INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Editorial 1

The Chairman 3 Notes

Gareth Davies - 5 Chats about Gophers!

Derek Lawrence - 7 Looks back a hundred The Times years

Dave Kenny’s 11 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 SPRING 2020 Irish Icons

Eric Stainthorpe 14 remembers Samuel Hole’s words; Big Jack Charlton

Rose ‘20 15 “He who would grow beautiful must have them in his heart” Festival have never been more relevant or important than they are now. A John Howden 18 considers the Joys of few short weeks ago the phrase on everyone’s lips was; “Be Kind” Spring after the tragic death of Caroline Flack. This current COVID-19 Paul Evans 21 pandemic has brought that even more into focus. Neil Duncan in a 22 reflective mood Lockdown, self-isolation, quarantine. Call it what you will, the result is Roberts Wharton’s 27 view that we are now facing up to a spring, summer and possibly autumn

Pauline looks around 29 of cancelled events and all of us ’staying at home’. Those of us, lucky her enough to have and allotments, will be able to get outside Jill Kerr, Peace and 32 and lose ourselves in the tranquillity and peace of nature. Many of VE Day course are not so fortunate. Our new Facebook Group has been very SOS - Support Our 34 Sponsors well received with so many sharing their rose pictures and stories WFRS News 35 with other ‘friends-in-roses’. I know Facebook is not everyone’s ‘cup Southport Flower 36 of tea’ but perhaps this is the time when Social Media can actually Show - The First 90 Years compensate for Social Distancing?

Registering new 38 roses The Rose Society UK has been well represented at some of the country’s biggest flower shows but not this year. Harrogate Spring Stay Home - Keep 40

Talking Show, RHS Malvern Spring Festival and our own Festival of Roses at Squires Shepperton have all fallen victim to the virus. Every day it We should always seems another show is cancelled and although sad for the exhibitors remember Dean Samuel Hole’s and public alike it is entirely understandable and the Rose Society UK words ...... support these decisions. We have not heard yet whether Chorley in “He who would grow August, Harrogate (Newby Hall) or Malvern in September will run. It beautiful Roses must is unlikely that The Rose Society UK will participate at any of these have them in his shows and will concentrate on keeping the society running as heart”

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efficiently as possible, keeping in touch with our members and preparing for 2021. Speaking of 2021, we have just heard that following the cancellation of the Heritage Rose Convention in June, the World Federation of Rose Societies Convention in Adelaide has now been postponed until 2022. An entirely reasonable decision since the event will involve air travel from all around the world. Several members had expressed a desire to attend the event in Adelaide and now we have an additional twelve months to make our plans. I’m grateful for all members’ contributions to our newsletter and ask, once again, please keep sending them. Sharing our experiences and of course our roses with others is what we are all about. Our on-line sales of Uncle Tom’s Rose Tonic via the website have been very brisk. We offer a 500ml bottle for £15 plus £3.60 post and packing. In fact, all items in the shop are still available. Branded shirts, fleeces and coats are all sent direct from the manufacturer but are taking a little longer to process. This year will be one that we will not forget! Today as I complete this newsletter, we should have been packing up the stand at Malvern Spring Show and heading home (hopefully with another Gold Medal). Unfortunately that didn’t happen and, as if to pile on the personal agony, the roses in the greenhouse have been superb. Not just for us, but also for our small but determined band of Malvern Spring exhibitors. We’ve all had to settle for a wonderful show in our own and of course sharing them on the society Facebook Group page CLICK HERE So that’s where we are, tonight’s broadcast by Mr Johnson was encouraging, Centres will be allowed to open under strict social distancing regulations. When we have further news of events during the year, including our own AGM we will pass it on as soon as possible. The Spring shows that didn’t happen ended today. We hope you have a safe and productive time in what’s left of Spring as we look forward to what we are sure will be a rose-filled Summer.

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The Chairman Notes How things have changed since I compiled my notes for the last Rose Times Newsletter. There have been massive changes to our lives the current conditions have meant most of the activities I mentioned then are on hold or even abandoned now. I am fortunate in having a large garden and greenhouses that has enabled me as part of the “at risk group” to stay at home. I guess we all must take whatever positives we can for now. One of these positives has been the warm dry spring which has meant rapid growth and the trees here on Pelsall common outside my home are fully two weeks early in coming to full broad leaf. Because of the mild weather my roses had made strong shoots when it came to time in March and I do not usually have to remove that amount of growth. The dry spell after pruning and lots of sun for most of April and with above average temperatures there was little growth and I began to wonder if I had pruned too late. Now following a couple days of rain strong leaves have begun to emerge and within a few days abundant growth has appeared, and they look fine. I guess sometimes we all forget that growing and in general is not about fixed dates , but about seasons and nature always catches up and comes good.

The ramblers over the front entrance to my cottage where I have lived since 1963 grow along the boundary wall with a public footpath adjacent to my garden and are now clothed in lush growth. The roof over the entrance gate is completely covered by Alberic Barbier the pale lemon flowered rambler rose which is virtually evergreen. This year in late April it is covered in new growth and has blooms emerging. It grows along the boundary wall for more than thirty feet and the thorny growth makes a good deterrent to intruders.

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My love with roses began in the mid 1960’s and whilst growing all types of roses at that time my interest in exhibiting began in 1968. That was on being awarded best bloom at the local horticultural society show. I still remember the bloom today it was Grandpa Dickson a great lemon HT and a new variety at that time I still grow a few bushes today. Also have two bushes of the variety in pots showing colour in the Greenhouse for our Malvern Spring competition which sadly now will only be for my own enjoyment. I will miss meeting members and visitors alike at Malvern and all the shows this year. Malvern has always been the friendliest show for me having helped with the Rose Society stand every year since its introduction except 2011 when I was unable to return after staging my blooms. In recent years helping with setting up and staging the Rose Society stand at the shows has become part of my main summer activity sadly this will not happen this year. In common with most people I am part of the new slower way of life and will just enjoy my garden and grow my Roses without cutting them so often. Maybe I will benefit from some of these changes as I reflect on what might have been. I look forward to returning to normal whatever that will be. Perhaps we will have an idea about that by time of our next Newsletter.

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Our Vice-Chairman Gareth Davies is an accomplished gardener and a top exhibitor He has won countless awards for the roses he produces in his garden in Talybont, Brecon where he is currently locked down Today he reports on ......

The Unsung “Rose Gophers” A “Gopher” is an unsung member of the rose species “Rosa persistantus”. The breed are usually loyal and faithful to their mates for life. They are to be seen in their natural habitat at rose shows and showgrounds. Their name came about, as they cheerfully admit, by “going for this” and “going for that”. Unless they are joint exhibitors with their spouses, their names never appear on prize cards, awards or trophies. Under-rated, they are in need of consideration, protection and care. Sometimes, under extreme stress, they have been known to rebel, but they are easily placated by gifts of flowers, chocolates and such like “treats”. Now listen to the troubles and tribulations of a “rose gopher”, my wife, Eirona: It is June and the show season is almost upon us. For months, Gareth, along with countess other rose exhibitors, has lovingly tended his roses, pruning, feeding and spraying them. Then those promising buds have been covered in the hope that some of them will open to produce prize winning blooms. During this time I have not been idle. I have been in training building up my reserves ready to take onthe demanding tasks of the “gopher” The tasks begin the night before the show, filling rolls and thermos flasks, then putting them in the coolbox along with cakes, crisps and fruit to sustain us on our journey. All this is done despite frequent interruptions “Where has my secateurs gone” or “I can’t find the schedule” or even “This ****** bloom won’t fit properly into the crate” A long drive through the night brings us to a cold and dark showground. Can we now relax with a hot cup of tea or coffee? No time! first we have to unload the crates of roses and then it’s all stations go! My first job is to undo all the twist’n ties, taking care not to brush against the blooms. I pursue my prickly task while Gareth greets friends we have not seen since last autumn. He disappears for a while and returns with some bowls and vases. Now it’s my turn to fill them with water but by now my mouth is parched and I’m dying for a cup of coffee. Just as I reach down to get the thermos flask out of the coolbox, Gareth’s voice rings out “I’ve forgotten the miniature bowls, go and see if you can find them please”.

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Foiled again!! Off I go in search of the elusive bowls, greeting and commiserating with other “gophers” along the way. Having found the bowls, I return to the staging table where Gareth is checking the show schedule. Now is my chance for coffee! – I slip behind him and reach for the flask. “Can you go for my entry cards please love?” I bite my tongue and dutifully set off for the cards. As I return to the table I am determined that nothing is going to stand between me and that coffee. On reaching the table I can see that Gareth’s mood has changed, he must be having trouble staging that bowl. On closer inspection, I can see that the air around him has turned a distinct shade of blue! Time to go! Where is the tea and coffee table? A long wait for the kettle to boil is preferable to Gareth’s mood at present. Oh, the sweet music as the water in the kettle bubbles to boiling point! At last my coffee is ready and I gratefully take a sip. I decide to make a cup of tea for Gareth as I’m sure that will bring an appreciative smile to his face. Wrong again! Although he manages a “thank you” before asking me to look carefully at the blooms to find possible candidates for the vases. By now I am experiencing hunger pangs so I suggest starting the rolls. “I haven’t got time to eat” is the reply. Perhaps I can wait a little longer so I start looking at the blooms and try to be helpful. Gareth picks out the blooms he wants and then comes my next task which is helping to dress them. Time passes quickly but I manage to eat some rolls and persuade Gareth to have some too. It’s approaching the end of staging time and it’s panic stations! “Can you write the cards for me, please?” I know most of the varieties but I’m afraid I have to disturb Gareth to ask the names of some of the varieties. By now his patience is wearing thin and I’m treading on dangerous ground! I breathe a sigh of relief when the last exhibit and card is placed on the bench. I hand Gareth his tie and off he goes, red eyed, to join the other judges. I carry the empty crates out to the car and settle down to have a sleep vowing this will be my last show.

Will I go to the next one?- of course I will, I love it really!

“Rosa persistantus” or as she is more correctly known; Eirona Davies

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Derek Lawrence, Executive Director of the World Federation of Rose Societies and Rose Society UK Committee member delves into the archives to recall . . . .

THE GRAND NATIONAL ROSE SHOWS OF 1920

During these unprecedented times of the coronavirus outbreak, it’s difficult to imagine or comprehend that our ancestors have previously experienced such turmoil. Yet the ‘Spanish flu’ pandemic of 1918 was one of the greatest medical disasters of the 20th Century. The virus affected millions of people around the world and the aftermath reverberated into the very core of people’s hearts. Like many other nations, Britain was determined to restore hope and prosperity to its citizens. The beginning of 1920 launched a new decade, which has been recorded in the annals of time as the‘ Roaring Twenties’. Women were given the right to vote, The League of Nations was founded and new-fangled inventions such as the radio, refrigerators, washing machines and electronic razors captured the public’s imagination.

There was a resurgence of interest in growing roses. Under the stewardship of Secretary, Courtney Page, the Membership figures of the National Rose Society steadily grew from 900; eventually soaring to 16,000. The 1920’s was an industrious period for rose breeders. Alex Dickson & Son became renowned for producing good strains of roses, and frequently became recipients of Gold Medals. There were some delightful Hybrid Musk and Hybrid Tea varieties readily available raised by Rev Pemberton. However, probably the most revered hybridizer was Sam McGredy II, whom brilliantly exploited remarkable colour breaks from original Pernet-Ducher cultivars. Sadly, many of those varieties listed in the archives, have become extinct during the passage of time.

The Great Summer Show of 1920 was held on July 1st, at the Botanic Gardens in

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Regent’s Park, London. Unfortunately, the weather was rather unfavourable, but the attendance figures proved a satisfactory increase from the previous year. The Royal Patron, Her Majesty Queen Alexandra was unable make her usual visit, but in her absence were Princess Louise and the Marchioness of Lorne, whom spent considerable time viewing and admiring the roses. In his Ready for the judges report for the ‘Rose Annual 1921’, the Rev. Joseph Jacob lovingly regales his experiences at the show: “No one can fail to be impressed with the importance of the Vase, Bowl and Table Section of a National . One of the largest tents is wholly given up to it, and if in the course of the afternoon I do not find the big-wigs of Rosedom congregated there, I fancy pretty well all of them have had a quiet walk around before they begin the more serious business of discussing and comparing roses and notes, as you may at almost any any time find them doing in the group and box tent, except during the sacred hour of lunch – for the Great Rose Show is a true florists’ feast, altered in some respects to meet modern life and requirements, but still one in spirit with that of the florist of ancient days who, to paraphrase Mr. Jorrocks’ famous dictum ‘I sleeps where I dines and I dines where I sleeps,’ invariably eat where they shows and shows where they eat”. His observations may seem rather whimsical, but in my view, his jottings are still relevant one hundred years later. Rev Jacob noted that Mr. George Paul had not exhibited a huge display compared to previous shows, but conceded that this was due to the aftermath of the war and the recent inclement weather, had impacted on the lack of blooms. Noteworthy varieties exhibited at the Summer Show included, ‘Caroline Testout’, ‘Hugh Dickson’, ‘Dorothy Perkins’, ‘Princess Mary’ and ‘Ophelia’. Courtney Page recorded that the Autumn Show at the Royal Horticultural Hall on September 23rd, 1920, was one of the best that the Society had ever staged. In his article for the‘ Rose Annual 1921’, Cecil Bartlett’s writings illustrates the spectacle with great effect: Hybrid Perpetual - Hugh Dickson “Never before has the Society’s Autumn

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Show presented such an attractive appearance. The re-arrangement of the tabling on a different plan to that usually adopted was a distinct improvement. There was no loss of space for the exhibitors, while the new method permitted much more comfortable inspection of the roses. The very large attendance could move without any of the almost intolerable jostling that has characterised so many other functions at Vincent Square. The addition of the graceful palms along the tables too, was a particularly happy thought. But the roses are the thing, and if I were asked which section was the most attractive and satisfying I should point to the generous masses of cut blooms arranged by the famous trade growers along the full length of the hall. Messrs. B.R. Cant & Sons, in their first prize exhibit, exercised wise restraint in the matter of quantity, which all the other exhibitors in this large class rather overdid, and I formed the opinion that the premier was won quite so much by this as by the merits of the roses. Messrs. Bees Ltd, the second prize winners, had very attractive masses of ‘The Queen Alexandra Rose’ and their own novelty, ‘Independence Day’. To me, ‘The Queen Alexandra Rose’ was gloriously beautiful, though I overheard a bevy of lady visitors express the view that the colour was too florid to their taste. Other varieties of great merit in this class were ‘Mrs W.C. Miller, ‘Lady Hillingdon’, ‘Ophelia’, ‘George Dickson’ and our old favourite ‘General McArthur’. In my view of the season one did not expect the exhibition roses to be of superlative quality, but all must have been agreeably surprised at the merits of the large blooms. In the amateurs’ classes for exhibition blooms Mr. John Hart was pre- eminent with his wonderful box of six varieties, while Mr. R. de V. Prypr and Mr. W. G. Bambridge also had praiseworthy collections.” Hybrid Tea Mrs Oakley-Fisher

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Tea rose Lady Hillingdon

The Rose Society UK shows of the 21st Century may not have the unparalleled grandeur of the bygone days. However, the team of Society exhibitors retain the benchmark and high standards set by the pioneering Victorians. Their determination and enthusiasm is apparent the moment you step inside the floral marquee and marvel at the spectacle created. The exhibitors’ passion and desire to show rose blooms to absolute perfection is truly inspirational.

History has a habit of repeating itself. In the case of Covid-19 pandemic, it distressing mirrors the calamity of events endured over a Century ago. Thankfully this is an extremely rare ‘once in a lifetime’ occurrence. Many global events and tourist attractions have obviously been postponed or closed, in response to government lockdown procedures, which includes visiting all gardens, annual flower shows, trials and conferences. But we can be reassured, like our fore- fathers whom experienced a similar ordeal; the vibrancy, friendly spirit and sheer magic of rose-related events will return at a future date. And that, in essence, is what a rose society is about.

Until next time, take extra care and keep safe.

Rose Society UK Member number 007 – With a License To Grow Roses

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Three Irish Rose Icons

With the death of Sam McGredy in August 2019 the last of the three great Irish rose icons of the twentieth century passed away. Sam along with Sean McCann and Pat Dickson spread the gospel of how great roses are. Pat and Sam bred some of the greatest roses of the twentieth century and Sean wrote about every aspect of rose growing. Pat Dickson, was a quiet thoughtful man with a wonderful wit and a great sense of humour. He went about the business of breeding roses with intelligence, enthusiasm and knowledge. Early in his career he became known for his HTs, especially red ones such as ‘Red Planet’, ‘Big Chief’ and ‘Precious Platinum’ all of which are outstanding and of course the exhibitors “banker” ‘Red Devil’ but there was much more to his breeding. His ‘Scented Air’ was an excellent . Other excellent varieties of Pat’s were ‘Anisley Dickson’ named for his wife, ‘Manx Queen’, the wonderful ‘Bright Smile’ and a personal favourite the beautiful coloured, novel ‘Iced Ginger’. No discussion of Pat and his breeding achievements can be done without mentioning his patio varieties. He pioneered these novel very beautiful roses and in the 1980s he

A thoughtful Pat Dickson and his HT Red Planet

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introduced ‘Gentle Touch’, ‘Peek a Boo’ and many others. I had the good fortune to visit Dickson’s Nursery on many occasions and to hear Pat’s comments on the many roses on test there. He was able to spot the qualities, good and not so good, of every rose on trial. He could point out features of roses that no one else had noticed and could say that this or that rose would do well in the USA or in Europe despite not looking so good in Ireland. Of the many outstanding varieties bred by Pat I think two stand out: ‘Grandpa Dickson’ which was very good in the garden and was excellent on the show bench and probably his greatest ‘Elina’, a true world beater which was bred and introduced in collaboration with Colin. His greatest legacy is that his son Colin has carried on the Dickson tradition of breeding excellent roses. Sean McCann was a soccer goalkeeper in his youth but was not tall enough to make it as a professional and so he became a journalist. He developed a passion for growing roses when he tried his hand at exhibiting and quickly became highly successful. He grew over 1,000 roses in his garden in South Dublin often with them planted only 9” (22.5 cms) apart. His first love was for the classic high centred exhibition HT but later he got a grá (love) for miniatures which he grew very successfully and later bred many varieties such as‘ Admirable’, ’Blushing Groom’, ‘Crazy Dottie’, ‘Gentle Annie, ‘Little White Lies’ to name but a few. Many of which were grown widely in the USA having been introduced by Sean McCann Jerry Justice. He wrote a wonderful rose column in Garden News for many years. In his column he didn’t pontificate on how one should grow, prune etc. but in his own inimitable style explained how to get the best from one’s roses and brought the news of what was happening in the rose world, writing about new varieties, rose events often in a very humorous way. He told us what he was doing in his garden and how he was breeding new varieties, especially miniatures. He wrote some excellent books on roses among them, “All the World’s Roses”, “The Rose, an Sean’s miniature Dreamcatcher

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Encyclopaedia of North American Roses, Rosarians and Rose Lore” and “Miniature Roses, Their Care and Cultivation”. Sam McGredy was known everywhere as he dominated gatherings of rose people with his wit, charm and general bonhomie. He was a great publicist for his roses and long before garden centres were going full out, he opened one in Belfast. Along with Pat Dickson he dominated the British rose scene in the 1960s. Varieties such ‘Elizabeth of Glamis’, ‘City of Leeds’, ‘City of Belfast’ and ‘Mullard Jubilee’ were known and grown everywhere. He and Pat were instrumental in getting the Breeders’ Law passed in the UK and were also involved in the establishment of the International Rose Trials in Sir Thomas and Lady Dickson Park in Belfast. In 1972 Sam emigrated with his young family to New Zealand. He went back to being a more “hands on” breeder and was soon introducing several award-winning varieties e.g. ‘Regensberg’, ‘Sexy Rexy’, ‘Aeotearoa/New Zealand’, ‘Paddy Stephens’ and his huge seller in the US, ‘Olympiad’. Sam McGredy All three were members of the OBN (Order of the Blue Nose), set up in 1969 during the celebrations for Niels Poulsen’s 50th birthday. When they met up at rose conventions and trials, they had great fun with their fellow rose friends Hette Spek, Reimer Kordes, Frank Benardella and several more. In 1994, when the world rose Convention was held in Christchurch, Sam organised a bus tour of New Zealand of fifty of the world’s rose breeders and his rose friends. They must have had “mighty craic” as we say in Ireland. It is amazing that such a small country has made such a huge contribution to rose growing and breeding. They are greatly missed. Sam’s HT Olympiad Sláinte

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A Rose by any other name - A cautionary tale by Eric Stainthorpe

When i was in business as Battersby Roses I introduced a few of Lionel Poole’s creations. We were always looking for commercially suitable names. I suggested to Lionel that Big Jack Charlton should sell well as he was manager of Ireland International team. He agreed and it was left to me to contact Jack. As I had no address or any other information I got a Newcastle telephone directory and looked for a Mrs C Charlton. I found one at Ashington where the Charltons originated. I telephoned this number and I asked the lady if she was Mrs Cissie Charlton, Jacks mother. She said no but why was I asking. I said that I was trying to contact Jack to get his permission in writing to name a rose Big Jack Charlton. Well, she said, as it happens I own a nursing home and Chrissie lives here and in the circumstance I will ask Jack if I can pass on his address. He is always here seeing his mother although the other brother does not come very often. So I got Jacks address and wrote to him. I got a very quick reply and he said “Why the hell any one would want to name arose after me I don’t know, any how our kid (Bobby ) has one so yes it is an honour. So it went ahead and the rose was named Big Jack Charlton. A lot were budded and a bed was planted in the Geordie at Saltwells Park Gateshead. I took a full page advert in the Irish Soccer Magazine which cost an arm and a leg. Not one order was received after the advert and there very few sales. I finished up burning over one hundred . I think the problem was that Jack had got sacked from the Ireland job Keep safe from the virus

For anyone who doesn’t know; Jack Charlton was a central defender in England’s 1966 World Cup winning team. There are no photos of Rosa Big Jack Charlton and it is no longer grown commercially. This tale serves to remind us that care should be taken when naming roses! Does anyone remember the rose Peudeuce?

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Rose Festival 2020

Saturday 18th April marked the launch of the 2020 Rose Festival. The Sun's Peter Seabrook, supported by Roses UK and Whartons are already making preparations for the third 'Rose Festival Week' running from the 20th – 28th June.

With the future unclear the focus this year will be on a virtual festival, encouraging the sharing of activities online and through social media. Peter commented, "Who knows where we’ll be in June but for sure the sun will be in the sky and the roses will be in bloom. Let's celebrate the nations favourite flower through activities on-line if we can't celebrate in garden centres."

The Virtual Rose Festival will allow everyone to get involved, whether they be retailers, growers, breeders or rose enthusiasts. Festival Week gives you the opportunity to celebrate all things Roses, either in your local garden centre, (subject to government advice), on-line or through a virtual festival using social media, culminating in the Prettiest Rose Competition sponsored by The Sun with prizes of £500, £300 and £200 respectively.

If you wish to get involved with the Virtual Rose Festival, the easiest way is to follow #rosefestival20 on Twitter or Instagram. Everyone getting involved can upload and share pictures and content under this hashtag over the coming weeks. Don't forget to keep checking SunGardening.co.uk for updates as well!

The 2020 Prettiest Rose Competition will be slightly different to previous years, due the exceptional circumstances that we are all dealing with at the moment. This year there will be three different ways to enter: Virtually The Virtual Rose competition will support those readers not able to reach their local garden centres, allowing them to submit a picture of their prettiest rose directly. Garden centres can organise their own competition through their garden clubs, facebook and Instagram for those not able to reach the centre in person.

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Through a Garden Centre Currently we do not know when garden centres will be allowed to reopen. However, if the lockdown is lifted before June, garden centres who are running their own competitions will be able to enter their winners in the national competition. These entries will be judged alongside the entries through the virtual rose competition.

If you are a garden centre who is interested in taking part, Click Here. As a Rose Exhibitor / Breeder For the first time, we are running a competition for amateur rose exhibitors. These entries will be judged separately to the entries submitted by individuals and through garden centres.

The Prettiest Rose Competition will open on 30th May 2020. Please check back for further details or join out mailing list.

The 2019 competition was a huge success and we had more entries than ever before. We hope to continue this success in 2020, despite the current restrictions. These are the winning entries from last year's competition:

First Prize Winner; R Stevens

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Second Prize Winner; M. Holdsworth

Third Prize Winner; S. Looker

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John Howden a regular contributor from Devon tells us about ...... A LOVELY TIME OF YEAR

These next few weeks are magical with busting flowers and flocks of little baby birds – taking their first ventures into an unknown world. At the moment, groups of little baby Sparrows are fluffing their wings and following an exhausted parent round the lawn who is trying to keep pace with a busy life. Soon, tiny little Blue Tits and Great Tits will be doing the same thing, fluttering with difficulty around the garden Perhaps it is the lack of Magpies and greedy Crows this year which is making many babies so obvious in the garden. My little mate, the Robin, still follows me around the garden – so close sometimes, I have to be careful not to stand on him. He readily accepts bits and scraps – backwards and forwards to the nest probably to feed his mate who will be sitting on eggs. This is why I love Devon and all the magical things that are happening at the moment. The best entertainment ever and so educational for our grandchildren. But this privilege does need some investment from us. I feed the birds all the year round – in Winter

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to help them survive the harsh winds and the cold. In Spring, to help the adults prepare for parenthood and the rigours of feeding babies. And then, to feed the fledglings to give them the best chance in life and to build up their fat reserves for Winter. Feeding is an art and requires consideration– soft suet balls are far better than the cheaper fat balls which are almost impregnable. Slightly more expensive but much more suitable. In Spring, the fledglings cope much better with soft suet blocks which they can manage easily. I have found that parents still appear to feed babies in the nest with the most appropriate baby food – soft insect larvae and grubs – but they still seem to be glad of a bird feeder to snack and keep their own strength up. The bird feeder provides nuts for the Woodpeckers and all the Tits and Nuthatches love the sunflower hearts. Their careless feeding habits provide regular food droppings for the Sparrows, Blackbirds and Thrushes underneath. Soon groups, (a “Valorey”) of Long-tailed Tits will descend on the feeders on their regular trips around the neighbourhood. Robins chase Robins but I have found the most aggressive birds are the Blackbirds which chase off any other birds who get near to their food. Doing a good job are the Tits which explore the roses and bedding plants looking for greenfly. This is why I never use chemicals in the garden. This year, I have left the grass longer to encourage Daisies and Buttercups to attract insects which also feed the birds. I never feed Nigra seed which is attractive to Finches. I try not to encourage Finches because they nip off the flower-buds and flowers from the fruit trees, reducing the Autumn of apples, plums and pears.

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Clear sheets of glass on large windows and conservatories present a particular hazard to young birds – they fly into them thinking the space is clear. Even if they do not break their necks, birds live with such a high blood pressure to operate the wings, that an impact often kills them from shock. Try hanging a shirt or a pair of trousers inside the glass for a few weeks to give them some warning. Squirrels used to be constant problem where bird feeders were concerned and so destructive, especially when they got inside the loft. But don’t spend a lot of money on anti-squirrel gadgets – there is a simple answer without harming them. Position the bird feeder away from trees etc and further than the squirrels can jump. Buy a pot of Vaseline and grease the pole of the feeder – then wait for the entertainment to start. See the expressions as the squirrels slowly slide back down the pole – they are priceless! And what about other pests in the garden – the predators! Those little pussies may look very nice but I object to them chewing my little birds. Yes, I have a catapult (yes, I did say catapult but this is not what you think). Always remember that these little pussies are someone’s pet and I couldn’t hurt them anyway. What I do, is fire wet tea-bags at them; they do not like them. Those tubular, water-pistols work very well over longer distances as well and they get the message without hurting them. Seagulls also hate a spray of water.

Shrub Old English Rose "Crown Princess Margareta" by David Austin

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Magpies taking little babies out of the nest are a different matter. You can often tell this is going on because the parents, particularly Blackbirds, make such a commotion. A pebble up the bum would probably work wonders but I am such a bad shot, haven’t hit one yet – but even a miss makes them quickly move elsewhere!

HAPPY GARDENING AND ENJOY YOUR LOVELY LITTLE BIRDS.

John Howden was a researcher at the University og Bath , was a Royal National Rose Society Research Scholar and is a regular contributor to The Rose Society UK

ome members will I’m sure remember Paul Evans who died suddenly recently. His Daughter advised the society in an email of his death with only scant information. Paul had been a long standing member of the RNRS and exhibited at their shows. My knowledge of him is mostly of his activities with the former West Midlands Rose Society and although he lived in Wrexham would often attend meetings in Walsall. Paul was a keen Exhibi- tor and attended many shows during the summer. He had good a good eye for presentation and his staging skills with both with Large and Cluster flowered roses made him a keen competi- tor. He supported the WMRS shows during a long successful period, but I I’m sure his favourite venue was the Shrewsbury Flower Show in August and entering the two bowl class gave him the most pleasure. That sadly is where we last met.

John Anthony

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With the chance of there being any shows this year slim to nil, I thought I would have a look back at 2019 and pick a exhibit highlight from some of the shows and why I enjoyed them so much.

First show of the season was Rose Society of Wales show, I didn't have many roses of great quality for this show, but I did manage to find a nice vase of Escapade which is a lovely floribunda before the weather gets too hot on my .

Escapade - floribunda bred by Harkness 1967

The next weekend was a different story. I had numerous blooms, and good ones, for The Rose Society UK show at Squires Garden Centre in Shepperton. I had a very nice basket of the miniature Glowing Amber; I had been picking them all week in the build up and they hadn't blown so I was chuffed to bits with it.

Glowing Amber - miniature bred by Mander 1996

The Ryedale Rose Festival at R V Roger was the next weekend, I've not often had enough blooms to put a quality exhibit in the R V Roger Challenge class, it changes every year and this season it was four separate bowls of 12 hybrid teas, 12 floribunda; 12 miniature single blooms; 12 cluster flowered miniatures and a vase

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R V Roger Master Class 2019

of 6 minifloras. This proved to be a very difficult class as I was the only entry but it was a top exhibit.

Carnforth show was the next weekend and I was pleased to win a class of 3 miniature HT type with my own bred seedling, beating of several of the well known top varieties.

One of Neil’s new miniature introductions

The Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells was next. Although I won with the top vase that I’d mapped out from the year before, for the highlight I've gone for the vase of three minifloras Whirlaway as the best I've ever grown. It beat Ivor Mace’s entry and anywhere Ivor enters minifloras, you need to enter top quality blooms. Whirlaway - miniflora bred by Clemons 2005

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At Chorley Flower Show I managed to pull out two stunning blooms of the hybrid tea Crescendo. Ray Martin had brought it home from USA trip and gave me two buds. For the first two years it came with only blind shoots, then finally last year, it made a winning single bloom entry, with the other bloom also winning.

Crescendo - hybrid tea bred by Zary 2010

In the Taunton show there are only five rose classes and I thought I'll go over the top and see how many hybrid teas I could get into a 10 inch bowl. Very over the top yes, but 32 blooms later it was done.

32 hybrid teas in a 10” bowl - over the top beauty

The Shrewsbury Show was next; and was a bit similar to Chorley. I had seen a picture of a Dicksons climber called Checkmate on Facebook and bought one. Four years later I managed to have 4 stems and my best one went into the single stem class. It was a lovely fresh centred light pink cluster and won the Star Class.

Checkmate - floribunda bred by Dicksons 2012

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At Southport, there was nothing to shout about but I used two blooms of my other home-bred seedling. It’s a cross between Dr John Dickman and Soroptomist International or Astra, as I prefer to call it.

Neil’s Dr John Dickman x Astra new rose

In November 2018 I had seen in the R V Roger catalogue, a striped floribunda called England’s Heroes, so I bought one to try. At my local show I entered three cracking stems that stayed fresh for a week. I bought more.

England’s Heroes - floribunda bred by Webster 2011

We went back to Wales again the next show at Ynyswen; Ivor Mace country. Everyone thought my pompon dahlias were top drawer and so were my minifloras. I was especially chuffed with a new one to me; Seattle Sunrise, that Ivor had given me budwood of the summer before.

Seattle Sunrise - miniflora bred by Moe 2005

Harrogate Autumn Show next and I left nothing at home! Escapade came to the top again, the blooms closed up during staging in the cold of night but with the help of Mark Hewertson and some sunlight, we both put together a stunning basket.

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Malvern Autumn show and getting blooms was a real struggle, Hot Princess came to my aid I had just nine blooms and no room for mistakes!

Hot Princess HT bred by Evers Tantau) 2000

The showing season finished for me at Ramsbottom’s Autumn show, home of the master exhibitor Tony Bracegirdle. To be fair he gave me a drubbing there but I had a nice Marlon’s day to win the single bloom class.

Marlon’s Day HT bred by Wright 2004 I hope you enjoy the quick look though the highlights of a showing season. I managed over 200 red cards and like many others, I am very disappointed not to be showing this year, but more importantly, staying healthy and safe is this year’s goal.

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We have all been affected by the current situation. Our highstreets are all but closed, garden centres are closed, the traditional large flower shows like Chelsea, Hampton Court, Malvern and Harrogate have all been cancelled. As rose lovers we can see that getting hold of a new rose (or two) is not so easy these days. But spare a thought as well, not just for the retailers but also for those who supply some of the retailers like our garden centres. I had the pleasure of talking to Robert Wharton last week and asked him to give us his thoughts about how the current COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the UK rose trade and in particular, his business.

Wholesale garden rose grower - in lock-down: Whartons Roses, based in Norfolk grow around 1.5 million garden roses each year for the wholesale market, over 50 regular staff are employed plus up to a further 50 seasonal workers to help at busy times. They supply rose bushes in both bare-root form to mail order / retail nurseries and pot grown to garden centres on a weekly basis through-out the UK. The ratio from bare-root to potted is approx.. 40 / 60.

Due to this dreadful virus and the trading restrictions in force, garden centres will have be closed for at least 6 weeks this spring when the expectation was to deliver over 20% of annual sales. The chance of making much of this business up when able to supply again, is very slight.

As growers, we appreciate that we are all in this together, although those with limited cash reserves, will find survival difficult.

Whartons Roses will look to the future and continue planned production. Rootstocks are planted and starting to grow, ready to bud this summer. Summer 2019 budded plants are all growing nicely and ‘take’ looks exceptional. Potted roses are looking superb although there are large quantities which should have been delivered, still standing on the growing beds. All of these plants must be looked after in the usual, careful way with costs just as usual, but not the income.

There are some exciting varieties in the pipeline for the future, so we must look forward with optimism. We are in this business for the long term testing varieties from all the major rose breeders the world over. Roses will always be the U.K.’s favourite flower, so life goes on!

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Have you ever wondered what 1.5 million roses in bloom looked like? Well, wonder no more! This drone photo shows just part of the rose fields at Whartons

If and when the restrictions are eased and you can get out to a garden centre near you, Robert suggests that rose growers give this range of roses a try. They are garden roses that produce a fine display of blooms on long stems and are ideal for cutting. Hence the name; Home Florist Roses. They are bred in Germany by Noak- Rosen and . . . . . did I mention? Yes they’re fragrant too!

Good luck Robert and all the rose trade. Hopefully better days will come?

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Pauline’s Patter

As I write, it is the weekend that we would have been manning the Rose Society UK stand at Harrogate Spring show. The daffodil show that is held at the show is also a casualty of the lockdown. I feel fortunate that we have our garden and allotments to keep us occupied. Our garden and our dog have never had so much attention. In fact, we have liberated areas of the garden that has not be done since we took over running the national shows over 10 years ago. Some of the roses are blooming Lady Banks, Canary Bird, Madame Alfred Carriere, Rosarium Uetersen and Maigold to name a few - and of course Kordes climber Rosarium Uetersen loads of pot grown roses in the greenhouse that were destined for the cancelled Malvern Spring Show. We have had time to look after the bedding plants and take hundreds of Dahlia cuttings (it is an addiction).

Dahlia cuttings under the ‘Malvern’ roses The bedding and basket plants squeezed in

So our national shows at Malvern and Squires garden Centre that were planned for May and the last weekend in June respectively have been cancelled and it is likely that our National Northern shows at Chorley and Newby Hall, Harrogate will also be affected. On a more positive note I have been pricking out my new seedlings and watching with excitement the shapes, sizes and colours of all the new ‘babies’. I thought for this magazine I would give you my unorthodox methodology for cultivating open pollinated rose seeds.

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Here goes.

 In or around December collect your hips. I usually use those from roses that give a good range of seedlings and that germinate reasonably well. Some varieties that I have found are good seed parents are Crazy for You, Lucky and Moment in Time. th  Crazy for You also known as 4 July in the USA was bred from Roller Coaster × Altissimo and introduced in 1999. It is very disease resistant and easy to grow. Lucky introduced by Plenty of hips on the bushes of Lucky Fryers before 2005. And Moment in Time bred by Kordes in 2000 and introduced by Mattocks in 2011. All these roses produce a multitude of hips

 I never bother with stratification but keep the hips until early January when I soak in water for a few hours.  I then use my trusty blitzer and blitz the softened hips. The seeds and pulp are then easy to separate although I have a theory that the enzymes in the furry pulp aid germination.  Either way the seeds can be sown into trays of compost sand and perlite. Water well and cover with a layer of vermiculite.  If you have a heated bench or a propagator you will see new seedlings in a couple of weeks but roses will germinate if kept frost free in an unheated greenhouse. Remember that roses are erratic germinators and some seeds will take many months. Once the seedlings show true leaves they can be pricked out into 3” pots. They will invariably flower within 12 weeks.

Pauline’s ‘Blitzer’ - a hand blender to you and me!

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Seeds germinating under the vermiculite Seedlings growing on nicely will bloom very soon

The daffodils and tulips are all finished now as some of our other plants come into bloom; the lovely Viburnum opulus roseum, wisteria and Alstromeria Indian Summer

The wisteria is about to burst into flower Alstroemeria Indian Summer I hope that some of you will have a go at growing your own roses from seed. Please don’t be sucked in to buying seeds from unscrupulous sellers on-line purporting to sell you seeds that will grow into specific coloured roses which they will register a name of your choice, or even worse a multi-coloured rose; growing a multi coloured rose from seed is just not possible. I will show you how to make a rose change colour before your eyes in my next article. I am going to take advantage of having roses in the greenhouse and more importantly time to make some crosses - so not open pollinated but choosing specific parents. In the meantime join the Rose Society Facebook group and post your rose pictures on Facebook or send them through to the secretary who will add them to our page.

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Jill Kerr from Fryers Roses reminds us at this poignant time about the day WW2 ended in Europe and the birth of Peace

Victory in Europe Day or V.E. Day, is a day to celebrate the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of armed forces and so the end of WWII in Europe (although the war continued in the Pacific until August 1945). This year's V.E Day on the 8th May 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe. Celebrations will have to remain closer to home this year and so this is the perfect excuse to spend time in the garden remembering and celebrating that momentous day when peace reigned again in Europe.

Peace Rose The “Peace” rose is probably the most famous rose in the World not least due to the remarkable story surrounding its escape from France.

Formerly known as rose “Madame A Meilland”, this rose was developed by the French Horticulturist Francis Meilland between 1935 and 1939.

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This rose is said to have been the last rose to leave France before the German Invasion. Meilland recognising that he had a potentially wonderful rose on his hands, did all he could to save this rose by sending cuttings to friends in Italy, Germany and the U.S, (the cuttings being sent on the last plane out of France to the U.S before the German Invasion). To begin with, as the rose was sent to different countries, it had several different names, however in 1945 the rose was named the “Peace”. Viscount Alanbrooke, formerly Field Marshall Alan Brooke was given the honour of naming the rose by Meilland as a thank you from Meilland for his role in the liberation of France.

On the 29th April 1945 the rose was publicly re-named “Peace” by Conrad Pyle Company, a day considered by many to be the turning point in WW11. Later that year Peace roses were given to each of the delegations at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco, with a note that read; "We hope the 'Peace' rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting World peace".

Rose “Peace” is a beautiful, which produces large, pale yellow blooms which are edged pink and contrast against glossy, dark green foliage. With a mid- fragrance and to a height of approximately 1metre, this rose has won many accolades and awards including; Winner of the Most Beautiful French Rose in Lyon in 1942 Gold Medal Award in Lyon 1942 Gold Medal Award in Portland in 1944 Gold Medal Award in The Hague 1965 Royal National Rose Society Award 1947 World’s Most Favourite Rose 1976. Rose “Peace” is not only a beautiful rose and addition to any garden but is a symbol of peace and also remembrance. This is especially so as we celebrate Victory in Europe Day and remember those who lost their lives and loved ones to enable us to be free.

Rose “Peace” is available to order from www.fryersroses.co.uk. £14.99 per 5.5L pot

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Lockdown and the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all. Many businesses are in severe difficulties and are struggling to maintain anything like a normal service, this is particularly the case in the horticultural industry. Many of our sponsors are offering an on-line service to purchase potted roses and other rose-related items. Some are offering local deliveries too. Please remember that our sponsors support The Rose Society UK and we should do likewise at this difficult time to support them

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Around Sadly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the Heritage Rose Convention hosted by the Belgian the world Rose Society has been cancelled. More news about this event when of roses we have it Looking Ahead

to 2021 2022

Post- We wish to advise that the WFRS has postponed the 19th World Rose Convention that was due to be held in Australia in October 2021. This is due to the impact of the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, which will affect worldwide travel for the foreseeable future. The 19th World Rose Convention will now be held between 27th October – 3rd November 2022.

2022

Email: [email protected] Website: www.alloccasionsgroup.com

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With the news that Southport has also fallen victim of the COVID-19 restrictions Amanda Taylor reminds us that last year the show celebrated its 90th anniversary. Last year the Southport Flower Show celebrated its 90th anniversary. Over nine decades, Southport has established itself as one of Britain’s leading independent flower shows and a hardy annual highlight of the summer calendar. But it was only thanks to the vision and hard work of its Victorian inhabitants that the town first gained its reputation as a home to beautiful blooms. Back in the 19th century, Southport was a most unlikely garden town with its sandy soil, reedy coastal dunes and salty sea winds making for inhospitable growing conditions. All of these natural obstacles were pushed aside in the late 1880s as the town became a fashionable seaside resort. As well as building a series of municipal parks, wealthy landowners drew up covenants requiring leaseholders to tend to their gardens as a condition of residence. Acres of sandy beach were reclaimed from the foreshore, covered with tonnes and tonnes of topsoil and turned into parks, including the land which was to become Victoria Park. Well-tended gardens became an obsession for the wealthy locals, so much so that the 1901 census remarked on the ‘unusual proportion occupied as gardeners’ in the Birkdale area. Everything was set in the early 1920s as Thomas Edwin Wolstenholme, a council clerk’s assistant, was tasked with creating new events to attract visitors to the town. One of his first ideas was for a ‘Floral Fete Including Horse Leaping’ and a committee was set up to organise what was to become the first Southport Flower Show in 1924. The event was a huge success, attracting 40,000 visitors to Victoria Park. And, with the exception of a short year break during World War Two, the show has been staged here every year since. Over the years, the show has changed and developed but many of the features which made it so popular from the beginning have remained the same. Visitor numbers grew to peak at over 130,000 in the 1960s but costs began to rise and in

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the 1970s the show, still organised by the local council, began to run up losses each year. The show faced a crunch year in 1987 when council backing was finally withdrawn and enthusiasts at the Southport Horticultural Society were given just six months to save the show themselves. Scores of volunteers rallied to support local business leaders as the first privately run Southport Flower Show was set up and the 1987 show just scraped a profit. Since then, the profile of the show has grown with celebrity guests and new entertainment attracting national TV coverage. The heart of the show has always been the shows’ thriving amateur competition which goes from strength to strength. We currently have 329 varied classes covering amateur growers, floral arts, honey, baking and preserves. With 18 classes dedicated to roses – including the prestigious Individual Championship. We welcome new exhibitors and look forward to seeing you at the show in August next year. For details on the schedule please visit our website www.southportflowershow.co.uk or email [email protected]

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I have been asked by several people recently about the process of registering a new rose. The American Rose Society (ARS) have in recent years accepted the responsibility for all new rose registrations but, for a variety of reasons, this process is currently not operational. I wrote to ARS President Bob Martin last week to find out what prospect there was for the registration system to be restarted. Bob kindly responded by return and is reproduced below;

Hi Ray,

We have employed a programmer who is working on a new database for Modern Roses. The programmer incidentally was responsible for programming the online Daylily Database of the American Daylily Society which you can see here:

https://daylilies.org/

Try a word like “Butter” in the cultivar name and see what you get - I get 134 including a ‘Butter Cream’ daylily released in 1998. There are also 19 with the word “Martin” although none are Bobs or Rays.

As you will see it is a comprehensive and well done database. The consultant has been working on the interface and we have had several virtual meetings to answer questions. Once the interface is in place we will migrate the data from Modern Roses, set up a test version and test. I am optimistic we will be in a position to launch it by this fall.

The database wil include the ability to process registrations as before. We have therefore suspended the recording of new registrations until it is in place.

As far as judging is concerned, despite misunderstandings to the contrary, a rose does not need to be registered to be shown in our shows. What it needs is an AEN, an American Exhibition name. In theory that is supposed to be the name under which it is commonly available in America. As it is, we also lack the ability at the moment to assign a name through our database. That being the case our Chairman of Judges suspended all name requirements for the year and until we

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can get names assigned. And, as you have likely noticed that has all become moot in any event since all of our spring shows have been cancelled.

You can pass this along to whoever may be interested.

Warm regards - we shall miss seeing you this year.

Bob

Bob Martin President American Rose Society 3291 Old Oak Tree Lane Escondido, CA 92026-8416

So for all of our amateur rose breeding members the news is promising. Your new creations can be registered once the new database has been set up. This does of course highlight the unscrupulous ‘sharks’ on ebay and other sites that offer rose seeds to unsuspecting customers. As part of the sale they offer ’Registration’ and naming of the roses produced by their seeds. The fact that their seeds will be completely random rather than the colour that they are offered as, and that they will be registered as the buyer’s chosen name, is complete fiction. By this Autumn there should be a new system for registering and naming roses. Once it’s live, we’ll let you know. The rose breeding season is upon us now as our greenhouse roses come into bloom. Let’s make 2020 remembered as the year that we produced many, many new roses rather than the year that we couldn’t leave our houses (or our greenhouses) Stay safe everyone

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General enquiries:

Getting in [email protected] Membership enquiries: touch [email protected] Treasurer enquiries: Visit our website: [email protected] www.therosesociety.org.uk Office Enquiries: [email protected]

Lockdown and isolation will be with us for some time yet. We are now operating a FACEBOOK GROUP which we cordially invite all our members to join. The Group enables everyone to share rose images, opinions and information. Rose lovers from all parts of the globe are sharing and engaging. Isolation doesn’t mean that you cannot stay in touch and see what others are doing. It’s easy to join in, just click on this link and join in; https://www.facebook.com/groups/rosesocietyuk/about/

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