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.