A thorny issue

Recently, I was impaled on the knuckle of my left hand by an old rose thorn. Not an unusual occurrence for a working gardener but this time the snag left a lingering soreness. Several days later my hand was severely swollen and I could barely move my middle fingers. Thinking potential blood poisoning, I went to see my doctor for help. After consultation I was prescribed an antibiotic and promptly began my treatment. Within three days my hand was feeling better and a week later I was back to normal.

Rose, by Jobo

While hardly the first time I had been stabbed by a rose this infection made me appreciate the joys of thornless roses as well as antibiotics.The biggest danger in having thorny roses is not when they are grown as bushes but when they are used as a climber near paths and high-traffic areas.

Although not totally thornless, Crépuscule  is the perfect choice for a moderate  growing climber to grow over an arch or fence . It has attractive red new growth and the flowers almost glow in late afternoon light
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There are a number of thornless climbing roses which look great in warm temperate gardens. Who can go past the Banksia Roses for their thornless canes and robustness. Coming in white and golden forms this climber covers a large pergola with little effort. So mighty is this plant that one late 19th century specimen in Arizona is said to be the largest growing rose in the world. Its main flowering season is in spring but can spot flower during other times. 

Zéphirine Drouhin, is a moderate growing climber known for its vivid pink flowers and lovely fragrance.

From a distance Renae, looks more like a luxuriant climber than a rose. The plant has disease resistant soft pink repeat flowers and glossy green leaves and is suitable for growing over a shed or over a small pergola. Lovely fragrance. Another fine pink climber is China Doll, a fragrant rose that is almost always in flower in a warm temperate climate.

While not completly thornless the Tea Rose Crépuscule makes a lovely choice for growing along a fence or over an arch.

While researching this article I discovered that it was a wound given by a rose to the cheek of an English policeman at the beginning of World War Two that saw the first human trials with the wonder drug penicillin, an antibiotic first identified in the 1920s by Englishman Alexander Flemming (1881-1955). 

Australian- born scientist Howard Florey

In 1941 Albert Alexander scratched his face on a rose thorn. He was soon suffering from severe blood poisoning and was close to death. After an earlier successful experiment on mice the Oxford University research team led by Howard Florey (1898-1968) decided on a human trial and penicillin was administered to the patient. The policeman's temperature began to reduce and after five days he seemed to be on the road to recovery, but with the marked improvement of the patient and stocks of the new antibiotic being critically low the treatment was stopped. This neglect proved fatal and the patient soon died. This first experiment taught the scientists that antibiotic treatment, although effective, had to be followed for a full course. By late 1943 penicillin was being given to British soldiers in North Africa and soon became the first of many antibiotics which have saved millions of lives around the world.

Composting - when things go wrong

However experienced you are at composting you will sometimes have problems. Smelly compost is usually a symptom of an anaerobic mix, probable caused by not enough air getting inside the pile. This often happens when you have too much of one kind of ingredient - such as leaves or cut grass - or may indicate lack of turning of the heap.  To solve the problem you need to demolish your smelly heap. Before you rebuild the pile, it’s best to improve access of air and water to the heap.

An unwanted visitor

One excellent way of doing this is by making a compost chimney. To make this you buy – or recycle - a plastic down-pipe which you cut to a little larger than the height of your heap. Score large holes with an electric drill at regular distance along the pipe – every 10cm is ideal – and place at the centre of the new heap. Holding the pipe upright with one hand, slowly rebuild the heap making sure that the green material is well mixed. If the old pile was too wet add some dry materials such as Lucerne hay or shredded paper. When the heap is rebuilt continue as you would for a new compost pile. The compost chimney should stand proud of the pile and will allow air and water to get to the centre of the heap. By sticking the hose into the top of the chimney will allow water to get to the core of the pile. This idea has become very popular with home gardeners in recent years and makes better and faster compost with little expense. While one compost chimney is sufficient for a small moulded compost bin, two or three will be more efficient in larger heaps.

While it’s hard to deter foraging rats and mice, it can become a real problem when they decide to nest in your heap. Rodents living in the bin indicate that you have provided not only a reliable food source but a well drained warm home. The best way of getting rid of these creatures is by regularly working the heap with a garden fork and applying human urine to deter them. Rodents love cereals, so their presence can indicate that you – or someone else in your home – are putting bread and other cereals in the compost bin.

The most common pests associated with compost heaps are flies. You have to put up with some flying insects being near your heap as they are attracted to this nutrient rich environment. One way to reduce the problem is to keep your pile covered. For the smaller bins use an old hessian or plastic sack over the heap and close the plastic lid. For larger heaps it’s best to cover the heap with a piece of large weighted down plastic. This will deter flies, warm the heap and protect the pile from excess rain.