Edition 6th February, 2025

7th Feb 2025

HELLO DEAR ROSE FRIENDS ...

Yes, it’s been very, very hot here at Clonbinane – we understand and try to consider the complex and varied climatic diversity when we share information through our Rose Rambler and I guess the one thing we continue to harp on is to WATER WISELY and MULCH the soil. Offer your plants regular applications of SEAWEED solution and FERTILIZER (only if the plants are irrigated during hot weather!) and TRIM CONSTANTLY.

Over to me to break this down … WATER WISELY – as mentioned in last week’s RR, you need to treat your potted roses almost as pets with daily attention but in the soil, you need to deep-soak the plants to ensure moisture goes to the rootzone where it is used by plants.

Leaving drippers on for short bursts even twice a day means the water is only on the upper surface of the soil and plants can and will perish with such a watering regime. Also, it’s incredibly wasteful of our precious water resources!

It goes without saying that a layer of MULCH over the soil will preserve any water you apply to your garden and keep soil temperature even which plants love – we use and highly recommend pea straw but any kind of mulch is better than none at all!

No matter which SEAWEED product you use, don’t leave it as an ornament on the bench in the shed – dilute it to a solution and pour it regularly over your plants as a tonic – it is NOT fertilizer. We use and highly recommend Fair Dinkum SEAWEED gold.

Potted roses require fortnightly applications of FERTILIZER in the form of liquids or pellets at least monthly. In the garden, we distribute COMPLETE ORGANIC FERTILIZER at least once every three months. It is imperative to note that if you do not irrigate your garden beds, you MUST NOT ADD FERTILIZER but rather, wait for rain!

Have your secateurs in a pouch and take them with you each time you go to the garden so you can constantly TRIM, TRIM, TRIM spent flowers or have a bucket of water with you and take a bunch of flowers back to the house for a vase – ah, the joy!

Roses which are not watered will automatically shut down and in this state of waiting for rain, you don’t even need to trim them but they will survive for sure.

PRE-ORDERING BARE-ROOTED ROSES FOR WINTER …

We are receiving lots of emails about ordering roses for winter – please rest-assured we have lots and lots of roses which are growing in the fields to be dug in May ready for posting to you during winter this year.

There’s no need to panic – YOU WON’T MISS OUT! If there’s an issue with a particular variety, we’ll know very soon and advise immediately. Meantime, we’re busy uploading our New Release Roses for 2025 and will open our online store for pre-ordering at the end of February as we don’t like to hold your $$$’s for months on end when it’s completely unnecessary to do so!

HAVE A GIGGLE ...

The ‘Serious Joke Book’ published in 1995 has some truly funny stories but I liked this one to share this week …

Grandpa was proud of his garden and when it was admired by visitors he would say the key to his fine crop was “manure, manure, manure”.

His daughter was embarrassed and asked her Mum “can’t you make Dad call it fertilizer?” Her reply: “It took us years to get him to say ‘manure’!”

FROM A REAL PROBLEM ROSE TO A BEAUTY …

It’s wonderful that through this RR we’re able to solve issues that rose gardeners have … whether you’re a novice or expert, we’re here to help you grow beautiful roses and Pam took our advice.

After your advice, I went into emergency response mode, gave it a good feed and watered it daily and still am sure to the heat and that it is potted. I only pruned it lightly because as being new to rose growing, l wasn't sure where to make the cuts or if l need to cut blunt or in an angle But it has responded beautifully to the attention. I gave it a good serve of osomocote slow release rose fertiliser and then applied diluted seasol weekly. I am so happy for your advice and that my lovely David Austin ‘Heritage’ is happy again and due to bloom again soon.

My rose is a lot happier thanks to your expert advice.

Looking forward to increasing my rose garden … Jennifer

SUPER-SPECIAL GROUND-COVERING OFFER …

Buy these magnificent ground-covering roses and we’ll send ONE ‘GRA’S BLUE’ FREE … $127.50 plus pack post.

You might want three of the same variety ground cover and that’s fine – just let us know in the comments section of your order … use these beautiful roses to fill gaps around the garden – all super disease-resistant and very, very free-flowering.

We are thinking of our gardening friends in Queensland who are experiencing flooding rain and reaching out to say we’re holding your rose orders over until the weather improves and our roses are safe to travel to you once again. To gardeners in western Victoria where fires are raging, we are thinking of you too. If we can assist in any way with recovery of your garden, please reach out. Meantime, stay safe!

Best wishes to you all as we trawl our way through the hottest month of the gardening calendar – nothing lasts forever!

Love from us here at Clonbinane and we trust we’ll see you again soon …