AFTER three decades of growing roses locally and selling across the country, Silkies Rose Farm is closing.
Today, you’ll find Silkies Rose Farm in Clonbinane, and its journey is one that owners Graham and Diana Sargeant have reflected on as they prepare to move on.
The self-proclaimed “passionate plants-people” first registered their business, Silkies Garden Rose Nursey, in 1986 and situated themselves at 87 Powlett Street, Kilmore.
A special location for the couple, its where the Sargeants married under the rose-festooned washing line in 1986.
Soon after, Graham won the Australian Miniature Rose Championship at the World Rose Conference. The breeder of the Tracey Wickham miniature rose asked the Sargeants if they would be interested in growing and releasing the rose in Victoria.
The couple jumped at the opportunity and set up the required infrastructure on the block adjoining the nursery.
The next few years saw gardens established around the cottage and in the nature strips on Allen Street with Kilmore local and visitors enjoying the spectacular displays.
In these establishing years, Diana went on a Rotary Group Study Exchange program in the United States and having been dubbed ‘Rose Lady’, she returned home and fiercely committed to making Silkies Gardens Rose Nursery a successful home-business.
It was not long after Diana’s return that Graham resigned from his position at the Shire of Kilmore as Health Surveyor and where the rest, as the Sargeants say, “is history”.
“The business flourished and became a popular destination, especially once the Rose Café was registered in 1996 and produced the first ‘real’ coffee in the district,” the couple said.
“If you walk past the Bowling Club in Kilmore, you’ll see very old specimens of standard roses around the green—facing Sydney Street is a row of ‘La Sevillana’ roses which are all more than 30 years old. They still bloom along with roses in many public and private gardens around the district and beyond.”
In 2000, Graham and Diana purchased a garden in Clonbinane, whilst still operating Silkie Gardens and Rose Café.
“Planting our new, beautiful garden with trees, roses and seasonal flowers became our mission,” they said.
But in 2009, the Black Saturday fires blazed through the property destroying much of the garden.
“With assistance from family and friends, we diligently set about restoring the garden knowing recovery was inspirational to us and the Clonbinane community,” they said.
The conclusion of the recovery efforts saw the Sargeants’ rose business relocate from Kilmore to Clonbinane in 2012 where Silkies Rose Farm remains today. It is also when Rose Sales Online was established, and has since delivered over 50,000 parcels of roses across Australia.
But each story must have a final chapter, and for Silkies Rose Farm, the Sargeants have reached that point for their business.
“Leaving our garden at Clonbinane, we’ll miss the trees, the abundance of colour, the fragrance and the quiet,” they said.
“We’ll miss the connectedness with lovely customers who come from around Australia when they’re driving along the Hume Freeway in their travels.”
The online business, rosesalesonline.com.au will continue operating, with the Sargeants adding perhaps the farm will sell in the future if the right person comes along.
“We wish to thank all the beautiful folks who we’ve met during almost 40 years of conducting our businesses at Kilmore and Clonbinane,” the couple said.
“We’re planning on staying local and wish to enjoy exploring more of our magnificent country in years to come.”
