2020 has been quite a year, and the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society, like almost every organization, has had to cancel events that we were eagerly anticipating! Our Annual Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Show has been cancelled for August 2020, but we鈥檙e going to have a virtual flower show online! This is something totally new for us. But this is one way that hort members can still present our best of the season to you. It won鈥檛 be the same (wasn鈥檛 it fun to see the exhibits then sit down and enjoy a steaming cup of coffee and delicious dainties with gardening friends?) but hopefully next year we鈥檒l be sharing a face-to-face visit at the show again! Check our website, www.yorktonhort.ca for details.
The Society has always been about promoting horticulture and gardening, and we always want to learn something new! Do you have an unusual plant? Take a photo and submit it to our website for our new feature 鈥淢ystery Plants鈥�. Include the name of the plant, if known, and tell us a little about it. Or, if you have a plant and don鈥檛 know what it is, maybe someone can identify it. We鈥檒l all learn together! Please send in photos to [email protected]
A dear friend of ours has a breathtaking sight to enjoy in her yard: her Adelaide Hoodless rose in full and lush bloom. It is beautiful every year, but this year the entire bush seemed to be covered with the velvety red roses. If you are looking for a rose addition to your yard, this is definitely one to consider!
First of all, a rose factoid: the Adelaide Hoodless rose was developed in 1975 by Dr. Henry Heard Marshall at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It was named after Mrs. Adelaide Hoodless. And who was she? Adelaide Hoodless died in 1910 just before her 53rd birthday, but in her short life she accomplished great and marvelous things. The youngest of twelve children on a farm in Ontario, she married John Hoodless, a successful businessman in 1881. They had four children, but it was after the sudden death of her infant son in 1889 that Adelaide focused her efforts on educating women with the hope that deaths like his could be prevented in the future.
Her career as an educator flourished, and as a result of her experiences and educational outreach, she is known for helping to form the National Council of Women, The YWCA, the Victorian Order of Nurses, and faculties of Household Science. She was a woman who left her mark on Canadian society, and truly deserves a beautiful and hardy rose as her namesake.
Now, about the rose itself. The Adelaide Hoodless rose like a sunny spot, with well-drained soil. Don鈥檛 plant it in a location with heavy, clay-like soil. The rose can grow to heights of almost five feet and a spread of three feet, producing many sprays of red roses. In dry spells we can water the rose, but we should do this from the bottom to avoid blackspot. We should prune away any spent blooms to keep the rose blooming, which it will do from July until September. We can give the rose a treat of compost around the base, which helps to retain moisture as well as replenish the soil with good things to keep the rose healthy and strong. And a bonus, it can endure our cold winters!
I read that the Adelaide Hoodless can 鈥渟urvive up to 20 years in the right conditions鈥�, but our dear friend鈥檚 rose is about forty years old and shows no signs of stopping! As our friend said 鈥淚t鈥檚 a survivor!鈥�
Thank you to our friends at the Yorkton This Week for all their hard work. Let鈥檚 pray for good health for all. Have a great week and be sure to wear a hat!
