ROSE RAMBLER 24.3.2016 …
Hello dear rose friends who are regular readers and sincere welcome to those who are new to our ramblings – we hope you enjoy all the ‘stuff’ we share to make your gardening experience happy and fruitful!
GRA’S GARBLE …
Q. How do you make a goldfish old? A. Take away the ‘G’ …
if you take the ‘G’ away from my name, you’d call me ‘RA’ – my new rose ‘GRA’S BLUE’ wouldn’t quite be the same called ‘RA’S BLUE’ – glad I’m not old or a goldfish!!!
So, you’re planning a new rose garden? Before you do ANYTHING, take a good look up, down, all around; check where the sun is throughout the seasons (yes, it is always different and daylight saving also needs to be considered). Most importantly, will the sun shine for NO LESS THAN 5 HOURS on your roses throughout the flowering season? This is SO important!!!
Equally important is to check where large trees are growing around your garden … out on the nature strip maybe? Don’t even contemplate trying to establish a new rose garden where there is a huge tree within 5 metres of your planned garden because the established tree will take all of the water, nutrients and sunshine – here is a copy of email consultation this past week …
“Thank you for your wonderful newsletter which I look forward to! I have a question that’s been on my mind for some time! This winter I planted several bare rooted roses, all of which are flourishing except the ones in my front yard, beside each other. They have blossomed only a couple of times and they are verrrry slow to grow unlike the others in the back. We do get sun in the morning, and I have been using seasol and rose fertiliser but I have no idea why they aren’t growing more. Is there anything I can do? Many thanks!”My response: “Hi Vanessa … I’ll bet there’s a large tree somewhere close by … maybe on the nature strip??? If the roses fail to perform with all your caring, lift them, dig way, way, way larger holes this winter and replant or take them out the back to enjoy them there! Please let me know whether this is right …”
Conclusively from Vanessa: Thanks Gra. They’re probably about 4-5metres away from the tree on the nature strip. I thought maybe it was the soil because we have two other roses nearby out the front and those have been in longer and blossomed profusely this spring and summer but the bushes themselves are very small and haven’t grown much either. I was hoping the two I mentioned in my email (which are climbers) would be able to climb up the facade of my house. Thanks for the suggestions I’ll try replanting in winter!”
My response: “It is the result of tree root competition! The older roses and tree ‘grew up together’ and adapted … don’t move those oldies just don’t expect newly planted roses to grow in that location and perform robustly … the tree is now the DOMINANT in that location!
Here’s a picture of a magnificent rose we sent this past winter – DUBLIN BAY, the most magnificent red climbing rose was planted at the foot of a huge eucalyptus tree … didn’t have a hope of growing in that location …
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a camera above ground which showed exactly where those tree roots are, indicate an ideal space where we could plant a new rose so it would be happy to get on with growing between the tree roots … now there’s an invention for somebody to work on!?!
Q. How do you stop someone eating your last chocolate? A. Eat it first – don’t eat too much chocolate this Easter weekend – buy a rose instead! Enjoy the time to catch up with family and friends, have a bit of time in the garden or maybe take a drive out here to Clonbinane … Gra
ART & ROSES TOURS …
If you’re planning a visit to our region on the weekend of 9th/10th April and you have a group, please contact me NOW so that you are eligible for the TRAVEL SUBSIDY of $10 per person when more than 12 attend in a group.
Bookings for this great weekend close on WEDNESDAY, 31ST MARCH – please call Diana 5787 1123 or email: info@rosesalesonline.com.au to register your booking.
MORE NEW RELEASE ROSES FOR 2016 …
These three will definitely excite you with their intense colour and extreme health and vigour …
Descriptions of all the NEW RELEASE 2016 roses are available at www.rosesealesonline.com.au and you can always call the Rose Farm any FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY and MONDAY to discuss your order or for design consultancy which we will discuss in greater detail next week!
Lovely to see that lots of customers are taking advantage of the great special offer
EVERY ROSE ORDER OVER $100 SELECT ONE FREE ROSE – ENDS 31.ST MARCH
Winter roses will be posted from late May until end August so get your orders in NOW!
Have a happy Easter time with friends and family, enjoy the school holidays too …
We are closed on GOOD FRIDAY
but open the usual 9am – 4.30pm on
SATURDAY, SUNDAY & on EASTER MONDAY!
see you soon at Clonbinane …
