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Updated 6 September 2004

** JAPAN **

WILD ROSES IN JAPAN - An Introduction

by Yuki Mikanagi
(Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba)

In talking about wild roses in Japan, many of us think of “No-ibara” ( R. multiflora) and “Hama-nashi” [“Hama-nasu”] (R. rugosa). Though these roses are most widely known among us, roses growing wild in this country are by no means confined to these two. In fact, there are 14 or so wild roses growing naturally in various parts of this country. In the whole world, there are supposed to be 100 to 200 different species. Since counting can differ depending on the principles and the methods of classification, it is difficult to decide the exact number, but when we consider that about one-tenth of the species roses of the world are found in our small islands, we can safely say that Japan is a country rich in wild roses.

For more information on Japanese rose history, please click on this link:

The History of the Rose in Japan - A Brief Overview by Takeo Nagata D. Eng

There are several different principles used in the classification of roses. In this introduction, we are going to follow the classificatory method taken by Alfred Rehder (1863-1949) and refer to the description of wild roses presented in The Wild Plants in Japan by Yasuichi Momiyama (Heibonsha Publishing Co. 1989).

The genus Rosa is divided into four subgenera. Of these four, roses belonging to two subgenera, Rosa and Platyrhodon, are found growing wild in Japan. Excepting one variety “Sansho-bara” (R. hirtula), which belongs to the subgenus Platyrhodon, all the varieties come under the subgenus Rosa. The subgenus Rosa is further divided into three sections: Synstylae, Rosa, and Bracteatae.

Let us start with the Synstylae section of the subgenus Rosa. The name “Synstylae” comes from Greek “syn” meaning “together” or “united”, and “stylos” meaning “pillar”, that is “style.” The distinctive feature of the taxa in this section is that the styles of their pistils are loosely united and protrude beyond the neck of the calyx tube.

According to Mr. Momiyama, this section includes the following eight roses: R. multiflora and R. multiflora var. adenochaeta, R. sambucina, R. jasminoides, R. onoei, R. paniculigera, R. fujisanensis, R. luciae, R. wichuraiana and R. wichuraiana var. glandulifera. Since the items in this section resemble each other in many respects, Prof. Hideaki Oba (Birth of Roses, Chuo Koron-sha Inc. 1997) classes them into three groups: R. multiflora, R. luciae and its varieties (R. wichuraiana, R. paniculigera, R. onoei, and R. jasminoides), and R. sambucina. Though this classification might be simpler and easier to understand in the following description of wild roses in Japan, I would like to use Mr. Momiyama’s widely-accepted classificatory method, adding some explanations of my own.

1.) “No-ibara” (Field Briar) R. multiflora Thunb. ex Murray
Distribution: Southwestern parts of Hokkaido, Lowlands in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, Korean Peninsula

This rose grows naturally in many parts of Japan. It is one of the several wild roses found in Japan bearing white flowers which look ~ore or less similar. However, this rose is unique among them in that the surface of its united styles of pistils is glabrous, so it is easy to determine its identity. All that is required is to examine this part of the flower with a magnifying glass.

There are a considerable number of local variations. In general, those found in Hokkaido and the Tohoku district - especially those on the Sea of Japan side of these areas - bear large flowers and inflorescences, which gradually become smaller in size as we come down to southern areas. Most rose literature states that the flower is between 1.8 and 2.3cm across.

Even smaller flowers we find in southern areas such as Chiba Prefecture give off a wonderful fragrance. If we vote for the champion of fragrant wild roses, I believe R. multiflora is the sure winner.

1a.) “Tsukushi-ibara” (Briar from Tsukushi, Kyushu) R. multiflora var. adenochaeta (Koidz) Ohwi
Distribution: Honshu (western parts of the Chugoku district) and Kyushu

Though this rose is generally considered to be a variety of R. multiflora, I suspect that it could be a hybrid between R. multiflora and some other roses. Its flowers are pink of varying degrees, and the whole bush is larger than R. multiflora, spreading its canes very vigorously. It also differs from R. multiflora in that it has glandular hairs on its peduncles, calyx tubes, and the outer surface of its sepals.

The large colony of this rose on the banks of the Kuma River in Hitoyoshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, is widely known. I regret to say that I have visited this place only in autumn, but I believe that it will present a breathtaking view when the roses are fully in bloom.

2.) “Yama-ibara” (Mountain Briar) R. sambucina Koidz.
Distribution: Honshu (Aichi Prefecture and further west, the Kinki district, the Chugoku district), Shikoku, and Kyushu

The flower of this rose closely resembles that of R. multiflora in shape; however, this rose puts forth longer sterns with larger leaves and flowers (3.5cm across). The type of inflorescence also differs: unlike R. multiflora or R. paniculigera, whose flowers are arranged in panicles, this rose bears its flowers in corymbs.

I have never visited its natural habitats, but I hear that they present a wonderful sight to see when this rose is in bloom.

3.) “Mori-ibara” (Forest Briar) R. jasminoides Koidz.
Distribution: Mountainous areas, mainly chestnut ranges, in Honshu (the Kanto district and further west), Shikoku, and Kyushu. No distribution on the Sea of Japan side of the Archipelago.

The specific epithet of this rose, “jasminoides,” meaning “jasmine-like,” seems to suggest that this is a highly fragrant rose, but its flowers do not have a particularly good fragrance. I suspect that the epithet might have come from the shape of its leaves, but so far I have been unable to find a definite answer.

Though its single white flowers, about 2.5cm across, also resemble those of R. multiflora, they are not borne in such large clusters, just one or two of them coming out at the end of a stem. It produces long, thick peduncles covered with glandular hairs, and bears large, oval hips 7 to 12mm long.

4.) “Yabu-ibara” (Thicket Briar) aka “Nioi-ibara” (Fragrant Briar) R. onoei Makino
Distribution: Mountainous areas of Honshu (south of the Median Tectonic Line), Shikoku, and Kyushu

No natural habitats of this rose are known in the Kanto district and I confess that I have never seen this rose in bloom in its natural habitats. All the information about this rose I present here has been obtained from rose literature and botanical specimens.

The size of the flower is smaller than that of R. jasminoides – ca. 1.5cm – and the peduncle and the calyx are normally villous. The hips are small and almost globular, 5 to 6mm across.

A local variation of this rose I saw in Mt. Ishizuchi in Shikoku bore very, very small flowers. I also noticed, as its remarkable feature, its long terminal leaflet, which looked almost like the tail of an animal.

5.) “Miyako-ibara” (City Briar) R. paniculigera Makino
Distribution: Honshu (north of the Median Tectonic Line, western parts of Shizuoka Prefecture, Niigata Prefecture, and further west), northern parts of Shikoku, downs and lower mountains in the north of Kyushu

Several years ago, I visited Sado Island to research R. x lwara. One month later, Mrs. Chiwako Homma, who kindly served as my guide in Sado, sent me the specimen of a white-flowered wild rose, which slightly differed from R. multiflora. Eventually, it turned out to be R. paniculigera.

This rose closely resembled R. multiflora, bearing a lot of white flowers (ca. 1.8mm across, a bit smaller than those of R. multiflora.) In large panicles. However, when I looked at its stems, petioles, and canes through a magnifying glass, I noticed that they were thickly covered with glandular hairs, and that its styles also had hairs. These features enable us to differentiate this rose from R. multiflora.

Unfortunately, I have never seen this rose in bloom in its natural habitats, but judging from the distirbution of the specimens I have seen, I consider it is fairly common in the Kinki district.

6.) “Fuji-ibara” (Fuji Briar) R. fujisanenesis (Makino) Makino
Distribution: Frequently seen in high mountains in the central area of Honshu; also sparsely distributed in large areas from Chichibu Mountains to Mt. Omine in Nara Prefecture in Honshu Island, and in mountains in the central areas of Shikoku

A large community dominated by this rose can be seen around the peak of Mt. Mitsutoge in Yamanashi Prefecture northwest of Tokyo. This is a rose with a thick main stem which often grows over 10cm across and densely puts forth small branches. Its leaflets are dark green, and roundish in shape. The flowers are white, 2.5 to 3.0cm across, and are arranged in panicles. The number of the flowers in a panicle differs widely, ranging from one to 20.

7.) “Azuma-ibara” (Eastland Briar) aka “O-Fuji-ibara” (Large Fuji Briar) “Yama-teriha-noibara” (Shiny Leaved Mountain Briar) R. luciae Franch. et Rochebr.
Distribution: Downs and lower mountains in Honshu (Miyagi Prefecture and further south, and Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture and further east)

This rose is not so rare in the near vicinity of Tokyo. As a Japanese name “Yama-teriha-noibara” indicates, it has glossy leaves and is often confused with “Teriha-noibara” (R. wichuraiana). However, its lateral leaflets are not as round as those of R. wichuraiana. The tree shapes also differ; unlike R. wichuraiana, which spreads sideways hugging the ground, this rose grows upward three to four meters tall. While the number of leaflets is seven to nine for R.multiflora and R. wichuraiana, five to seven is normal for this rose. The flowers are white, 2 to 2.5cm across, and closely resemble those of R. multiflora. However, this rose has thick hair on its styles, while R. multiflora has none. This enables us to distinguish between these two roses.

8.) “Teriha-noibara” (Shiny Leaved Briar) R. wichuraiana Crepin
Distribution: Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Ryukyu, Korean Peninsula, China

In Chiba Prefecture on the east of Tokyo, R. multiflora and R. Luciae come in bloom in May, but R.wichuraiana blooms much later, toward the end of June or early in July. It bears white flowers 3 to 3.5cm across, a little larger than those of R. multiflora.

Its inflorescence widely differs in size: some flowers are borne singly, some in large clusters. Round lateral leaflets and canes spreading sideways in a zigzag pattern are its conspicuous features. In Chiba Prefecture, this rose is often found on the seashore, but it also grows on the shores of rivers and in grassland in the mountains.

8a.) “Ryukyu Teriha-noibara” (Shiny Leaved Briar from Ryukyu) R. wichuraiana var. glandulifera (Koidz.) Honda
Distribution: Southern Kyushu and Ryukyu

I have never seen this rose. According to some rose literature, it is a variation of R. wichuraiana with thick glandular hairs on its inflorescence and calyx.

We will now move on to the Rosa section. We saw that most of the roses in the Synstylae section bear white flowers. Roses in the Rosa section bear pink-to-purple flowers which are much larger than those of Synstylae taxa, and look very gorgeous and attractive.

9.) “Hama-nashi” (Shore Pear) aka “Hama-nasu” (Shore Aubergine) R. rugosa Thunb. ex Murray
Distribution: Hokkaido, Honshu (Coastal areas north of Ibaraki Prefecture and Shimane Prefecture)

This rose is so familiar to us that I think it needs no explanation. Some people say that it grows naturally in Chiba Prefecture, south of Ibaraki, and in Kuju-kuri Town, we do see a small area dominated by R. rugosa, designated by the town as a Natural Monument. Actually, it presents a bit of a sad-looking sight, protected by a barbed wire fence, by the side of a rubbish dumping ground! It is a relief to hear that the roses there give a lot of flowers every year.

I have seen naturally growing “Hama-nashi” in many different places. On Sado Island in the Sea of Japan, I saw a bush growing by the sea as if clinging to the rocky beach. On a beach in Hokkaido facing the Okhotsk Sea, it was blooming on a sandy stretch swept by cold winds. A beach which is constantly sprayed with seawater would not allow even this rose to survive, but it does not seem to mind a harsh wind from the sea. I saw this rose beautifully in bloom where few other plants were seen.

According to the late Mr. Seizo Suzuki, variations which give white or salmon pink flowers could be found somewhere growing naturally, were we to conduct a thorough search.

10.) “Karafuto-ibara” (Sakhalin Briar) R. marretii Leveille
Distribution: Hokkaido, Honshu (Gumma Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture), Sakhalin, Northern areas of the Korean Peninsula

The flower of this rose closely resembles that of R. rugosa, though it is a little smaller (3 to 4cm across). Two or three flowers are borne at the terminal of a small cane. The tree grows pretty tall, some reaching 2 meters or more. Its distinctive feature is reddish bracts at the base of a peduncle and of a small branch. It gives globular or ovoid fruits 12 to 13mm across. In the Kanto district, this rose is commonly seen in July in places such as Sugadaira.

11.) “O-takane-bara” (Large High Mountain Rose) R. acicularis Lindl.
Distribution: Hokkaido, Honshu (high mountains in the Sea of Japan side of central to north areas), Sakhalin, Korean Peninsula, China, Siberia, and Kamchatka Peninsula

This rose is distributed widely in almost all the areas of high latitude in the northern hemisphere – one of the “circumboreal plants.” The colour of the flower ranges from pale pink to violet carmine, but it is not clear whether this difference in colour is to be attributed to individual variations or to environmental effects. The flower is normally 4 to 5cm across but I have seen a large one; about 8cm across. On the Okhotsk Sea coast of Hokkaido, this rose grows in swamplands close by the sea and along mountain streams. And in the Tohoku district of Honshu Island, I saw it growing in a cool place near a cave which blew out cold air.

The fruit, obovate in shape, is about 2cm long. The flower resembles that of R. nipponensis, but the leaf structure is totally different. The standard leaf of this rose has five to seven leaflets, while that of R. nipponensis has seven to nine. Its lateral leaflets are oblong while those of R. nipponensis are roundish, and the margin of its leaflets is crenated, unlike that of R. nipponensis which is finely toothed.

12.) “Takane-bara” (High Mountain Rose) R. nipponensis Crepin
Distribution: Honshu (high mountains in the central areas south of Oze), conifer zones and Dwarf Siberian pine (Pinus pumila) zones of Mt. Tsurugi in Shikoku

This rose closely resembles R. acicularis, but it is smaller in size, and as is mentioned above, their leaves differ in several respects. The flower is 3.5 to 4cm across, and looks more delicate than that of R. acicularis.

If you would like to see this rose in the Kanto district, you should go to the halfway point of Mt. Fuji. You will see its red flowers here and there along the paved road.

The last to be discussed of the subgenus Rosa is the Bracteatae section. This is not a large section, and only one variety grows naturally in Japan.

13.) “Kakayan-bara” (Luzon Rose) R. Bracteata Wendland
Distribution: Ryukyu (the Sakishima Islands), Taiwan, and shores of southern China

This is a climber-like rose growing in Okinawa Island and Ishigaki Island. It gives pretty large white flowers 5 to 7cm across. Notched bracts just below the calyx are the distinctive feature of this rose. I hear that this rose comes in bloom in May in its natural habitats, but the one I planted in Chiba gives flowers continuously from July to November.

Finally, we will see “Sansho-bara” or R. hirtula in the subgenus Platyrhodon. This rose is sometimes called “Hakone Sansho-bara,” but in botany, it is simply called “Sansho-bara.”

14.) “Sansho-bara” (Japanese Pepper [ Zanthoxylum piperitum ] Rose) R. hirtula (Regel) Nakai
Distribution: Honshu (between the chestnut zone and the beech zone in the mountains in the Fuji-Hakone areas, central Japan)

This is a deciduous tree which grows pretty large for a rose. The trees I have seen are about four meters tall. As the name suggests, this rose has leaves which look like those of Japanese Pepper trees, and gives pink flowers 5 to 6cm across during the rainy season in early summer. Its hips, covered with sharp prickles, look just like small chestnut burrs.

It is a sort of mystery that this rose grows naturally in extremely limited places in the Fuji-Hakone areas. A fossil of “Akashi Sansho-bara” ( R. akashiensis Miki), found in a stratum near Kobe, is very famous, but needless to say, this species is now extinct.

For more information on Japanese-bred roses, check out our new series:

Roses Raised by Breeders in Japan

These fourteen are the wild roses naturally growing in Japan. Besides them, their hybrids, such as “Ko-hama-nashi” ( R. x iwara. Siebo.), “Teriha-Ko-hama-nashi” ( R. rugosa x R. wichuraiana ) and “Kaido-bara” ( R. uchiyamana (Makino) Makino) are seen growing in various parts of this country.

Further, there are roses which, though not native to Japan, were imported in very early years and bear Japanese names, and also varieties selected (as garden plants, for example) from variations of wild roses in Japan. Some examples: “Naniwa-ibara” ( R. Laevigata Michaux) , “Hatoya-bara” (R. Laevigata f. rosea (Makino) Makino), “Mokko-bara” ( R. banksiae W.T. Aiton), “Ki-Mokko-bara” (R. banksiae var. Lutea Lindl.), “Koshin-bara” (varieties of R. chinensis Jacq.), “Maikai” ( R. maikwai Hara), “Shonosuke-bara” ( R. multiflora var. watsoniana Matsum.), “Izayoi-bara” (R. roxburghii Tratt.).

Admittedly, these are very sketchy descriptions of wild roses in Japan. Some roselovers I know grow them in their gardens, so please refer to their notes for more detailed information about these lovely roses.

[ This is an English translation of my article which appeared in Sara no Umi No.39, 1998 Annual of the Keisei Rose Society.]

** ITALY **

ROSETO'S ROSE FESTIVAL

By Helene Pizzi, Editor, Rose Trials / History

Looking at a map of boot-shaped Italy and putting your finger on centre of the east side, flanking the Adriatic sea, you will be smack-dab on a seaside town called Roseto degli Abruzzi (The Abruzzi's Rose Garden). This town, with its intriguing name, was founded in the middle of the XVIII (18th) Century as a seaside resort. It stretches for about 5km along one of the cleanest beaches and coastal waters in the Mediterranean basin and proudly flies a blue flag, awarded only to the top bathing areas in Italy. Notwithstanding its name, they have no rose garden! Soon however, and finally, they will be planting their Municipal Rose Garden; Roseto will have their Roseto. In the meantime, the city celebrated the rose with the second edition of their Rose Festival.

On Saturday, August 7th, a warm and sunny day, thousands of vacationers enjoying the beach looked overhead as a small plane (as previously announced) flew low over the shore and strewed millions of fresh rose petals into the air for 4km along the shore. They fluttered down in the sunshine, dancing in the sea breeze, easy to see against the turquoise-blue water. The Rose Festival of Roseto degli Abruzzi had officially begun.

A large villa, with a classic early XIX (19th) Century garden, located on the main thoroughfare, via Nazionale, had been donated to the city and is now used for special events such as the Rose Festival. As people entered, they trod on hundreds of red rose petals covering the ground at the entrance, laid out just for this occasion. Compositions of fresh-cut roses decorated the villa and the garden paths, where a small rose fair had been set up offering articles, all rose-related, from Bulgarian rosewater to paintings, from gifts to food. One stand sold miniature roses in small pots set tightly together, making a miniature sea of colour. People had also been encouraged to wear clothing with rose motifs, and this made for a setting for the conference that was guaranteed to be in a 'rosy' spirit.

Aurelio Formicone, responsible for the organisation, and Antonio Porrini, president of the city's tourist office, introduced the speakers who had come from Rome's Municipal Rose Garden, Salvatore Ianni and Antonello Santelli, along with Claudio Zacchia, who handled the technical support. The topic of the slide talks was 'The Fascination and Mystery of the Rose'. Later that evening, a large audience at the open-air theatre applauded the winners of the 2004 "The Rose" Poetry Contest.

Perhaps the fascination of the rose is catching, and the mystery as to why Roseto degli Abruzzi has no roses will soon be solved. In the meantime, with the support of the Mayor, Aurelio Formicone will once again be putting his organisational skills to work with the realisation of the long-awaited Municipal Rose Garden.

The garden will be located in the hills above the city that stretches like a narrow ribbon along the coast. From here, surrounded by villas tucked in olive groves and vineyards, the air is cooler and the view spectacular; a perfect site for a roseto (rose garden).

Signor Formicone asked me to announce that, as they wish to create a truly spectacular Roseto degli Abruzzi's Rose Garden, if any rose breeders would be willing to participate in this initiative by donating roses, they would be very grateful. Please contact Aurelio Formicone, Pro Loco di Roseto degli Abruzzi, Vicolo Metauro 5, 64026 Roseto degli Abruzzi (TE), Italy. Tel . 39-335-569.3782 or formicone@it.ibm.com

** EUROPE **

'TIS THE SEASON!

By Helene Pizzi, Editor, Rose Trials / History

What a jolly season the European Rose Trials bring each year! There is an excitement in the air at every Trial; each unique and very special, and each with a feeling of jolly goodwill as the International Jury meets, surrounded by fragrance, colour, and beauty.

We need more of this rosy-spirit in our world today, and we are finding each year, when the Trials have finished, more and more visitors flock to the Rose Trial gardens to enjoy the lovely new roses, and to give themselves an hour or two to simply unwind and relax.

We have had a twist in weather this year. 2003 set records for heat and for lack of rain and the hot summer had begun very early. At the times the judging had been scheduled at the Rose Trials everywhere, many of the roses had already passed their peak bloom. This, however, was hardly the case in 2004!

Rome had a cold winter (yes, everything is relative...'cold' for Rome...) and lots of rain in the first months of 2004. The roses were very happy, the growth lush, and the roses on trial in The Eternal City, this year, were generally exceptional, with one problem… Because of the cold Spring, many were still in bud and behind in bloom.

On May 15th, temperatures were warm and comfortable, and the sun was welcoming. As the members of the International Jury moved from rose to rose at the 62° Concorso Internationale di Nuove Varietà di Rose PREMIO ROMA 2004, they were sorry to see that many of the obviously excellent selections could not be judged as they were only in bud, with not a single open bloom.

Many stopped at #41 in the Floribunda category. The numerical vote of the Permanent Commission for this vigorous rose with compact growth had been very high - obviously its disease resistance must be good, the bloom was probably quite original, and the rose might have an excellent fragrance too. This rose, that obviously had a good chance of winning, had to be eliminated on the day of the final judging. There were perhaps as many as 100 buds, but not one mature enough to have bloomed.

A week later, I returned to the garden and shook my head. Now, as the trial was over, I could know the identity of this very unusual, fragrant, wine-red-striped-with-white rose that had now burst into joyful bloom, alas, a week to late to have won. This excellent and original rose (30 petals, 90cm high and wide) is French: 'New Image' (DORmelo) by Dorieux, and certainly one that we will be seeing in the future.

The winter weather had been similar this year in Monza too. Snuggled under the south side of the Alps, this city has a protected climate. Last year, the unseasonable and fierce heat had already begun, and many roses which had been past their peak for the 2003 trials had the opposite problem this year! Spring was late, and although the weather was tepid and perfect for the 21st of May, many of the roses were still behind.

The International Jury all commiserated with the bad luck of elimination of every single Groundcover rose in the 2004 Trials. These obviously good roses were only in tight bud, and not one had an open bloom. There were many spectacular roses in bloom however in other categories.

The jurors had no trouble in selecting a large, clear yellow-cupped Hybrid Tea for the 1° Premio: Medaglia d'Oro, LA ROSA DELL'ANNO. This rose also won the prestigious Fragrance Award, Corona della Regina Teodolinda per LA ROSA PROFUMATA that was later presented to the hybridizer by Europe's famous 'nose,' the perfume creator, Philippe Sauvegrain. It also won the Journalist's Award for 2004, La "ROSA DEI GIORNALISTI". This yellow HT rose is by the Swiss hybridizer, Richard Huber; code name HUBar 2002-2. It also had won a Bronze Medal in the HT Category in Rome the week before. We remember another fragrant rose by Richard Huber, 'Hans Rathgeb' (HUBar 2001-1); this lovely Swiss red HT had won the Fragrance Award last year in Monza and can be seen in the collection there.

At Monza, the LA PIU' BELLA ROSA ITALIANA went to Enrico Barni of Rose Barni with BAR-5205, a CL with intense salmon-pink single blooms. Barni won the MEDAGLIA D'ORO Gold Medal for the Climbing Category in Rome 2004 with the same rose.

We are still in the early stages of the 2004 European Rose Trials, but as the International Jury will be moving from one place to the other, we all expect the season to continue as well as it started. We will enjoy the beautiful roses in competition and the jolly spirit that infuses the judges as they meet old friends again and move about in the splendid settings of our 'rosy world.’

Updated 26 July 2004

Each year the Pageant of Roses Garden, Rose Hills, Whittier, California sponsors The Rose Hills International Rose Trials.

The following is an Address presented at the Rose Hills International Rose Trials, in California, by Mr. Kineo Ishihara, Chairman of Hanano Miyako Center for the Promotion of Flower and Greenery, Gifu, Japan:

ROSE HILLS INTERNATIONAL ROSE TRIALS
Kineo Ishihara, Chairman, Hanano Miyako Center

My name is Ishihara. I'm very pleased and greatly honoured to be invited to the International Rose Competition. As the representative of Mr. Kajiwara, the Governor of Gifu Prefecture, I come from Japan to present the Governor's prize to "The Most Fragrant Variety" of the year.

Our park in Gifu started to hold the International Rose Competition four years ago and today many breeders of the world send in their varieties to participate in the Competition every year.

The initiation of our park to hold the International Rose Competition was that Mr. Sam McGredy, one of the most well known rose breeders of the world, as all of you already know, has encouraged and given us much valuable advice for the competition. Almost all of Mr. McGredy's varieties can be seen at our park. Thanks to his support, our park has become No. 1 in Japan and we are proud that our park might have reached to the international level.

In the TV interview between Mr. McGredy and our Governor in Gifu, when Mr. Kajiwara expressed his strong desire to have the International exchange among the leading rose gardens, Mr. McGredy proposed a "Pan Pacific Rose Gardens Friendship Agreement" among Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Mr. Kjiwara acclaimed the splendid proposal and instantaneously agreed to offer the Governor's prize to the most fragrant rose variety on the occasion of the International Rose competition at Hamilton in New Zealand this time. To take advantage of the chance, I believe we could further deepen our friendly relations between the two gardens and countries to start with and we strongly hope the same relations should be built among the leading rose gardens of the four countries in the near future.

I would like to introduce you briefly our Flower Festival Commemorative Park. The park is in Gifu Prefecture, located in the central part of Japan. It was opened in the year 1996. The total space of the park is 80.7 hecters and it embraces a lot of greens and nature. In this park there is the largest rose garden in Japan having 7,000 varieties and 75,000 rose plants. The best seasons to enjoy roses are toward the end of May and in October. If you have the chance to visit Japan, do visit our park. You are most welcome.

Thank you.
Kineo Ishihara

Ed. - You can view a great deal of the Flower Festival Commemorative Park in Gifu on their website at: http://www.pref.gifu.jp/ENG/sight.htm

The rest of the website is in Japanese but this link will take you to the English language section.

** JAPAN **

* AS AN ADDED BONUS, our new Japan Correspondent, Akira Osawa, has kindly given us his own take on the Gifu Rose Garden and Festival Park: *

THE ROSE GARDEN OF THE FLOWER FESTIVAL COMMEMORATIVE PARK IN GIFU

submitted by Akira Ogawa, Japan Correspondent

The Flower Festival Commemorative Park in Gifu is located, far from the madding crowd, in the hilly countryside at the heart of Honshu Island here in Japan. As the name indicates, an important flower festival was held in Gifu Prefecture in 1995, and since two of the prefecture's main industries are cut-flower and potted flower production, this park was opened the next year at the site of the festival, as a display garden for further heightening citizens' interest in growing flowers. Gifu Park's main feature is the rose garden.

With the strong support of the prefecture, and through the diligent efforts of the park employees and large numbers of enthusiastic volunteers, the park has been expanded each year, and has become more and more attractive. Now, its rose garden has the largest number of rose varieties in Japan, with over 1,600 different varieties and a total of 41,000 plants as of Spring, 2003.
This is a beautiful rose garden. Areawise, Japan is a rather small country; even smaller than the single state of California. It is highly mountainous, besides, and usable, arable land is extremely limited. Consequently, most of the gardens in Japan, both public and private, are very small by the standards in other countries. We rarely see any large-scale gardens here like the landscape gardens one might see elsewhere around the world.
One of the interesting ideas in garden planning in Japan is called "landscape borrowing." It means to take in trees, hills, mountains, and even buildings in the distance as the background of a small garden. We enjoy not just the view of the garden itself but its harmony with the "borrowed " background landscape.

The case of the Gifu rose garden is not exactly that of "landscape borrowing," but the idea still lives in the overall structure of the park. The visitors to the rose garden will be fascinated by beautiful roses in hundreds of beds, and when they look up and around, they will be struck by another beautiful sight created by the harmony, or sometimes contrast, between colours of roses and the fresh green of the surrounding hills. The park claims that it offers the visitors a "flower-rich and nature-rich" rose garden.

The rose garden displays different varieties of roses, each with a name plate indicating the variety type, the name of the rose, the year of its introduction, and its breeder: modern roses such as HTs, floribundas, miniature roses, and modern shrubs, including David Austin's English Roses; also old garden roses and species roses, each in their separate sections and beds. The garden took in David Austin roses from its earliest stage, and the section of these roses is one of the highlights of this garden.
Different types of OGRs are planted in beds along the "Path of Old Roses," varieties of each type being arranged approximately in chronological order. So, walking along the path, viewers can learn the history of their breeding. Slopes between different levels are filled with groundcover roses. Climbers are trained on pillars, trellises, and arches placed among the beds.

The section of species roses, named the "Valley of Species Roses," is placed in a secluded area between hills. This is an arrangement which, taking advantage of its geographical features, makes visitors feel as if they have trod into a "lost wilderness." The view of the whole garden from the end of May to the end of June, and in autumn, from mid-October to the end of November, is truly breathtaking.

The park also has a rose trial grounds, and an international rose competition has been taking place here since 1999, inviting entries, and also judges, from both within and outside the country. In the selection of the winners, special emphasis is placed on their vigor, disease resistance, and the length of their flowering period as well as their novelty, floriferousness and the beauty of their flowers. This judging standard will encourage growers to introduce new roses which can be grown by many flower lovers without special skill or troublesome care, so more and more people will come to enjoy roses in their home gardens.

The park is provided with facilities such as an exhibition hall, a small gallery, and a learning centre, where various courses of flower cultivation are given throughout the year. This centre also serves as a site of various horticultural events such as "hanging basket" and "potted plant" contests.

In 1999, the park concluded a Friendship Alliance Agreement with the Royal National Rose Society, and since then, it has obtained a great deal of useful advice from experts in the UK. In 2002, a small English style garden, designed by Prof. David Stevens, was added to the park. It is expected to be one of the key features of the park in future.

Lastly, we would like to refer to some kind comments on this rose garden by two eminent rosarians who visited the park several times as judges of the international rose contest. Mr. Michael O'Loughlin contributed an article entitled "A Wondrous Rose Garden" to an issue of the RNRS's journal The Rose, praising the beauty of the Gifu Park garden and the superior facilities in the park.

Lt. Col. Ken Grapes, in one of the issues of the WFRS journal Rose News Letter, introduced this rose garden as a "must for visitors from abroad to see" and earnestly advised us to include a visit to the garden in the tour program of the 2006 Osaka Convention. We believe that it is thanks to these endorsements, as well as those of many other kind supporters, that this rose garden has received an Award of Garden Excellence at the 2003 WFRS World Convention held in Glasgow. We are very grateful to them all.

We hope roselovers the world over will come join us Japanese rosarians in the enjoyment of our roses at the Flower Festival Commemorative Park in Gifu.

** BERMUDA **

THE BERMUDA ROSE SOCIETY'S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
1954-2004

written and submitted by Liesbeth Cooper
from her original submission to the monthly bulletin
of the Bermuda Department of the Environment, "Envirotalk"

On April 2nd, 2004 The Bermuda Rose Society will celebrate 50 years of carrying on with the aims as originally proposed by the founders, Sir Jeffrey Astwood, Mr. Hereward Watlington, and Mrs. Charles Burland. The intention was to form "a friendly, cosy society" which would encourage the cultivation, conservation, and love of roses in Bermuda, with emphasis on the Old Garden Roses which had stood the test of time in these islands.

As early as 1639, a Spaniard who was shipwrecked here wrote about the gardens around each house containing many roses, and in 1660 a rose-still was mentioned as part of someone's effects. "Promiscuous here appears the blushing rose", from Nathaniel Tucker's poem "The Bermudian"(1768), and in 1804 the Irish poet, Tom Moore, wrote that "the roses are in full bloom here."

These very early roses would have been the old, mostly once-blooming, European ones. Most of these would not have survived well because of our semi-tropical climate and their need of the "chill" of winter. In the early nineteenth century the clipper ships, which travelled the globe, brought roses which originated in China. These are the classes of roses which found our climate to their liking and settled in so well. Some of the China and Tea roses alive today are many decades old, and have survived gales, hurricanes and total neglect!

Many of these old roses have, over the course of time, lost their original names and provenance (earliest known history) and were given either the name of the person in whose garden they grew, or the name or location of the place where they were found: "Trinity", "Smith's Parish", "Miss Atwood", "St. David's", "Vincent Godsiff", "Emmie Gray", "Pacific". This last rose was given its name because a rosebush was given to Captain Nelmes - great-grandfather of the Society's first president - on a voyage in the Pacific, by the Captain of a French ship in gratitude for a supply of drinking water. In 1979, during the Society's 25th anniversary celebrations, our guest speaker, Mr. Peter Harkness of the UK, coined the phrase "Mystery Roses" for these old treasures. This term has caught on in a few places.

Most of these old China roses are quite easy to propagate by cuttings, or "slips" as Bermudians like to call them, and many slips were shared with neighbours, friends, and family in other parishes. Rosebushes were planted in churchyards by the graves of loved ones, and many of these thrived with little or no care, proving their hardiness.

For many years now, the Society has been propagating roses from slips under a misting unit in a plastic "tunnel" at the Tulo Valley Nursery, by kind permission of the Department of the Environment. Several hundred rosebushes are raised there. Some of these are given to the Department; some to the Bermuda National Trust, Corporation of Hamilton, Churches; some to Government House. Some of these roses can be seen at Victoria Park and Par-la-Ville Park, as well as at the Botanical Gardens and a number of churchyards around the Islands. Bermudian roselovers look forward eagerly to our annual rose sale, when 500-700 rose bushes are offered by public sale and snapped up in no time! Unfortunately, Hurricane Fabian destroyed the tunnel, and the BRS was not able to start the propagating programme as usual in October. A new, larger tunnel was built in February, and it is hoped that roses will be available for sale to the public in due course.

The BRS became a member of the World Federation of Rose Societies and a number of national rose societies in other countries and, in 1985, five members attended the WFRS Convention in Toronto, Canada. A slide programme and talk were presented on the just-published book "Old Garden Roses in Bermuda." This small book was an instant hit and orders were received from countries around the world. Suddenly, this little island rose society became a recognised pioneer in rose conservation and propagation. Members were invited to give slide presentations at several conferences and meetings locally and overseas.

The Philatelic Department of the Bermuda Post Office issued two sets of stamps depicting the Old Garden Roses and these were and still are desirable to stamp collectors.

In 1987, the BRS hosted the North-American Regional Conference of the World Federation of Rose Societies, at which time a number of well-known Rosarians from Canada, the USA, and England gave lectures. In fact, since the early 1950s, a multitude of international rose luminaries have been guests of the BRS and, on many occasions, their lectures have been open to the public free of charge. After all, one of our missions is to promote the love of growing roses. Without exception these roselovers have commended those early pioneers of the '50s for their foresight in preserving the treasures from the past.

During the conference in '87, it was suggested by Dr. Charles A. Walker, then-president of the newly-founded Heritage Rose Foundation, that the BRS ought to create a repository garden where our precious Old Garden Roses could be preserved. The Bermuda National Trust graciously allowed us a space in the garden at Waterville, the Trust's waterside property in Paget. The first garden was made in 1988, but was found to be difficult to maintain properly. For its millennium project, the BRS decided to "make over" the garden by creating raised beds, giving the roses more depth of soil, defining the boundaries of the beds, and making them easier to tend by a team of volunteers. All the Bermuda "Mystery Roses" are planted there, as well as most of the Teas, Chinas, Noisettes and other varieties of roses which have survived well in our climate. In recent times, a few "found" roses from the USA have been added; a reciprocal gesture to make sure these roses will be preserved. Almost all the roses at Waterville were grown by the BRS at Tulo Valley.

The Bermuda Rose Society has always been a participant in the "Ag.Show"; for years decorating Camden House, the official residence of the Premier of Bermuda, with beautiful rose arrangements and a special "specimen bench" on which would be displayed as many varieties of roses as were in bloom at the time. This was always appreciated as a splendid teaching tool, and many members of the public would flock to see the roses and decide which ones they would choose for their own garden. Over the years the roses have been assigned various locations for the rose competition and the display, as Camden is no longer available.

For its first 25 years, the BRS held small coffee and tea meetings at members' homes, when turns were taken presenting rose-related topics, which were then discussed. A Semi-Annual and Annual General Meeting were held in October and May at Horticultural Hall. By 1979, the Society had grown too large for home meetings and was given the use of the Arrowroot Factory behind Camden House until 2002, when the Arrowroot Factory was turned over to The Masterworks Foundation. Montrose Mews, across from the Exhibition Office, has become our new home. The little building was refurbished and enlarged to double its size. It is now the new venue for the rose competition and specimen benches. The BRS is grateful to the Department for providing this attractive new facility.

In 1995, it was decided that "Old Garden Roses in Bermuda" needed to be expanded and updated. For the next two years, a book committee of members took new photographs, added to descriptions and wrote new ones, updated care instructions, added chapters on preparing roses for a show, how to do rose arrangements, and invited guest authors to write chapters on how the Bermuda "Mystery Roses" were performing in their locations in the USA. "Roses in Bermuda" was launched in October 1997 and, once again, the efforts of the BRS were given rave reviews in Rose publications and by rosarians around the globe.

In recent years, great strides have been made in the study of plant DNA, and roses are no exception. The leaves of several of our roses were sent to a laboratory in Lyon, France, to determine whether or not their DNA matched that of certain rose varieties from other countries which appeared to look alike. DNA of the Bermuda 'R. chinensis semperflorens', or 'Slater's Crimson China' (known locally as "Belfield"), differs from the DNA of specimens from plants in two gardens in France, two gardens in California, and the famous Rosarium "Sangerhausen" in Germany, (all of which are identical!). The results do not tell us which of these matches the "true" 'Slater's," and research of this plant in the country of origin must be considered. 'Old Blush' ('Parsons' Pink China') appears to be identical to all the others tested.

All 'Mutabilis' samples analysed are identical. Although the blooms of "Bermuda Kathleen" look like a daintier version of 'Mutabilis,' it is different from 'Mutabilis' at a molecular level. It is perhaps a hybrid of 'Mutabilis'; in other words, a seedling.

A "sport" is a spontaneous mutation which takes place in a plant and can manifest itself in various ways: a plant with green leaves may produce a branch with variegated leaves which, when propagated from a cutting, will produce a plant with variegated leaves. A plant with white flowers may produce a branch with red blooms, like "Smith's Parish" which sometimes grows a branch with red blooms. Slips were taken, successfully propagated and so "Red Smith's Parish" was born! 'Isabella Sprunt' (light yellow) is a colour sport of 'Safrano' (buff or pale apricot).

A few years ago, a spray of yellow flowers was spotted on 'Mutabilis.' A slip was taken, and now there is one small bush of 'Yellow Mutabilis!' This sport has caused great excitement and it is hoped that in time there will be many 'Yellow Mutabilis' rosebushes available.

Another way sports can manifest is the type that sports from double flowers to single, such as 'Souvenir de St. Anne's,' a sport of the very double, beautiful Bourbon rose 'Souvenir de la Malmaison.' Sometimes roses produce climbing sports. Normally only one mutation occurs in a plant.

To celebrate its Golden Anniversary, The Bermuda Rose Society has planned a week-end of special activities.
On Friday, April 16th, a special Anniversary dinner under the Distinguished Patronage of Lady Vereker will be held for members and their guests. His Excellency will also be in attendance, as well as three guests from overseas. Rose arrangements will be featured for all decorations. During the evening, all past Presidents of the BRS will be honoured.

On Saturday, April 17th, from 9.30 a.m. - 12.30 p.m., a programme of lectures will be presented by our visiting guests at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. These will be free of charge and open to all rose-lovers as a gift from The Bermuda Rose Society to the people of Bermuda.

Speakers will discuss rose-related topics and give power point presentations. Rose arrangements in Shadow Boxes will be displayed in the lobby and more arrangements will decorate the lecture hall.

The three guest speakers are:

Dr. Charles A. Walker, Jr., a lifelong resident of the southeastern USA, came to Bermuda in 1984 to judge the roses at the "Ag. Show" and at the Society's AGM. Dr. Walker had been interested in Bermuda and its roses since reading articles about the pioneer work the BRS had been doing in old rose preservation and culture since the 1950s.

Dr. Walker was the Founder, President and Editor of The Heritage Rose Foundation, founded in 1986, a nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation, culture, and study of varieties of Antique (also called Heritage or Old Garden) Roses. Dr. Walker visited our shores again to participate in the Regional WFRS Conference in 1987. He has been either a consultant, editor, and/or proofreader of many well-known books on roses. He acted as our advisor when we were working on our book, "Roses in Bermuda" and was enormously helpful.

Dr. Walker will speak on "The Mystery of the Smith's Parish Rose."

Dr. Malcolm M. Manners was also a speaker at the '87 Conference and has been back to Bermuda several times: to give a workshop for the Society on rose propagation, to accompany a rose chat-room group on a tour, and as a speaker and a judge of roses and citrus at the Ag.Show and the AGM of the BRS.

On more than one occasion, a collection of slips of Bermuda Mystery roses were taken back to Florida, propagated and, after a quarantine period, shared with a number of nurseries. Since then, the "Bermuda Mysteries" have been available commercially and have become popular as hardy and healthy garden plants. The exchange and preservation of plants between countries helps to ensure that certain species or varieties will not be lost due to diseases, pests, or other causes.

Dr. Manners is the John and Ruth Tyndall Professor of Citrus Studies at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. He teaches general horticulture, plant nutrition, pest and disease management, tropical and temperate fruits, and several citrus courses. He frequently travels to countries in many parts of the world as consultant in citrus culture.

For the past 20 years, Dr. Manners has managed FSC's rose mosaic heat therapy programme, which rids roses of this disease, and produces healthy propagating material for nurseries. There is an extensive rose collection at the College, in a number of beds and gardens throughout the campus, which includes many classes of roses, although the Old Garden Roses predominate. One long bed contains only "Bermuda Mysteries" and there are standards of "Smith's Parish" and 'Red Cascade', representing the red and white College colours!

On the board of The Heritage Rose Foundation, Dr. Manners has served as secretary and currently holds the position of Vice-President for Publications. He serves or has served on other rose-related boards.
The BRS is most appreciative of his continuing interest in and advice on the care and maintenance of the Repository Rose Garden at "Waterville."

Mrs. Ann Bird, our third speaker, has been a member of the Royal National Rose Society since 1974 and is currently Deputy President. She is a member of the Board of Trustees, the National Shows Committee and Chairman of the Rose Advisory Board. She is an RNRS and International Rose Judge and has served on the Rose Trials Committee. Ann is a hands-on gardener who "digs at her Leicestershire home with her West Highland terriers"! At first she was an amateur exhibitor of Modern roses, but had been completely captivated by Old Garden Roses by 1981. Ann was one of four founder-members of the RNRS Historic Roses Group and has served as Secretary, Treasurer and finally Chairman for three and a half years and is now its Vice-Chairman.

Mrs. Bird is a member of the Specialized Conservation Committee of the World Federation of Rose Societies and is involved in a campaign to preserve the older rose varieties bred in Britain, like Joseph Pemberton's Hybrid Musks. Ann has been admitted as a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners. She has lectured on roses for 20 years and been awarded the RNRS Silver Medal.
Bermuda and The Bermuda Rose Society welcome Mrs. Bird on her first visit and look forward to hearing her speak.

The Bermuda Rose Society plans to continue with its mission to spread the love of roses with emphasis on preserving our wonderful and very special "Mysteries".

So, on with the next 50 years!

** AFRICA **

all materials submitted through
our Africa South Correspondent, Lynette Keppler

ROSE GROWING IN SOUTH AFRICA
Ludwig Taschner, President
Federation of Rose Societies of South Africa

  
Roses, not being native to the Southern hemisphere, arrived with the first European settlers in the Cape Province in 1652. Subsequent waves of settlers brought their roses as memory from home and today roses are indeed thriving in all the various climatic regions of the country.
 
The Inland has dry winters from mid June to mid August with minus degrees of up to -15° the normal being -7°C in the early morning hours. Winter covering or frost protection is not required, however late frost damage is experienced in the higher mountain regions after sprouting of the roses has taken place. The rainy season is from late spring (October) through summer (November to February) into autumn (March April) mostly by afternoon thunderstorms with occasionally rainy overcast weather for a week.
 
The Western Cape has a Mediterranean climate with rains in winter and hot dry summers. A sub-tropical climate is experienced at the northern coast of the Indian Ocean similar to that in Florida.
 
With due care the roses flower well from early October until April in most regions of the country. The only rose that has naturalised itself in the cold mountain region is Rosa rubiginosa which is now declared a noxious weed.
 
All pests and diseases commonly found on roses are also prevalent in South Africa. A wide range of pesticides is available to keep them under control.
 
Rose plants are offered to the gardening public by about 1000 garden centres and retail nurseries throughout the country. All plants are established in container, mostly black poly plant bags of 1 gallon. Of the twenty rose propagating nurseries only two are still doing field grown roses to be planted in containers before delivery to retail outlets. The other growers either bud onto rooted hardwood cuttings of the Multiflora clone Brooks 48  in a container, alternatively they establish rooted cuttings of own root plants. The majority of rose breeders from all over the world are represented by four of the propagators and new varieties that are found suitable for the climate are released annually. About one thousand different varieties are on offer to the public. Ludwig's Roses www.ludwigsroses.co.za is the only nursery that distributes a rose catalogue, listing about 800 varieties. It is also the only nursery that will do bare root shipping to regions that have no other nursery retail outlets.
 
The absolute favourite variety is the Floribunda 'Iceberg' in all forms as bush rose, climber and on standard stems. The top selling hybrid teas are:

'Double Delight', 'Just Joey', 'Ingrid Bergman', 'Germiston Gold', 'Blue Moon', 'Esther Geldenhuys', 'Pascali', 'Duftwolke', 'Electron', 'Oklahoma', 'Rina Hugo'.

An estimated 1.5 million garden rose plants are sold annually plus export taking place of nearly a million bush and standard roses mainly to the Netherlands. The main market for garden roses is presently to the European portion of the population. With the rapid urbanisation of the Black citizens a considerable expansion is foreseeable.
 
Florist cut roses are produced in about 200 hectares of polythene covered greenhouses and about 100 million stems are annually sold on the local market.
 
The Federation of Rose Societies of South Africa is the umbrella organisation for 15 regional Rose Societies. More information of the activities and rose gardens that are worthwhile visiting in South Africa can be found on the website of the World Federation of Rose Societies   www.worldrose.org

** AUSTRALIA **

All materials submitted by
Australia West Correspondent, Pat Toolan

ARALUEN

Araluen is a Western Australian garden in the hills 40 kilometers southeast of Perth. It was begun in 1930 by a Perth philanthropist, John Joseph Simons, who started it as a bush camp for a youth group he formed in 1907: the Young Australia League. Simons was a conservationist who collected trees and plants and seeds on his extensive overseas trips to be planted at Araluen "in a bush setting." The garden flourished until the death of Simons in 1949, after which it gradually declined, until in 1985 it was sold to a private buyer.

In February 1990, it again came onto the market and, on the 1st of September 1990, the Western Australian Government bought it as a botanic garden for the people of W.A. in answer to a major public campaign to save it from development.

Over the last 13 years, it has been managed by a Foundation set up by the campaigners who lease it from the government which then provides some financial assistance. It has become one of Perth's favourite gardens, and is a special haunt of local visitors and tourists, horticultural students and enthusiasts.

When the Foundation commenced their work in 1990, there was one surviving bed of roses - circa 1940 - with such roses as 'Mme Chiang Kai-Shek' (1942) and 'Hector Deane' (1938).

In 1995, Araluen crusader and Heritage Roses in Australia coordinator, Noelene Drage, instigated the planting of a major rose collection in a new open area of the park. She envisaged a collection of roses particularly suited to the warm, temperate climate; including good shrub and climbing roses that would bloom recurrently and provide interest and colour long after the spring blossoms of tulips and other bulbs, for which the garden is so famous, had finished blooming. She chose a wide range of roses including Tea Roses and China Roses, Noisettes, and early Hybrid Teas that had proved themselves as fine garden roses. Among them, she chose the roses of Alister Clark and the fascinating and beautiful foundlings discovered in various places around the state and shared between rose lovers.

Like Alister Clark, Noelene saw the value of fine, strong old garden roses that thrive on a minimum of care. As a rose conservator with an extensive collection of rare and found roses in her own garden, she is convinced that well-managed public collections play a vital role in the conservation of historic roses as well as providing the public with opportunities to see a greater variety of roses and increasing the chances of found roses being recognized and identified.

Today, there are approximately 1,000 roses planted in different areas of the garden which takes up ten hectares of the 49 hectare property.

A major source of the roses has been the overstocks of a nursery who also gift Araluen their deletions, so there are roses from almost every classification - from species to David Austin roses - represented in the garden. However, Araluen is specializing in the roses bred by Alister Clark, Tea, and China roses as well as Hybrid Teas of the 1920s onwards.

There was a massive rose pergola built in 1938 – 1940, which had 80 climbing roses growing on it, and all but four varieties that were found named on old planting notes have been located and replaced.

For a glimpse of the beauty of Araluen go to: http://www.araluenbotanicpark.com.au/
Images and information about the rose gardens have yet to be added to this site.

THE KODJA PLACE

We're going to share a rural experience.

Kojonup is a perfect place to experience country life in Western Australia. But hundreds of travellers pass through each day without stopping.

We're going to give them a reason to stay a while. The Kodja Place will help make Kojonup a destination, not just a whistle stop.

THE INTERPRETATIVE CENTRE

Kojonup is collecting photos, objects, videos and stories to develop interactive, multimedia displays about its 'Rural Experience'. By linking the displays with places to visit, we will inspire visitors and local people to explore all the corners of our district.

There will be fascinating and fun displays about our land, our Community, our Journeys, our Homes and our famous Million Sheep. Bush tucker, poison grubbing, and the bush fire brigade will all feature, along with football, yabbying, the dog and much more.

Stories from across the Kojonup community - Noongar and non-Aboriginal - will be placed side by side. These stories will run from early times to the present day, reflecting our district to both visitors and ourselves.

THE AUSTRALIAN ROSE MAZE

A maze of rose hedges will be the centrepiece of the Kodja Place site, combining the adventure of a hedge maze with the perfume and colour of a thousand rose bushes.

Rose breeders have developed many beautiful roses especially for Australian conditions. Kojonup's rose maze will be the only major rose garden in the world growing exclusively Australian Bred Roses.

Visitors to the maze may be confused, but not lost. Wide pathways and escape points will be provided for those not up to the 500-metre trail. The totally confused will have much further to walk, but a series of stories set into the paths of the maze will make the journey interesting. To celebrate rural women and a century of women's voting rights, the stories will feature the experiences of three fictional Kojonup women: a Noongar, an Italian and one of English descent.

THE STORIES AND THE LANDSCAPE

The first link that visitors will see is against Albany Highway, at the front of the Kodja Place. Three rammed earth walls will mark the start of storylines embedded in the ground. The architects have designed the storylines to run across the linear gallery and into the main courtyard, where they become structures in the landscape - one a line of steps, one a low retaining wall framing the area. The lines meet at the east end of the courtyard, at the entrance to the maze itself.

PLANTING

The maze will be planted with Australian-bred roses. All of the outer rose hedge will be planted with 'Restless', a deep red, fragrant rose bred by Alister Clark in 1938. 'Restless' has few thorns, and has been selected for its constant flowering and robust nature. The eventual height of this hedge should be two metres. Other Australian roses will be planted in blocks of varying height to create tunnels, paths and views within the maze. The inner hedge will be planted with myrsine africanus, an evergreen shrub, to form a solid backdrop to the roses.

PROJECT DETAILS

The interpretative centre displays are the first attempt by the local Noongar and non-Indigenous communities to present the rural experiences of both communities together, publicly. We have called this approach "One Story - Many Voices". It is a reconciliation and an economic development project in a rural country town where both objectives are of vital importance.

The Kojonup Noongar and non-Indigenous communities are developing public displays for the interpretative centre that is currently under construction. The official opening is December 1, 2002.

The Linear Gallery - A visual presentation of the changing land use and landscape in the Kojonup area from traditional Noongar times to the present day. The local Noongar community has suggested a number of the design elements including an artistic wall display of land management tools from traditional Noongar culture to current non-Indigenous farm implements. A linear photographic frieze in the opposite wall will complement the tool display and floor graphics of changing prints on the landscape - bare feet to boots and tractor tyres, and native wildlife to sheep, horses and rabbits.

The Bush - A multi-media presentation showing that local bush is not a people-free place - Kojonup bush did and does provide food, shelter, income, recreation and inspiration for the Noongar and non-Indigenous communities. It will also explore how local Noongar and early non-indigenous settlers rose to the challenge of living from the bush by invention and innovation. The existence of government legislation that made it harder for Noongar people to collect bush foods and generate income from the bush, will also be featured.

The Farm Shed - Addresses the role of Noongar and settler communities in the establishment of farms, including issues of land ownership, labour, the contributions of Noongar people to farm development, and the relationships between Noongar workers and families and non-Indigenous land owners.

The Pub - Addresses social interaction, including the opportunity sport provides for members of both Noongar and non-Indigenous communities to excel, and its role in helping to knit these communities together. 'The Pub' display also looks at the prior existence of discriminatory laws and policies affecting Noongar people, including the evening town curfew and prohibition on being served in hotels without a 'Certificate of Citizenship'. Professional assistance is needed to produce the 'pub TV' presentation about local sporting heroes from the Noongar and non-Indigenous community.

Community Mosaic - A video clip compilation of Kojonup people of different ages and cultures interviewed by local Noongar elder, Jack Cox, about life in Kojonup. By taking the role of interviewer, Jack will make a strong statement about his standing in the local community and reverse the typical roles of non-Indigenous interviewer and interviewee. Professional assistance will enable a high quality production that Jack and the Noongar community can view with pride, and that will interest visitors.

This is a unique reconciliation programme.

-- Printed in the Australian Rose Annual 2002, pages 140-143

Mr. Richard Walsh, of the National Rose Society of Australia added the following note:

THE PINJARRA HERITAGE ROSE GARDEN

The Heritage Rose Garden at Pinjarra, 90 kilometers south of Perth, Western Australia contains an important collection of over 400 roses, many of which are rare and a few of which have not yet been identified. It forms part of the historic Edenvale Complex. The first heritage rose garden in Western Australia, the Pinjarra garden grew from a project started by Major Noel Frost in the early 1980s, intended to restore the gardens around Edenvale, an historic homestead.

An appeal for plants, cuttings, and budwood of old garden roses saw a large number of old roses donated from all over Australia. With the support and assistance of Western Australian H.R.A. coordinator, Rose Marsh, these were propagated and planted. As well as named representatives of a wide range of rose varieties and species roses, cuttings of old roses found unnamed in Western Australia formed an important part of the historic collection. Among these, "The Gill Rose *R.O.R." (*Renamed Old Rose), a beautiful Tea rose planted at North Dandalup in the early 1900s and still thriving and stopping traffic with its exquisite winter blooms. Major Frost was also particularly keen to establish a collection of roses by the Australian breeder, Alister Clark, and a special request was made for donations of these roses.

Initially, the garden prospered, but after the death of Major Frost in 1987, it suffered from lack of attention, and many of the original roses were lost. In 1991, Ron Ward became caretaker and, with the help of local volunteers and members of Heritage Roses in Australia, the garden was restored. The Alister Clark Garden and Memorial Garden were also added during this time.

Heritage Roses in Australia has a consultative and advisory role in the management of the garden, and volunteers from HRA assist in its upkeep along with the winter pruning and summer trimming. Efforts to identify the found roses in the collection are an ongoing challenge for old and new members. HRA has recently produced a brochure listing the names of the roses, and this has sparked a great deal of interest in the roses and the garden.

The collection includes many recurrent roses such as Teas, Chinas, Noisettes, and Hybrid Musks that thrive in the warm climate, as well as those once-flowering roses that transform the garden in spring and early summer.

Lynne Chapman is the HRA representative responsible for the Pinjarra garden, and her fine work is reflected in the success of the garden and the excellent condition of the roses in this collection.

The garden is open all year with donation entry.

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