ROSE RAMBLER 30th JANUARY 2025

ROSE RAMBLER 30th JANUARY 2025

30th Jan 2025

Edition 30th January, 2025

We’re already saying goodbye to the first month this year and yet when we speak with folks, we’re still wishing them a Happy New Year … bizarre!

We trust you enjoyed the Australia Day celebrations in your locality and there’s no more lazy mornings now with kids off to school again and life returns to ‘normal’ … whatever that might be at your place!
There are issues in WA with CHILLI THRIP and in case you have issues, we’ve reached out to our colleague, Steve Falcioni, at Organic Crop Protectants for his professional advice. Here are the products he recommends:
OCP eco-pyrethrum PLUS
OCP eco-insect killer
“Both work on contact so you’ll need to be very thorough when spraying. Definitely not an easy task I know for thrips.

I have heard of some people using Yates Success Ultra because soaks into the foliage and provide some residual protection against pests. Note that it’s not registered for this thrips species and is also not organic.”
Since we don’t stock the recommended products here at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane, please purchase online and know that if you subscribe to www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au you’ll receive regular and updated information about products and services provided by OCP.

Steve regularly contributes articles in Gardening Australia and other magazines so look out for his informative presentations – we’re ever so pleased that “Mr. Bugs Australia”, as we call him, is on our team!
JOKE FOR THE WEEK
“What were you before you came to school, girls and boys?” asked the teacher hoping that someone would say “babies”.

She was disappointed when all the children cried out, “HAPPY!”
WATERING POTTED ROSES ADEQUATELY …
It is gravely concerning that when we chat with customers about what’s going on with their potted roses, they frequently tell us that they water them just once or twice a week … SERIOUSLY, NOT OK!

If you have potted plants, you need to treat them as if you had a pet! Daily attention – no you don’t need to walk your plants but you need to give them daily watering (preferably in the morning so the foliage doesn’t stay wet overnight) and although you don’t need to feed them every day or twice a day, as you would your pet, you definitely need to fertilize them at least FORTNIGHTLY!

Once a fortnight, you might use seaweed solution and liquid fertilizer, the next fortnight, you could use a solid pellet fertilizer. Here’s a pic of a plant in need of attention and you might well have one of these in a pot at your place …
Having a garden of pots is delightful and can be your source of peace and quiet – a place to go when the world around you is chaotic. Go there and tend those pots with daily watering, frequently liquid fertilize/tonic them and always have your secateurs on hand for trimming and harvesting a bunch of flowers for your work bench!
EVERY SINGLE ROSE PLANT IS OK TO RETAIN IN A POT …
just know which variety will work for you and give you the greatest pleasure. Then, also know that potted roses will possibly be smaller in size than if they were planted in the open garden.

They’ll definitely flower as frequently as anything in the garden but you MUST afford your potted rose plants the attention they deserve to give you the greatest delight!
HAVE A GIGGLE ...
Q. What are three famous poles?
A. North, south and tad …
HOLLYHOCK SEEDS …
It honestly never occurred to us that this offer to post seed would be so popular – last time we posted letters to customers in 2012, it cost 60 cents per envelope.

Now it actually costs $1.50 per envelope so we hope those 66 of you who received a pack of no less than 20 seeds do this exercise justice by planting the Hollyhock seeds during autumn so they can establish well over winter and you’ll see flowers this summer.

If you have a special plant in your garden that you would like to share with us, please send us some of your seeds – the joy of sharing in gardening!

Thank you for taking part – it’s been a joy to send our seeds to you and we’ve learned so much about how this Rose Rambler works so it’s also been an unintentional exercise in marketing and advertising which is valuable for our business – again, thank you!
A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE …
when we did a survey months ago, some mentioned they’d like to have an insight to our history in this rose business … here’s a photo from front cover of Town and Country Farmer magazine in June, 2018 – we’re all still here and you may well be able to access the article and beautiful photos taken back then!
Enjoy this coming week with everything to look forward to … back to school, back to work, last month of summer starting and renewed interest in your potted plants!

Have a great week and we’ll have a super-duper special offer next week …