What a week it’s been … glorious sunshine, daffodils flowering the best they’ve ever been, amazing camellias, fruit trees blossoming and our roses bursting forth with magnificent healthy foliage.
This is a great time to select roses for the colour of their foliage. It’s not ALL about flowers because as Gra often says in his ‘garble’ … more foliage = more flowers and there are some roses which I would grow just for their prolific, colourful and graceful foliage!
The flowers are a bonus on those varieties. Take a look at these!
As Good As It Gets – incredibly glossy foliage and I can just imagine the breeder taking stock of his seedling and proclaiming the name of his beautiful rose by saying, “Well, this is as good as it gets!”
In our 36 years of rose-growing, we’ve not seen a rose with such magnificent foliage. The flower happens to be truly lovely too! SHOP NOW!
Twilight Glow – So frequently, when talking about this rose, which is on an arbour along the centre walk-way in the nursery, I say to customers, “If it never flowered, I would grow it for its foliage!” Beautiful lime green, glossy, serrated foliage clothes the climbing canes from the base upwards. The flower is, incidentally, stunning too! SHOP NOW!
R. chinensis ‘Mutabilis’ – has dark crimson foliage and wood which is a brilliant foil for the masses of apricot/pink/crimson blooms. We call this the ‘butterfly rose’ because the single-petalled flowers wave in the breeze. It's a lovely rose for a hedge-row or to fill a corner … so pretty! SHOP NOW!
SUPPORT FOR AUSPOST
There are still a few parcels missing but on the whole, we understand the enormous pressure with people ordering EVERYTHING online and having it posted rather than venture to the shops.
Here are a few recent emails:
"Hi there, My roses arrived safely in good condition, thanks to you and to Australia Post, which for us in Birregurra has been amazing.
Granted, we probably do have the best Post Office in Australia, staffed by the incredible George and Heather, who have helped hold our little community together for nearly three decades and never more than during this pandemic. They know everyone and work tirelessly. As an example, last year in the middle of the long lockdown, George had a heart event and was hospitalised. Heather sifted through the mountains of parcels on her own and didn’t miss a beat. Fortunately, she didn’t have to do much cooking, as many of us dropped off home cooked meals for her and George during his recuperation. Our post office and our general store are the lynch pins of our community. Heather knows how important the condition of the live plants is and will call me if I am slow to collect. Not saying Australia Post is perfect, but in general, what a lifesaver they have been during the pandemic-and George and Heather don’t get fancy gold watches from their CEO!!! When my roses have bloomed, I will take them a bunch.
Regards, Maryjane"
In response, I asked Maryjane to pick a bunch of her flowers and say a huge “Thank You” to George and Heather from us too!
This story is staggering
"My rose arrived about a week after we went on holidays. We discovered it still on our front verandah when we arrived home a month later… had been thinking it had been planted so got a shock thinking it would be dead. On opening it had lots of little green shoots so decided to give it a go. It is absolutely thriving now in the ground. Just wanted to let you know so you can pass on. Regards Colleen"
Another successful delivery
"Hello Graham and Diana, I discovered your Rose farm only recently. I placed my first order for 6 climbing roses on a Saturday, they arrived, in perfect condition the following Wednesday. I was so impressed with the care taken with packaging I ordered more the following Monday, again, my order arrived on Wednesday of that week.
It is worth mentioning that I live in outback NSW!"
Silkies Rose Farm will be my absolute go to rose mail order favourite! I have highly recommended you to all of my gardening friends! Thank you so much … Dianne"
ISSUES WITH NEW FOLIAGE
Debra sent a pic of her rose which had been potted for several weeks but wasn’t sprouting. I suggested she cut it back by 2/3rds, soak with seaweed solution every day for a week and this is what she wrote this week.
"Hello So happy to share an update on the advice you gave us. Thank you for helping, it’s given us confidence to make sure our order you delivered to our door, so much appreciated you doing that too. When we get some beautiful weather and go for a drive, we hope to pop in your area. Thanks again – Debra"
JOKE THIS WEEK:
Carrots might be very good for your eyes but they hurt like heck when you push them in!
In closing, this lovely email from Yvonne …
“ … when the roses are all in bloom and their perfume fills the early morning air, it makes the effort and care so worthwhile.
Early in the morning, when I spray the roses, people living in our street often stop and say how much they enjoy the roses and their perfume as they walk along the street. In the rose season, I regularly leave cut flowers in an old ice-cream container near the letter box, and by lunch time, they have all been taken. I have received notes “thank you for the rose; it made my day” in the letter box.
Yes, roses have a positive effect on people, and we all need that in these trying and difficult times with the lockdowns and restrictions. Yours in roses, Yvonne."
Have a happy springtime week in your garden! Cheers from Graham, Diana and Mooi from the glorious gardens at Clonbinane