Rose News From Around The World

AMERICAN MEMORIAL GARDEN

TO GET INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Edisto Memorial Gardens is poised to be catapulted into the international spotlight.

During a visit to Orangeburg last week, Pat Shanley of the Great Rosarians of the World™ steering committee announced the gardens have been nominated for and will be receiving the distinguished Great Rosarians of the World™ Rose Garden Hall of Fame Award for 2014.

As Jay Hiers, superintendent of the Orangeburg Parks and Recreation Department, gave Shanley, who is also vice president of the American Rose Society, a tour of Edisto Memorial Gardens, she explained the purpose of the award.

“This award is to promote a wider knowledge and appreciation of our treasured botanical gardens to the rose growing world and the gardening public,” Shanley said. “I believe that the Edisto Memorial Rose Gardens meets all of the qualifications and more. In addition, the garden is a major part of the recreational and educational facilities in Orangeburg, and this is a major accomplishment that should be recognized.”

To be considered for the award, a rose garden must be open to the public (with or without a fee); be recognized as having an outstanding design or historical significance; display an outstanding collection or broad display of roses; and/or promote rose growing with educational outreach programs.

Hiers said he is pleased Edisto Gardens will join this select listing.

“We are definitely pleased to be considered for the Great Rosarians of the World™ Rose Garden Hall of Fame out of all the other rose gardens across America,” he said.

There are nearly 5,000 rose plants in the main display at the gardens, which is open year-round to the public, dawn to dusk, free of charge. Edisto Memorial Gardens grows and evaluates new, unnamed varieties of roses in its ARS Award of Excellence Test Garden, which has space for more than 270 specimens.

Hiers is currently testing five Great American Rose Selections entries for 2013. After two years of testing, their merits will be considered, and qualifying varieties will be named and released for sale within the rose industry. The city of Orangeburg also offers the ARS Kidz n Roses program, which is available to local schools.

Accompanying Shanley on her tour of Edisto Memorial Gardens were rose hybridizers Girija and Viru Viraraghavan, the 2006 Great Rosarians of the World™ honorees. Gene Waering, who is on the executive committee of the American Garden Rose Selections program, was on hand, as well. Waering and Shanley, along with Peter Kukielski, co-authored the book “Sustainable Rose Garden,” which focuses on creating environmentally friendly yet enduring rose gardens, with sustainability as the key.

Recognition by GROW™ will bring local, national and international attention, Shanley said.

“The gardens that have received this award in the past have reported it has been instrumental in helping them to receive the support, both public and governmental, that allows them to continue to provide outstanding services to the public,” Shanley said. “The existence of our botanical gardens is continuously threatened by the economic conditions and restrictions felt by most municipalities today. Recognition by GROW™ gives them the visibility to stay in the forefront as necessary institutions that need to have their funding continued, at the very least, and hopefully to have it increased.”

During their tour, Waering and the Viraraghavans proposed the idea of adding a Species Garden to Edisto Memorial Gardens that would feature and help preserve many of the original roses that are the foundation for today’s varieties.

GROW™ Rose Garden Hall of Fame Awards for 2014 will be presented on Saturday, May 31 next year at the Great Rosarians of the World™ Lecture Series — East at The New York Botanical Garden. According to Shanley, the gardens receiving the award in addition to Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg will be: Biltmore Rose Garden, Asheville, N.C.; Heritage Rose District, New York City; City of Sakura Rose Garden, Sakura, Japan; Portland International Rose Garden, Portland, Ore.; and Balboa Park Rose Garden, San Diego, Calif.

HISTORY OF THE GARDENS
The Edisto Memorial Gardens is a place of history and beauty. In 1865, a force of less than six hundred Confederate soldiers gathered on the land that is now the Gardens. Soldiers temporarily halted the advance of the Union Army. On February 12, 1865, outflanked by a much larger force, these defenders were compelled to withdraw to Columbia. A marker honours this site.

This site was first developed in the 1920’s with some azaleas on 5 acres of land. A playground was added in 1922, and a greenhouse and nursery facility in 1947. To extend the season of beauty, the first rose garden was planted in 1951. Currently, there are more than 82 beds of roses ranging from miniatures to grandiflora to climbers. The fountain was moved from the Memorial Plaza and placed at the entrance to the Gardens in 1950 to honour the brave individuals who gave their lives in 1st & 2nd World Wars, Korean War, and the Vietnam Conflict. The name was changed to the Edisto Memorial Gardens. The Gardens attract visitors from all over the world because they are filled with award-winning roses, azaleas, and other flora and faunas. The Orangeburg Festival of Roses, one of the Southeastern Tourism Society’s top twenty events, is held in Orangeburg the weekend before Mother’s Day in May each year to celebrate the blooming of the City’s roses.

The Edisto Memorial Gardens displays past and current award winning roses from the All-America Rose Selections. Some 4,800 plants representing at least 75 labeled varieties of roses are always on display in the Gardens. This site is also honored to be one of only 15 official test gardens in the United Sates sanctioned by the All-America Rose Selections, Inc. This test garden, which was established in 1973, is dedicated to recognizing up to five of the most desirable hybrid rose introductions each year. In 2008, The Gardens became affiliated with the American Rose Society’s testing program – Award of Excellence. This program picks the top miniature and mini-flora roses in the US. The rose named ‘Edisto’ is one of these winners. Also in 2008, the Noisette Garden was planted. This rose is they only class of rose to be created in North America – Charleston,SC to be exact. Currently 55 varieties are on display and more added as they are found. The 200th Anniversary of the Noisette Rose will be held in August of 2011 at the Edisto Memorial Gardens.

The Children’s Garden Christmas is a drive through light display coordinated by the City of Orangeburg, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Department of Public Utilities. This event features a one-half mile trail through the Edisto Memorial Gardens featuring 30 animated displays, 20 still displays and 60 lighted cherry trees. The Kids Walk with an additional 18 displays. The lighted displays vary in size from 6 feet to 20 feet tall. The Gardens are illuminated seven days a week from the Monday before Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day for everyone to enjoy free of charge.

In July 1992, a major new theme was added to the Gardens with the establishment of the Horne Wetlands Park. This 2,600 foot boardwalk takes the visitor into a Tupelo/Cypress wetland that lies between the Display Garden and the North fork of the Edisto River. The Park also features a boat dock with a gazebo. The boardwalk is fully handicap accessible.

The Gardens also feature a butterfly garden, a serenity garden, and a sensory garden. Also, a beautiful terrace garden has been developed on the river side of the Arts Centre. The Edisto Memorial Gardens are open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. Admission is free to the public.

 

Over 600,000 visitors experience the Gardens each year. Visitors come from all fifty states and some foreign countries.

The Gardens are located within the City limits on U.S. Highway 301 just four blocks from the heart of the City. The average peak Spring blooms of crab apple, azaleas, dogwood, etc. is from March 15 to April 15. Roses begin blooming soon after the middle of April and continue until the first killing frost of November.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

MATURE SPECIMEN ROSES

We have a large selection of Potted Mature Specimen Roses in   stock.   Shrub Roses, Floribundas, Hybrid Teas, Patios. Ground Cover, Rugosas.   All available in 15ltr – 20ltr plastic pots  

Due to the size and weight of of the roses they are NOT available Mail Order
BUYER MUST COLLECT FROM THE PLANT CENTRE
IDEAL FOR LANDSCAPING OR THE INSTANT GARDEN
Complete list on request by e mail only office@countrygardenroses.com   Tel inquiries 10am-4pm 01939 210 380 Open 7 days   We also stock a large selection of MATURE CLIMBING ROSES   Climbers available in 15-20 ltr Plastic Pots and grown up 4-5ft canes   Regret NO LIST available for climbers as it is constantly changeing.

Tel 01939 210 380

Details of all our roses are available on our web site. Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

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Rose News From Around The World

TORNADO  WRECKS ROSE CENTRE

American Rose Center in the USA still cleaning up after May tornado.

The Gardens of the American Rose Centre in Shreveport will reopen later this month. The center lost 37 trees and sustained roof damage to all its buildings when an EF-1 tornado struck on the afternoon of May 16.

The headquarters of the American Rose Society is humming these days with the sound of chainsaws from tree removal contractors taking down the mostly pine and mature oak trees. Executive director Jeff Ware said tornado warnings are common, but this one was different. The staff huddled in their administrative building away from windows.

“There really wasn’t time to be frightened. We just did what needed to be done for safety. Then, we peeked outside and it was a different world,” Ware said, during a recent interview at his office that was without power for a week. “The ground was covered in white hail. The temperature changed so quickly because of the a hail on the ground that it produced a fog. The whole area in the garden was covered in a dense fog. It looked like we were on another planet.”

This time of year, you’d normally smell the roses when you drive into the centre even with windows up, but that’s no longer the case. Ware said the severe storm took a toll on the rose bushes with winds that clocked about 100 miles per hour and dime-sized hail.

“Many of the roses were just stripped of leaves and blooms, and basically they’re stocks now. We expect most of them to come back, but we’re watching about 1,000 rose [bushes] that may eventually have to be replaced,” Ware said.

The loss of trees will bring more light into the American Rose Centre, which will benefit the roses. The American Rose Centre has set aside a special account to help pay for the damage called “restoration.”

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

Rose Of The Week

EYES FOR YOU

Floribunda
2008  2ft 6ins

A lovely but very unusual rose.

A floribunda with large blooms which can be as big as 4ins across.  The colour is described as mauvy-lilac but the main eye catcher is the large purple blotch in the centre.

The huge blooms repeat all summer and really stand out in the crowd.

The foliage is very healthy with good disease resistance.

Not very tall so will grow in a container or the garden.

A bed of these eye catchers will stop the traffic.

Lovely perfume.

Bred by Peter J James. UK

Introduced by Warners Roses.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

GREAT NEWS FROM THE RNRS

EVERYTHING is coming up roses for a threatened St Albans tourist attraction which faced closure because it could not resolve parking difficulties.

The Royal National Rose Society (RNRS), which has its internationally-known gardens in Chiswell Green, warned last August that not only the garden but also the society itself would have to close if it could not get permanent parking for visitors.

But this week RNRS chief executive Roz Hamilton and John Breheny, chairman and chief executive of civil engineering company Breheny which now owns 95 per cent of the neighbouring Butterfly World, announced that agreement had been reached between the two parties not only about parking but also other collaborations including joint ticketing and discounted entry to both attractions.

A delighted Roz said: “We need to build on the positiveness of both sides because we can complement each other so much. I think it is good for both organisations, not just locally but from a tourist perspective.”

St Albans council leader, Julian Daly, who had brokered several meetings between the two parties, also welcomed the agreement. He said: “I think together they will be much more successful than individually. It has taken a long time but this is the next stage and a sensible step for everyone.”

The agreement follows years of rancour between the two parties which left the Gardens of the Rose unable to open for more than a few weeks in the summer because it could not get planning permission for anything other than temporary parking for visitors.

Negotiations about using car parking at Butterfly World, which was built on land sold by the RNRS to founder Clive Farrell, kept stalling and the impasse led to a decision by the RNRS that closure would be inevitable unless the situation could be resolved.

RNRS president Bernard Williams said this week: “We could not survive with just a six-week opening period. We have to be open for the whole season.”

When the Herts Advertiser revealed that the RNRS and its gardens might have to close, we launched our Keep the Roses Blooming campaign and support poured in both to this newspaper and the RNRS.

Breheny’s purchase of the majority of Butterfly World resulted in round-the-table discussions and the two parties agreed that parking for garden visitors would be on the Butterfly World site and joint ticketing arrangements introduced.

Although it is too late for the gardens to open for more than a limited period this summer, from next year it hopes to open all summer long as well as get a licence for wedding ceremonies to be performed there.

Mr Breheny said on Monday that when his company became the majority shareholder, it had become aware that there were problems in the background between Butterfly World and RNRS and was keen to resolve them for the benefit of both parties.

He confirmed that the butterfly biome, which was to have been the centrepiece of the project under Clive Farrell’s plans, would not be built in the current financial climate but it was hoped that Butterfly World would open as an all-year-round attraction in the near future.

The limited opening period at the Gardens of the Rose in the past few years had hit the RNRS hard because even in those few weeks of opening, it raised more income from visitors than from membership. Eighty per cent of its visitors are from overseas as the gardens house one of only two rose trial grounds in the world.

The gardens celebrate their 50th anniversary this July during the 2013 opening period from June 8 until July 29. Butterfly World will remain open until November 3 this year.

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk

EXCITING NEW ROSE GARDEN

WYNYARD HALL HOTEL

Tees Valley’s Wynyard Hall Hotel will embark on a £4m investment plan, including the development of a cookery school, creating 50 jobs.

The hotel recently received planning permission to redevelop its walled garden and develop a cookery school, event space and accommodation, and visitor centre and café.

At the centre of the development will be a new Rose Garden which will mark the culmination of a long-held dream by the hall’s owner, Sir John Hall.

The plans for the Rose Garden include planting the biggest variety of roses in Europe along with water features, statues, Italian terraces and picnic areas– ensuring it will become a major tourist attraction in the North East.

Paul Mackings, chief executive for Cameron Hall Developments which owns Wynyard Hall, said: “The new plans stay true to Sir John Hall’s vision which is to create a wonderful space full of roses.

“I can’t emphasise enough how excited we are about these new plans – we want Wynyard Hall and its grounds to be a place for everyone to enjoy. We intend that the new Rose Garden and Visitor Centre will be somewhere that people will want to visit time and time again.

“Alongside the pure enjoyment of visiting the gardens throughout the year we also hope that our passion and commitment to providing the widest of rose species will encourage interest for horticulturists both here and abroad.“

Wynyard Hall say the development will create 40 full time, and 20 part time jobs.

Allison Antonopoulos, managing director of Wynyard Hall, said: “She was delighted that the plans had been given the green light.

“The development of the Walled Garden will allow us to continue with the restoration and development of this magnificent stately home for future generations to enjoy.“

Details of all our roses are available on our web site.
Over 1000 varieties to choose from.

www.countrygardenroses.co.uk