Hello Dear Rose Friends,
We prepare the trenches again for our bare-rooted roses which start to arrive at Silkies Rose Farm this weekend and as quickly as ever, a whole new rose season is upon us.
It’s sometimes hard to believe that we purchased our first bare-rooted roses from wholesale growers in 1986, a massive 36 years ago. Despite being just 6 years old, our son Eric was helpful at tying pictorial tags and my Mum came from Melbourne each year to help me pot the roses in the depth of cold winter days at Kilmore. Gra still worked full time as Health Surveyor at our local Shire of Kilmore until 1989.
What great memories we have of those early years of developing our business, sharing with our family and first customers, the passion we still have for gardening and the world’s most popular flower – the rose!
I’m reminded to suggest to you that “For Love of A Rose” by Antonia Ridge is a book so worth reading that I read it once again this recent holiday. It's a beautiful story of the Meilland Family who raised the “Peace” rose and how several rose-growing families became united through marriage and passion for roses.
Peace Rose Bundle
This week’s special pack of roses will include the following roses as we hope and pray that peace will be restored quickly in Ukraine and other parts of the world where conflict prevails. All the roses were bred by Meilland, France. Just $90 (including pack/post) SHOP NOW!
- Peace
- Spirit of Peace
- Father of Peace, Francis Meilland
Here was I thinking we might have a week or two ‘off’ before the new season started but the 2-year old roses were ready to be dug so we’re into the new season. The yearlings still need a few days of intensely cold weather before they’re dug which means the season may stretch out for a bit longer than usual because it’s been so mild.
That’s OK too because if we have to hold your roses until we have your entire order all together for one posting. They’re safely heeled in our bare-rooted trenches and they can stay there for weeks and weeks.
Just repeating, standard roses are always dug last, late July at the earliest from many years of experience. You can plant bare-rooted roses throughout the entire three months of winter and even into September/October!
A giggle to make you smile...
Q: What do you get when you cross a mad sheep with an angry cow?
A: You get an animal in a very baaaaaaad moooooood!
Creating a Planting Hole for New Roses
Recent rain means the soil is moist so start preparing holes, using a garden fork (you’ll be less likely to slice the worms who are breeding NOW). Lift soil into a wheelbarrow to create a rough-edged hole approximately 50 x 50 cms. To this soil, blend a few decent shovels full of compost/well-rotted manure and once you’ve forked holes into the base and side wall of the hole (if your soil is heavy clay, apply gypsum at this point). Return all the soil to the hole and water over with seaweed solution and a light straw or leaves mulch over the top. Yes, there will be a mound. It will settle with fortnightly applications of seaweed solution or can be used more lightly spread as a mulch when new roses are planted.
General Rose Maintenance Prior to Winter
Remove spent rose blooms. They’re puff-balls of mould and don’t look so great so removing them will make the plants look neat. We don’t recommend pruning yet! Wait until all the foliage is gone as this makes pruning so very much easier because all branches are visible.
Potting New Roses this Winter
If you’re planning to pot-up your new roses this winter rather than plant them in a garden bed, organise pots at least 35-40cms diameter (BIGGER would be better for climbing roses). Be sure to include quality potting mix, Eco-seaweed, fertilizer and the other eco-products for organic rose management (eco-oil, eco-fungicide). This ensures you’ve got everything ready for when your roses arrive.
Posting New Roses this Winter
Please know that we will get your roses to you as quickly as possible! We urge you not to call us as you will receive a tracking notification when the roses are delivered to our local Australia Post Office at Wandong, Vic. 3758. If you need to phone please note new phone number.