my trip down south

Hi all. I just thought i'd tell you a little about a trip i just did down south for 10 days. I left Mackay and flew to Sydney and hired a car and drove out to Mildura to visit an old internet friend. On the way out i stopped in at Hay and visited "Bishop's Lodge" on Rosemeadow's insistance. The old garden down the back was amazing with all it's very old roses. While in Hay, i stopped to refuel and i took some photos of some roses in a garden out front. Some of the roses were huge but as there wasn't any labels on them i had no idea what they were. I have attached some photos.
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I couldn't get over the amount of roses growing everywhere. They were like weeds !! After Mildura, i ended up on the farm of a very nice lady who Rosemeadow wanted me to meet. She had a huge amount of roses and some tea roses that i want to grow up here. After i left there i made my way to Roseman's house in Mudgee. Well, what a pleasant suprise i was in for !! The countryside, to me, was just beautiful and the hospitality shown to me at Roseman's house was fantastic !!! I spent the rest of that night and all the next day just absorbing as much as i could about roses. Roseman and Carole took me to meet Rosemeadow and a tour of her huge rose garden !! This lady just lives for roses...amazing !!! That afternoon they all took me to an "open garden" in the Mudgee area where there is literally hundreds of roses etc. What a place !! It was with a sad heart that i had to hurry up and get back to Roseman's place to pack my bag and continue my journey. I arrived back in Sydney to spend the last four days with an old friend but while there i went to visit Ozeboy for a day. I had an absolute brillant day there also and i have learnt so much from these wonderful people, i think my poor old head was going to explode. I just hope i can remember it all !! To all of you who gave freely of your hospitality and friendship and all the knowledge you have passed on to me, i will remain forever in your debt !!! Thank you once again !! I eventually arrived home yesterday and went straight to my roses to see how they were while i was away. My Papa Mielland climber has grown a full 10" in the 10 days i was gone. I just can't wait for the cuttings that Roseman is going to send me so i can turn my hand to budding eventually. If you have followed some of my posts, i have mentioned about "mill mud" that is the waste product from a sugar mill. I took some with me and gave it to Ozeboy to try and i'm eagerly awaiting his findings eventually. Finally, i would just like to add that most of you rose growers live in a beautiful part of this country and are very lucky in respect to the climate compared to up here. I just wish that eventually my wife and i will be able to shift south where roses grow like weeds !!!!!

What a wonderful time you've had Dave! So glad you enjoyed it so much and your forum friends were so kind to you. Did you take photos?

Yes Val. I took a heap of photos but not nearly enough i think !!!

So glad you had a great trip

Great to see another rose addict in the making... and glad the forum could help bring you guys together... that's what it's all about

Yer Dave was a great chats hey

That is a delightful report Wedge.
Funny, but the same three lots of people who made your trip so successful are the same three lots of people who have helped me down here in deep dark Tassie.
They have helped me with info, cuttings and books and I am forever grateful to them.
And the forum is not too bad either in facilitating all of this.

Hi Wedge, just want you to know it was a pleasing day for me also to have your company and talk roses.

Wishing you the best of luck with your new hobby.

Bruce

Thanks guys for all the wonderful replies. I had a wonderful time but it was a pity it was so short. Tonight was my first night back into the grind and i found my mind wandering back to the pleasant times i shared with the Rosetalk people i met while down there. Well, now i have to put all this knowledge i acquired into practise.

Wedge, we owe you a big thankyou as well for making such a big effort in travelling so far to visit us. It was a pleasure to meet you !
Now if you ever go to Adelaide, you must go see Ross Roses's display garden. Its the best I saw when I did my rose trip over seven years ago. Also Andrew Ross was a great host. One day I would like to re visit there. So I am half laughing and half serious. I surpose you could tell me there are some rose gardens I need to visit !

Yes Rosemeadow.....my rose garden in about 3 years !!!!

Yes one day, I will visit you too. Actually I meant to say, seeing you have been to New Zealand.

Rosemeadow, my trip to NZ was what got me into growing roses i have to say !! I was the spotter for my wife Wendy as she was taking photos of all the roses in two very large rose gardens we visited. I just fell in love with them and the rest they say is....history !!!!

Roses certainly have been well loved down through history !