Spring has sprung, the weeds has ris….

Our poppies have flowered a bit earlier this year.

Poppies with our OP Tea Rose "Katherine Lee"

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Gorgeous pink for both tea rose and poppies, Balinbear. I haven't heard of this tea rose - is she an Australian find?

No "Katherine Lee" is my daughter and the rose is one of our babies as well.

It was grown from an open pollinated Mme Lambard seed. I think it was crossed with the Beauty of Glenhurst that was growing next to her. The foliage is very much like a china. It has grown to about 1.2 high and similar width. It flowers quite freely and the flowers have a decent scent to them as well. The flowers tend to nod a bit though.

We have another one grown from another seed from the same hip but it is not as nice.

It looks like a lovely rose. What does OP stand for?

Debbie, it is "open pollinated", meaning the bees done it, not Gary.

Ah, of course! Thank you!

An interesting point on pollination is that prior to breeders actually carrying out the pollination if a breeder wanted to cross two roses he would grow the two roses in a separate glass house and let the bees do the work.

When there is open pollination the official term coined by the ABF for the resultant rose is a pot luck rose this is when you know the seed parent (i.e. the rose the hip was taken from) but the pollen comes from an unknown rose.

With so much rain here in Sydney during Dec., Jan. and Feb. weeds in my rose beds have thrived. As one gets older and the arthritis takes hold I find it harder and harder to keep my hands on keeping my rose beds clean. This year I had to resort to employing a young fellow to weed for me. A very costly exercise. At this stage the AQ and I are seriously thinking of greatly reducing the number of roses we have.

what about mulch, Doug....I haven't seen a weed for years, except the occasional ones in the lawn.......

John even that is getting too big a job.

get your young fellar to weed all the gardens real good....then get him to place a good thickness of mulch down.....after that, send him on holidays....

John, what type of mulch do you use? I've been told pinebark is no good around roses. What's your opinion please.

I use lupin mulch as I have read too many negative reports using wood chips etc.....one being that they draw nitrogen out of the ground to break down and take along time to do it....I like lupin because it gives back to the soil and stop weeds coming thru.....

Thank you. Where do i buy lupin mulch from please? I haven't seen it for sale.

I see that they have it on sale at Bunnings, but they also sell it in animal feed lots....

Great! Thank you!

The rose flowering even though with this sickly look ..annd I have to pick the weeds.

Still amazing! Roses crocuses and snowdrops cyclaments christmas box with its sweet perfume are all flowering at the same time:

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Rose Wandering Minstral
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Close ook at Wandering Minstral

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And Congratulations/Sylvia Rose:
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I took the pictures today at 14.46 local time.

And look at the picture of Congratulations/Sylva I took last summer. The  difference amazes me:

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You have sun there...I was expecting to see the ground white.....

SueH wrote:Yep! 21 degs here.  Just thank your lucky stars you aren't in the UK;  in this "heat", they all have their swimming gear on!  

Are you saying it is 21 degree celsius there?

Really? Then time to put the swimming suits on! Gosh I forgat! I can't! I have got to get that body into a good shape!

It is about 7 degree celsius here. Lovely sunshine and the night will be very very frosty.

36C here today in Perth....

neptune wrote:You have sun there...I was expecting to see the ground white.....

Yep the Sun is out!

The snow come and gone. The forecast is saying there is a blizzard coming from Russia. It will take about 10 days to reach here! It will be like by the time March is gone we will burn whatever woood we can get our hands on.. Just need to make sure we don't burn the gates or window frames!!!

neptune wrote:36C here today in Perth....

Enjoy!

I am...the pool and a bottle of wine......

Stop it John!!!!  Poor girl!  Actually, I do the same to my sister who lives in the UK!!!!  

It's 37 degs here today!  

Victoria does not get that hot Sue