AlliedNews.com - Grove City, Pennsylvania

Community

Related Photos

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
June 30, 2009

Take time this summer to stop and smell the roses

By T.C. Conner

The Write Gardener



It’s been New York’s state flower since 1955; Georgia declared it as its emblematic flower in 1916; North Dakota and Iowa call it their flower; and Ronald Reagan officially made it our national flower on Nov. 20, 1986:

“Now, therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the rose as the National Floral Emblem of the United States of America.”

Earlier in his proclamation, the president had these words to say regarding the rose: “For the love of man and woman, for the love of mankind and God, for the love of country, Americans who would speak the language of the heart do so with a rose.”

June is the month when roses start showing us why they’re our country’s floral emblem. Considered by many to be one of the most elegant and beautiful flowers, the rose just might be the queen of all flowering plant genera. Fossil evidence indicates species of roses dating from the Oligocene era, some 35 million years ago, so they’ve had plenty of time to work their way up through the lowly ranks to become royalty in the plant kingdom.

EveryRose.com has a searchable database of more than 7,500 different roses. You can find Albas, Bourbons, Centifolias, Chinas, Climbers, Damasks, English roses, and Rugosa roses, just to name a few. And there’s over 2,700 photographs to help you choose the right color.

David Austin Roses (www.davidaustinroses.com) gives us three new English rose varieties for this year: a delicately beautiful white shrub rose, ‘Claire Austin;’ a peach-colored tea rose, ‘Port Sunlight;’ and ‘Christopher Marlowe,’ a deep pink rose with a “tea scent with hint of lemon.”

Fragrance is the most important feature when I’m searching for a new rose; that, and a rose’s resistance to disease. If fragrance is high on your list for what to look for in a rose, Lily Shohan in “Old Roses For Fragrance” recommends the Centifolias. Most Centifolias grow 4 to 5 feet in height, are leafy, and bear lush, fragrant, pink blossoms (colors also range from white to deep rose-red; some are striped and spotted). Ms. Lily lists ‘Juno,’ ‘Crested Moss’ and ‘La Noblesse’ as having “that sweet, somewhat fruity but alluring scent.”

In Maureen’s herb garden, ‘Gertrude Jekyll,’ an English rose, has the quintessential old rose fragrance. Flowers are large, rosette-shaped and colored a deep, rich, glowing pink. Gertrude Jekyll was a famous garden designer who still influences today’s landscape architects on the style of English gardens. President Reagan was probably familiar with my favorite rose, the ‘Gertrude Jekyll,’ at least that’s the feeling I get when reading his proclamation making the rose our National Floral Emblem.

“Americans have always loved the flowers with which God decorates our land. More often than any other flower, we hold the rose dear as the symbol of life and love and devotion, of beauty and eternity.”



T.C. Conner is a Master Gardener and columnist for Allied News. He can be reached at tc@thewritegardener.com. Check out his blog at http://the writegardener.blogspot.com. Pick up a copy of his article at Allied News, 201A Erie St., Grove City. Publish date June 24, 2009.

Text Only
Community
  • Fredonia's Pass It On Day is this Saturday

    The annual Pass It On Day in Fredonia is coming up this Saturday, May 5.

    May 1, 2012

  • bbm DavadaHannaRager,Nick.jpg Benefit attracts hundreds, raises more than $15,000

    The benefit for four-time cancer survivor Davada Hanna Rager and her son Nick, who is a two-time cancer survivor, was a big success.

    April 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • Wright House Library.jpg Ribbon cutting booked for Lakeview Victorian library

    Much is happening inside the Lakeview Area Public Library, which has maintained its Victorian charm.

    March 23, 2012 1 Photo

  • MUG-conner,tc_CLR.jpg Volunteer for new GC community garden

    February 8, 2012 2 Photos

  • bole,brenda bw.jpg New Allied columnist begins

    Happy New Year to everyone! Did you make a New Year's resolution? I did but I'm not telling what it is; in case I don't do it then nobody will know.

    January 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • MUG-holtz,emmylou_BW.JPG Emmy Lou Holtz

    Harrisville is a unique little town! To quote my friend, Bob Barnes, "There is no better place to live than Harrisville and the surrounding area."

    January 11, 2012 1 Photo

  • FINISHED!.jpg Creativity launches repurposed rocket

    Will it take off? No.
    But, to these junior astronauts that really doesn't matter.
    Nicholas 5, and Lucas, 3, are the flight crew for the N-L rocket on Marstellar Road, Fairview Township.

    January 10, 2012 2 Photos

  • glorifiedrice5.jpg.jpg 2nd-place glorified rice a family favorite

    Lucinda "Cindy" Kennedy remembers learning to cook and bake with her grandmothers and mother like it was yesterday.
    "This was my maternal grandmother's recipe," the Harrisville woman said as she described glorified rice, a creamy dish dotted with maraschino cherries and crushed pineapple.

    December 13, 2011 1 Photo

  • MUG-holtz,emmylou_CLR.JPG Harrisville budget includes sewer rate increase but no new taxes

    Harrisville borough council this month approved the proposed 2012 budgets and took action to advertise the availability of the budgets to be reviewed at the borough office. Secretary Linda Wegner read the proposed budget for the sanitary sewer system fund, highway fund, fire tax fund and general fund.
    The general fund budget does not have any real estate tax increase and the sanitary sewer system fund budget has a proposed $1 per EDU per month increase for 2012.

    December 6, 2011 1 Photo

  • tc1 wntrgardenwhimsy.jpg Leave whimsical garden items for Old Man Winter

    In the latest edition of Keystone Wild!Notes editor Jessica Sprajcar says, "Fall marks the prelude to a cold, white, winter, but it also signifies the ever changing, ever impressive nature of the environment."
    I think gardeners are extremely in tune with the changing seasons, we have to be.
    But the one settling in on us now might be the hardest to endure. What's a gardener to do to keep her outdoorsy self busy during winter?

    December 1, 2011 2 Photos