Can you believe it is July? I hope you had a nice Canada Day, hopefully with a chance to do something outdoors or in your garden. Aren鈥檛 we blessed to live in this beautiful country?
A dear friend invited me over to see her roses recently; after the cold winter we had, it is indeed a miracle that they made it through and are gracing us with such pretty buds and blooms!
When we buy a rose bush for our gardens, we have no idea of all the work that goes into each new variety. Some homework taught me that it takes ten years or so for rose breeders to breed a rose that might possibly be a candidate to go on the market. And do you know how that is done? By seed, involving at least 100,000 seeds in this painstaking experiment. Once the seeds are germinated, the breeders must wait till the rose grows and blooms. That is the test, to see if this new rose measures up to various factors that include color, scent, and resistance to disease.
But the rose鈥檚 journey isn鈥檛 over. If it does measure up and is considered to be a possible rose for the market, the best specimens are grown in the field to see how they perform. Guess how long this takes? Up to eight years. And if all goes well, it will still take a couple more years till there is enough of the new rose to put on the market. So by the time we take our new little rose home from the greenhouse, the variety has already had quite a history!
The same dedication and patience holds true for any new variety of plants. For me, I feel that after so much work goes into creating new varieties, it is important for gardeners to give some of them a try, because the new varieties strive to take the best qualities of a certain type of plant and combine them into something even more wonderful. I know we all have our favorites, and that鈥檚 a great thing, but please do try to have at least one new thing each year!
Those plant breeders would be happy to know that we are appreciating all their efforts!
If you would like to learn more about one of the most dedicated and successful rose breeders, read about Tom Carruth, who created 11 All-America Rose Selections. His is a fascinating story, with a determination to grow roses that began when he was just a little boy.
Seeing the roses in the garden the other day brought back vivid memories of Mom鈥檚 beautiful garden. One plant that was like part of the family for many years was an old Hansa rose bush that grew near my little garden patch. I can still recall the sweet, heady fragrance of that rose, since the bush seemed to always have many blooms. On a warm day, the scent was unbelievably sweet, and the color was a deep velvety pink-purple that seemed to glow in the sun. Mom always had one or two of the blooms floating in a little dish on the kitchen cupboard, how sweet they smelled!
I did some homework on the Hansa, and learned that it was developed in 1905 in the Netherlands. It has always been very popular because it is hardy and resistant to disease. They can grow to a good size, up to seven feet high and wide, so they can make a nice privacy hedge. The Hansa likes full sun and well-drained soil, and is an easy-care rose. Even though it鈥檚 been around for a long time, maybe this can be one your 鈥渘ew鈥� favorites!
To find out about the SHA bus tour that is coming up in July, visit our website at www.yorktonhort.ca. You will find full details there if you are interested in this exciting trip.
Have a great week, and be sure to wear a hat!
