Hi Roger,

Here in Australia the black spot we get on  roses is caused by HUMIDITY

the last thing we do is spray our roses at night.We deep water our roses once a week and never spray overhead

We also water in the early morning so that the moisture is not left on the leaves over night.

Black spot is most previlant late autumn when we start to get autumn rains.

If humid conditiona are forecast I spray my roses with 50% milk /water solution

mixed with a little seasol soluton.

 The chemical conrtrol used by the big nurseries is fortnightly applications of copper spray followed by Triforine..I myself do not use chemicals in my garden.

Yes we do follow good garden hygiene ,rake up fallen leaves and Do not add them to the compost -leave them in  plasticbag for a few days in the sunto "cook"then consine to the garbage.

I am passionate about my roses.

Happy Gardening.

Jenny Adelaide Australia.

Hi Jennie,

Thanks for your advice.

We are both right stangely but I don't want to get too deeply into the reasons and, if I'm honest about it, your advice is probably better as it probably travels better.

I like the plastic bag for leaves thing, that seems pretty effective and does save burning. I am working on a groundbreaking project where even these can be recycled along with 70% of landfill waste and ends up as a useable material and unbelievably includes food wate which is a huge gas producer.

Yes,take Jenny's advice first.

This shows that it is good to consider conditions and other things before offering solutions.

Good posting from a real rose lover

Roger

Hi Mary, For some reason I haven't been receiving notifications of the Garden forum - wow, it's grown like a weed too!!. One of the problems here is also very hot summers which can burn everything and lack of water. I have tried to have a low "water mantenance" garden - little grass, and paving instead. and plants that dont need too much water Geraniums fall under this category -especially the classic bright reds, oranges and pinks, as does Lantana which I would imagine is ideal for areas like Las Vegas - lots of flowers for little water. Others which seem hard to kill off are the bright coloured hibiscus bushes and the oleander plant (highly poisoness - be careful) and, of course palms and succulents. These all flower better in hot sun and light. (in the shade, geraniums and all the others flower less) Another thing that people do not seem to realise is that you can "train" plants to manage with less water. The more you water, the more water they seem to need - it's a question of finding the right balance. You need to be a little bit brave to start testing out "water rationing" on your garden - it's always scarey at first, in case you kill something off - But it does produce good results. My garden is not overwatered, in spite of temperatures in the 80s, 90s and worse in summer, and is surviving the summer. The most important job is to watch the potted plants - they use less water, but have to be strictly controlled or they can be lost if not watered in time. Roses - for rose diseases - you can use soapy water instead of chemicals too, but dont forget to ged rid of the diseased leaves - dont put them on the compost heap or you'll propagate the infections for ever. Everything grows here in the Spring , but soft fruits like raspberries and blackberries and gooseberries are a nostalgic memories of my mother's garden in England and after 20 years here, I still miss my lilac tree!! I think this will end up being one longest running forums at Adland and the most reread - I certainly hope so - it's a great little online reference book! Saludos Jenny (the Angel one from Spain)

Hello Mary,

So true, I love my garden, its the satisfaction of seeing the beauty around me a tiny bit of my paradise.

I am so fortunate in New Zealand, I have Roses (they are my absolute favourite) they are alot of work but I had a dear friend show me the trick to get them blooming 3x a year.

Most of the modern Gardens in New Zealand are full of yaka and grasses and flaxes.  Me I am totally old fashion at heart.  I love my tiny shrubs, roses, geraniums, pansys, petite little flowers, irisis.  I love the flowers my grandmothers used to have in their gardens and love getting cuttings.  To save money and get value I buy them small and repot them.  I spend alot of time on the weekends in my garden my children come & help me but they are boys so they love finding the worms more than planting and weeding, so it can be quite entertaining.

I am so pleased this forum has started.

Warmest Regards & thank you for your invitation

Lisa Lomas

 

Hi Mary,

Thanks for posting a topic that is very close to my heart. Gardening has been in my family for several generations, and I can see why so many people derive a great deal of joy from this pastime. Just get amonst the plants, seeds and soil, and see if you can keep the smile off your face :-)

We are very lucky here, in South Eastern Australia, as our Winter rainfall contributes to a perfect climate for a range of garden plants.

My main interest in the garden world is with the group of plants commonly called bulbs. Many of the world's bulbs (around 90%) come from Southern Africa, and fortunately my climate here is almost identical to they're climate that they come from.

We have a saying here about growing bulbs in our climate, and it goes like this - "You could throw this plant out of the car, travelling at 100km's per hour, and it would still grow well!" I can't say I have actually done this, but you can rest assured that these bulbs grow and thrive in our climate, without any help from me!

Our rainfall is during the Autumn (Fall), Winter and Spring months, and we are very hot and dry over the Summer months. This is perfect for bulbs (and many other Mediterranean plants), and whenever I look for a waterwise plant to add to the garden, I always make sure that they come from a similar climate to mine. This saves a lot of heartache (for the gardener), and is of great benefit to the plants and the garden.

My interest and passion for plants has developed into a hobby nursery, and I supply many bulbs and seeds around the world. Also, I am one of the founding members of the Australian Bulb Association (ABA), and it has been a great joy to share these wonders of nature with other like minded gardeners, both in Australia and many other parts of the world.

Here are some images of bulbs I grow in my garden, and the second link is images from members of the ABA.

http://www.bgbulbs.com/cpt/index.php

http://www.ausbulbs.org/bulbgal/

Thanks for everyone's posts on this topic. I can see many of you have a passion for nature, and some great memories to boot!

Kind regards,

Dirk