Hi guys...from Wedge

Hi guys. Its been ages since i posted in here. Things have been very busy in this part of the world. Our cleaning business grew and we now have our son working for us full time as well as a few part-timers. I'm also working casual for my old company whom i worked for before starting the business. My computer crashed also so i'm now running Windows7. As much as i hate to admit, i don't get as much time as i'd like to tend to my roses. Cyclone Ului rattled through here some months ago wreaking damage everywhere. Trees came down all over the place and we were without power for 3 days. Gladly, my roses came through unscathed. Unfortunately, blackspot has become a big problem as i thought it eventually would be. The original roses i bought were obviously not suited for this climate. I have to regularly spray them to keep it at bay, even in winter !! One thing i have noticed now is that my roses are doing better now than in summer. I wasn't sure what to expect during winter. Amazingly, the roses not only keep their foliage, but are growing just as strongly now than ever before. New growth is appearing every day and new flowers are continually appearing also. The biggest producer of blooms are without doubt the
Many Happy Returns of which i have two. If you can remember, i had problems early in the piece with Angel Face (climber). I still have it in a pot and it produces the loveliest blooms that are very sweet smelling !! As you would expect, rose eating bugs are a problem up here but i'm starting to live with those...even the leaf-cutter bees !! Papa Meilland (climber) has been my biggest performer to date but hasn't bloomed yet. I planted it in the same place when i removed Angel Face when it wasn't doing too good. Papa Meilland has grown the full length of my carport and over halfway round the 2nd side since Aug. last year. Anyway guys, that just about wraps me up. We head off to NZ on Wed. of this week for 3 weeks of R&R. In Oct. i'm heading to the USA for 4 weeks for some more of that R&R !! While i'm there, a good friend in Texas is going to take me to a town nearby where they grow heaps of roses, so i'm looking forward to that one. Take care. Cheers....Dave.

G'Day Mate, good to see you back around again. I was only thinking tonight that we hadn't seen you around for a while

How hardy has 'many happy Returns' been for you? Have you had to spray it as well?

Yes Simon, i've had to spray it. The blackspot seems to come and go from just about every rose. First this one, and then that one, but at no time do i ever get rid of it. I also get a bit of white scale but that is usually quickly fixed. I have taken advice from the people on this forum and have resisted pruning the roses as none of them are a year old yet. Ocassionally i get a cane that starts to grow in an unwanted direction, so i simply tie it back to my trellis when it gets long enough. The result is i usually get a heap of new growth on the outside or "pressure" side of the bend. Pegging i think you call it ?? I'm also mulching a fair bit. As fast as i put mulch on the gardens, it quickly disappears. I think i can safely say that my garden has worms !! Lol.