I have been lurking on this list for the past year and having finally planted our major purchase of roses from MGR this morning I have decided it is time to introduce myself and to say thankyou for all the help you have unknowingly given me. I was able to say with confidence, "No, the stake has to go in first and then the rose."

We live on 5 acres of rainforest 30k to the NNW of Brisbane CBD and over the last year we have created a rose garden 8m x 7m in an open spot where we cleared a patch of lantana. I now have 23 roses duly planted - just waiting for Barbra Streisand to arrive from Perrots (hopefully I'll be one of the 5 lucky ones).

I have some questions to ask but will do so over the next few days on different threads. However, I have been interested in reading that some of you have planted roses in shady areas but wonder how shady shady is. My bed gets 5-6 hours of sunlight when the sun is shining but at this time of the year it is not full sun. However, the 4 roses I got in May are looking very healthy and I have spent heaps of time sitting on the garden seat just dreaming of good things to come ;)

Jsckie

My first bloom has just arrived , Peace, and it is so beautiful that I find myself walking round the eastern side of the house often just to look and urge the other buds on the other Roses to hurry up and open.

Will have to more a garden seat out there so I can sit and watch.!!!

Marion

I think that will be enough sun for your roses as some of mine get less sun than that and grow better than the ones in full sun, now I know that a lot of the rose growers will not agree with that but they dont all live in Qld and I think that too much of a good thing is not alright all the time.

If you find they are not doing as well as you think they should well shift them, but I like to give my new roses two years before I do that, hope this helps a little Cheers:...MM

Welcome to the forum, this is where I gained some of my knowledge when I had my first couple of roses, around 3 years ago now.

Everyone is lovely and a lot of us have grown together through sharing information and with great members like the lovely Lozza whom has a wealth of knowledge with his experience in the industry.The SE Qld members try and catch up for a coffee and rose chat around once a year so you will have to come to that - hopefully in Sept and I think it will be in New Farm Park.

I now have around 200 bushes, all types and sorts and some do take a beating in our Qld summer. Either the sun wiping out the color in the blooms or just not producing as many blooms as it would in Tassie but over all I think it is a personal learning curve and the bush will let you know over the year if it doesn't like that spot you have kindly picked for it - so have fun and you will be hooked like the rest of us.

Cheers,

Brissy

Many thanks for the welcome and hope to catch up with some of you in due course. Will have to take a raincheck on the visit, Annie, until there is more life in the garden - the azaleas may be blooming in Brisbane but ours are not even in bud yet.

Here is a photo of the rose garden before the last plantings.

And this is our favourite photo of living in the clouds - it doesn't often happen but it is magical when it does.

Jackie

I would love living in the clouds too if that was my Garden looks so peacefull, also looking forward to pics of those many roses.. Cheers..MM

Yes, we now have Climbing Ophelia and Hansa Park planted. I wanted a climbing Betty Boop which I would pair with Doublin Bay but BB not available as a climber so changed to pink/cream with pink edge rather than red/cream and red edge. The perfume of Ophelia is supposed to be good and as it is planted next to the seat I'm hoping that this is the case.

Today I was surprised to notice budding leaves on most of the roses that looked like twigs when we planted them on Tuesday.

Jackie

Marion