Rose Curators
Preserving our historic collection of roses
Excerpted from an article by Pamela in our Newsletter, issue 19, July 2018:
When we were asked to foster the Rambler rose collections that now belongs to The Friends of Vintage Roses, we were thrilled. We live on 38 acres. It is a wild, isolated, and dramatic landscape in Northern California. . . To me it seemed an ideal place for huge rambling roses.
We wanted to grow many of the Ramblers freestanding and untamed. We planted some of the roses with lax growth habits so that they would tumble down the hill to the road. Some more arching and upright ones we planted out in the field as haystacks and mountains. It is exciting to see a rose growing in this natural way. The wild exuberance of Ramblers makes them my favorite class.
Taking on the responsibility of preserving a collection of roses has changed my perspective on gardening. Previously I had focused on making a pretty garden. Now the expansiveness of my garden provides a sanctuary. I consider it my responsibility to provide for as many of these amazing rambling roses as I can on this hillside. As the world seems to grow smaller and smaller, finding a place for people to see these beautiful giants is very important to me. We all need these wild and exuberant beings.
I sit on The Friends of Vintage Roses Board of Directors and also serve as the curator for the Modern Shrub and Polyantha collections.
I had to build out a new section in my garden for these roses, since the two collections combined are more than 200 roses. The Shrubs were planted in 2020 and 2021 while the Polyanthas were installed in 2021 and 2022.
The Shrubs are just the best roses, ever, for someone who does not want to be bothered with a lot of work. They are incredibly tough and resilient, and bloom abundantly.
I am still learning about the Polyanthas. Although I have had some in my garden all along, I don’t know their habits and preferences as well as some of the other rose varieties. Also, since this is the first year in the ground for many of them, we need to wait another year to judge their real sizes and habits. I can’t wait!
Excerpted from an article by John in our Newsletter, issue 19, July 2018:
The California Coastal Rose Society (in north San Diego County) has been involved with preserving the genetics of endangered rose varieties for the past 18 years. . .
We were thrilled to receive a small part of the Vintage Hybrid Tea and Floribunda collection. Last winter, 181 Hybrid Teas and 51 Floribundas were shipped from Sebastopol to Bonsall, CA. A permanent home for these plants is under construction, and they will eventually reside in Fallbrook, CA. . .
We hope eventually to bring more plants from Vintage into the collection. I am especially keen on recreating the Pernetiana collection. The dry, mild climate of San Diego County, where blackspot is rarely a problem, is ideal for growing this class. . .