Hello dear rose friends as we have experienced cooler nights, warmer days but hello? Where is the rain?
GRA’S GARBLE …
This RR will be lots of information exchange via emails – grab a cuppa and enjoy the read after this:
Q. What can you catch but never throw? A. A cold! Do take care as we know there is a nasty flu going around which causes seriously achey-achey bones!
Subject: Important of Mulch
“Hi – When we came up on Monday to buy a rose we noticed your fabulous mulch. Would you mind telling me where you got it from? Many thanks in advance – Liz”
Hi Liz … which mulch??? On her garden beds, Diana uses pea straw – I use ordinary barley/wheat/oat straw on my beds and then we get mulch delivered from arborists when they’re in the area and lay eucy mulch predominantly over paths but when the eucy mulch is well-rotted, we also use it to place over rose garden beds – when you were here, our team were spreading mulch over a garden bed on the eastern side – that was eucy mulch delivered more than 12 months ago and now ok to spread both over paths and that particular garden bed which still had a good layer of pea straw.
We’re in drought-mode and every single bit of moisture we apply must be retained … mulch is the only way to achieve that result! It was lovely to see you on Monday … take care and best wishes …
Subject: Madame Alfred Carriere Rose
Hi Diana, I need some help with my MADAME ALFRED CARRIERE Rose. In September, it will be two years old and has only ever been trimmed when it becomes very “leggy”. However, in late summer the rose has had a huge growth spurt. Also, it hasn’t flowered very well this season even though I have followed your instructions to the letter. Attached are several pictures of the rose showing its current state and, one, showing the method by which the wires are set into the wall to support it. Can you offer any advice or suggestions, please? Thank you, Beverley
Hello … it’s almost like your home isn’t big enough to cope with this magnificent rose – let it scramble along the eaves – even over the roof (if you’re game!) because when you see this rose on an English homestead, the house is usually more than two storeys high and then MME ALFRED CARRIERE is seen at her most absolute best!
Ongoing maintenance of this rose is to NOT cut it but rather take the canes and spread them around the window and perhaps along another wall or walls of your home. Some climbing roses will not flower until they have truly established themselves … hope this is helpful …
Hi Diana, My name is Janette and I bought some roses from you last year. I bought 2 GERTRUDE JEKYLL – climber and 2 EARTH ANGEL. They have grown so well, GJ is now over 6 foot tall and still growing, an amazing season. EA is over a metre wide and tall and is still flowering and growing.
I have a LAMARQUE climber which has put on amazing growth on a fence, but it’s not flowered much. I followed your feeding programme on all the roses through spring and summer with Eco products but have tapered off in the last couple of weeks once the cooler temperatures arrived. Maybe it’s just decided to put lots of growth on and will produce masses of flowers next spring. Do you have any advice? Kind regards – Janette
Hi Janette … lovely that your roses are doing so well … your final comment is the answer to what’s happening with LAMARQUE – don’t prune it and you will have spectacular masses of blooms next season … cheers and enjoy!
Subject: Re: Delicious Miniature Rose
Hi Gra and Diana, Just to let you know that DELICIOUS and GRA’S BLUE arrived this morning alive and undamaged. I was worried after having temps in the high thirties Monday and Tuesday. I applaud your packing and care taken during preparation as they were in transit for nearly a week and their potting mix was still damp. Thanks again, Louise.
“Thanks Louise … oh, believe me, we tuck them in and give them our very best wishes before we release them to Auspost for transit! There have been a few disasters just very, very recently and yes, it’s been hot! Lovely that your two beauties arrived a little ‘ruffled’ perhaps but they’ll recover very quickly and get on with flowering through autumn.
Enjoy these two very special roses in your garden! Cheers”
GRA’S BLUE AND DELICIOUS AFTER 7 DAYS IN TRANSIT
ROSES AFTER TRANSIT…
Here’s what some recent consignments of roses looked like on arrival to a NSW destination:
Hi … plants which arrived yesterday are all beautiful and very healthy – Robyn
Q. How do you know when the moon has had enough to eat? A. When it’s full!
CULTURAL NOTES FOR BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN ROSES …
- As long as the daytime heat continues to stay around 25 degrees, the sun will burn-off mildew and black spot issues;
- When it’s possible to spray the organic rose management program – DO IT – cold night temperatures will increase potential of disease event;
- Remove spent flowers quicker than normal and perhaps take shorter stems when you prune – we want fast repeat flowering as we near winter;
- Fertilize the entire garden NOW – use a quality (organic) fertilizer with a good range of major nutrients but also take a look at the pack and see there are lots of minerals and trace elements – don’t buy just ANYTHING – buy the BEST!
- Regular seaweed applications will toughen your roses – will enhance and increase numbers/size of bloom/intense colour and generally get the roses ready for winter dormancy – tough roses with lots of foliage will be better able to tolerate extreme cold conditions.
Not bragging but in closing, if you haven’t already planted GRA’S BLUE then you had best order one or more NOW – the plants look sensational and we heard from a customer this morning that she proudly benched GRA’S BLUE at a rose show in NSW and won a ribbon – SECOND PRIZE – she was so tickled pink that she ordered more today!
GRA’S BLUE
GRA’S BLUE – MULTI-AWARD WINNING modern patio/miniature rose of incredible beauty, fragrance and proven disease-resistance.
- Delightful medium sized shrub
- Exotic, spicy and fruity fragrance
- Very healthy and low maintenance
- Lavender/mauve blooms continually
Have a great week in your garden knowing the roses will tough-out this incredibly dry period and continue to flower if you give them just 20 litres of water per week!
See you at Clonbinane soon … cheers – Graham, Diana and Mooi