ROSA Annual 2023

ROSA Annual 2023

ROSA Annual 2023

Editorial Committee: Sheenagh Harris (editor); Gail Birss (assistant editor); Joy Webb (advertising)

Photos: Above ‘Gwen Fagan’ • Cover Rosa Laevigata

From the President

is year has been challenging in many ways for me and many of our members. Despite that, I would like to focus on the positive things that happened. Our societies grew in size and we added a brand-new society to the Federation of Rose Societies –that is definitely cause for celebration! We welcome our new society in the Free State, the Bloemfontien Rose Society and want to wish Lian Fivaz success with this exciting new chapter in his life. He is passionate about roses and we know that Bloemfontein has many rose lovers and has played a major role in the South African

We had the most wonderful ROSA National Rose Conference in the fairest Cape in November. It was simply delightful to see old rose friends face to face again and catch up. And believe me, there was a lot of catching up! I and the other rosarians attending the conference had the privilege of spending some time with the amazing Gwen Fagan, patron of the convention, researcher into old garden roses in South Africa, restorer of many old gardens and author of Roses at the Cape of Good Hope. We all thoroughly enjoyed the interesting presentations given by Peter Knox-Shaw, Pieter Diener and Charles Quest-Ritson. Peter owns the iconic Fresh Woods in Elgin and we visited the garden to experience first hand what he talked about. Charles, our keynote speaker from the UK, is a well-known British horticulturalist, rosarian and garden writer and author of many garden books, including the RHS Encyclopedia of Roses and American Rose

Society Encyclopedia of Roses. He was also the founder of the International Historic Roses Group. Pietman’s talk highlighted the work he does with old and new roses in another renowned garden, Rustenberg Manor House garden.

I would like to congratulate Carolyn Kewley and Joy Webb who with their team put together the conference for us. Wow, what a blast! Thank you for choosing extraordinary gardens to visit and thank you for a really good conference. You can read more about the ROSA National Conference of 2023 – ROSES AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE – in this issue of the ROSA annual.

I had the most amazing time the last three years as ROSA President. I wish Gail Birss a very fulfilling time in her new term as ROSA President. I have also ended my ROSA editorship (and my role as layout designer) of 9 years in 2023. I wish the new team success with the ROSA publications.

Remember to stop and smell the roses. May you all have buckets of roses to enjoy and give away in 2024.

Rose greetings

Van die President

aar was baie uitdagings vanjaar vir my en baie van ons lede. Ten spyte daarvan wil ek eerder op die positiewe dinge wat gebeur het, fokus. Ons verenigings het gegroei en ons het selfs ‘n splinternuwe vereniging by ons federasie van roosverenigings gevoeg – dit is beslis ‘n rede om fees te vier! Ons verwelkom ons nuwe vereniging in die Vrystaat, die Bloemfontein Roosvereniging, en ons wil Lian Fivaz alle sukses toewens met hierdie nuwe hoofstuk in sy lewe. Hy is mal oor rose en ons weet dat Bloemfontein vele roosliefhebbers het wat in die verlede ‘n baie groot rol in die Suid-Afrikaanse

konferensie in die mooiste Kaap in November gehou. Dit was net wonderlik om ou roosvriende van aangesig tot aangesig te sien en kuiers in te haal. En glo my, daar was baie om in te haal! Ek en al die ander rooskwekers wat die konferensie bygewoon het, het die voorreg gehad om tyd deur te bring saam met die merkwaardige Gwen Fagan, beskermvrou van die konferensie. Gwen het baie navorsing oor ou roostuine in Suid-Afrika gedoen en ou tuine tot hul glorie herstel. Sy is die skrywer

Ons het die interessante praatjies van Peter Knox-Shaw, Pietman Diener en Charles Quest-Ritson terdeë geniet. Peter is die eienaar van die ikoniese Fresh Woods in Elgin en ons het ook die tuin besoek om persoonlik te sien waarvan hy gepraat het. Pietman se aanbieding het lig gewerp op sy werk met ou en nuwe rose in nog ‘n bekende tuin, dié van Rustenberg Manor House. Charles, ons

hoofspreker van die Verenigde Koninkryk af, is ‘n welbekende Britse plantkundige, rooskweker, tuinskrywer en skrywer van talle tuinboeke, insluitend die RHS Encyclopedia of Roses en die American Rose Society Encyclopedia of Roses. Hy is ook stigter van die internasionale Historic Roses Group, waarvan ons eie Heritage Rose Society of South Africa (HRSSA) ook lid is.

Ek wil vir Carolyn Kewley, Joy Webb en haar span gelukwens met die konferensie wat hulle vir ons gereël het. Sjoe, wat ‘n heerlike affêre! Dankie dat julle sulke uitsonderlike tuine gekies het vir ons besoeke en dankie vir ‘n baie goeie konferensie. Jy kan meer oor die ROSA Nasionale Konferensie van 2023 – ROSES AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE – in hierdie uitgawe van die ROSA-jaarboek lees.

Ek het die wonderlikste tyd die laaste drie jaar as ROSA President gehad. My wens vir Gail Birss is dat sy haar tydperk as ROSA President baie vervullend sal vind. My tyd as ROSAredakteur (en my rol as uitlegkunstenaar) het ook na 9 jaar tot ‘n einde gekom. Ek hoop die nuwe span sal groot sukses hê met die ROSA-publikasies.

Onthou om te stop en aan die rose te ruik. Mag julle emmersvol rose hê om te geniet en weg te gee in 2024. Roosgroete

Lizette Jonker en Gwen Fagan by die ROSA Nasionale Rooskonferensie van 2023.

TEN GOOD REASONS FOR JOINING A ROSE SOCIETY of the FEDERATION OF ROSE SOCIETIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

MEMBERS RECEIVE:

• Information on forthcoming rose shows and rose-related events

• Invitations to attend free demonstrations on different aspects of rose care

• The opportunity to visit beautiful gardens not generally available to the public

• Information on newly released products and rose remedies

• Discounts on rose plants and certain rose fertilisers

• Local newsletters

• National Newsletters from ROSA

• ROSA annual with news and views from all over South Africa and abroad

• Affiliation with The World Federation of Rose Societies and all the benefits derived therefrom

• The opportunity to travel to world rose conventions

Become a member now by contacting the Secretary of ROSA or a Rose Society in your area – information on page 10

Office Bearers

COUNCIL OF THE FEDERATION OF ROSE SOCIETIES OF SOUTH AFRICA

WEBSITE: roses.org.za

ROSA FACEBOOK PAGE: facebook.com/ROSA.southafrica

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

Gail Birss Joanne Johnstone

gailbirss8@gmail.com jjohnstone07@outlook.com 082 470 0619 082 859 6334

SECRETARY

TREASURER

Joanne Johnstone Elizabeth Thornton-Dibb jjohnstone07@outlook.com elizabethtd.rosa@gmail.com

082 859 6334 083 590 2041

EDITOR

WFRS VP FOR AFRICA

Sheenagh Harris Vivienne Black rutherg@iafrica.com vivienne@globalsourcingafrica.com

082 325 4888 083 300 6402

ROSE SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES

FREE STATE: Lian Fivaz

info@bloemfonteinrose.co.za

Chairman: Lian Fivaz 072 728 7716

Secretary: Tanna Fivaz 083 462 2103

GAUTENG: Lizette Jonker

GARDEN ROUTE: Joanne Johnstone

HERITAGE ROSE SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA: Vivienne Black

KWAZULU-NATAL: Gail Birss

WESTERN CAPE: Joy Webb

Presidents of The Rose Society of South Africa 1960-1981

and The Federation of Rose Societies of South Africa from 1982-2023

1960-1962 Fred Ziady

1962-1964 Claude Maynier

1964-1966 Egmont Behrens

1966-1968 Jack Wise

1968-1970 Bokkie van der Spuy

1970-1972 Herman Buss

1972-1973 Jack Wise

1973-1975 Fred Ziady

1975-1976 Peter Fornby

1976-1978 Sid Cywes

1978-1980 Mary Wise

1980-1982 Ludwig Taschner

1982-1984 Dick Lindner

1984-1986 Herbert von Malittz

1986-1988 Esther Geldenhuys

1988-1990 Duncan Henderson

1990-1992 Des Wright

1992-1994

Margaret Dams

o1994-1996 Ludwig Taschner

1996-1998 Esther Geldenhuys

1998-2000 Johan Moll

2000-2002 Esther Geldenhuys

2002-2004 Ludwig Taschner

2004-2006 Sheenagh Harris

2006-2008 Des Wright

2008-2010 Jeanne Stoltz

2010-2010 Johan Moll

2011-2013

Stefanie Seydack

2013-2015 Joy Webb

2015-2018 Gail Birss

2018-2020 Barbara Wood

2020-2023

Lizette Jonker

2023- Gail Birss

ROSA ACCREDITED JUDGES

CAPE PROVINCE Marie Favard; Ian Findlay; Sheenagh Harris; Duncan Henderson; Alta Nel; Stephanie Seydak FREE STATE Johan Moll

GAUTENG Ludwig Taschner

KWAZULU-NATAL AP Austen Smith; Allyson Enslin; Gill Wilson; Sally Morning

Ludwig’s Copper Count-N

A copper containing fungicide solution for the control of many diseases on a wide variety of crops.

Copper Count-N can be used on roses, flowers, herbs and vegetables.

Harmless to bees, birds, beneficial insects, wildlife and pets. Low toxicity to fish. Very low toxicity towards humans.

Ludwig’s Vigorosa 5:1:5(25)

An organically enriched fertilizer that enhances general healthy stem and leaf growth.

Perfect for feeding roses, as well as vegetables, ornamental flowers and shrubs, lawns, groundcovers and container plants.

Harmless to birds, wildlife, pets and humans at recommended application rates. No harmful toxic residues. Low toxicity towards fish life. No secondary poisoning.

WE WORK WITH NATURE, NOT AGAINST IT

Awards

ZOË GILBERT MERIT AWARD

The establishment of this award, in memory of Zoë Gilbert was proposed by Professor Ziady and agreed upon by all Council members at the 13th Council Meeting of ROSA on 12 March 1988. It was decided it should be given to a person who has done exceptional work for the Rose Society of South Africa. At the Council Meeting on 17 March, 1991 it was further agreed this award would only be presented to a member who had contributed to and promoted the growing and love of roses.

This award has been presented to:

1988

Ludwig Taschner

1994 Duncan Henderson

1996

Esther Geldenhuys

1998 Dick Lindner

2004 Des Wright

2005

Gwen Fagan

2008 Sheenagh Harris

2010 Alan Tew

2012 Bill Horwood

2014

2016

Barbara Long

Jackie Kalley

2018 Gail Birss

2021 Gill Wilson

2023

Joy Webb

PRESIDENT’S TROPHY

The President’s Trophy is to be given entirely at the President’s discretion to whomever the President considers worthy of it. The member receiving the award will have done a great deal to promote roses and will have been a member of a society for a number of years.

The award has been presented to:

1994

1996

1998

2004

Basil Webb

Arthur Tintiger

Duncan Henderson

Lynn Kepler & Chris Dams

2006 Des Wright

2009 Sheenagh Harris

2012 Alan Tew

2014

Sid Cywes

2016 Ludwig Taschner

2018 Sheenagh Harris

2023

Gwen Fagan

1988

National Rose Conventions

Ludwig

Member Countries

The World Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS) is comprised of 40 national rose societies from all around the world. The list below also annotates their year of joining the WFRS.

Argentina (1977) - Rose Society of Argentina

Australia (1968) - National Rose Society of Australia

Austria (2001) - Österreichische Rosenfreunde in der Gartenbau-Gesellschaft

Belgium (1968) - Société Royale Nationale ‘Les Amis de la Rose’

Bermuda (1981) - Bermuda Rose Society

Canada (1968) - Canadian Rose Society

Chile (2000) - Asociación Chilena de la Rosa

China (1997) - Chinese Rose Society

Czechia (1994) - Czechia Rosa Club

Denmark (1994) - The Danish Rose Society

Finland (1997) - Finnish Rose Society

France (1979) - Société Française des Roses

Germany (1968) - Gesellschaft Deutscher Rosenfreunde

Great Britain (2018) - The Rose Society UK

Greece (1997) - The Hellenic Rose Society

Hungary (2008) - Hungarian Rose Friends Society

Iceland (2007) - Icelandic Rose Society

India (1968, 1982) - Indian Rose Federation

Israel (1975) - The Jerusalem Foundation

Italy (1968) - Italian Rose Society

Japan (1968) - Japan Rose Society

Luxembourg (1983) - Luxembourg Rose Society

Monaco (2012) - Société des Roses de Monaco

Netherlands (1976) - Nederlandse Rozenvereniging

New Zealand (1968) - New Zealand Rose Society

Northern Ireland (1982) - Rose Society of Northern Ireland

Norway (1988) - Norwegian Rose Society

Pakistan (1992) - Pakistan National Rose Society

Poland (1981, 2017) - Polish Rose Society

Romania (1992) - Asociatia Amicii Rozelor din Romania

Russia (2007) - Russian Association of Rosarians

Slovakia (2023) - Rose Society Maria Henrieta Chotek

Slovenia (2000) - Slovenian Rose Society

South Africa (1968) - Federation of Rose Societies of South Africa

South Korea (2018) - South Korea Rose Society

Spain (1992) - Asociación Española de la Rosa

Sweden (1994) - The Swedish Rose Society

Switzerland (1976) - Gesellschaft Schweizerischer Rosenfreunde SA

United States (1968) - American Rose Society

Uruguay (1985) - Asociación Uruguaya de la Rosa

Note: for website information on the above Member Countries, go to the WFRS website – www.worldrose.org

Society Annual Reports for 2023

Heritage Rose Society of South Africa (HRSSA)

39 members

Email: heritageroses.sa@gmail.com

Honorary President: Gwen Fagan

Chairperson: Vivienne Black • 083 300 6402 vivienne@globalsourcingafrica.com

Secretary: Susan van Zuilekom • 082 716 5341 susanvz@klr.co.za

Treasurer: Gail Birss • 082 470 0619 gailbirss8@gmail.com

In the absence of a Chairman’s report the following information is recorded. This last year, the Heritage Rose Society of South Africa has concentrated on convening the first HRSSA Convention to be held since its inception in 1998. Carolyn Kewley, Joy Webb, Vivienne Black, Gail Birss and Gill Wilson were the organisers. The convention honoured Heritage Rose Boffin, Gwen Fagan – in her 100th year! Thirty­nine delegates registered for the full convention and three joined the day of garden visits while there were ten visitors at the Closing Ceremony. ROSA kindly sponsored international speaker, Charles Quest-Ritson, International President of the Heritage Rose and Conservation Society and at this stage it would appear that the HRSSA organising committee has done a great job in making the convention self-supporting… no mean feat for

a society with members spread round the country.

HRSSA members received several informative newsletters from the chairperson in the last year and we thank Cathy Esterman for her excellent advice on Heritage Roses and hope very much she will continue with her valuable help.

The Heritage Chat group continues to be a great source of interest and members benefit greatly from this contact with other members round the country. Pictures of the Midlands Rose Society Heritage Garden have been stunning and of particular interest as members see it growing and maturing. The team of volunteers led by Gail Birss and Gill Wilson are to be congratulated.

Carolyn Kewley who has been in the chair for the last two years has retired and is replaced by Vivienne Black. The new Secretary is Susan van Zuilekom and Gail has once again undertaken the job as Treasurer.

Wendy Kroon and Carolyn Kewley deep in conversation in the vegetable garden at Rustenberg Manor House

Vivienne Black and Pietman at Rustenberg Manor House

Knysna & Garden Route Rose Society (K&GRRS)

Members 87

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/Knysna-Rose-Society

Email: knysnarosesociety@gmail.com

AHonorary Life Members: Carol Kennedy Sheenagh Harris

Chairperson: Joanne Johnstone 082 859 6334 knysnarosesociety@gmail.com

Vice Chairperson: Prudence Cooper 081 376 2556 jandpcooper@gmail.com

Secretary: Gill Goodall 082 652 3668 gill@goodall5.co.za

Treasurer: Leslie McCallum lesliemccllum@yahoo.co.uk

t the end of 2022, three Knysna Rose Society members, Joan Spencer, Pam Webber and Joanne Johnstone flew to Australia to attend the World Rose Convention held in Adelaide.

The Knysna Rose Society held an AUTUMN ROSE SHOW at the end of March, 2023. It was such a delight to watch the response of the public as they reacted to the beautiful display of roses. People of all ages stopped to admire them, ask questions, and smell the fragrant blooms! KRS information pamphlets were made available to the public and as a result KRS admitted five new members.

In May, twenty­five KRS members and guests visited Honeychild Conservation Beekeeping Co. at Brenton-on-Sea.

The New Membership Drive, in July, was held in the form of a Masterclass for

Honeychild Conservation visit: L-R Christa from Honeychild and K&GRRS Committee members Lesley McCullum, Pru Cooper and Gill Goodall enjoying Owen’s talk

Beginners at Luka Vineyards in Harkerville. Pam Webber demonstrated planting a ‘South Africa’ rose. Seventy­five people attended, only twenty-four of whom were KRS members. Sheenagh Harris and Pam Webber shared their combined wealth of knowledge and experience in growing roses on the Garden Route. A bit of fun was had with a reverse draw with great prizes including vouchers and rose bushes which were won by eight of the attendees. The morning ended with pizza, a glass of wine and four new members signed up on the day. Since then, fourteen new members have joined.

The KRS Annual General Meeting was held at the Leisure Isle Bowling Club, on 5 August and was attended by thirty members. The proposal of the Change of the Society Name to include members outside of Knysna was approved. The new name is Knysna and Garden Route Rose Society (K&GRRS).

The AGM was followed by informative talks by Saniek du Toit, the Southern Cape Felco distributor. Saniek spoke on

the general principles of pruning. Louis Liebenberg, Felco area manager for the Eastern and Southern Cape, spoke on the importance of maintaining pruning equipment, as well as the different types of products and services Felco offers. He also demonstrated the correct way to sharpen secateurs. Tumelo Moyo, manageress of Ludwig’s Roses Outeniqua, followed with a pruning demonstration and explained how to care for roses after pruning.

Despite the rain and chilly morning, thirty-six members and visitors arrived for the Rosy Ramble on Leisure Isle, where they visited the beautiful gardens of five K&GRRS members and enjoyed tea at the home of Carol Kennedy. The members were asked for a donation for Knysna Hospice in lieu of paying for tea and R1650 was raised. Seven K&GRRS Members attended and enjoyed the 20th ROSA Convention at Simondium in November.

The K&GRRS year­end function was held in November. The day started with a mini rose show aimed at giving new members the opportunity to participate in

a relaxed atmosphere. Feedback was given for each entry to correct obvious errors, while constructive comments on how to improve the presentations was welcomed. This was followed by a visit to Hudson Haven, the farm of Joe and Reinette Klerck. In addition to their beautiful formal rose garden, roses have been planted all over the farm amongst their vegetables and fruit trees providing a spectacular array. A harvest table lunch was thereafter enjoyed at Kay & Monty’s Vineyard in The Crags.

Function:

Year-end Function: First time Exhibitors were encouraged to enter the Mini Rose Show at Kay and Monty’s Vineyard

Midlands Rose Society

Members: 201

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/midlandsrosesociety@gmail .com

Email: midlandsrosesociety@gmail.com

THonorary Life Members: Ludwig Taschner

Debbie Battershill

Sheenagh Harris

Chairperson: Gail Birss • 082 470 0619 gailbirss8@gmail.com midlandsrosesociety@gmail.com

Secretary: Karin Braithwaite • 082 454 9091 midlandsrosesociety@gmail.com

Treasurer: Mary O’Donnell• 083 292 5913 mary.noeleen@gmail.com

he Midlands Rose Society had an extremely busy year with many functions in the public eye as it was our aim to attract more members and especially younger members. Being seen out and about and active is definitely the way to go.

We hosted a special function in early February called ‘Gardening for Beginners’, which proved to be very popular. Gill Wilson planted a rose bush explaining how to do the planting correctly and Linda Pieterse from TARR ROSES gave a wonderful presentation on caring for roses. The function ended with a glass of Rosé. Quite a few new members signed up.

Members were asked to send in photographs of roses from their gardens and the best thirteen were chosen to publish in our own Birthday Calendar. Hopefully this will raise funds for the society when selling them.

In April, we hosted an AUTUMN ROSE SHOW at the new Blackwood Nursery. The rose ‘Vrouefederasie’ entered by Savi Brimer won Queen of the Show. In May when the ROSA Annual was published and the results of the ROSA Annual Rose Show competition were revealed, we were very thrilled to see that the Midlands Rose Society had walked away with most of the prizes. Kate Wallace a new member entered ‘Forever Delight’ which received the title Queen of the Show and her ‘Red ’n Fragrant’ was awarded 1st Princess. Katherine Kilpatrick’s entry, ‘My Darling’ was named 2nd Princess. Other winners were Dave Wimble, Susan van Zuilekom, Christiane Varney, Shireen Deoraj and Gail Birss.

The Annual General Meeting was hosted in June at a new venue, the Hilton Bush Lodge, which was very special. On arrival we were greeted with a glass of champagne

and orange juice. Magda from Ludwig’s Star Roses was guest speaker.

During June we hosted a pruning demonstration and in September, Elizabeth Thornton­Dibb welcomed us to her new property on the Mt Verde estate to where she has moved her Floral business and where she will be planting roses and Avocado trees. This was a most wonderful event with Faith, her very talented employee, demonstrating the process of creating a Country Bunch.

October was our busiest month, starting with sales and demonstrating the planting of a rose bush at the Lutheran Retirement Open Garden. The following weekend we hosted a very successful SPRING ROSE SHOW with new members winning the top Prizes. Once again, Kate Wallace’s rose, ‘Forever Delight’ was crowned, Queen of the Show. Louise Jenning’s rose ‘Hot Cocoa’ was awarded 1st Princess and Shoshanna Jackson’s rose, ‘Rina Hugo’ was awarded 2nd Princess. The following weekend, the MRS Heritage

Rose Garden was part of Open Gardens. This is also a fundraiser, as we sell rose bushes taken from cuttings, seeds, and plants from the garden.

The year ended with a lunch for members and a demonstration by Dawn Pellew and Sandra Tretheway – creating Christmas flowers and wreaths.

The members continue to receive a monthly newsletter and sales of ATLANTIC Fertiliser and other products 3 times a year. For us it has been a busy but a most successful year as we attracted 55 new members and the membership now stands at just over 200 members.

Gail Birss, Chairperson

MRS members at the National Convention: L-R: Gail Birss; Sheenagh Harris; Claire Meyer; Sally Earl; Di vd Hoven; Sharon Boyes; Carolyn Kewley; Shireen Deoraj, Elizabeth Thornton-Dibb. Kneeling: Gill Wilson

Rose Shows

MRS Heritage Garden – Open Day

Pretoria Rose Society

21 members

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/pretoriarosesociety

Email: pretoriarosesociety@gmail.com

IVoorsitter/Chairperson: Lizette Jonker

076 332 2009

e-pos/e-mail:lizettejonker@gmail.com

Penningmeester/Treasurer: Duard Jonker

072 989 8740

n 2023 the Pretoria Rose Society members had the most exquisite roses which they showed on the WhatsApp group. We were spoilt with regular posts by the members. We lost one member but gained a new one from Brakpan.

The main communication is still via WhatsApp and email. This suits the society as we have members living very far from Pretoria. Until we have more societies all over the country, our society will be the virtual home for the members without societies.

We attended a few events at Ludwig’s this year. The first, on 25 June, was Ludwig’s winter pruning demonstration, a well-attended affair with lots of tips and information – there is always something new to learn. Then we went to the wonderful annual rose show on 7 October. The theme was a child’s play yard and people enjoyed looking at roses through

the eyes of a child. The wonderful model trains on loan were amazing and many roses wowed the crowds. My personal favourites that really stood out at this year’s rose show were the enormous ‘Roberto Capucci’ blooms everywhere and the huge single blooms of ‘Eve Palmer’, quite a pleasant surprise.

We visited Amani Garden in Centurion on 14 October to check on the garden’s progress. This remembrance garden is now four years old and the new cut garden is in its second year.

I represented my society in early November at the ROSA National Rose Conference in the Western Cape. I was unfortunately the only one of PRS who could attend.

An event we never miss is Ludwig’s famous annual walk and talk on 16 December, where an informal stroll with him reveals many trade secrets. We ended

up in the trial field, where he explained the process of trialing a rose for years until he knows it will be strong enough for our climate and viable for our market. Everyone pointed out their own favourites and there were many questions about the name-giving of a rose.

We plan to be more active in 2024 as I do not have any other ROSA tasks on my shoulders any longer. We look forward to garden visits with our Pretoria members and online chats with our far members. We also take this opportunity to welcome Lian Fivaz and the Bloemfontein Rose Society to ROSA. Lian, may your society go from strength to strength!

Western Cape Rose Society

23 members

IHonorary Life Member: Duncan Henderson

Chairperson: Joy Webb • 082 332 0545

Secretary:

email: joyawebb@gmail.com

Camille Forder • 073 831 8839

email: camkit@mweb.co.za

Treasurer: Isabel Tuffs • 072 136 3002

email: isabel@vkp.co.za

n March, five members of the society visited the Vergelegen gardens in Somerset West. These are extensive and include two rose gardens – one has David Austin roses which was not looking too good and the other rose garden needed a good drenching of water and more attention paid to deadheading. The group enjoyed a leisurely stroll round the gardens, admiring the magnificent trees – the enormous camphor trees and beautiful oaks. It was a perfect day. The various gardens were charming, however it was the wrong time of the year for the camellias. We also visited the manor house.

In May Alex Duff from Talborne Organics gave the members a talk on their products. They were pioneers of organic gardening. Their products provide superfood for plants, sustained release of nutrients, and won’t burn the plants.

Ludwig gave three demonstrations during the year at Ludwig’s Winelands branch. In January there was summer rose care, in July winter pruning and

in September, finger pruning demonstrations. They are very interesting and one always learns something new at these events.

Some members joined the Durbanville Garden Club to visit Old Nectar, the garden of the late Una van der Spuy, in the Jonkershoek Valley in August. It was lovely walking round this garden, especially the 200 metre pergola which is covered in climbing plants. There were lots of camellias in the garden.

The AGM was held at the end of August The attendance was disappointing. At the meeting I spoke about how to care for container roses. It was a good discussion with everyone taking part, which made it interesting.

The committee spent a great deal of time preparing delegates’ bags for the ROSA National Convention in November.

We visited Lavenham Garden in Elgin which is very picturesque, with extensive lawns and beautiful roses, all named. Another garden in Elgin which we visited, Heideland, is a working apple farm. It has beautiful roses, all labelled, and beautiful Inca lilies.

In November, the ROSA National Rose Convention was held at Simondium

Country Lodge. There were 40 delegates and three speakers, one being Charles Quest-Ritson from the UK. We visited several beautiful gardens which were enjoyed by all. It was so nice to meet other rosarians from all over the country.

On a very windy day in November, members visited Chart Farm in Wynberg which specialises in cut roses. After a delicious tea and cake in the cafe, we walked through the extensive rows of roses. The bushes looked very healthy, although some stems had been blown over, but generally the size of the blooms was disappointing. It was nice to see the roses so well labelled.

ROSE LADIES TO THE RESCUE

Some South African Old Rose Pioneers

Jacqueline Kalley (MRS, HRSSA, GRRS)

Three ladies in three different areas of South Africa, shared the same passion –that of finding and rescuing Old Roses in South Africa and bringing them back into the public consciousness. Roses came to this country with the earliest Dutch settlers. The Dutch East India requested Jan van Riebeeck to become the Commander of the incipient Dutch settlement in what was to become South Africa, and he set forth in December 1651 from Texel in the Netherlands. Three of his fleet of five ships arrived in April 1652 while the other two were latecomers having buried one-hundred-and thirty persons at sea en route. Van Riebeeck had an entourage of eighty-two men and eight women including his wife, Maria. His brief was to build a fort (initially made of mud, clay and timber, improving the natural Table Bay anchorage, planting cereals, fruit and vegetables and obtaining livestock from the indigenous Koi/Hottentot inhabitants. However, who could survive long without roses from home? A note in van Riebeeck’s diary on a page dated 1 November 1659 reads “Picked the first Dutch rose at the Cape from rose trees brought here in the past year...” This memorable picking was a Rosa centifolia, and some nine years later, a traveller noted how well Centifolia and Persian Roses were growing in Cape Gardens. In 1838, the Voortrekkers dissatisfied with the then British rule, left the Cape for the interior, but leaving a rose trail in their wake –Centifolia, Damask, Bourbon, Gallica, Rosa chinensis and Moss Roses flourished in the platteland towns, farms and mission

stations. The same format followed the 1820 Settlers and other groups who spread through the Eastern Cape and into the Karoo.

But the nineteenth-century witnessed these Old Roses being superseded by the strong and colourful Hybrid Teas. The resilient Old Roses, those treasured reminders of a home long left behind and, though mostly ignored, bravely continued to grow in unsuspecting places whilst waiting for a group of stalwart pioneers to save and revere them once more.

These were Maisie Knox­Shaw from the Elgin region in the Western Cape, Gwen Fagan who was based in Cape Town, and in Natal (now KwaZulu­Natal), Fay Clayton was a driving force in fostering the revival movement of Old Roses in that province.

MAISIE WEIR, a star student at Pretoria University, and later a famous South African swimming champion, married the astronomer Harold Knox­Shaw in 1937, and on his retirement they moved together with their only son Peter, to Elgin in the Cape. Harold had a fascinating career: he took the first photograph of Halley’s comet during his eleven year period at the Khedival Observatory in Egypt, became the director of the Radcliffe Observatory at Oxford in the twenties, served as President of the RAS in the thirties, and – dissatisfied with observing conditions in Britain – set up what was then the largest Southern hemisphere telescope in Pretoria. In honour of his contributions to astronomy a crater on the moon bears his name.

In 1950 Maisie began a garden on a bare windswept site, bookended by pine plantations at Fresh Woods. A gift of ten old roses from Graham Thomas’s nursery in Surrey coincided with her discovery of a number of Old Roses growing in two ancient neighbouring gardens that had fallen into picturesque ruin. She was inspired by these plants which included ‘The Bishop’, the ‘Van Riebeeck Rose’, ‘Russelliana’, ‘Dorothy Perkins’, a single cerise gallica, and ‘Felicité et Perpetué’ to allow roses to climb, to scramble, and to find their niche in the company of other plants. She imported at least a hundred Old Roses from Britain at a time when there were many excellent specialist nurseries to choose from. After reading Nancy Steen’s wonderful book on rose rustling in New Zealand, she became aware of the treasures awaiting discovery at old Cape sites, though this was a venture largely left to Peter and his wife, Barbara. At the time of her death in 1990, there were at least three hundred Old Roses growing at Fresh Woods. Many of these were the product of family outings to ruined homesteads, old graveyards, above all to local Mission stations.

GWEN FAGAN loved the countryside and roamed her uncle’s vast farm in the Swartland area where, for family reasons, she spent her early formative years –great was her distress when she had to re-join her mother – living in one room. She cajoled the caretaker of the building to let her have a small patch of soil –and her lifelong passion for gardening

began. Roses, initially were too expensive to include in her miniscule garden but the catalogue photographs and the romantic names of the roses fuelled her lasting love for roses. She trained as a medical doctor and married the architect Gawie Fagan, and eventually she could plant her own rose garden at their small holding near Pretoria. Their move to Cape Town in the 1960s, and the building of their own home did not solve the problem, as the property was located on a rocky hill in the Camps Bay area where no rose could possibly thrive.

But fate intervened as Gwen began working with her husband as he restored the eighteenth century Government House, Tuynhus, in Cape Town in 1968. Gwen was given the task to design and plant the

parterre garden with the appropriate plants. She contacted Kew for advice and they sent her a donation of suitable 18th century rose varieties, later to be grafted at Kirstenbosch. These roses were rejected by the Public Works Department who had compiled their own list, as unsuitable –and the plants eventually found a home in the newly restored 18th century farm garden at Boschendal – a farm complex belonging to the Anglo-American Corporation. Gwen tirelessly travelled through the Cape Province in search of Old Roses to swell her collection, scouring old villages, roadsides, cemeteries and historic buildings for discoveries. These grew and flourished at Boschendal where a special nursery was created for them.

By this time, Gwen had forsaken her medical career to work full time with her husband. She participated widely in rose conferences and inspired by the interest of Old Rose participants and aficionados, decided to document her findings. This resulted in her magnificent book, Roses at the Cape of Good Hope.

It covers the period from Jan van Riebeeck’s planting of the first rose in 1657 to the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910. It was at this time that Hybrid Teas were starting to overcome Old Roses in popularity. The photographs were taken by her husband, Gawie, and many of the pictures were deep etched and give the appearance of a rose about to be picked or the perfume inhaled. Each rose under discussion provides a detailed botanical description indicating form, colour and growth pattern.

At home, in the Tokai forests of Cape Town, she had been asked to name the roses growing there where she identified Rosa multiflora Carnea and ‘Russeliana’ – the excitement and thrill of finding and identifying forgotten roses become apparent in her writing ...

I found that a lower growing pink rose had also been very popular in old gardens, not only for its pretty pink colour, ease of growth and wonderful scent, but because of its even more important quality of remontancy. Research showed that it was this quality of remontancy which made this rose popular material in nurseries wherever new varieties of roses were being propagated worldwide in the early 18th century. It was easy to identify as Parson’s Pink China, for I found it in many old Cape gardens, used for low hedging. This little pink rose soon stimulated a love for Heritage Roses and a curiosity to discover other Old Roses and when and how they had arrived at the Cape. I started collecting these varieties to plant in the gardens which I designed as part of our architectural practice. Further research showed that this pink rose, also known as the ‘Old Monthly’, had originally been brought from the Chinese port of Canton and was propagated in Britain by a Mr. Parson at Rickmansworth in 1793. But

when it was first planted at the Cape was not known, except that it was growing in Cape gardens in the early 18th century. I wondered whether a very similar rose, known as Rosa Chinensis sempervirens looking much like the ‘Old Monthly’ and illustrated by Jaquin in his Plantarum Schoenbrunensis, had also been used at the Cape for low hedging. I looked for it everywhere, but in spite of a great deal of searching, I could not find this little red rose at the Cape. This proved to be not unusual as it was said to be extinct worldwide. What a huge surprise when I discovered what obviously was the same rose, growing in many Mauritius and Reunion gardens when my husband, Gawie, and I travelled in these islands in 1983. We were on a tour of old VOC castles while we were doing research for restoring our own Castle at the Cape. When my secretary went to Mauritius on a holiday soon afterwards, I asked her to go to a certain graveyard and gather slips of this red China rose for me. However when she arrived at the Cape customs, they stopped her from entering with a box of roses. With a great deal of charm she said “It’s my dear old mother’s birthday today and she loves roses, so can I not take these through for her?” And looking at her sad face, the officer let her through and now I have Rosa semperflorens growing in most of my Heritage Rose gardens. Like the ‘Old Monthly’, I use it for low hedging where I am delighted by its bright flowers throughout the year. These four Heritage Roses are only some of the old varieties which have formed part of the material which I have used to design rose gardens at the Cape.

Gwen became deeply involved with the people she met on her travels and their stories enliven the text. From old documents, archival searches, herbaria and libraries she also discovered that for over one-hundred years, the Dutch East India Company exported roses from the Cape to the East. Her research took her to many countries with renowned heritage rose gardens to assist her in her identification mission at which she so brilliantly succeeded.

As a tribute to her sterling work, Gwen Fagan was made the Honorary Life President of the Heritage Rose Society of South Africa. She is now in her onehundredth year and the rose below was named after her by Ludwig Taschner, doyen of rose growing in South Africa, at the request of the ladies of the Eastern Cape when she opened their tenth Rose Show. When asked what qualities she wanted in her rose, she replied Very full, voluptuous, shocking pink, disease free, wonderfully fragrant and vigorous, just like me!

FAY CLAYTON was renowned in KwaZuluNatal for her love and knowledge of Old Roses. She and her husband, John, lived on a small holding in Birnam Wood, just outside Howick, and a visit there was like a visit to fairyland as the Old Roses scattered all over the property were a visual feast when it was flowering time. A description of her roses reads like a catalogue, such was their spread and diversity. Always botanically minded, Fay accompanied her husband on all his forestry assignments and living in remote country places awakened her interest as she saw Old Roses clambering over derelict houses, found them in remote cemeteries, old farm gardens, and on fences where many of them served as security barriers. She could always recount the places where they were found as seen in an excerpt from her chapter in the book Old Roses: Survival and Revival in South Africa, where she describes her vast collection as cherished friends.

Coming around the side of the house we encounter ‘Autumn Damask, Baroness Rothschild’ and ‘Hermosa’ with ‘Glorie de Rosemanes at the corner. ‘Mmme Bravy is next door to Rosa chinensis Viridiflora and they flower together happily all season long.

Across the path from these two are some unidentified roses – one a lovely full pink Tea Rose comes from the World War 1 Memorial in Bulwer and the other from an old garden in Eshowe. The Bulwer rose is a proper pink and the other one which we call ‘Martha’ (because she is thornless) is a loose double with typical colour mix of cream, buff and salmon. It is the most beautiful rose and constantly in flower. I did not get an ID from Peter Beales on this one unfortunately, but again, with time and searching and assistance from other Old Rose lovers, this has been identified as ‘Jean Ducher’. Also from Bulwer, from cuttings taken from roses planted on old graves is ‘Marie van Houtte’ and a pale pink rambler – a sort of ‘Dorothy Perkins’ relative to ‘Alberic Barbier’ grown from a cutting taken in the pouring rain in Knysna, grows up and tumbles through a Halleria tree and is a sight to behold in full flush...

Unfortunately their property, Berg-en-Dal, was sold in 2015 but copious cuttings were taken and many of the roses were moved to secure homes.

How can an article on Old Rose Ladies ignore a host of other well-known ladies, Joy Taylor, who collected cuttings for her garden at Wyldeholme, in the Underberg district. These came from rose luminaries such as Una van der Spuy, Lorraine Kettley, Melissa Wolff and a host of Old Rose loving friends. Many of Joy Taylor’s specimens came from old farms in the district, having been planted by early pioneers. As with many of us, her love of Old Roses was sparked by a rose growing on her childhood home – ‘Beauty of Glazenwood’ that grew in a meadow where the dairy cows still graze. Also from Underberg, was Phyl Palframan of Watermead who says of her Old Roses... they abundantly herald

the start of the rose season in the most impossibly romantic way. Just about all the roses in our garden have sentimental associations... but important to know that her Harrisonii is the oldest rose from the oldest farm in the Southern Drakensberg area. The Palmer Ladies of Cranemere in the Karoo still continue the legacy begun by Fanny whose husband built a dam on their arid farm thus facilitating a garden. Fanny planted ’Lady Hillingdon’ and ‘La France’ , both of which still flower on the property. Five generations later, the garden still thrives; Barbara Long had a collection of 500 rare Old Roses on her property, Longwoods, near Fort Beaufort – she became Chairperson of the Heritage Rose Society in 2006 and left her beloved home in December 2011, to establish a new Rosarium in Bedford; Heather Leppan

who, once converted to Old Roses, changed the focus of her Rose Nursery to concentrate solely on them. She became a founder member of the Heritage Rose Society in 1998, a fine motivational speaker with a dream of planting a Heritage Rose Trail incorporating twelve towns in the Eastern Cape, planting Old Roses near heritage buildings – a dream still to be realised. Daughters of legendary rosarians, Jessie Walton (whose mother is Gwen Fagan) and Cathy Esterman (daughter of Heather Leppan) have valiantly carried on the family traditions. And how can I omit the Rose Ladies of the Midlands Rose Society, who have painstakingly sourced Old Roses for their beautiful Heritage Rose Garden in Hilton, KwaZulu – Natal. But theirs is another story, for another time.

‘Felicité et Perpetué, also known as the Settler Rose

Acknowledgement and thanks are due to Peter Knox-Shaw who kindly contributed the information on Maisie Knox-Shaw. This article was first published in The Indian Rose Journal, 2023.

Bibliography

Fagan, Gwen, 1988. Roses at the Cape of Good Hope. Cape Town: Breestraat­Publikasies

Kalley, Jacqueline, ed, 2015. Old Roses: Survival and Revival in South Africa. Pietermaritzburg: Otterley Press

Rosa Annual 2008­2012

The Old Rose: An Electronic Journal of the Heritage Rose Society of South Africa, no. 1 Internet Searches : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Riebeeck (accessed 9 October 2023)

Five Favourite Remontant Old Garden Roses

Jeff Wyckoff is a Past President of the American Rose Society (ARS) and has been growing Old Garden Roses (OGR) for over 40 years. He has edited and written for the ARS OGR & Shrub Journal, and with his wife Kathy has won four ARS National OGR trophies.

The World Federation of Rose Societies, of which the American Rose Society (ARS) is a member, puts out a bi-yearly publication entitled By Any Other Name (BAON) which is devoted entirely to old roses. As most rosarians know old roses go by different names in different countries and localities, and clear definitions of what is intended by such terms as “heritage”, “heirloom”,and “antique” are few and far between. The American Rose Society defines “Old Garden Roses” (OGR) as “any rose whose type existed prior to 1867”. Unfortunately, many publications misconstrue this as any rose “variety” that was introduced prior to 1867. For example, the gallica ‘James Mason’, introduced in 1982, is classified as an Old Garden Rose because the Gallica class existed before 1867.

The year of 1867 was chosen because ‘La France’, now recognised as the first hybrid tea was introduced that year. However the first hybrid teas were bred by Englishman Henry Bennett and introduced in 1879 as “pedigree hybrids of the tea rose”. This accomplishment was recognised by the Horticultural Society of Lyon, who designated these as a new class of Hybrides de Thé. A few years later, in an apparent fit of Gallic pique, an unnamed body in Paris declared that ‘La France’, initially introduced as a Hybrid Bourbon and bred by the French hybridiser JeanBaptiste Guillot, was now to be considered the first hybrid tea.

Old Garden Roses come in two types: those that rebloom and those that don’t. Generally speaking, those roses that do not rebloom are on the whole more disease resistant. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all the rebloomers are disease prone. Like modern roses they run the gamut from good to bad. The following five OGR show good disease resistance and their ARS ratings are mentioned to give you an idea of what to expect from the rose. The top ratings are as follows:

9.3 to 10 = One of the best roses ever

8.8 to 9.2 = An outstanding rose

8.3 to 8.7 = A very good to excellent rose

7.8 to 8.2 = A solid to very good rose

Rosa Spinosissima ‘Stanwell Perpetual’, the first rose in this list was introduced before 1834 (1838 ­Stirling Macoboy ) and has an ARS rating of 8.4.

‘Stanwell’ is a hybrid of rosa spinosissima, essentially Latin for “very thorny”. Fortunately, these thorns are very small. The canes will grow 185 to 245cm long and are very thin and pliable, and thus ideal for horizontal training. Once the plant is established there is always bloom on it, mostly one per stem but occasionally two or three. The blooms are very fragrant, starting out blush pink and fading to white. Because of the thin canes, cut blooms will

require a very narrow-necked vase, even for a bouquet.

Another robust OGR is ‘Baronne Prevost’ Hybrid Perpetual which was introduced in 1841 and has an ARS rating of 8.5 The rose was bred by Jean Desprez, who was also responsible for ‘Marchesa Boccella’. The Hybrid Perpetual class arose in the 1830s from crossing Hybrid Chinas with Bourbons and Portlands. The blooms are light to medium pink depending on the weather and are borne singly or in small sprays on an upright plant of about 150cm. Like most reblooming OGRs, a spring flush is followed by intermittent blooms throughout the summer. It is said to be strongly fragrant. This rose is the parent of ‘Comte de Chambord’.

The third rose in my list is thus ‘Comte de Chambord’, a Portland rose which was introduced in 1858 (Macoboy: 1860 and has an ARS rating of 8.3. An offspring of ‘Baronne Prevost’, the ‘Comte’ is considered a Portland, an ill­defined class named after one of the duchesses of Portland and has a mixed ancestry. It is a strong, upright bush reaching 1.5 m with pink blooms often in nicely-formed sprays of three to four flowers per spray. It is said to grow best in cool weather. ‘Comte de Chambord’ was voted the “World’s Favourite OGR” in 2022 at the WFRS convention in Adelaide, Australia.

Another OGR, ‘Reine des Violettes’ Hybrid Perpetual was introduced in 1860 and has received an ARS rating of 8.2. It is also known as “Queen of the Violets” and appears in most images as having redpurple blooms although in a cool climate the blooms are much more blue-purple. The blooms form in small clusters and, like most purple roses of all the families, are very fragrant. The canes, which are almost completely thornless, will grow to 1,8 m and thus need good support. It is one of the best OGRs for good autumn blooms.

The last rose in this list is ‘Rose de Resht’ Portland (Macoboy says it is a Damask) was bred before 1900 and has received an ARS rating of 8.7. This rose of unknown origin was discovered in 1945 in Resht in Iran and hence its name. It is the nearperfect OGR for a modern rose garden, performing like a small floribunda with nice sprays of small blooms on a disease-free plant that grows to about 1,5 m. It bears fragrant blooms continually throughout the growing season.

HOW TO

Victorian Sibling Roses

Sheenagh Harris (K&GRRS, MRS, HRSSA)

Sheenagh Harris with some contribution by Darrell g.h. Schramm (American Rose Society)

With her consort Prince Albert, Queen Victoria gave birth to nine children. All Queen Victoria’s children were honoured to have at least one rose named for them during their lifetime. However, not all those roses are available today and for some there is sadly no record.

VICTORIA ADELAIDE MARY LOUISA (18401901), the PRINCESS ROYAL was Victoria and Albert’s first born. Victoria, or ‘Vicky’, was a precocious child with a passion for learning and a mischievous sense of humour. She inherited her father’s analytical mind and love of reading and always remained the apple of his eye.

In 1846 a moss rose was named for the Princess Royal and is said to have been carmine-pink to light pink.

VICTORIA, PRINCESS ROYAL (Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa) 1840-1901.

‘Princess Royal’ (Pierre-Hubert Portemer père (1846)

In 1858 the Princess Royal, Victoria married Prince Frederick William of Prussia, later German Emperor Frederick III. A year into the marriage, Vicky gave birth to the first of eight children, Wilhelm, who was to become Kaiser Wilhelm II. Some 30 years after their marriage, Frederick ascended the throne while dying from throat cancer, no longer able to speak above a whisper. He died following a reign of just three months, taking with him hopes of a united liberal Germany that would be a staunch ally of Britain. In Frederick’s place came Wilhelm II, Europe’s unstable bête noire, who professed to admire Britain while secretly regarding her as a rival for German supremacy in Europe. It would later be the fate of another grandson of Queen Victoria, King George V, to witness Britain and Germany declare war on each other in 1914.

‘Kronprinzessin Viktoria’, the rose named for her before Wilhelm came to the throne, is a Bourbon sport of ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’, discovered in Germany by Valvert in 1886. It is a rich, creamy white rose with a wash of lemon-yellow in bud and bloom, almost luminescent in a certain light, on a compact but graceful bush. The flowers are long­lasting, and the wood is sparse in prickles.

‘Kaiserin Auguste Viktoria’ (Lambert 1891), a Hybrid Tea, was named for Princess Victoria after Willhelm ascended the throne.

‘Kronprinzessin Victoria’ (Bourbon – Vollert 1887)

On the death of her husband, Vicky chose to distance herself from politics and royal society. Finding a small castle near Bad Hamburg, she revamped it and named it Friedrichshof. She fell from a horse and when the injuries were slow to heal, her physicians discovered she too had cancer. She held on for over twelve years. Her mother, Queen Victoria, died in January of 1901. Mother and daughter had remained close, carrying on a voluminous exchange of letters. Vicky seemed inconsolable. She died in August that same year.

ALBERT EDWARD, Prince of Wales (18411910). Victoria and Albert’s second child was known as ‘Bertie’ and then Edward VII after he succeeded to the throne. As a child, Bertie was an outgoing prince who did not respond well to his lessons, much to the disappointment of his parents, who wanted him to be just like his studious, well-read father. As heir to the throne, Bertie was not allowed to pursue an active career in the army, although he was granted honorary appointments.

Victoria never ceased to bemoan his love of society and ‘good living’, but in time she readily admitted that he was ‘so full of good and amiable qualities that it makes one forget and overlook much that one would wish different’.

In 1863, at the age of twenty­two, he married Alexandra daughter of Prince Christian of Denmark later to become King Cristian lX of Denmark, in St. George’s Chapel Windsor. They had six children: Prince Albert Victor, later Duke of Clarence and Avondale died of pneumonia in 1892 at the age of twenty­eight; Prince George of Wales, later King George V; Princess Louise of Wales, in 1905 became Princess Royal; Princess Maud of Wales, later Queen of Norway; and Alexander John, the sixth and last child who died in infancy. All children were born before Edward became King. The coronation had to be postponed because Edward had to have his appendix removed.

‘Crown Prince’ (Paul 1880)

‘His Majesty’ (McGredy 1909)

‘His Majesty’ (McGredy 1909)

One questions the difference in colour of ‘His Majesty’ above!

‘Prince of Wales’ (Laxton 1867) and ‘Prince of Wales’ (Burgess 1846) are two roses named for the Prince with no record available.

In South Africa, King Edward VII School had a rose named for the school’s centenary in 2002.

‘King Edward’ (LAVking)

Following the death of his mother in 1901, Bertie – now King Edward VII – defied expectations by proving himself to be a very successful and well-loved monarch, paving the way for an alliance with France. The French had been wholeheartedly on the side of the Boers during their war with Britain at the turn of the century, but the king charmed the president, ministers and citizens alike on a goodwill visit to Paris in 1903.

‘Royal Edward’ was designated in 1995 as an official rose of McGill University Royal Edward Hospital, Montreal, Quebec. This hospital was named after King Edward VII, and the rose is sometimes mistaken for a rose named for the King.

PRINCESS ALEXANDRA (1844­1925), the wife of the Prince of Wales was a genuine rose enthusiast and often attended National Rose Society Shows and was Patron of the Society for thirty­seven years (1888­1925).

Seven roses were named for this great rosarian and the first to be named for her was ‘Princess of Wales’ (1864) soon after her marriage. Two others of the same name followed (1871 & 1882) – how confusing that must have been! And in 1900 ‘The Alexandra’, described as a rosy buff tea rose, was named for her before she became Queen. Unfortunately there appears to be no record of these roses.

‘Queen Alexandra’ (1901) was described as a rosy pink rambler of insignificant flowers hardly bigger than a bumble bee, but bearing enormous bouquets of flowers AND it was awarded the National Rose Society Gold Medal and was named to honour her as the new sovereign Queen Alexandra.

‘Queen Alexandra’ (1915) is a Pemberton rose and is described as pale yellow, flushed with light salmon and Pemberton claims it was named by Her Majesty’s gracious permission and retailed at 2/6d.

‘Queen Alexandra’ (Pembroke 1915)

‘Queen Alexandra’ (Pembroke 1915)

‘The Queen Alexandra Rose’ (1918) is a McGredy rose and this picture is of particular interest because it is a Will’s cigarette card – part of a collection. It sported a climber twice (1929 and 1931)one of which was discovered by Harkness).

This rose, by special request, was named after Queen Alexandra and to distinguish if from all other roses bearing the name of Queen Alexandra it has been named ‘The Queen Alexandra Rose’ –price 21/­ each. Pemberton’s rose for Her Majesty three years earlier was only 2/6! Sam IV claims this rose is a grandparent of Peace on both sides.

A first prize basket of ‘The Queen Alexandra Rose’ exhibited by Sam McGredy & Son at the Norwich Show in July 1919.

Samuel McGredy and sons at the time were not exactly humble in their description of their rose for the Queen – they said “Nothing finer has ever been issued” and described the variety in glowing terms: “A startlingly brilliant flower of intense vermillion colour, deeply shaded old gold on reverse of petals, which spring from a pure orange base.The most sensational as well as the most remarkable colour combination known in roses. The blooms are quite full and of fine form and when half open are bewildering in their beauty. It develops into a large flower when its colour attractiveness in a rose garden is beyond description. Its habit of growth is that of a perfect bedding rose, branching and uniform, with extraordinary deep, glossy green, practically mildew proof foliage. A true perpetual bloomer with a delightfully sweet perfume.”

It was Queen Alexandra who in 1912 introduced the sale of roses in support of charitable causes and it was her idea of a rose as a buttonhole flower for any well-dressed man. Since then, several rose breeders, especially in England, have dedicated roses to charity, where for each rose produced globally, an amount is donated for a specific charitable purpose.

A serious illness in 1867 left Alexandra lame and accentuated a hereditary deafness. As queen she devoted much of her income and time to the poor and suffering; she founded the Imperial Military Nursing Service in 1902 and started Alexandra Rose Day to raise funds for British hospitals.

PRINCESS ALICE MAUD MARY (18431878) was the third child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.In 1867, she married a minor German prince and became the Grand Duchess of Hesse and with him produced nine children. Her life was not a happy one. Not only did she and her new family live in relative poverty, feeling compelled to ask Queen Victoria for financial help, but her relations with both her mother and her husband gradually deteriorated.

‘Princess Alice’, is a pinkish Moss bred by Adam Paul in 1853, a small Moss rose ­ a rose for edging or a small garden.

In 1878, virtually the whole family but Alice was stricken with diphtheria. Alice nursed them all, husband and children, but lost her youngest daughter to the disease. The others survived, but in December of that year, Alice herself succumbed and died aged thirty­five.

PRINCE ALFRED ERNEST ALBERT, (18441900), fourth child and second son of Victoria and Albert, paid an official visit to South Africa in 1860 while serving as a midshipman on board HMS Euryalus. His tour took him through the Cape Colony, Eastern Cape, Natal and the Orange Free State.

He became the Duke of Edinburgh in 1866. That year he also became a navy captain, sailing the HMS Galatea to the Mediterranean, to South America, and then in 1867­68 to Australia, where a series of unfortunate incidents occurred in swift succession. Not enthralled by the princely duke, Irish Catholics rioted outside Protestant Hall in Melbourne where he was being entertained. Not long

thereafter, a model of his ship – part of a fireworks display in his honour – caught fire when three boys climbed onto the model, became trapped beneath the sails and burned to death. Two days later the new Alfred Hall, named for the duke, decorated with gas lamps and calico swags, caught fire and burned down. Sometime later at a military display honouring the prince, a sailor loading a cannon lost his hand in the process. Near the end of his Australian tour, the Duke of Edinburgh was seriously wounded when a zealous Irish patriot fired a gun at him. Fortunately, Florence Nightingale had just arrived in Melbourne, so the prince was immediately treated by competent hands. The Australian press considered this a very successful tour. One wonders at that perspective.

June 1893 marks the year the duke became both Admiral of the Fleet and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. As a result of the latter title, he chose to live out his years in Germany. In 1899 at the Duke and Duchess’s 25th anniversary fête, the Duke’s only son Prince Albert shot himself and died two weeks later. The Duke himself died, some say of alcoholism, others of heart disease.

PRINCESS HELENA AUGUSTA VICTORIA

(1846­1923), Queen Victoria’s fifth child was also known as “Lenchen”. She was born a “blue baby”, possibly because her mother was at the height of anxiety over the loss of her first trusted Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel.

Princess Helena

Helena, described as the plainest of Victoria and Albert’s five daughters, was a levelheaded, relatively unemotional child; a tomboy who preferred outdoor life, long walks and rides, and cared little for her personal appearance.

In 1866 she wed the impoverished German Prince Christian of SchleswigHolstein and became Princess Christian. He was content to make his home in England with her under the ever-watchful eye of Queen Victoria. As a result, Helena was spared the sadness that her sister Alice

had known of living in a small defeated German state.

Helena worked extensively with a number of charities, including the Ladies’ Committee of the newly-founded British Red Cross, the Royal British Nurses’ Association, and the Royal School of Needlework and helped to provide free dinners for children and the unemployed in the Windsor area. She also helped to write a biography of Prince Albert, translating letters from German to English for the author Charles Grey.

After a severe bout of influenza and several heart attacks, she died in June 1923.

A Salmon-pink to carmine-pink, Hybrid Perpetual, ‘Princess Christian’ (William Paul (UK) was named for her after her marriage, but there is no record of this rose.

PRINCESS LOUISE CAROLINE ALBERTA

(1848 ­1939) was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, perhaps the most interesting of the nine siblings. Not only was she a painter and a sculptor, but she was also a liberal who supported the suffragette movement and Irish home rule. She was loved by the populace and was considered “the people’s princess”.

Although it’s not unusual for British royals to marry outsiders today, this was not the case in 1871, when Princess Louise married John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, Marquis of Lorne, a commoner who would later become the Duke of Argyll. Princess Louise was determined when she got to marriageable age not to follow the route her sister had; Princess Victoria had married a German Prince, and her royal duties stopped her from pursuing her artistic aspirations. As it turned out, Princess Louise’s engagement to John was supported not only by her mother, but also by Disraeli. Unexpectedly, the match also pleased the British public, which had feared yet another German marriage, which according to the general population had already occurred too often.

Her husband became prominent in public life as an MP, and later on became governor­general of Canada. There the couple created the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and the Marchioness was active in Montreal’s art societies, in education, and in the Women’s Protective Immigration Society. Fond of the Marchioness, the Canadians named Lake Louise and Mount Alberta for her, as well as the province of Alberta for both her and her father. Her sculpture of Queen Victoria stands today on the grounds of McGill University. The couple never had children, but despite this lack in their lives, Louise and John led an active and happy life together. When her husband died in 1914, Louise went into mourning – not quite as severe as her mother’s had been for Albert, but severe enough. She became something of a recluse until her own death in 1939 at the age of ninety-one.

This is a lovely perfumed rose mistakenly sold by some nurseries in the past as ‘The Black Prince’.

PRINCE ARTHUR WILLIAM PATRICK (1850­1942)

It was said that Arthur, the third son, was the Queen’s favourite son. In 1879 Prince Arthur married Princess Louise Margarete of Prussia. He felt destined for the army from a very early age, and he spent a great many years in the armed forces. He rose in rank and became promoted in 1902 to the rank of Field Marshal. Due to his family ties, as well as interest, he became very involved in German affairs, and this may have been the reasoning behind his transfer in 1911 to Canada, which distanced him from the military aspects of a deteriorating German situation. In Canada, he became the Governor General. He had two daughters and a son. Their younger daughter, Princess Patricia, is well known to Canadians as Lady Patricia Ramsey, and gave her name to a famous Canadian army regiment, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. The Prince was a freemason becoming Grand Master in 1901 when his brother, who had held that post previously, became King. He served as Grand Master until his death in 1942.

PRINCE LEOPOLD GEORGE DUNCAN (1853­1884)

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany was Queen Victoria’s youngest son. He was a hemophiliac, and died two years after his marriage to Princess Helena Frederica of Waldeck. He is considered by many to have been the most intelligent and probably most interesting of Victoria’s sons. He had an immense thirst for life, which despite his illnesses (he also was an epileptic), studied at Oxford and became friends with Lewis Carroll, John Ruskin and Oscar Wilde. He acted as an unofficial secretary of the Queen, so it is interesting to conject what his influence was on her. A crimson Hybrid Perpetual was named for ‘Prince Leopold’ by William Paul I 1871 but there is no record of the flower available.

BEATRICE MAY VICTORIA THEODORE (1857­1944)

’Prince Arthur’ (Benjamin R Cant 1875)

Princess Beatrice was only four years old when her father, Prince Albert died. She was their ninth child and fifth daughter. Almost immediately, Victoria turned to her youngest child as her sole confidant. Victoria’s aim was to keep Beatrice at her side at all times and managed to terminate an affair that could have happened between Beatrice and Louis Napoleon when Beatrice was sixteen years old. She would have to wait a further eleven years before she found her love match in Prince Henry of Battenberg. They met at a family wedding and quickly fell in love, but Victoria was violently opposed to the engagement, and it took eight months of arguments for Victoria to finally relent and allow her daughter to marry on condition that they should always live with her in Britain. Henry, who was from a poor German royal family and was only too happy to agree to this. Over the next few years, their only activity was producing children. Unfortunately, Beatrice was to

pass on the hemophiliac gene to her sons, and her daughter, Victoria, who became a carrier, too, introduced the gene into the Spanish royal family. Prince Henry persuaded the Queen to let him leave the country with an expedition to Ashanti in Ghana; he was never to return, as he contracted fatal malaria while in Africa.

estate. She ended health, a and died in 1944 aged 87 years old.

Beatrice continued a quiet life living in Osborne Palace on the Isle of Wight, and maintained her role as the Queen’s confidant. This was something her elder brother, Edward, could never forgive her for, for he felt as the future King, it should have been him who his mother turned to. Consequently, on her death, Edward made it difficult for Beatrice to stay at Osborne Palace, and she had to live in a cottage on the estate. She ended her days in bad health, a constant sufferer of rheumatism, and died in 1944 aged eighty-seven years old.

had to live in a cottage on the estate. constant sufferer of rheumatism, and

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ROSE MEMORIES

It is easy to agree to write another article for the upcoming ROSA ANNUAL. After all I started it in 1980 and remained editor for the next twenty or so years. I have plenty of material from putting together Ludwig’s annual Rose Catalogue with illustrations and descriptions of all the latest novel varieties as well as posting lots of info on rose care on social media. Even so, having to sit down and write about what is new or of specific interest is still pretty thought provoking.

A statement by Charles Quest-Ritson at the ROSA National Conference in November that ‘The roses of the ‘80’s will be the Heritage Roses of the Future’ triggered my thoughts. I would rather go back to the roses of the 50’s which played a huge role in the creation of the roses of the 80’s and even to this day. What better place to start than with a walk through some of the rose varieties in our rose museum.

I cannot go past CRIMSON GLORY (1935) without bending down and smelling the blooms. They have a perfect shape –the colour is a true crimson red and they are strongly scented – but they are borne on a weak neck. That is why its climbing mutation is still a favourite.

Next to it, stands CHARLES MALLERIN and not too far away CHRYSLER IMPERIAL. These two were certainly the favourite red rose varieties of the 50’s and 60’s.

‘CHARLES MALLERIN’ has a leggy growth and in the nursery they had to be staked because they would easily break off at the budded stock in windy conditions, but the

deep, strongly scented blooms were very novel at the time.

‘CHRYSLER IMPERIAL’ was a neat compact bush with nice blooms, but the red colour was not velvety. The famous rose breeders Francis Meilland and Herb Swim realised this and cross pollinated the two and the result was PAPA

I remember the excitement of seeing the first blooms of ‘Papa Meilland’ in the nursery in 1967 and soon afterwards the other two. Despite so many more new red rose varieties being created these three are still unmatched.

The top selling novel variety in the early 1960’s was of course QUEEN ELIZABETH a cross pollination of ‘Charlotte Armstrong’ with ‘Flora Dora’. The rose personality at the time in the UK was Harry Wheatcroft. He was not a breeder but visited rose breeders around the world to winkle out their best creations and market them. He saw this novel pink variety which was not quite a floribunda nor a hybrid tea and knew this was very unusual and special. The creator was Dr Walter Lammerts in California. However, it was not easy to reach an agreement with the British Royalty to name and market this as ‘The Queen Elizabeth Rose’. It was the first rose to be grouped as a Grandiflora. Eventually it was sold as a floribunda in the UK and as a Hybrid Tea in South Africa.

Harry Wheatcroft also visited the German rose breeder Matthias Tantau. He saw a novel rose in a colour not quite seen before in a rose. I think it was due to him that this variety became the top selling variety in the shortest of time. I was a rose budder in England for John Waterers in 1961 and the budding eyes we received of SUPER STAR were treated like diamonds.

‘Super Star’ became known in the USA as TROPICANA. Due to a susceptibility to powdery mildew, it lost its popularity about ten years later. However, one must assume that every rose breeder in the world used it in their cross-pollinating programmes and many of the coral, orange and vermilion coloured varieties are descendants of SUPER STAR. I treasure the few plants we still keep in our living rose museum. The full parentage of it was never released except that it did include ‘Peace’ and ‘Alpine Glow’ x unnamed seedlings. Another Tantau variety, ‘Flora Dora’ was the pollen parent of ‘Queen Elizabeth’.

Mathias Tantau had some more super star’s from his breeding programme: BLUE MOON and DUFTWOLKE. At the time there was the hybrid tea rose STERLING SILVER with a silver lilac colouring, but it was a poor grower. The parentage of this variety was never revealed. ‘Blue Moon’ very soon took over and it was then used by other breeders. The genetics of ‘Blue Moon’ are somewhere in the genetics of the many similar coloured varieties available these days. DUFTWOLKE (FRAGRANT CLOUD) has become a world

favourite and is being used by breeders everywhere including me. As is the case with most of the creations from Tantau the parentages are never revealed. JUST JOEY for instance is a crossing of ‘Duftwolke’ x ‘Dr A J Verhage’. The latter was (is) a superb yellow florist variety.

Wilhelm Kordes had created a compact small cluster flowering variety in 1936 named BABY CHATEAU. He then crossed it with ‘Crimson Glory’ and the result was Kordes ‘Sondermeldung’ which became internationally known as INDEPENDENCE. Francis Meilland used it as a pollen parent on the red hybrid tea HAPPINESS and the result was BACCARA in 1954. This variety became the top florist variety for the next thirty years.

The breeder Gene Boerner of the J&P Rose company in the USA crossed the polyantha variety ‘Pinocchio’ with ‘Crimson Glory’ and it resulted in FASHION in 1949 and it was heralded as a Floribunda. Gene became known as Papa Floribunda.

He also crossed ‘Crimson Glory’ with one of his unnamed seedlings and it resulted in GERANIUM RED. At Ludwig’s, in our breeding programme, we crossed ‘Geranium Red’ (knowing that it contained the ‘Crimson Glory’ genes) with the Hybrid Tea PRIDE of ENGLAND and it resulted in our CRIMSON VELVET DRESS, a fabulous variety combining the best of the genes of its grandparents.

Kordes, in the meantime, got hold of a Rosa wichuriana seedling and cross pollinated it with THE FAIRY. I saw a field of these crosses at Kordes around 1980. The most promising seedlings were then marketed as IMMENSEE (translated Bee Lake) and GROUSE. In South Africa, the rose produced metre long flat­growing canes unsuitable for our market. The German rose breeder, Noak, crossed GROUSE with their floribunda ‘Amanda’ resulting in FLOWER CARPET. Kordes kept on cross pollinating with ‘Immensee’. We received budwood for trialling and our SUNSATION and PROFUSION range including DELOITTE & TOUCHE are super performers in our climate.

The British rose breeders, James Cocker and Jack Harkness, somehow organised to get some plants of Rosa persica from Iran to cross pollinate with them in order to introduce the dark eyes in the centre of their petals into the modern roses. Their first hybrids arrived on the market in 1976 and the descendants have now almost become a craze amongst the novelty rose varieties.

The Breeders, Poulsen in Denmark also used ‘The Fairy’ in their cross pollination programme and we were lucky to be the first to trial some and amongst others we were given the go-ahead with MY GRANNY (POULoma) (Oma being the German for grandmother).

In 1980 my colleague Jan Roeloffs and I visited the Poulsen rose breeding operation in Denmark. Pernille showed us around. Amongst the many super and interesting roses were some sort of miniature climbers that I fancied and could see how they would perform in our climate. With the next consignment of budwood they were included. They became our range of Midinette Roses or mini climbers.

There were only a few miniature rose varieties available in the 50’s/60’s: ‘Dwarf

King’ from Kordes, ‘Baby Maskerade’ from Tantau, ‘Starina’ from Meilland and of course Rosa rouletti. I had been reading about the miniature roses bred in California by Ralph Moore. I wrote to him – no reply. At the World Rose Convention in 1976 in Oxford a bus tour was organised to visit Harkness Roses. I had identified Ralph Moore and made sure to sit next to him in the bus. A few weeks later I received a parcel of budwood from Ralph with all his popular varieties. They did very well in South Africa’s climate and RED CASCADE very soon boosted our sales. We kept contact and visited up to his last days at the age of 100.

The one very important miniature Ralph created was STARS ‘n STRIPES. He told visitors at a lecture in 1979 in Pretoria that the genes of this will bring about lots of rose varieties with striped blooms. He was

right. Sam McGredy used it and produced several striped roses i.e. ‘Oranges & Lemons’ and ‘Crazy Spire’. Guy Delbard used it in lots of rose combinations and we list many of these Debard varieties in our catalogue, such as RED and PINK INTUITION.

At the 1976 convention in Oxford, I also made contact with Gijs de Ruiter and soon had his superb range of mini roses in Pretoria amongst them OCARINA, AMORETTA and the ROSAMINI and MINIMO range, which became the forerunners of indoor potted roses.

Walking through our living rose museum the varieties that bring about memories are ‘Eclipse’, ‘Grande Duchesse Charlotte’, ‘Bettina’, ‘Sonia Meilland’, ‘Baccara’, ‘Tiki’, ‘Super Star’, and many more…

I was the first foreign representative for the David Austin Roses. But that is a story to be told another time…

Roses at The Cape of Good Hope

Sheenagh Harris (K&GRRS, MRS, HRSSA)

National Conventions such as Roses at the Cape of Good Hope, in the Western Cape, hosted by the Heritage Rose Society of South Africa (HRSSA) give us the opportunity, not only to enjoy the beauty of the Rose, but to get together with like-minded Rose lovers. Old friendships are renewed and new friendships forged with people from all walks of life. Among the guests, it was particularly pleasing to see Wendy Kroon, Joan and Alan Walker and Miene Skarba who have been attending conventions regularly since the early 1990’s.

The HRSSA began in 1998 and, being a country­wide society with no fixed domicile, is not an easy Rose Society to administer given the scattered membership. I understand this, the first ever HRSSA Conference in twenty­five years, too, was not an easy Convention to organise. A sincere thank you to Carolyn Kewley, Joy Webb, Vivienne Black, Gail Birss and Gill Wilson for their sterling contribution, it is appreciated by all.

Thursday 9 November 2023, was the much anticipated start of the ROSA National Convention which takes place every two years and it always commences with the very necessary ROSA and HRSSA AGMs. It is disappointing that so many delegates were either not able to arrive in time for these important functions, or to factor them into their schedules.

ROSA needs the support and input of all members as vital decisions are made at this time.

Later that evening at the Meet and Greet, the delegates were abuzz exchanging news as many had not seen their rose friends since the previous Conference. It is a very relaxed and convivial time with no official duties for the majority. However, it was most appropriate that Wendy Kroon, the first chairman of the HRSSA, should pay tribute to the Doyenne of Roses in South Africa, Gwen Fagan. Wendy, together with Gwen initiated the HRSSA at the National Convention in Addo in 1998 and so it was interesting for those present to have a résumé of the history of this special rose society and the part played by Gwen.

Unfortunately there was not sufficient space at Simondium Lodge for all the delegates to stay there, but those who were lucky enough to have accommodation at this quaint and rustic lodge will always remember it for the thirty-six peacocks that made their presence heard! The meals were good and the delicious and generous breakfasts were a great time for socialising.

All delegates attended the lecture morning – twenty from the HRSSA, seven from the Knysna and Garden Route Rose Society, ten from the Midlands Rose Society, one from the Pretoria Rose Society and three from the Western Cape Rose Society, who were delighted to

welcome members of the independent Gold Reef Rose Society who had travelled from Johannesburg. Lizette Jonker, as President opened the Convention by welcoming all those present and an excellent lecture morning followed.

Our very own Peter Knox-Shaw’s lecture was academic and his erudite command of the English language superb. Members will be glad to hear that a copy of his lecture will shortly be available in a forthcoming book focusing on Old Roses so there could be another opportunity to enjoy his wide knowledge of these special flowers. We are most grateful to ROSA for sponsoring an International speaker and Charles Quest-Ritson was a popular choice. He went to a great deal of trouble to both refer to South Africa and incidents relevant to the country. This made it more fascinating for this particular audience and his subtle and dry British humour was delightful. Pieter Diener Pietman (as we like to call him) has a zestful enthusiasm for his life in gardening was not only an inspiration but so infectious.

After a very pleasant lunch at Simondium, the delegates boarded a bus for nearby Babylonstoren. Here the delegates walked around this amazing garden and enjoyed the information relayed by a knowledgeable guide.

Saturday, 1 November, was a day of gardens and long drives in the most beautiful mountainous scenery. Rustenberg Manor House gardens are always a favourite, but the delegates were further privileged to view the interior of this beautiful Cape Dutch home­filled with art treasures and period furniture. The visit concluded with Rozanne Barlow’s scrumptious scones under the shade of the old oak trees in the garden.

Fresh Woods, the first WFRS Award of Garden Excellence garden in South Africa is an OGR collectors’ paradise and to have Peter and Barbara on hand to answer questions was an additional bonus. Their magnificent array of old roses is interplanted with foxgloves, stunning rhododendrons, proud geums, frilly poppies, striking irises, cornflowers and blue delphiniums. It was breath taking wandering down winding paths, under old trees bourgeoning with roses and some clematis which scrambled its way up roses.

Keurbos, the home and garden of Jessie Walton, Gwen Fagan’s daughter, comprises a worthy collection of roses, acers and camellias. It was the final visit of the day before racing back to Simondium to prepare for the Closing Ceremony.

2023 ROSA Council

Vivienne Black (WFRS VP for Africa), Lizette Jonker (ROSA President,PRS), Joy Webb (WCRS), Elizabeth Thornton-Dibb (Treasurer), Gail Birss (Vice President and Secretary, MRS), Joanne Johnstone (K&GRRS). Inset: Carolyn Kewley (HRSSA)

Henk Lourens, a friend of Gwen’s, steered the evening of speeches, awards and entertainment between courses of a delicious meal. Kate Watson, Cathy Esterman’s niece, entertained the guests with her rendition of familiar tunes especially chosen with Gwen Fagan in mind. Her beguiling soprano voice was complemented by delicate flute music and proved to be one of the evening’s highlights.

Since this HRSSA Conference was aimed at honouring Gwen in her 100th year, Henk paid tribute to this amazing rose lady and her many other attributes. His short resumé of her life focused on her close relationship with her family and her deep love of roses. After the main course, outgoing President, Lizette Jonker presented Joy Webb with the Zoë Gilbert Award and Gwen Fagan was her choice for the President’s Trophy.

Thereafter she concluded the formal proceedings with the well-received announcement that Gail Birss would be the next ROSA President. Kate Watson kindly responded to the delegates’ plea for an encore with another spectacular performance. It was the perfect ending to a memorable evening and conference.

Gala Evening

SUMMARY OF THE LECTURES AT ROSES AT THE CAPE OF THE GOOD HOPE

ROSES IN THE WILD

Peter Knox-Shaw

The first keynote speaker at the HRSSA convention near Stellenbosch was Mr Peter Knox-Shaw, eminent rose historian and an honorary research associate at the University of Cape Town, Department of English Literature and Language. His lecture entitled ‘Roses in the Wild’ was an informative and enjoyable history of roses, starting with wild or species roses found to have existed as far back as 35 million years. These early roses survived the great dinosaur mass extinction and over time found their way to the rest of the world. Peppered with poetry and literary anecdotes, Peter Knox-Shaw’s lecture included a slide show featuring old roses and a short history of his enchanting garden, Fresh Woods in Elgin. This rambling romantic garden has a major collection of heritage and special roses and many rare trees and shrubs, including rhododendrons, wild hydrangeas, deutzias, Japanese maples and many more.

Shireen Deoraj (MRS)

ROSE CONSERVATION: Problems and Solutions in the South African Context

Charles Quest-Ritson

Charles Quest-Ritson is the International President of the Heritage Rose Society, an author, historian and journalist with a column in the lifestyle magazine Country Life as well as the co-editor of the World Federation of Rose Societies Heritage Rose magazine By Any Other Name BAON). He has also chaired the Historic Roses Group in the UK and was a member of the Royal National Rose Society’s Trials Committee for twelve years. He loves roses old and new and has two gardens in which to grow them – one in southern England and the other in Normandy.

At the convention, Charles asked many thought-provoking questions such as: Why are so many old roses extinct? Does it matter? What are they worth to us? Why are new roses better than old roses? And yes, it does matter. The history of roses is the history of improvement or perceived improvement. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to identify roses that have become extinct due to poor record keeping.

He commended South Africa on the conservation of its indigenous plants and asked what the country was doing about exotic plants grown in South Africa. Charles encouraged us to propagate any rose that we didn’t know the name of and to share these roses, not to give up but to establish as many gardens as possible where others can see them until another expert can identify and name the rose. He spoke on the importance of creating databanks with information on the roses grown here, of conducting more research and of working together with botanists to help identify the roses’ DNA. Moreover, he said that it was also important to work with the trade, i.e. nurseries. Nurseries should be encouraged to stock Heritage Roses, and could even help trace growers to help identify roses as growers always remember the roses they have grown. Historians too can play a role in tracing the names of nurseries in various areas where roses were grown in the past.

Charles even encouraged the audience to learn foreign languages so one can communicate more easily with rosarians in other parts of the world. Lastly, he encouraged the audience to travel abroad to see the roses of the Northern Hemisphere.

He concluded his lecture with the thought that “the roses of today are the Heritage Roses of the future”; and thus we should think two generations ahead and find, grow and conserve roses that aren’t grown anywhere else in the world.

BASIC LOVE OF ROSES AND THE ENJOYMENT OF GROWING THEM

Pieter’s presentation was delivered with such passion and enthusiasm, one could feel his love of not only roses but of nature. Pietman as he is affectionately known, grew up in Stellenbosch and attended the local schools and his love of plants and gardening came from his grandparents. As a young boy and teenager, he used to cycle or jog up Jonkershoek to visit Una van der Spy and her well-known garden, Old Nectar. He studied Landscape Design at the Cape Town Technicon and was then employed by the Vula Environmental Studies in Langebaan. After that he spent five valuable years working with Francesco Watson before starting at the Rustenberg Wine Farm.

His presentation was accompanied with a PowerPoint presentation of all the areas of the Rustenberg Manor House gardens. He discussed and presented these areas as they were in the past and the changes, he has made during his sixteen years that he has worked not only as the landscaper but also as a hands-on gardener. He said he has widened beds, made big changes and watched the garden grow and hopes that he will be in this garden for many years to come. His presentation was inspirational and he encouraged us to continue with our love of roses.

Save the dates

WFRS Regional Convention and Heritage Roses Conference Sweden

2. – 6. JULY 2024

Pre tour to Finland from 25. June

Post tour to Norway until 14. July

“this will be a truly magical rose experience of a lifetime.”

For further information, please contact us at srs@svenskarosensallskapet.se

WORLD ROSE NEWS

www.worldrose.org

WORLD FEDERATION OF ROSE SOCIETIES REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF ROSE SOCIETIES 2023

VP for AFRICA REPORT – Vivienne Black

In the last year the WFRS has lost four prominent members and it is with sadness that we report their deaths –

Former WFRS Vice President Margaret Macgregor from Victoria, Australia. Margaret served as WFRS Vice President for three terms from 2000 to 2009 representing Australasia. She was awarded the WFRS Silver Medal in 2006 at the World Rose Convention in Osaka, Japan for her dedication to roses and the WFRS.

Marie Louise Velge, widow of the late Baron Jean Charles Velge died peacefully at her home in Belgium on 8 March, 2023, at nearly ninety. Marie-Louise Velge is one of only two people in the WFRS to have received both the WFRS Gold Pin and WFRS Gold Medal.

Great rosarian MS “Viru” Viraraghavan, a noted breeder of hot climate roses, and lecturer, died in December, 2023. He was a true Rosarian, a Rose Breeder par excellence, a gifted speaker, an amazing personality, witty and a thorough gentleman. He will surely be missed and so will his presence at World Rose Conventions.

Kelvin Trimper on 7 January, 2024 at 69 years of age in his home town, Adelaide, Australia – a highly awarded member of the rose fraternity, an acclaimed keynote speaker and mentor to many. Kelvin held many positions in the World Federation of Rose Societies including President from 2015 to 2018 and was awarded the WFRS Gold medal. His absence at future conventions will be noticeable.

The 15th WFRS Historic Rose Conference in Belgium in June, was attended by four South Africans, William and Claire Meyer, Amanda Renwick and myself. It was an outstanding success, more of which can be read in a separate article in this annual. Members were reminded of the important and generous sponsorship of FELCO which must be actively promoted by Member Countries, through their websites and publications. It will be the responsibility of the Member Country concerned to liaise with the FELCO representative in their own countries.

All the usual meetings took place in between garden visits and other functions. The Breeders Club has increased in number, with twenty-nine members from fifteen different countries.

The WFRS Friends of the Federation Scholarship Scheme has been approved and will be rolled out in early 2024. The Friends of the Federation now boasts seventy-seven members and twenty-six Friends for Life.

2025 in FUKUYAMA

CONGRATULATIONS

CONGRATULATIONS

CONGRATULATIONS

to Ludwig Taschner of

The approval of the Executive Committee was given to the Indian Rose Society to host the 21st WFRS World Rose Convention in 2028.

to Ludwig Taschner of LUDWIG’S ROSES

to Ludwig Taschner of LUDWIG’S ROSES

LUDWIG’S ROSES

In 2024 the Swedish Rose Society will host the 16th International Heritage Rose & Regional Conference in Kalmar, from 2­6 July. Registration is open. The Heritage Rose Association “Österlenrosor’’ offers what seems to be a nice rose tour prior to the convention in Kalmar, from 29 June –1 July 2024. For details of the event and tours visit www.nordicroses2024.com

The WFRS 20th World Rose Convention “Roses for the Future” is to be held in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan from 18 24 May, 2025. The hosts offer, beside the main tour, 3 pre-tours and 3 post-tours to choose from. Detailed information from: https://bit.ly/41m5idv

Ludwig Tachner’s Gold Medal and Photographer’s Award for ‘Nomzamo (LUDjealous) at 4th Warsaw Rose Trials

We serve the Hilton,Howick and PMB areas with fresh fragrant flowers and local produce hampers!

FRAGRANT FLOWERS DELIVERED, LOCAL PRODUCE HAMPERS, ROSE EXPERTS AND LANDSCAPING SERVICES

BRINGING FRAGRANCE & BEAUTY INTO YOUR LIVES

Elizabeth - 083 500 2041 sales@bellarosaflowers.co.za www.bellarosaflowers.co.za @bellarosaflowers

Chocolates, Cheese, Clocks, Diamonds and Roses

Vivienne Black

The highlight of the year was attending the 15th International Heritage Rose Conference in Belgium from 5–15 June. Included in the Conference package were interesting pre- and post tours.

The conference was attended by 273 delegates from around the world including four South Africans; William and Claire Meyer, Amanda Renwick and myself.

The 15th WFRS International Heritage Rose Conference was held in the magnificent city of Brussels. Belgium has a long horticultural tradition and is proud to have rose lovers such as Pierre Joseph Redouté (1759­1840), Louis Parmentier (1782­1847) and Francois Crépin (1830­1903) amongst their ranks and who are still all well known throughout the rose world.

The lectures and meetings were held in the historic building Cercle Royal Gaulois, situated in the centre of Brussels which was conveniently located just down the road from the hotel.

We attended the Meet and Greet event at the Théâtre du Vaudeville where we met with members from around the world.

The World President Diane vom Berg welcomed the delegates and opened the convention. The list of lecturers included Ivan Hoste, Ann Boudolf and Rudy Velle (Belgium), Charles Quest-Ritson (UK), Girija and Viru Viraraghavan (India), Hella Brumme and Eilke Vemmer (Germany), Sushil Prakash (India), Pascal Heitzler (France), Ines Diaz de Licandro (Uruguay), Jiang Zhengzhi (China), Gregg Lowery (USA) and Vincent Derkenne (France).

The delegates visited many private and public rose gardens, as well as three with WFRS Awards of Garden Excellence, Hex, Kortrijk and Vrijbroekpark.

There were also visits to gardens in Luxembourg and Germany, and delegates could enjoy a sumptuous lunch in many of the gardens. William Guinness from the world-famous Guinness brewery invited us to visit his garden and indulge in some fabulous cheese, wine and chocolates. We then visited the FELCO factory in Switzerland, which gave us insight into the manufacturing of the secateurs and tools that they make. As you all know, FELCO is a top brand and provides exceptional quality and they are the WFRS platinum worldwide sponsor. It was a real privilege to be able to make this private visit to the factory and of course the factory shop.

Another highlight was a visit to the Piaget jewellery business in Geneva where we were taken on a tour of their exquisite premises, design studios and workshops. What a privilege it was to view the stock drawer housing the diamond, ruby and emerald collection – a true once-in-alifetime experience. South Africa is their biggest diamond supplier. Yves Piaget has been the WFRS patron since 2015. Moreover, he has had a lifelong passion for

roses since childhood. Piaget created the ‘Rose d’or’ award for the best variety in the Geneva International Rose Trials.

Interesting visits to a cheese factory and a Belgian chocolate factory in Switzerland as well as to the Swiss clock museum rounded off the tours.

The Belgian Rose Society did an outstanding job of organising this truly magnificent event and reminding us of the true meaning of the rose.

Vivienne Black outside FELCO factory in Switzerland

http://www.murambiroses.co.za/

Say it with roses

Roses can say so much

RED ROSES

Love and respect and beauty

WHITE ROSES

Evoke feelings of reverence, innocence, humility, and youthfulness.

PINK ROSES

Stand for love, appreciation, grace, and gentility.

DARK RED ROSES

Express grief and sorrow

YELLOW ROSES

Symbolize their loyalty.

A SINGLE ROSE

In a bouquet symbolizes enduring love.

Email murambiroses@mweb.co.za

Thank you to Ludwig Taschner, an accredited ROSA judge and our rose guru, who once again judged this competition. Thank you to all the members of ROSA who entered the competition – it was lovely to see all your beautiful roses.

Congratulations to Alta Nel from the Western Cape Rose Society who won QUEEN of the SHOW with ‘Ace of Hearts’.

To Susan van Zuilekom from the Midlands Rose Society who won 1st Princess with ‘Brümilda van Rensburg’ and Shireen Deoraj, also from the Midlands Rose Society, who won 2nd Princess with her rose, ‘Lady of Shalott’.

Queen

1st Princess 2nd Princess

Prizes

Halmar Taschner has increased the prizes this year and the winners will be receiving more rose bushes from Ludwig’s Roses. Thank you Halmar for your generous sponsorship.

• Queen of the Show: 15 rose bushes from Ludwig’s Roses

• 1st Princess: 10 rose bushes from Ludwig’s Roses

• 2nd Princess: 5 rose bushes from Ludwig’s Roses

Halmar is also donating one rose bush for all the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each class, provided that they have not won Queen of the Show, 1st and 2nd Princess.

oPrize Winners

HYBRID TEAS

1. ‘Ace of Hearts’ – Alta Nel (WCRS) Queen

2. ‘Red Intuition’ – Alta Nel (WCRS)

3. ‘St John’s College’ – Kate Wallace (MRS)

FLORIBUNDA

1. ‘Happy Home’ – Kate Wallace (MRS)

2. ‘Ashley Callie’ – Susan van Zuilekom (MRS)

3. ‘Little Red Hedge’ – Shelley Godsell (K&GRRS)

NOSTALGIA

1. ‘Brümilda van Rensburg’ – Susan van Zuilekom (MRS) 1st Princess

2. ‘Tess’ – Susan van Zuilekom (MRS)

3. ‘Lady of Shalott’ – Shireen Deoraj (MRS) 2nd Princess

HERITAGE

1. ‘Jacques Cartier’ – Shireen Deoraj (MRS)

2. ‘Marie van Houtte’ – Pietman Diener (HRSSA)

3. ‘Mme Hardy’ – Pietman Diener (HRSSA)

Hybrid Teas

Hybrid Teas

Hybrid Teas

Hybrid Teas

Hybrid Teas

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Nostalgia

2

Nostalgia

Nostalgia

Heritage Roses (OGR)

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A dream is a wish your heart makes... find the rose your heart has been dreaming about at Ludwig’s!