bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ooooooooooooooootttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee tttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwsssssssssssssssslllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ooooooooooooooooffffffffffffffff tttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWoooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlllllllllllllllldddddddddddddddd FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeddddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ooooooooooooooooffffffffffffffff RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRoooooooooooooooosssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSoooooooooooooooocccccccccccccccciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssss’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’ HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggggggggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRoooooooooooooooosssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupppppppppppppppp Contents A letter from the President Texas Teas David Ruston, Australia..............................................................................2 by Claude Graves, Texas, USA.......................................................22 Minutes of the Heritage Roses Committee Royal Roses Vancouver, 23 June 2009......................................................................3 by Sheenagh Harris, South Africa...............................................24 A rosarium for Serbia Roses on the move by Radoslav Petrovic´, Serbia.............................................................8 by Helga Brichet, Italy..............................................................................30 Roses and rose gardens of New Zealand Vacunae Rosae —portrait of a new rose garden by Doug Grant, New Zealand.............................................................10 by Gian Paolo Bonani, Italy.................................................................36 the making of Between the Rows The Canadian Hybrbridiser, Dr Felicitas Svejda by Joanne Knight, New Zealand...................................................12 by Dr Patrick White, Canada...........................................................44 Roses from cuttings by Malcolm Manners, USA.................................................................14 Pruning roses — breaking all the rules by Gregg Lowery, USA............................................................................16 My life with roses by Gwen Fagan, South Africa.........................................................19 Henry Hudson, photographed in the Dunedin Northern Cemetery, New Zealand Appendix 1. Rose Gardens of New Zealand by Doug Grant, New Zealand...............................................................3 Copyright: All authors and illustrators retain Copyright on their work. Should you wish to reprint an article or illustration, please contact the individual concerned. Gwen Fagan, photographed Annari van der Merwe newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 1 A letter from the President David Ruston, President The 15th World Rose Convention was held in 100 years old. We have decided to hold our heritage Vancouver from June 18th – 24th, and it was a great rose conferences every three years, which will be the success, with just over five hundred delegates, from year before the WFRS conferences. The city of Sakura twenty-one countries. The largest number was from the will host our next heritage rose conference in 2011. U.S.A. with one hundred and thirty and Canada with The next WFRS conference will be in South Africa in one hundred and twenty-three, Japan with fifty-two, October 2112 – there will be a heritage rose tour to and Australia with twenty-six. The World Rose Show Capetown and the East Coast gardens with Sheenagh held in the new Vancouver convention and exhibition Harris as guide. centre, with its roof covered with lawn, was very well In 2115 the Conference will be in Lyon, France with an staged with a display of vintage cars with huge emphasis on the 19th century Lyonnaise rose breeders, arrangements of glasshouse roses, spectacular. The Wizards of Lyon. In 2018 the Sangerhausen There were excellent entries in the old fashioned rose Region of East Germany has put in a bid, although section of ‘one cut’ of Gallica, Alba, Damask, there could be other contenders. I am happy to say that Centifolia, Rugosa, Hybrid Musk etc. I liked the the WFRS has become very old rose orientated: this section of glass bowls of roses and other flowers, and means that our two groups can work together amicably. bowls of roses and herbs. In the flower arrangement Finally Changzhuo, a rose-orientated city northwest of section an arrangement in a slipper attracted twenty Shanghai, is holding a WFRS regional rose convention entries, the winner was a New Zealander, as was the from 27th April to May 5th in 2010. This will be very class for a posy using irresistible roses grown in New old rose-themed, with lectures by: Maurice Jay from Zealand. A non-competitive display by local florists France on new rose progenies between Chinese types using hundreds of glasshouse roses with a backdrop of and European types in the 19th century; also from white tulle was stunning. The roses were all mass France, Daniel Boulens will discuss the three great rose grouped for maximum effect with very little foliage gardens at the Parc de la Tete D’Or; from Italy, Helga showing. Brichet will speak on the importance of Chinese bred Another highlight was our visit to Butchart Gardens roses upon the entire world; from Japan, Minoru Ishii where the delphiniums in the rose garden outshone the will lecture on roses in Fukuyama, this will be roses. After a minimum winter temperature of –18oC, followed by Koji Tanaka on the magic of the huge rose the roses had to be cut back to 12″ (30cm). garden in Gifu that attracts 40,000 visitors a day in New growth was strong, and it is hard to compete with spring and autumn; and finally Naoki Ishikana will 6′ (2m) delphiniums! The trees in Vancouver were deal with the International Fragrant Rose Trials in the wonderful, both deciduous and evergreen, absolutely Echigo Hillside Park Nagaoka in Niigata Japan. There huge. will also be six speakers from China on an wide array I was interested to find that of the 22 lectures, eleven of topics – they wish to use more species in breeding. were on Heritage Roses. They included Claire Laberg, There will be a choice of two tours following the from the Montreal Botanical Garden on species roses; convention, one to Suzhon and historic Shanghai, and from Canada, Patrick White on the roses bred by the other to Beijing. Both are of four days in duration. Felicatas Svedja on sub-zero and Explorer roses; Steve For more details, visit their lovely website at Jones from U.S.A. on Polyanthas; Eva Kigyossy- http://rose.greencz.gov.cn Schmidt on roses bred in Hungary by Gergely Mark; There will be more news in future newsletters, which Yong-Hong Hu from China on old roses’ potential in will be published twice a year. We do need input from modern rose breeding in East China; Dr Yuki Mikanagi all countries. News of displays, garden openings, and Mr Katsuhiko from Japan on the city of Sakura historic collections, lost roses, roses that will stand cold Rose Garden; Peter Boyd from England on Scots Roses conditions, drought etc, will be of interest to our (Rosa spinosissima); Torben Thim from Denmark on members. the new two thousand plant Rosarium in Denmark; Finally I must thank Di Durston for typing all my long Helga Brichet from Italy on ‘Roses on the move from hand correspondence, and thanks to Fiona our Editor earliest times to the present day’; and finally, the new who always issues a very well co-ordinated bulletin, President of the WFRS, Sheenagh Harris from South and also thanks to David and Crenagh Elliott our Africa on ‘Royal Roses’ – roses named after royalty, Secretary / Treasury team for keeping all our members from Queen Victoria to the present day, and there are informed of our activities. one hundred and twenty of them! Happy gardening with roses and other plants to you all. At the meeting of the WFRS Heritage Rose Committee I was re-elected as Chairman. The most important news David Ruston. is that after much discussion we have decided that the cut off date for a heritage rose has been changed from 1867 (the year of La France) to 1900. It was agreed that a heritage rose, like an antique, should be at least newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 2 Minutes of the Heritage Roses Committee Meeting Vancouver, 23rd June 2009 newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 3 newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 4 newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 5 newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 6 newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 7 A rosariumfor Serbia by Radoslav Petrovic, Serbia There is no serious tradition in Serbia where roses are one. You created something so thoroughly refined and concerned: everything dates for the most part to the exceptional in every aspect, and then you wove in the 1950s. At that time, realizing that roses could be a threads of fragrances so beautiful that they linger in the lucrative business, some people decided to grow air, enchanting anyone lucky enough to be near.” Border varieties that were then commercially popular. inspectors, stern and serious, would shatter my Naturally, Hybrid Teas were most sought after, so they daydreaming: “You will introduce diseases from all over were represented in great numbers in the nurseries the world into the country; you’ll infect our entire local established during the period. The situation remained plant life!” unchanged until today. I, however, have been trying for This battle continues. The law says one thing, then a long time to acquaint others with the glorious beauty another; sometimes the authorities fail to read the and graciousness of old garden roses. And I am happy paragraphs all the way through and my parcels end up to say that as time goes by, more and more people visit “returned to sender” and I feel like Sisyphus, always my garden and sincerely admire my roses. on the brink of obtaining something new when things My garden is located 23 kilometres from Belgrade, the fall through at the last moment and I have to start capital of Serbia, in a small town called Vrcˇin, at the over. foot of Mt. Avala. Surrounded by beautiful landscape At one point I realized that I should start selling roses. with many forests and fields, the area practically The money I made would enable me to keep collecting begged for a vast rose garden. My collection of 1,200 new varieties, while at the same time I could show varieties of mostly old garden roses covers a very others what made me so happy about the roses. I try to limited space. This means that most varieties are explain the superior beauty of an old rose, even though represented by a single plant. The space is small, but her bloom period is short compared to that of a Hybrid the love invested is immeasurable. And the collection Tea. Fragrance is another issue. People must is growing: a 2-acre piece of land nearby will be able to understand that if their roses have no fragrance, they hold additional old rose varieties in the future. are robbed of many beautiful moments. It all started in 1994 when I moved from the city of I often wonder, “Do people realize what jewels I am Belgrade to try to realize my dream. I finally had a bringing to them?” Our time on this planet is short, chance to live surrounded by nature, breathe clean air, but the majestic rose will remain much, much longer. and have vast spaces around me. My love for roses In one hundred or two hundred years, someone else dates as far back as I can remember, but my discovery will be enjoying nature’s never-ending play and of old garden roses was something entirely new and blooms that make us sigh, drunk with their fragrance. overwhelming. Little by little, they kept arriving in my If old garden roses survived this long, for what must garden. First came Louise Odier, unbelievably rich in be just a fraction of eternity, I am certain that they blooms and in our climate, extremely vigorous. She will go on forever. was followed by Ferdinand Pichard, Camaieux, Baron Girod de L’Ain, Climbing Souvenir de la When I return to my imaginative world, the eternal Malmaison, and Bourbon Queen. In the beginning I dilemmas come back to haunt me: where to create a used to find roses with many petals much more rosarium, and when to stop? As with so many complex interesting than others, until Single Cherry swept me ideas, this one too requires serious funds. Should I off my feet with her magical presence, color, and build it on 2 or 5 hectares of land, or maybe even fragrance. In my opinion, the bloom form is the most more? How big should the collection be? And is there important aspect of the rose, then comes fragrance, and ever going to be an end? I always seem to be finding finally, color. Of course, the form of the bush is equally interesting plants. significant. My quest for roses did not go smoothly. Bringing rare and valuable plants into the country was always (and still is) hard work. Bureaucracy never stops to take a breath, so every time a rose was to enter Serbia, I encountered numerous problems. Most often, the customs employees expressed lack of understanding: “Why do you need these roses?” or “You are planning to sell them!” This, of course, was not true. From the very beginning, my intent was to simply enjoy the endless beauty of the plants. Each time I would lay my eyes on a variety I did not know, my excitement would rise. “Oh, God,” I would think, “You must have had such fun making this newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 8 Wherever I go, I observe roses and ask myself if very I kept all this in mind when I decided one day to create old varieties can be found here in Serbia, how old a rosarium in Serbia, a place where the roses of might they be? One day, something caught my yesteryear could intermingle with the roses of today, attention. In an old part of Belgrade, I saw a plant that where times past are remembered and older values are reminded me of a Gallica rose. I asked the old lady never to be forgotten. When I finally fully realize my who lived in the building if she knew the name of the dream, planet Earth shall have another beautiful spot rose. She replied that she did not, but remembered that where everyone will be able to find their proper place. the rose had been there since she was a little girl, at People shall walk in the company of roses, and roses, least sixty years ago. Naturally, I took cuttings and like a true family, will live in harmony together. propagated the rose immediately. I now have three, named “Old Fair,” in my garden. Rare roses always display a special delicacy. I fail to Radoslav Petrovic´ is the owner of Petrovic´ Roses, the find enjoyment in the purchase of newer varieties, only nursery in Serbia and Montenegro that grows and current hit roses, roses of the year, and the like. It is too sells rare old roses. Next year his nursery will offer easy: you can buy them in any nursery and have as 7,000 bare-root and about 4,000 own-root roses to many as you wish. There is no better feeling than to discover a rose that is almost extinct, knowing that you customers in Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, are the person who will do everything possible to keep and other countries. Born on November 2, 1960 in it from disappearing from the face of the Earth. On the Belgrade, Serbia, Radoslav has always loved roses but contrary, you are trying to multiply it and spread it has devoted his life to them since the age of 34. around so that others may enjoy its charms. Photographing roses and creating new moments in his Many old roses disappeared during the last one garden are two of his passions. The progressive and hundred years, some due to human negligence, some melodic rock of his youth as well as classical music are because of climate changes. Serbia’s climate is very also an integral part of his life. Radoslav is married and unusual. Even though summers can be extremely hot has two daughters, and is hoping to create a beautiful and winters unexpectedly cold, the fact remains that new rose one day. roses seem to withstand these perils with commendable success. Having observed them in different parts of the country, I have concluded that they are usually quite For more information and pictures of Petrovic Roses go strong and healthy. to http://www.petrovicroses.rs/ newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 9 Roses and rose gardens of New Zealand by Doug Grant, New Zealand Abstract The Dog Rose, R. canina, was grown in New Zealand in the early 1820s. It was more common around the The development of the rose in New Zealand started Auckland area than further north. However, it is still with the first introductions in 1814 by the early found growing wild in parts of the South Island. It was missionaries. The first varieties included Crimson also used as a source of vitamin C for the gold China (Rosa chinensis semperflorens), the Sweet prospectors. The Chestnut Rose R. roxburghii was Brier Rose, R..eglanteria (R..rubiginosa), the Dog common in the Bay of Islands: a medium to tall shrub Rose, (R.. canina), the Chestnut Rose (R.. with single clear shell pink flowers and with leaves of roxburghii) and the Cabbage roses (R. x centifolia). up to 15 small leaflets. The first Centifolia or Cabbage Between the years 1850s to 1870s came the French roses were recorded as being introduced in 1828. roses such as R. sempervirens Felicite et Perpetue and the Gallica Anais Segalas. Towards the end of the 19th In New Zealand’s period of settlement between the century and through the early part of the 20th century years 1850s to 1870s there was the French rose William Lippiatt played a major part in extending the influence. This saw the arrival of new forms and development of the rose as a nurseryman, breeder, colours. During this period many old roses common in exhibitor, importer and propagator of roses. In more the North such as R. sempervirens Felicite et Perpetue recent times, rose breeders in New Zealand have and the Gallica Anais Segalas were introduced into played an important part the development of new types New Zealand. Also in this period there was the and varieties. Well-known breeder Sam McGredy was establishment of the urban section with fruit trees and also instrumental in the introduction of Plant Variety vegetable plots and the establishment of local Rights for new varieties. It is now one hundred years nurseries. since the establishment of the first public rose garden By the 1870s Edward Lippiatt established himself as in New Zealand at Hagley Park in Christchurch in the leading rose nurseryman in Auckland. His son 1910. Other cities and towns throughout the country William opened his own nursery in 1883 and expanded soon followed this by developing their own rose the family rose operation. By 1900 William was gardens. Roses have also been featured in the gardens sending roses around the country. He became the of many homes all over the country. leading rose grower supplying roses to gardeners and other nurseries. He was an exhibitor at the Auckland Early Rose Introductions Horticultural Society rose shows, produced cut roses, The first rose to be introduced into New Zealand was and took an active part in the newly formed New by the Christian missionaries from England in 1814. Zealand Association of Nurserymen. He was an This rose, Crimson China, Rosa chinensis importer and propagator of the latest and best roses semperflorens, became popularly known as Slater’s from Europe’s leading breeders. Crimson China. In spite of its fragile appearance the William Lippiatt was New Zealand’s first rose breeder rose proved very hardy. Crimson China has crimson of note. His first rose introduction was Sir Robert to red coloured semi-doubled flowers with the centre Stout, a bright red Hybrid Perpetual named after a petals sometimes slightly streaked with white. It was Liberal politician. He also bred another red Hybrid discovered in China and released in Britain in 1792. Perpetual named for Liberal leader and Prime Minister Plants of Slater’s Crimson China can still be seen Dick Seddon in 1907. Other creations included Mrs growing today at the historic Kemp homestead built in Lippiatt (red HP), Otahuhu hybrid (HT), and Kerikeri in 1822, where a border of this small rose was Enterprise (HT). It is not known if these roses still planted along the front of the house. exist. As a tribute to this breeder, Dicksons of The Sweet Brier Rose, R. eglanteria (R. rubiginosa) Northern Ireland named a rose, W.E. Lippiatt, in his had been recorded as being planted in the Bay of honour. Islands sometime between 1815 and 1820. The Sweet Brier Rose is pink flowered with a sweet fresh apple Development of New Zealand Rose Gardens like fragrance. It was never really a garden rose but it At the turn of the 20th century, roses had increased in was useful as a hedge and it flourished under New popularity owing to a number of reasons. These Zealand conditions and often spread to places it was included the ease at which they could be grown, they not welcome, in particular the South Island hill grew almost anywhere in the country, they commanded country. The Sweet Brier became listed as an outlawed a high status in colonial gardens, they were not only plant in the Noxious Weeds Act of 1900. It is now beautiful but also fashionable. Gardens had become common in the Central Otago region of the South part of homes and there was an increase in private Island where it still grows wild. Its hips were gardening activity. introduced as a source of vitamin C for the prospectors In the 1890’s large areas of land were set aside for during the gold rush of the 1860s to combat the public gardens and domains in Dunedin, Oamaru, dangers of scurvy. Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington, Palmerston North newsletter of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose Group, October 2009 Volume 3, page 10