Rose Rambler: 7th July 2023 - Tips for Pruning Roses

7th Jul 2023

Tips for Pruning Roses

The rain is persistent however, we had three great days and dug thousands of roses which are now in the shed ready to be sorted, graded, labelled and then we’ll get them here, place pictorial labels on them and get them packed and ready to post you – this might be another two or three weeks!

Please remember that winter lasts for three months and we’re not even half- way through the season – although we’ve got several thousand roses here already, we’re waiting on many varieties to complete orders. Appropriate that we heed the advice of one of England’s great gardeners …

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.”

Gertrude Jekyll

… With hundreds of parcels being posted each week, soon enough, you’ll receive tracking notification that your roses are on the way. When they arrive and you excitedly open the pack, please know that we pack at least 4-7 roses in each bundle and neatly wrapped, sealed tightly so they remain damp during transit.

Many people send emails or phone us to say … Hi, Just seeing if the second rose in my order (Shirley's rose) is being sent separately. The Soul Sister rose just arrived in excellent condition, so thank you very much for that. Regards, Judith

My response to Judith: When you open the pack, you’ll see two roses … enjoy!

Rather embarrassed, Judith emailed to say she had two roses!

A giggle for you ...

Q: Which side of the chicken has the most feathers?
A: The outside!

Tips for Pruning Roses

We won’t be pruning our gardens for some weeks yet because the soil is sodden.

When I get the urge to prune a rose or two, I take a few pads of straw with me and lay them down where I need to stand to avoid soil compaction.
I always have a wheelbarrow beside me to be sure that all trimmings go directly into the barrow and NOT left on the ground to cause a whole other set of ‘ouch’ issues later in the season!
This season I’m using water-proof leggings over my trousers to avoid getting my knees wet … gotta take care as my bones get older!
When I gather up my gear to go pruning, I’ve got a sharp pair of secateurs, sharp lopper and pruning saw just in case – nothing worse than being half-way through the job and finding you have to go back to the shed – that or leave the job half-done!

The pruned rose garden looks amazing – all neat and tidy, ready for the next season which will be here in a flash, no doubt.

Fragrant Hybrid Tea Bundle

If you’re urgently wanting to plant three of the most fragrant, beautifully tall Hybrid Tea roses which are perfect for cut-flower arrangements in your home all season, this bundle is ideal …

Apology

Last week we offered our Organic Rose Management UPGRADE pack which included postage but many of you were billed $16.65 so we’ll be in touch with you for your bank details in order to refund this amount. If you paid with PayPal, you’ll see the refund in your account directly.

Once detected, the oversight was corrected and since many of you might have noted the over-charge and so didn’t take advantage of the upgrade, I’ll leave the offer available for another week.

A giggle for you ...

Q: What do you get if you cross a chicken and a caterpillar?
A: Drumsticks for everyone!

Stay warm and well … both Janelle and Diana succumbed to the flu so Ben, Jason, Graham and Mooi have held the fort … just as well we’re a team who can cover for each other if/when necessary.

Best wishes from us all here at Silkies Rose Farm, Clonbinane.