rewarded for many years with healthy, robust roses if you put a bit of effort into soil preparation NOW!

GRA’S GARBLE …

As the GIFT ROSE grows in popularity, let me give you a few suggestions for when you have an occasion in your life which offers the opportunity of telling your feelings by sending a beautifully gift wrapped rose along with a card inscribed with your own personal message and posted in a magnificently presented gift box.

There are way more suggestions on giftroses.com.au – go take a look but remember that there are no flowers on the roses now but they still look fabulous when beautifully gift wrapped and carded with your personal message by Diana!

Q. What do you get if you cross a tarantula with a rose?  A.  I’m not sure but I wouldn’t try smelling it!

I’ll be doing a ROSE PRUNING DEMONSTRATION – this SATURDAY AFTERNOON – 2.00pm see you there!  Gra

IN CLOSING …

If you’re considering having a ‘serious prune’ of your rose garden this year, let me suggest you contact eric@intergrow.com.au or phone: 0402 352 843 to book rose pruning this season … he’s ‘amazing’ on hedge pruning too!

HERE ARE THE DO’S …

• Dig a really rough hole (with a fork so you don’t slice the worms … ouch!) at least 45 x 45cm (like about the length of your boot plus a bit)
• Place the soil into a wheelbarrow and blend at least two shovels full of well composted medium to your existing soil
• Put a bucket of water in the hole and let it soak in – you could add seaweed solution if you want
• Fork the base and side walls of the hole so that the newly formed roots can easily penetrate the soil
• Make a mound of soil and spread the roots of your new rose over that mound; backfill with the soil/compost blend
• Tamp around the main stem with your boot so that the rose is very firmly planted right up to the bud union then add another layer of light soil
• Soak the entire area with the hose then pour a watering can of seaweed solution over the plant and surrounding soil
• Place layer of lucerne/pea straw mulch for about a square metre over the soil around the rose
• Prune each stem down to 20-30cms in length then stand back and admire that you have given this new rose every possible goodness to get on with flowering!

This is the crown/bud union/scion … plant right up to where you see Virginia’s finger!

HERE ARE THE DON’TS …

• DO NOT put fertilizer of any description in the planting hole as it might burn the newly forming roots
• DO NOT dig a perfectly square hole – rough walls allow roots and water to easily penetrate even heavy clay soils
• DO NOT OVERWATER – if you soaked the soil to an absolute slurry at planting then watered over with seaweed solution, the rose should not require much water until shoots start to appear and even then, check soil moisture before watering no less than 20 litres per rose, per week – at each watering – deep soaking to root zone!

Q.  What do you call a skeleton that doesn’t get out of bed?  A.  (Easy peasy) LAZY BONES!

WEEDS FOR FERTILIZER …

Yes, put all your garden weeds into a hessian bag (except the creepy-crawlies like couch grass just to be on the safe side!) and dunk the bag into a wheelie bin or other 30-40 litre receptacle with a lid – place in a sunny location away from the house!  It might stink!!!  Leave the bag soaking for at least three weeks.

Put 2-3 litres of brew into a watering can then fill it with water and pour liberally over garden beds and plants at least once a month – you could add seaweed powder/solution.

Since worms are in their breeding season from May to October, they will love this liquid feed; soil microbes will be increased and residual fertilizer is made readily available to plant roots by this application.

Grab a copy of a MOON PLANTING GUIDE which will indicate when is the most effective time to remove weeds from your garden and then use the weeds to productively increase the micro-culture of your soil – your roses and veggies will grow superbly!!!

Q.  Why did the skeleton run up a tree?  A.  Because the dog wanted his bones

This Sunday morning I’ll be on 3CR radio (855 AM band Melbourne) from around 8.00 and I would be pleased to take a call from you (03) 9419 8377 or (03) 9419 0155 then come along to a pruning demo in the afternoon at 2.00pm SUNDAY 14^TH JUNE at SILKIES ROSE FARM.

There will be pruning demonstrations here at the Rose Farm continually through June/July and August – stay posted for a date in every edition of this R/R – see you soon … Gra

IN THE ROSE NURSERY …

Thank you all for purchasing our stunning quality bare-rooted roses – please prune all the roses we are sending to you … they look like this when they arrive (we’re just bragging by selling them so BIG)

We urge you to prune them to 20-30cms stems when you plant them so they look like this which is what we do when we pot them:

No secrets anymore, we’ve started pruning … I suppose on the one hand you might say:  “if we don’t start now, how do we ever get the job done with such a lot of roses to prune?” but there’s also the variables of the weather to contend with – if we prune late, the new shoots may be damaged by severe October/November frost – there might be early frosts and we could be caught out … what the heck, we’re both ‘head down, bum up’ at every opportunity – come and watch us … and select some of the most amazingly beautiful bare-rooted roses while you’re here …