Hello Dear Rose Friends,
The first month of spring is already gone and this coming weekend we’ll post the very last bare-rooted roses of this season – you’ve got around 24 hours to place your final bare-rooted rose order!
What a pleasure it was this past weekend to post out the last bundle of bare-rooted roses which were all nicely pruned back, ready to plant and grow in your gardens for years to come.
I must say, I felt truly proud as the bundle contained four of our most healthy, robust and high-royalty roses. Many years ago when I was asked to donate a rose for a local charity, a wise friend suggested I go up the yard and select the very best rose I could find.
Whenever we offer a ‘free rose’ or donate to local organisations, you can be sure we’re giving away the very best so we trust you’ll enjoy the FREE ROSE we posted - David Austin Rose, Sharifa Asma - it’s an absolute beauty!
With heightened expectation, we long for our magnificent roses to commence flowering – for us here at Clonbinane, it will be a while yet as it continues to be cloudy and it rains - roses love lots of warm sunshine.
With the potting almost completed, we can take a break… Um, I don’t think so!
There’s lots to do in the garden now while we wait for our roses to flower… Daffodils and camellias are finishing their magnificent display, tulips are still awesome as were the blossoms of our various fruit trees. Pansy and calendula borders are delightful and will offer food for ladybirds and other predator insects while they wait for aphids as their most delectable diet!
A giggle for you …
Q: What bird is with you at every meal?
A: A swallow!
Potted Gift Roses
If you missed the deadline for posting bare-rooted roses, don’t despair, we’ll be posting our ‘instant garden’ potted roses until May next year. Six pots can be packed in one consignment saving you lots of $$’s on postage!
Start thinking about ordering roses for Christmas gifts – give the gift that keeps on giving – a potted rose is undoubtedly just that! Since we got them potted very early this season, here are a few varieties which are almost flowering to consider gifting NOW!
Delightfully fragrant roses which are in our supremely high-health range and sure to give many years of joy to the recipient!
Weed Management
Lawns are lush and require constant mowing when we can get the mowers into sodden areas and weeds. They’re rampant and on many, we can already see the seed heads which is alarming – “one year of seed, seven years of weed” is a term I remember reading over and over. So, what is a weed?
In general terms, a weed is any plant growing where it is not wanted – did you know that in some municipal areas, species roses such as R. canina, R. multiflora and others are listed as noxious weeds?
These species of roses were used as ‘understock’ for many years and unfortunately, due to neglect or circumstances like fire or flood, the budded rose perished yet the understock prevailed and produced rose hips which birds and other animals enjoyed eating and then pooped-out thus creating a ‘weed’!
I urge you to be cautious with weed management:
- Never use glyphosate-based products in or around your rose gardens
- Check labels and follow directions on any weedicide or chemical products
- Thoroughly rinse all spray equipment used for chemical weed control
- Damp newspaper and mulch will inhibit most weeds seasonally
SLASHER by Organic Crop Protectants is a great organic and ‘safe’ weedicide but is only effective in dry/sunny conditions.
Remember, weed varieties are seasonal so when one weed has been eradicated using SLASHER or any chemical weedicide, another weed will prevail and need further attention.
One more giggle ...
Q: What happened when the duck saw a ghost?
A: He was quacking in his boots!
We hope you have time out with your children these school holidays, enjoy all the moments and be sure to share some of that precious time in your garden together…Cheers from the team at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane.